Hiro’s embrace, which had been so firm and unyielding, gradually loosened as if someone were slowly releasing a compressed spring.

  Cassian, her mind still foggy with confusion and shock from what had just happened, gradually noticed that whatever had been holding her so tightly in place was losing its intensity.

  With a brusque and violent movement that left no doubt about her fury, she completely freed herself from Hiro’s hold by shoving him away with both hands.

  She immediately backed up several quick steps, facing Hiro with her entire body tense like a cord ready to snap.

  Her breathing was ragged and irregular.

  Her face was twisted with pure fury that made her eyes shine dangerously.

  Her teeth were clenched so tightly that the muscles of her jaw could be seen contracting under her skin.

  “You are completely insane!”

  Her voice trembled slightly despite her efforts to sound controlled.

  “Why the hell did you do that exactly?! What the fuck came over you?! What the fuck went through your goddamn head that made you think this was a good idea?!”

  Hiro opened his mouth to start explaining.

  But Cassian gave him no chance to speak.

  She abruptly turned on her heels and walked away so quickly it was almost a run, passing Lena and Lucia.

  The two girls turned toward Hiro, who had remained several meters behind, with questioning looks that silently asked what had just happened.

  Hiro simply shrugged in a gesture meant to seem casual but that did not completely hide his unease.

  He walked toward them without offering any explanation.

  Constantine was no longer in the street, having disappeared before Cassian could notice his presence or understand why Hiro had acted so abruptly.

  That is why I finally loosened my grip.

  Because he was gone.

  Mission accomplished.

  Hiro wondered inwardly why exactly Cassian was reacting in such an excessive and dramatic way.

  I am certain she loves me.

  All the signs are there.

  Maybe she is just too embarrassed to show it openly?

  That is probably it.

  Cassian was walking so fast she was almost running, hurrying back to the lodging before she completely exploded.

  How could he dare do that to me?

  In front of everyone?

  Without even asking?

  Without any warning?

  She reached the guild a few minutes later, quickly climbing the stairs leading to the upper floor.

  When she tried to open the door to their lodging, she turned the handle.

  Nothing happened.

  Locked.

  She suddenly remembered that Hiro had the key to the lodging in his storage ring.

  FUCK!

  She screamed inwardly while silently pounding the door with her fist.

  ---

  A few hours later in the apartment now plunged into semi-darkness lit only by a few lamps, Lena stood in the living room with a honey biscuit in her right hand.

  Everyone else was already in their rooms.

  Hiro and Lucia together in one.

  Cassian had locked herself alone in another room since they had returned without saying a single word to anyone.

  What exactly is going on with Cassian?

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Lena had asked Hiro several questions about what had happened in the street but he had remained frustratingly vague in his answers.

  Anyway.

  Her most pressing problem right now was finding a safe and effective hiding place for her precious honey biscuit.

  Why?

  Because of Lucia obviously.

  Every time she saw something to snack on lying around somewhere, she literally could not stop herself from emptying everything without leaving a single crumb.

  Lena had therefore been gradually forced to start strategically hiding the food she wanted to keep in completely improbable and creative places.

  She carefully avoided putting everything in the same spot because if Lucia discovered a central hiding place, absolutely nothing would remain in a few minutes.

  After several good minutes of intensive searching for the best possible hiding place that would escape Lucia’s vigilance, Lena noticed the large massive wardrobe against the wall.

  She smiled as she understood.

  She took a chair and placed it in front of the wardrobe, climbed on it carefully, then placed the biscuit above the wardrobe where no one would ever think to look.

  As she was about to climb down, her gaze caught something that was already up there.

  What the...

  She took the mysterious object to see it better.

  A maid outfit.

  Ultra-short.

  With white lace everywhere.

  And an apron that said: Yes, Master ?

  Lena blinked several times.

  What exactly is something like this doing here?

  Does it belong to someone in this lodging?

  She immediately thought of Lucia.

  No.

  It makes no sense for a priestess to wear this kind of outfit.

  Completely absurd.

  Cassian then?

  No way.

  I really cannot see Cassian willingly wearing that.

  But while involuntarily imagining the ice beauty wearing this ridiculous outfit with the apron that said Yes, Master, she could not help laughing softly.

  The image is too absurd.

  Too funny.

  She then thought of Hiro.

  Maybe he bought it for me?

  Or for Lucia?

  Or even for Cassian?

  It is possible I suppose.

  But according to Lena’s logical analysis, it was much more likely that this outfit simply belonged to the previous adventurers who lived in this apartment before them.

  They must have forgotten this embarrassing outfit when they left in a hurry.

  It happens.

  Lena carefully placed the outfit exactly where she had found it, climbed down from the chair, put the chair back in its initial place, then returned to the room where Hiro and Lucia were already asleep.

  She slipped under the covers while snuggling comfortably against Hiro’s warm back.

  ---

  Cassian stared at the starry sky from her room with eyes that barely blinked.

  The window was wide open and the white curtain moved gently and gracefully because of the pleasant night breeze that brought welcome coolness.

  I cannot sleep.

  The recent events with Hiro kept looping incessantly in her head like a scratched record that endlessly replayed the same traumatic section.

  Tormenting her night with cruel efficiency.

  She slowly brought a trembling hand to her lips.

  The sensation was still there.

  Vivid.

  Precise.

  As if her lips were still pressed against his.

  As if she were still living it right now.

  He dared.

  He really dared to do that.

  She suddenly let out a laugh.

