Faced with Medea's hint, no, it was already an outright declaration.
Under the circumstances, Alaric had no choice but to change the subject.
For example...
"Um, why does Medea always call me 'brother'?" Alaric asked casually, as if it were an afterthought.
"You know about my relationship with your teacher Hecate. And I'm actually older than Aeetes."
"Because Alaric is just like my brother," the girl said, blinking her beautiful big eyes, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Teacher Hecate only makes me study this and that, always teaching me magic every day.
Only Brother treats me kindly, plays with me, tells me stories... I remember all of it. Brother Ting takes care of me like a real brother, and besides, "
Medea paused for a moment before continuing.
"And Brother always looks so young, not like my dad, who has that total uncle vibe."
Medea's words left Alaric both amused and exasperated.
"Aren't you afraid they'll find out if you badmouth Hecate and Aeetes behind their backs? Careful, or Hecate might double your homework."
"I'm not scared," Medea said, turning to look at Alaric. "Because Brother won't tell them. Brother couldn't bear to see Medea punished, right?"
Gazing into the girl's watery purple eyes, with that pitiful, pleading expression, what else could Alaric say?
"Right, right," Alaric could only nod repeatedly. "Who could bear to punish our little princess?"
"I knew it, Brother is the best to me." Medea beamed with joy at his words.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she turned to Alaric and said,
"Oh, right! Brother, do you know that shiny golden guy?"
Alaric followed the direction of her finger and immediately spotted Jason, sulking alone with his drink.
"Of course," Alaric nodded. "That's the leader of the Argonauts, and the one who actually needs the Golden Fleece, Jason. Why do you ask about him?"
The moment the girl mentioned Jason, he even thought for a split second that the original history was about to repeat itself.
But that couldn't be right.
In the original myth, it was Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who personally intervened, making this granddaughter of Helios, the princess of Colchis, and powerful mage fall inexplicably in love with Jason.
Even Helios and Hecate could never have imagined that one of the mighty Twelve Olympian Gods, the goddess of love herself, would shamelessly target a princess just to achieve her goals.
That was what led to the entire tragedy.
But now, Aphrodite should be completely on his side. Without the love goddess's interference, history absolutely wouldn't repeat.
Seeming to notice the fleeting unease on Alaric's face, the clever girl immediately understood his concern and hurriedly explained.
"Um, Brother, don't misunderstand! I don't have any other feelings for that shiny guy. Actually, the person I like, you should..."
Before Medea could finish, Alaric reassuringly patted her head.
"Of course I know our little princess wouldn't fall for a flashy guy like that. But why bring him up?"
"It's because that guy is just too funny." At this, the girl flashed a sly smile.
"He kept staring at me earlier, so I deliberately smiled at him.
Who knew, when I came over to find Brother, he thought I was coming for him? He even stood up specially. I could tell he wanted to say something to me, so I just... hehe."
The girl revealed a devilish little grin, an expression rare for the usually innocent and kind Medea.
Hearing how Jason had been toyed with by Medea, Alaric couldn't help but smile knowingly.
"Medea, you're such a mischievous girl," he teased. "And that guy likes you so much."
"So what?" As if it had nothing to do with her, Medea said in her adorable voice, delivering ruthless words.
"A presumptuous guy like him deserves it. Him liking me doesn't mean I have to like him back. A shallow man like him is nowhere near as good as Brother."
Indeed, though Medea was kind-hearted, when it came to matters of emotion, everything changed.
With her benevolent soul and immense magical talent, Medea's true nature was that of someone who would stop at nothing for "love" and "hate", a person of profound passion and intensity.
She, so inherently kind, would never utter cruel words to the innocent.
Yet for love, she was capable of anything, like right now, to please Alaric, she immediately began disparaging Jason, whom she'd met for the first time.
To some, such love might feel overwhelmingly heavy, too much to bear, like for Jason.
But for Alaric?
Wasn't such a devoted lover absolutely wonderful?
At that moment, Jason happened to turn his head again, looking their way, or rather, at Medea, as if unwilling to give up on this affection.
How could that be allowed?
A scumbag like Jason, how could he be permitted to drag Medea into the tragic depths of human betrayal, as in the original history?
In the original fate, Medea, for love, deceived her father and mentor, revealed the methods to pass the trials, helped the Argonauts complete their quest.
And let the Golden Fleece be taken abroad. She even cruelly killed her own brother, dismembering him and casting the pieces into the sea.
After being betrayed, for hate, she poisoned her own children, leaving Jason to die in agony.
Clearly the betrayed one, yet she bore the infamous title of "betraying witch."
Though in this world, Jason clearly had no chance to connect with Medea, let alone use and abandon her, that didn't mean Alaric wouldn't hold a grudge against him.
If Alaric and Medea were strangers, fine, but in this world, Medea and Alaric shared such an intimate bond, with the girl entrusting him her most precious feelings.
Given Alaric's personality, he naturally sided with his own. For someone like Jason, who in the original fate had betrayed Medea, he was eager to make him suffer.
Of course, now wasn't the time to settle the full score, but seizing this opportunity to humiliate him was certainly feasible.
Alaric suddenly had a brilliant idea.
"Medea, since he likes you so much, why don't we..."
His voice was soft, audible only to Medea as he shared his plan.
After hearing it, the girl's cheeks flushed red, a mix of shyness and excitement shining in her eyes as she nodded vigorously.
So Alaric smiled faintly, leaned down, and whispered into the girl's ear.
The girl seemed to hear something delightful, breaking into a surprised smile, and even...
She even planted a gentle kiss on the man's cheek.
Such an intimate gesture made the eyes of all the men who had been admiring the beautiful princess widen in shock.
Medea's proactive move and her bashful reaction afterward confirmed the heartbreaking truth for them, the flower already had an owner.
The most devastated was Jason, who witnessed it all.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the wild jealousy and unwillingness raging inside him.
Indeed, for the throne, I must make sufficient sacrifices.