"Alright, I should head back now," Caius said.

  "Ah, so soon?" Hilda blurted out reflexively.

  "Soon? It's already 2 AM, kid," Caius chuckled.

  "Really?" Hilda blinked, and Britney beside her sighed and nodded.

  "Fine..." Hilda agreed reluctantly.

  She realized that whenever she was with Caius, time seemed to fly by inexplicably.

  She still wanted to hear him explain in detail how he had managed to make such a huge profit in such a short time.

  Caius could tell Hilda was a bit reluctant, but he had no intention of staying.

  Nor did he plan to gift her the custom weapon now.

  He had already given the Little Swan enough surprises for the day. Handing over the weapon now would just be the cherry on top.

  Better to wait a while—let the novelty of today settle—and then gift it to her for another wave of excitement.

  "Tomorrow, I officially become an academy external liaison. I’m thinking of celebrating by hitting the best restaurant in Grilla City. You two in?" Caius asked casually.

  Britney was stunned. He’s inviting her to dinner just like that?

  Even princes from various kingdoms had tried and failed to get Hilda to agree to a meal.

  She was about to speak up and knock this big guy down a peg—

  But Hilda didn’t hesitate at all.

  "Sure! I actually know a great place!"

  Britney stared at Hilda, speechless.

  Where’s your dignity, girl?

  From this, she could see that Caius and Hilda really were close—closer than she’d thought.

  "Then we’ll go to your pick. But if it’s not good, I’ll have to question your taste," Caius teased, winking at Britney.

  Britney gritted her teeth.

  This guy… He’s taunting me now?!

  "Hilda, I’m exhausted. Let’s hurry back and rest!" Britney shot Caius a glare and tugged at Hilda’s arm.

  Hilda nodded, linking arms with Britney before turning to Caius. "See you tomorrow at noon, then!"

  "Mm." Caius nodded, then activated a teleportation circle with Kiki and vanished in a flash.

  Once he was gone, Britney let out a breath and eyed Hilda’s cheerful expression. "Silly girl, couldn’t you have at least pretended to refuse?"

  "Why would I refuse?" Hilda looked genuinely puzzled.

  "Because he—" Britney started, then paused.

  Actually, now that she thought about it, there wasn’t anything wrong with their relationship. As far as she could tell, they were just good friends.

  After a beat, she sighed. "At least act a little reserved. You are a noble lady, you know."

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Hilda laughed. "You don’t get him. If I’d said no, he definitely wouldn’t have taken us along."

  "What kind of attitude is that? That’s not how a gentleman behaves," Britney huffed.

  "He’s not a gentleman. He’s a mercenary," Hilda replied with a grin.

  Britney studied Hilda’s face and finally sighed in defeat.

  Clearly, Hilda was under Caius’ spell—she was even defending him now.

  Taking Hilda’s hand, she muttered, "Fine, I give up. To you, he’s the world’s greatest mercenary, isn’t he?"

  Hilda’s cheeks flushed slightly. Even if she hadn’t meant it that way, she could hear the implication in Britney’s words.

  "Ugh, we’re just good friends, Britney. You have no idea—after you left, I didn’t have any real friends here."

  "I’ve fought alongside him. He’s incredibly reliable. Sure, he can be annoying sometimes… but he really is a great friend."

  "Mhm, I can tell. You’re definitely biased," Britney said sourly. "I felt like a third wheel back there."

  Hilda quickly looped her arm through Britney’s and swayed playfully. "No way! You’re my best friend, Britney~"

  The moment Hilda started acting cute, Britney couldn't hold out any longer, her stern expression melting into a smile.

  "That’s more like it. Come on, let’s go home. We haven’t had a proper girls’ night in ages—we’ve got so much to catch up on!"

  "Like what’s happened since you came to Grilla City, or that mercenary friend of yours. And I have plenty of fun stories to share too!"

  "Oh, and this [Rosy Dawn] you’re wearing? It has a secret~"

  "We’ll stay up all night talking, and by dawn, the secret will reveal itself!"