  Muffled and forced, that did not sound natural at all.

  Cassian’s gaze gradually became contemptuous and hard, her blue eyes burning with cold and calculated rage, her mouth displaying a smile that had absolutely nothing joyful about it.

  I hate him.

  I hate Hiro so much.

  So much.

  Then why exactly had she had that pathetic and weak reaction when he kissed her without permission?

  Why did my body react like that?

  It is unworthy of me.

  Completely unworthy.

  I should never have reacted that way.

  Hiro had really gone way too far this time.

  His behavior was inappropriate.

  It is starting to become seriously worrying.

  But her own body was also becoming worrying in a way she did not understand at all.

  Why is my heart beating so hard and so fast?

  Why is my breathing so irregular and choppy?

  Cassian was currently sweating excessively.

  Drops beaded on her forehead and ran down her temples.

  Why am I sweating so much?

  She suddenly noticed that it was abnormally hot in the room despite the cool breeze.

  It is strange.

  The window is wide open after all.

  And it is pleasant outside.

  I can feel the fresh air coming in.

  Then understanding struck her.

  It is my magic.

  My magic is reacting strangely.

  But I did not activate it consciously.

  Why is it behaving like this?

  It was really strange and troubling because she was not supposed to be able to feel cold or heat thanks to her passive magic that automatically regulated her body temperature.

  So why am I sweating like this?

  Why am I so hot?

  What is wrong with me?

  She complained inwardly with frustration.

  I cannot think properly.

  My thoughts are muddled.

  I do not have clear ideas at all.

  Everything is confused.

  ---

  It was early the next morning when Hiro was methodically preparing breakfast in the kitchen bathed in the golden light of the rising sun.

  He was softly humming his usual wordless melody.

  When he saw Cassian come out of her room and cross the living room, he immediately gave her his usual soft and innocent smile.

  “Good morning Cassian, did you sleep well?”

  Cassian did not even give him a single look or a single word in response.

  She walked straight toward the front door as if he simply did not exist.

  Hiro tried to catch her attention by repeating her name.

  “Cassian? Cassian, wait a second.”

  No reaction.

  She left while closing the door firmly behind her.

  She is still clearly destabilized by what happened the other evening.

  I understand that it surprised her.

  But I really hope she will not hold it against me for too long.

  That would become complicated.

  He discreetly left the apartment a few seconds later to follow Cassian at a safe distance without being noticed.

  He saw her walking quickly toward the guild’s training arena.

  Hiro wanted to follow her directly into the arena.

  But he suddenly heard someone clearly pronounce Cassian’s name near the main reception desk.

  Hiro discreetly approached the person who was speaking.

  “I am looking for an adventurer named Cassian, an elf, can I speak to her?”

  Hiro moved even closer while clearing his throat lightly.

  “Excuse me, I heard you were looking for Cassian.”

  The man turned toward him with a relieved expression.

  “Yes exactly, do you know her?”

  “I am part of her adventurer group.”

  Hiro quickly sized him up.

  “How exactly do you know Cassian?”

  The stranger straightened slightly.

  “My name is Nolan, I was a delivery man for the abandoned manor where she was staying a few days ago.”

  He paused.

  “I had absolutely no idea she had an adventurer group with her frankly, she never mentioned it while we were talking.”

  Nolan continued while explaining.

  “Several dangerous events happened there that made me have to… well, you could say I saved Cassian from a really terrifying giant monster that was attacking her.”

  His face darkened slightly.

  “Things unfortunately got complicated later and we got separated in the confusion, I was not able to check if she was okay before she disappeared.”

  He looked at Hiro with sincere worry.

  “Is Cassian okay now? Has she recovered?”

  Hiro nodded politely while listening respectfully to the story.

  “She is perfectly fine now, thank you for your concern.”

  He smiled reassuringly.

  “You no longer have to worry about it at all, she is in good hands.”

  Hiro wondered inwardly how exactly Nolan had not seen Cassian when she had passed through the main hall barely a few minutes earlier.

  He must have been distracted.

  Or she passed too quickly.

  But the moment Nolan insisted slightly by taking a step forward.

  “Are you sure she is really okay? Because the last time I saw her she was in a really critical state and I am still very worried about her despite your assurances.”

  Hiro’s tone changed completely and abruptly.

  His voice became cold and cutting.

  His eyes hardened.

  “You were completely unable to protect Cassian properly when it really mattered.”

  Nolan stepped back slightly under the brutal accusation.

  “I… what?”

  “Cassian was so pale when we found her that it was frankly worrying and alarming, she had lost so much blood that she could barely stand without swaying.”

  Hiro took a step toward Nolan who stepped back again.

  “If you had been there to protect her like you claim, she would never have ended up in that catastrophic state.”

  His voice lowered dangerously.

  “So now I strongly advise you to completely forget about Cassian.”

  The tone was unambiguous.

  “She has absolutely no need for someone who has already failed to protect her once.”

  Nolan opened his mouth to protest.

  But Hiro immediately cut him off.

  “You had your chance and you wasted it.”

  He turned on his heels without waiting for an answer.

  “Do not look for her anymore.”

  Nolan remained frozen near the reception desk.

  The receptionist who had heard everything was looking at him with an uncomfortable expression.

  What just happened?

  Why did he talk to me like that?

  Hiro went back upstairs with a cold satisfaction in his chest.

  A potential problem eliminated.

  Cassian does not need unnecessary distractions.

  Especially not now.