Ian interpreted Eri’s drunken words as follows.
‘Some people fall asleep when they drink, right? I thought Eri was one of those types.’
She had suggested they should sleep together, reaching out to pull Ian beside her.
Let’s not cause any trouble and just lie down together… Ian had definitely taken it that way.
Smooch! Smooch!
“Ugh! This is annoying… Just wait a second…”
‘…that’s not what she meant by sleeping together?’
He couldn’t hide his shock at the sight of her climbing onto him and beginning to nibble at his neck.
As she let her hair down and began to cling to him, he felt her body trembling.
It was the moment he realized that the meaning of “let’s sleep together” was different from what he had thought.
Though he couldn’t conceal his surprise at her active demeanor, Eri just smiled as if she found it amusing.
“Hehe… Are you nervous?”
‘Nervous would be an understatement. I feel a threat to my survival.’
Honestly, the current situation wasn’t entirely bad.
After all, who was Eri, or rather Erzebeth Arcana?
She was the future empress of the Kallos Empire, hailed as the most beautiful character at the Heroic Academy.
Of course, it was only natural for him to have no reason to reject someone as admirable as her.
However, considering Ian’s circumstances, he couldn’t simply welcome her proactive behavior.
‘Celia is waiting outside. If time drags on…’
Celia might sense something was off and ask the guards for permission to come up here.
What would happen if she saw this?
‘If it becomes known that the unmarried princess is in such a state, it would be a disaster.’
Of course, he knew she was currently using the temporary identity of Eri Everhart.
But Celia was not just any noble; she was the daughter of the prestigious Wignoron dukedom, one of the most distinguished families in the empire.
If she were to be shocked by seeing Ian and Eri rolling around on the bed and decide to investigate, Eri’s true identity might be exposed.
‘And if Eri accidentally lets something slip while she’s completely drunk…’
That embarrassment would inevitably become public knowledge.
This had to be avoided. Not only because he valued Eri, but also because for the happy ending he envisioned after defeating Satan and Lucifer, the royal family’s position needed to remain solid.
That was the reason.
“Eri, it seems like you’ve had too much to drink. We should stop and get some sleep…”
The reason he tried to deter her while she leaned into him was that he had initially attempted to engage her in a calm conversation.
“Eri? But why are you talking so informally? I’m four years older than you! You know that, right?”
“That’s not important right now… If someone sees us like this…”
“What does it matter? What could a princess like me possibly do about it? Oh, and your shoes have changed? Did you get these from Lia? Then why don’t you give me a gift too!”
Eri continued to advance without a hint of concern for keeping her identity hidden.
With a hazy expression, she briefly stared at the Hurst family crest on the ankle of Ian’s boots and licked her lips.
“Didn’t I already give you a gift? Did you forget about the ruby blush?”
“That was as Eri Everhart… but this time I’ll be giving it as Erzebeth Arcana, the princess…”
“What kind of twisted logic is that…?”
His persuasion had completely failed. Whatever level of intoxication she was at, she showed no signs of listening.
In that moment, Ian had no choice but to make a resolution.
‘I really didn’t want to resort to this with a princess.’
He had to forcibly stop her, no matter what.
Just as he was about to tense his arms in determination…
Thud!
“Wh-what are you doing, Eri?”
“What do you mean? I’m offering myself as a birthday gift… You like me, so I’m giving you something special! What do you think? Do you like it?”
As she began to tug at the shirt she was wearing and unbutton it, Ian thought to himself.
What on earth is this princess trying to do… He hoped it wasn’t what he feared.
Thud!
‘F*ck!’
The buttons of her shirt came undone quickly, and her pale skin began to be revealed.
Even in the dimly lit room, her skin caught his eye, and in that moment, a certain future began to unfold in his mind.
[Hahaha. You haven’t even married yet, and you’re seeing my sister exposed like this? What a significant event. Listen here, Ian, my intuition is telling me to eliminate you. So, accept your punishment gracefully.]
‘This can’t happen… No more!’
The thought of being discovered by Bedon for having seen the princess’s bare skin and being imprisoned for sacrilege flooded Ian’s mind.
He had to stop this at all costs. He couldn’t let her unbutton any further!
This thought dominated his brain, and he firmly pulled Eri, who was on top of him, into a tight embrace.
Thud!
“Ugh… I could tell from the moment you tried to tie me up that you were stronger than you look… But it’s okay if it’s you, Ian. You can do more…”
‘What does she mean by ‘more’…?’
Though it wasn’t ideal, he somehow managed to prevent her from unbuttoning any further. Now, all he needed to do was soothe her to sleep.
In this critical moment, Ian had only one solution in mind.
‘Okay. Let’s embarrass her.’
If she had any pride as a princess, wouldn’t she feel embarrassed to show such behavior to anyone?
Of course, he had no intention of letting anyone see this scene, but telling a suitable lie to defuse the situation might be helpful.
“Eri, what if Celia comes up? How do you think the duke’s daughter would feel seeing the princess rolling around like this?”
“Um…”
Even after being held, her incessant squirming suddenly stopped.
Presumably, she was considering what would happen if Celia saw this.
That’s it. Having done this much, she should stop and fall asleep.
Thinking this, a slight smile crept onto Ian’s face.