  "Really?! Let’s go, then!" Hilda immediately grabbed Britney’s hand and started pulling her forward.

  Britney laughed. This lively, adorable girl never failed to lift her spirits.

  …

  Back in Ocean City, Caius headed straight to Hailan No. 11.

  Seeing Caius and Kiki looking exhausted, Yvlan raised an eyebrow.

  "What were you two up to? You look worn out."

  Caius yawned. "Used my brain. Ugh… Thinking is so tiring…"

  "Tiring meow…" Kiki echoed, draped over his shoulder like a limp rag.

  "You used your brain?" Yvlan smirked.

  "What’s that supposed to mean? Do I not look like someone who uses their brain?" Caius protested.

  Yvlan’s eyes flicked over his muscular frame. "Nope."

  Caius: "..."

  "Please. When I do use my brain, I make millions easily," he boasted.

  "Sure, sure. I believe you," Yvlan nodded—her tone dripping with sarcasm.

  "It’s true meow! Twenty million meow!" Kiki piped up.

  Now Yvlan looked genuinely surprised. "Wait, seriously?"

  "Nah, not millions. Just a City Lord Token personally awarded by Grilla City’s City Lord," Caius grinned, pulling out the ornate token and waving it smugly.

  Yvlan’s eyes widened. The City Lord of Grilla City was a real heavyweight!

  She knew Caius wouldn’t bother forging a fake—the token bore Grilla City’s official insignia.

  "How did you pull that off?" she asked, fascinated.

  "Wanna know?" Caius leaned in with a roguish grin.

  Yvlan nodded.

  Suddenly, Caius closed the distance between them—so close their lips nearly brushed. Yvlan’s heart skipped a beat, but she held her ground, her gaze locked onto his.

  "If you really want to know… How about a beautiful evening, just the two of us? I’ll tell you all about it," Caius murmured, tilting her chin up with a finger.

  That smirk of his radiated pure, irresistible charm.

  Yvlan’s cheeks flushed, her eyes darting away.

  "I—I don’t need that! Who knows what other ideas you’d get at night…" She swatted his hand away, turning her face aside.

  Caius chuckled. "I’d never do anything bad. Only things that’d make you happy."

  "I don’t believe you…"

  "Seeing is believing. Try it, and you’ll know I’m telling the truth~" His voice dropped to a low purr as he leaned in again, one hand settling on her waist.

  Yvlan’s breath hitched.

  His touch was warm, his fingers tracing idle patterns that sent little sparks through her.

  His breath tickled her ear, deep and teasing.

  "Well?"

  Her pulse raced as his other arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer. She could feel the solid muscle of his chest against hers, the steady thud of his heartbeat.

  When she looked up, his face was inches away—all sharp angles and confident amusement.

  "I… I…" Her thoughts spun into a dizzy whirl.

  Then, like a startled rabbit, she planted both hands on his chest and shoved him back.

  "I—I’m not ready yet," she stammered.

  "That’s fine," Caius said, hiding his disappointment behind an easy smile. "I’ll wait."

  Something in his tone steadied her. Then, before she could second-guess herself, she grabbed his collar and yanked him forward.

  Caius had no time to react before her lips crashed into his.

  For a moment, he just blinked—then grinned against her mouth, arms tightening around her.

  Well, well. Boss Lady’s got fire.

  Kiki watched from the sidelines, wide-eyed.

  Taking notes, meow!

  When Yvlan finally pulled back, her face was scarlet.

  "Th-That’s your deposit!" she declared, flustered.

  Caius licked his lips, savoring the taste. "Mmm. Best deposit ever."

  Yvlan was mortified. For all her usual boldness, she was just as bashful as any girl when it came to this.

  Between his teasing and her own daring move, she couldn’t bear to face him anymore.

  With a squeak, she fled to the kitchen.

  Caius laughed heartily, scooping up Kiki and heading upstairs.

  Ah, the mercenary life. Never a dull moment.