"Aunt Flora, please give this bouquet to my Uncle. If he isn't home, just give it directly to my Aunt."
"Alright. Leave it to me."
The middle-aged woman took the second bouquet—white flowers this time—from Theresia's hand. She could guess what this was for.
After all, Theresia's Uncle and Aunt had visited the flower shop a few times, and Flora understood their family dynamic.
She truly is a good child, Flora thought warmly.
In all her years, Theresia's gentle, always-considerate nature had left the deepest impression on her.
Having handed over the gift, Theresia turned back to look at Regulus.
The fact that Regulus could find her so quickly and accurately basically confirmed that it was not entirely accidental or luck. Fate, perhaps? Or something more specific?
As for wanting to try again, it wasn't really about playing a trick.
By accepting the red bouquet from Regulus, she had already admitted her loss for the first round.
Now, she was just a little... unwilling.
Due to a moment of carelessness in the flower shop, she had been cornered too easily. As a Sword Saint, her pride demanded a better showing.
This time, she wanted to test just how strong the connection between Regulus and herself truly was.
"Is the rule still the same? You start searching after ten minutes?" Theresia asked.
Regulus shook his head. "Not that long. We are already in town. Three minutes will be enough."
"Okay. Then... I'm starting."
"Mm."
Theresia nodded and swept past Regulus.
Her speed was blistering. She moved like a gust of wind, darting out of the shop door and onto the street.
However, because she was moving so fast and not paying enough attention to the road conditions, she almost collided with a group of people just outside.
Of course, with Theresia's reflex speed, actually hitting them was impossible. She stopped on a dime, her dress swirling around her ankles.
The reason she stopped completely, however, wasn't just physics.
It was because she recognized the person she had almost startled, and her polite nature demanded she apologize immediately.
But before Theresia could speak—
The man on the lead earth dragon, who had forcibly yanked his reins to control his startled mount, looked down angrily at the intruder who had almost made him look foolish.
But the moment he saw her face, the genuine anger evaporated, replaced by a sneer.
"Oh~ Who do we have here? Isn't it our Kingdom's Guardian, the Sword Saint Theresia van Astrea?"
The man, a nobleman with a slimy, arrogant face, leaned forward in his saddle.
"My deepest apologies, Sword Saint, for nearly colliding with you. This is a huge mistake on my part. I hope I didn't scare you... No, it seems the great Sword Saint was indeed startled. How rude of me. Truly rude."
His words were polite on the surface, but his tone and expression were dripping with sarcasm.
This was Viscount Leip Barielle.
Seeing Theresia's stiff, uncomfortable expression, the Viscount's mockery became even more aggressive.
"Viscount Barielle, I apologize for disturbing you," Theresia said, bowing her head. Her apology was very sincere.
Unfortunately, Leip didn't appreciate it. He thrived on it.
"Oh dear~ I am merely a humble Viscount! How could I allow someone as noble as the Sword Saint to bow to me? You are the 'Reaper' of the battlefield, after all. We wouldn't want you to accidentally cut us down, would we?"
He opened his mouth to continue his mockery.
But Regulus, standing by the shop entrance, could no longer bear it.
Theresia was gentle by nature. She believed that because she was at fault for running into the street, she deserved to be scolded. Even if she was bullied, she would endure it.
However, just because Theresia could endure it, didn't mean Regulus could.
This is my wife.
Although the conquest wasn't complete yet, she was his target. No one was allowed to infringe upon his property rights or mock his future belongings.
Regulus, wearing a very displeased expression, let out a soft breath.
He waved his hand casually, as if swatting a fly.
Snap.
"Pfft~!"
A large amount of blood suddenly splattered into the air.
Viscount Leip, who had been sitting high on his earth dragon, fell straight down like a sack of potatoes, a massive wound appearing on his shoulder.
The sudden violence stunned everyone.
Regulus, the perpetrator, frowned in dissatisfaction.
It was off target.
He had aimed for the neck, intending to sever the head cleanly. But due to his unfamiliarity with using his powers for ranged "sniping" in this world, there was a small deviation. He missed the one-hit kill.
"This guy's life is really tough," Regulus grumbled internally.
However, this was a good lesson. In the future, he would need to practice his accuracy. If his aim was this bad, he might accidentally injure one of his wives during a tantrum, which would be regrettable.
"Lord Leip!!"
"Assassin! Protect Lord Leip!"
The guards finally reacted, drawing their swords. A commotion broke out among the pedestrians, who screamed and fled the scene, fearing they would be next.
But they were overthinking it.
Regulus had no intention of continuing the attack.
Why?
Because Theresia was currently staring at him with wide, shocked eyes.
The attack incident ended as quickly as it began.
Eventually, the guards dragged the unconscious Viscount away to find a healer, and the street returned to a tense calm.
Regulus looked at Theresia, who had walked back to his side.
"Not continuing the test?" he asked casually.
Theresia shook her head after a brief moment of silence.
"Yesterday, Carol told me some things about your abilities," she said softly. "That attack just now... which left no trace... was done by you, wasn't it?"
It was a question, but her tone held certainty.
"Who knows?" Regulus shrugged.
"As I expected..."
Although Regulus did not answer directly, his attitude was admission enough.
Theresia wanted to scold him. She wanted to say that he had gone too far, that he shouldn't have seriously injured a nobleman in broad daylight.
Because, in her mind, Viscount Leip hadn't done anything wrong. It was her fault for being useless. Being ridiculed was a punishment she deserved to bear for her sins as the "Death God."
But... she couldn't say it.
The man in front of her had done it for her.
He had gotten angry because she was being insulted. If she scolded him for defending her, it would be cruel.
"Next time," Theresia said, her voice a gentle persuasion containing a hint of a plea, "please... absolutely never do such a thing again. If you do, I actually won't be happy."
Regulus looked at the girl in front of him for a moment.
"Alright," he agreed easily. "I'll be careful next time."
I'll be careful not to do it in front of you, he amended in his thoughts. I'll just find a quiet alley to finish the job later.
"It's best if you understand," Theresia sighed, relieved. "And... thank you. For getting angry for my sake."
A small, genuine smile appeared on her face.
No matter how violent he was, knowing that someone cared enough to be furious on her behalf... it made her feel a warmth she wasn't used to.
However, her smile quickly froze.
"Even now, my emotions haven't completely calmed down," Regulus said, touching his chest dramatically. "Seeing you insulted really hurt me. If you want me to completely calm down... Theresia, could you grace me with a kiss?"
"A—A kiss?!"
"That's right. Even a kiss on the cheek would do."
"This... this..."
Theresia fell into hesitation.
Her face rapidly turned red. She couldn't help but recall their first meeting, when he had stolen her first kiss.
And now he was actually asking for it?
She looked at his expectant face, then at the bouquet in her hand.
"Okay," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "But... if you want what you want, you have to earn it."
She looked up, determination returning to her blue eyes.
"Find me within the next half hour. If you can't find me... then you won't get it."
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