“Good? Let her see…”
“What? What did you…”
“Wouldn’t it be fun if we let Celia watch us do this? Hehe.”
‘This is a complete disaster.’
The smile that had been on his face immediately fell.
Letting her see this? Was she out of her mind? He couldn’t understand what she was thinking by suggesting they show Celia what they were doing.
But Ian didn’t have the luxury of pondering such things.
A lot of time had already been spent trying to manage Eri’s drunkenness, and at this rate, Celia might really walk into the Blue Moon Pavilion.
‘How am I supposed to subdue this woman?’
Should he knock her out with force? Just the thought of being imprisoned for hitting a princess sent shivers down his spine.
“Are you trembling? How cute… Don’t worry… I’ll take care of everything.”
Whether or not she knew Ian’s heart that was about to jump up and down, Erzebeth gradually brought her lips closer.
He realized that persuasion or subduing her was impossible. Ultimately, he closed his eyes.
“Hehe… Just stay like that…”
It was at that moment when Erzebeth quickly pressed her lips against his again that she suddenly said.
“Ugh… I’m so sleepy.”
Thud!
“Hmm? E-Eri? Are you suddenly falling asleep?”
Just a moment ago, she had been leaning in for a kiss, and now she was dropping off to sleep.
Wondering what was happening, Ian lifted his head and could see it.
– I-Ian almost got devoured by Eri!
‘Yes, Neltalion!’
– Ian! You can relax! Neltalion has taken care of the drunk Eri!
It was Neltalion who had used his divine power to knock Eri out!
Seeing Neltalion smiling brightly, Ian couldn’t help but grin as well.
***
After calming Eri with Neltalion’s help, Ian quickly dressed himself and left the Blue Moon Pavilion.
His shirt was wrinkled from Eri’s clinging, but he didn’t have time to worry about that now.
‘It’s already been 30 minutes since Celia called for me.’
The northern night wind was sharp and biting.
This was not just a metaphor. If exposed for too long, he could suffer frostbite and blood could begin to ooze from cracked skin.
‘Celia likely came for a quick visit, so she wouldn’t have dressed warmly.’
Most of the transportation would have been by carriage, and she probably intended to have a brief conversation outside.
If he thought about how he had already made her wait 30 minutes, making her wait longer would be against common decency.
Because of this, Ian dashed through the dimly lit corridors of the Blue Moon Pavilion toward the entrance.
Finally, he could see her.
“Ha… Hah… it’s cold… Ha…”
“Celia.”
“Oh! Ian, you came…”
The sight of her shivering, trying to warm her hands with her breath, was heart-wrenching.
Ian approached her, noticing her red hands and ears, and took her hands in his.
“It’s really cold. How long have you been waiting? If it’s too late, you can go back, you know.”
“Oh, no! I haven’t waited long, and it just felt like today was the day… Hehe… I’m fine! Really… I’m not cold at all…”
Ian sighed at the sight of her desperately waving her frozen hands.
“Don’t say that. It’s cold outside; let’s go inside and talk.”
“No, just for a moment. I want to talk here…”
“Well, if that’s what you think…”
If she said she was fine, there was no reason to keep asking.
As Ian faced Celia, she, who had been shy, handed him a small box.
“I… I hope you accept this.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a… birthday present… Even if it’s late. Today is your birthday, right?”
“A birthday present.”
Ian received the gift she had prepared, gently stroking the surface of the box.
The cold sensation traveled through his fingertips, reminding him that this was reality.
So he wondered.
‘Celia is giving me a gift?’
While it might not be strange for others, he had never thought he would receive a gift from her.
Reina and Bianca had established a friendship to deal with Leviathan, but not Celia.
From the beginning, she had seemed distant from Ariel, and he never thought she would try to reconnect their severed relationship.
‘So… I thought we could no longer maintain our connection.’
They had been close as children but had grown apart, and now they were practically strangers.
He had assumed they would remain in that state of friendship, and any conversations would be strictly limited to matters between the Volkanovs and Wignorons.
That’s why her gift surprised him even more.
‘Did something change?’
Honestly, that was something he couldn’t know. He had no idea what experiences she had gone through or how she viewed Ian Volkanov.
However, giving him a gift seemed to indicate that she had released some of the pent-up feelings she had towards him.
‘If that’s the case…’
There was no reason not to accept it.
Of course, considering Celia’s past actions, it was understandable to feel angry and disappointed.
Yet, she was still the main heroine of the Heroic Academy.
From another perspective, that also meant she was one of the important figures.
‘The same goes for Ariel… Who knows? This might somehow help me.’
There was no need to create unnecessary enemies. With that thought, Ian decided to accept the gift she had offered.
“Thank you…”
“Ah, go ahead and open it…”
“Is it really okay?”
“Uh-huh… I’m curious if you’ll like what I prepared…”
“If that’s the case… excuse me.”
She confidently urged him to check, so Ian slowly opened the box and could see it.
“This is…”
He stared in awe at the incredible gift inside the box.
Wondering why on earth it was here, he looked at Celia, who smiled cautiously.
“D-do you like it?”
“How on earth did you get this?”
“Hehe… It was a bit difficult… But it’s a gift for you, Ian…”
Ian’s eyes widened at the sight of the present Celia had prepared.
