Dante sat comfortably within Aishani's three-story mansion.
The luxurious interior wasn't all that different from his own residence back home. It seemed that the academy afforded every Mythical Being accommodations befitting their status.
Across from him sat Aishani.
To say she was surprised by his sudden appearance would have been an understatement.
She was stunned. What only made matters worse was just how shamelessly comfortable he had made himself.
Rather than sitting like a guest, Dante lounged across the couch with both hands resting behind his head, casually surveying the room as if it belonged to him.
Every so often, his eyes wandered toward Aishani's body. They lingered for a moment before he gave an approving nod.
She noticed every single one. It certainly didn't help his case.
The moment he had entered her mansion, his very first words had been—
"Your hospitality is kind of shit."
He looked around leisurely.
"Would you mind making me some breakfast? Oh... and coffee."
"Three sugars."
Aishani's attendants exchanged bewildered glances. None of them understood how someone could behave so freely inside another person's home.
They instinctively looked toward their mistress, waiting for her to throw him out.
Instead...
Aishani merely pinched the bridge of her nose. It was far too early in the morning to begin the day with a headache.
"Prepare breakfast," she sighed.
"And coffee."
The servants bowed before quietly leaving. Aishani herself remained seated across from him.
A light silk gown rested loosely over her shoulders, concealing a short satin nightdress beneath.
The outfit accentuated her naturally tanned complexion and graceful figure without trying to.
Dante, unsurprisingly, made absolutely no effort to hide where his eyes wandered.
Fortunately...
She had long since grown accustomed to his brazen nature. Trying to scold him had proven to be a complete waste of energy.
A short while later, breakfast arrived.
Dante immediately sat upright and began eating without the slightest bit of restraint.
Truthfully...
He had briefly considered making breakfast himself. The thought lasted all of three seconds. As a prince, he had never once cooked since his reincarnation.
There was no reason to begin now. Normally, Vexion or Lexa would have prepared everything before he even woke up.
Without them around... Finding someone else's kitchen had seemed like the obvious solution.
As he shoveled another mouthful of food into his mouth, he paused.
'...Huh.'
It felt oddly unfamiliar.
Normally Vexion would insist on feeding him herself, complaining whenever he tried to eat on his own. The realization lingered for only a second before he shrugged it off.
Between bites, he glanced toward Aishani.
"So...You expecting company?"
Aishani elegantly cut a piece from her breakfast before shaking her head.
"No."
She watched him continue eating. The more she observed him...
The more convinced she became that his subordinates were less attendants...and more babysitters.
Without Vexion nearby, no one stopped him from speaking with a full mouth, chewing loudly, or generally behaving without the slightest bit of etiquette.
She quietly sighed.
"Honestly...You're hopeless."
Dante looked up. "Hm?"
She gestured toward his mouth. "Finish chewing first."
"...Oh." He swallowed.
"There."
She simply shook her head.
Then Dante pointed toward her attire. "That seems a little seductive for sleepwear."
Aishani looked down at herself before raising an eyebrow.
"Tempted?"
Dante considered the question for a moment. "Show me a little more...I might be."
She laughed.
"No, thank you."
Dante nodded seriously. "Then I'm not."
Aishani couldn't help but laugh again.
"With Vexion around...I doubt there's a woman in this academy capable of tempting you."
Dante nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"That's true."
Her smile softened. "You really do love that girl, don't you?"
Dante took another sip of his coffee. He swallowed before meeting her gaze.
Dante took another sip of his coffee before swallowing the last of his food.
He looked at Aishani for a moment, genuinely thinking about the question.
...
"...Yeah."
"I guess you can say that."
He rested his elbow on the armrest before pointing a finger toward her as though aiming a crossbow.
"Let me give you an example."
Aishani tilted her head curiously. "I'm listening."
Dante thought for another second.
"Let's say..."
"Vexion's body changes."
"Maybe her ass becomes smaller."
"Maybe her breasts become smaller."
"Maybe her thighs lose their shape."
He shrugged. "Or maybe the opposite."
"They become unnecessarily huge. She gains weight. She loses the proportions that make her... well... Vexion."
He tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Or..."
"Let's say she stops obsessing over me. She becomes gentler."
"Acts more like a traditional wife instead of my subordinate."
"Maybe she loses her desire to become stronger. Maybe she simply stops being...Vexion."
He paused.
Picked up another strip of bacon.
Finished chewing before continuing.
"If that happened...I wouldn't say I loved her anymore."
Silence settled over the room.
Then Dante casually added,
"Apart from all of those possibilities...I'd say I love her."
Aishani blinked.
She genuinely didn't know how to respond.
That answer...Somehow sounded incredibly sincere and completely insane at the same time.
Dante noticed her expression before adding one last sentence.
"In simpler terms...As long as she remains...my Vexion. I'll love her."
Aishani quietly leaned back against the couch.
She tried to make sense of what she had just heard. His words sounded possessive.
Controlling. Almost manipulative. His love seemed entirely dependent on Vexion remaining exactly as she was.
Yet...When she remembered the way Vexion looked whenever she was beside Dante...
The girl had never appeared restrained.
Never unhappy. If anything...She looked happier than anyone Aishani had ever met.
That contradiction left her strangely conflicted.
Perhaps...This was simply a kind of love she couldn't understand.
Or perhaps...Only the two of them could.
After all...
Dante had never once hidden who he was. Nor had Vexion ever shown the slightest desire to change him.
Internally, Aishani could only sigh. 'This man is abnormal in almost every conceivable way. Why did I expect his answer about love to be any different?'
Shaking the thought from her mind, she placed her empty plate on the table. One of the attendants stepped forward, collecting both hers and Dante's dishes.
As the attendant turned to leave, Dante smiled politely.
"Thank you."
The attendant froze for a moment before smiling back.
"You're welcome."
Aishani laughed. "Lexa taught you that, didn't she?"
Dante looked mildly offended.
"First of all... I'm eighteen. I take offense that you think I don't know how to say thank you."
Aishani chuckled.
"Fair enough."
Dante nodded. "...But yes. Lexa did insist I start saying it more often."
"I knew it."
She laughed again.
Dante shook his head. "I'm still surprised you think I don't have manners."
She smiled knowingly. "You don't."
"I absolutely do." His confidence lasted exactly three seconds.
His eyes instinctively drifted toward her crossed legs.
Aishani caught him immediately.
She folded her arms with a smirk.
"Oh? And you call that manners?"
Dante opened his mouth to argue.
Raised a finger and thought about it.
"You know...Fair point."
A comfortable silence settled between them.