"There seemed to be parts of the treatment that he wanted to investigate further. I thought it might be dangerous, so he suggested that it would be okay to explore it with someone else accompanying him... For now, I've replied that I would inform the Commander."

"I see..."

Over the tilted head of Kishiar, a fleeting emotion, unidentifiable, passed by momentarily.

"I'm relieved he has come. If I knew this would happen, I should've included him in the first dispatch team."

"If you had, I believe Enon would have refused."

"I heard he's assertive, but was he to that extent?"

His assertiveness was not ordinary. Even if the Emperor came, he was the kind of person who would bravely say that he didn't like what he didn't like. What would status and authority mean to him, who was not human? There had been a reason why he had seemed to strangely transcend such things since his previous life. As he quietly answered affirmatively to these thoughts, Kishiar chuckled lightly.

"I haven't had many personal conversations with him, so I don't know much. What kind of person is he, from your perspective?"

At Kishiar's question, Yuder found himself unable to answer immediately. Perhaps because he had learned some shocking facts about Enon today, the question felt difficult.

Just then, the servants Kishiar had summoned arrived, interrupting their conversation momentarily. Yuder looked down at the fist-sized bread piled before him. The crust was extremely tough, but the pale and soft crumb exposed after peeling the crust was a characteristic of Western-style bread. He suddenly thought that the hard yet soft aspects of this bread were like Enon.

"Enon is... I think he's like this bread."

"...Bread?"

Kishiar, who was about to pick up a piece of bread, asked as if he didn't understand.

"Yes. He's hard on the outside but not on the inside, they seem somewhat alike."

Upon understanding why Yuder said so, Kishiar laughed for a long time.

"I see... That's an interesting analogy. I'm jealous that you express a deep faith that I can feel."

Yuder blinked at the unexpected words that followed the laughter.

"Jealous, of what?"

"The person who knows aspects of you that I don't, and lends a hand when you're struggling, earning your trust. It's natural to be jealous."

It was a statement that Enon would shudder and run away from if he heard, yet it seemed genuinely sincere rather than just a joke. Yuder felt slightly bewildered, as this was the first time Kishiar had said something like that in his two lifetimes.

"Even if you say there are aspects you don't know... There's nothing special. And it's not just Enon I trust."

"The aspects you say are nothing special are what I'm curious about."

Kishiar smirked, taking a sip of the alcohol he poured into his cup.

"And don't worry, I'm not being petulant. I am indeed curious about the parts I don't know, but there's something else I'm more curious about."

"...What is it?"

"You've been overly cooperative since this morning, so I wondered if there's been a change of heart."

Once the bewildering topic passed, this time it felt as if an expected mountain had appeared. Yuder pressed his lips together, feeling the piercing red gaze trying to see through his gentle demeanor. He must've noticed the change in his behavior throughout the day, and Yuder had anticipated a comment on it.

"Did someone say something to you while I was not around this morning?"

"No."

"Then?"

"Just... I decided to be like this."

"I remember distinctly stating that I would take full responsibility."

"I understand that. However, I believe this issue is unrelated to your willingness to bear responsibility."

The words he had prepared in advance flowed out resolutely from his mouth.

"Once I take up a role, I don't wish to hide behind the Commander, letting things pass without doing anything."

"You know, it's funny. Just when I thought you'd finally accept things quietly, you're harboring such thoughts."

Kishiar slowly shook his head.

"Those rumors mean nothing to me. You understand, don't you? Adding one more issue to Duke Peletta's reputation wouldn't make it any worse. Even considering all that, why feel uncomfortable standing behind me while I handle everything I've calculated?"

"I understand that as well. But isn't it also true that you're trying to handle the rumors far more than you initially planned?"

The Cavalry members, who still didn't quite understand the ways and motives of the nobility, simply found this role-play amusing, or didn't ponder the consequences that would follow. But in Yuder's eyes, Kishiar seemed to be orchestrating things so that he would bear everything alone. As he had promised to take responsibility for any issues that might arise from this matter, he was perfectly shielding Yuder from others' views.

If he had only accepted that quietly, he wouldn't have been led down the same path as his previous life. Neither would Yuder Aile's name have been tarnished, nor would he have felt discomfort from the stares surrounding him.

However, that was it.

"Don't think I'm unaware. So I'll also act faithfully to my role as much as I can. That would maintain the balance we originally planned."

"Even when there's no need for that? Why choose the more difficult path?"

"Commander, you're the one who convinced me that taking on this role wouldn't only bring me trouble. As I remember, you persuaded me because you wanted my cooperation. So why are you trying to stop me?"

"..."

"If it's a difficult path for me, it must be a difficult path for you too, Commander. I want to move in a direction that can help you, not a direction that's comfortable for me."

Kishiar fell silent. His face was speechless.

"...Indeed, I have nothing to say about that."

"..."

"I expected to enjoy this unchanged state until this matter was resolved. Even the hilariously stubborn self-proclaimed conservative nobility of the West would be made fun of, and it was an opportunity to show my assistant, who sometimes worries about me too much, a reliable image. I won't deny that."

Kishiar set down the glass he was holding. There was an inevitable smile and sigh in his gaze as he looked at Yuder.

"But of course, you never move as I anticipate."

For the first time, Yuder sensed that he had gained something akin to victory in his verbal duel with Kishiar. Yuder finally smiled.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"An unseen arrow flies farthest."

Citing an old saying that an unexpected attack is the strongest, Kishiar let out a long breath. The man who wiped his mouth with a napkin opened his mouth with an indescribable expression.

"...How's the fever you had earlier?"

"I'm fine now."

Having conversed with Kishiar, Yuder's sudden fever had subsided. As Yuder answered affably, the man gave a faint smile and nodded.

"If that's the case, go wash up first. I'll have to order more drinks after I clean up the leftover dishes."

"Aren't you drinking too much?"

"What can I do? Today, I took a big hit, so I'll drink and get a good night's sleep. And oh, tell Enon from the medical division that I've accepted his request."

Kishiar added, however, that as Yuder had feared, there could be dangers involved in examining the monster. Thus, whenever Phetuamet was examined, he must have Nathan Zuckerman at his side.

"I understand. Enon will be grateful."

"I should be the one thanking him, for striving so hard to heal you, like bread."

The phrase 'like bread' caught Yuder's attention.

"Please refrain from using that phrase in front of others."

"What's wrong with being like bread? Isn't it good? I like those kinds of people. The type that, like an uncut gem, reveals its true value with continued proximity and polish. Hard to recognize at first glance, but that makes them all the more valuable."

Seeing his face gently laughing, softer than usual, Yuder thought of someone.

"Are you talking about Zuckerman?"

"Hmm... Yes, Nathan does fit that description."

Kishiar responded, chuckling with a strange expression.

"I was talking about you, though."

"..."

"Oh, you never even considered it?"

Yuder was taken aback. He hadn't expected this. The metaphor of a gemstone felt much more apt than bread. Even so, the expressions Kishiar had used were far too direct and passionate compared to Yuder's own. Suddenly feeling a surge of overwhelming emotion from within, Yuder quietly rose from his seat. At that, Kishiar burst into laughter.

"You're so modest about yourself, but how come you manage to uncover plans I thought you wouldn't notice?"

As Yuder turned to leave, he remembered the voices of his companions, who had worried about him sharing a residence with Kishiar. He felt that their worries had manifested, but in a completely different way. In these moments with Kishiar, Yuder found the atmosphere far too intense, almost overwhelming.