Cal slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a familiar ceiling—Sophia’s room. Gncing around, he realized he was lying on her bed.

  Taking in his surroundings, Cal sat up slowly. “Did I... fall asleep?” he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

  Sophia, seated at her study table moments earlier, walked over and sat beside the bed. “Good morning—or, wait—good night? It’s already dark outside.”

  Cal blinked in surprise. He hadn’t realized he had slept that long. Looking at her apologetically, he said, “Sorry for falling asleep here.”

  Sophia shook her head. “It’s fine. Actually, I want you to take a look at this.” She quickly pressed a piece of paper into his hand. “Let me know what you think.”

  Taking the paper, Cal began reading.

  It outlined an intricate pn to help Ivanna travel abroad. The paper detailed methods to hide her on an airship, navigating the URA terminal upon arrival, and even a fabricated identity for Ivanna to blend in seamlessly.

  Despite some fws, Cal was impressed by the creativity and thoroughness of Sophia’s strategy. He had always suspected her way of thinking was unconventional, but now it was becoming increasingly evident, especially since she had let go of her obsession with acquiring a "talent."

  Looking up at Sophia, he asked, “How long did it take you to come up with this?”

  “Two or three hours, maybe?” she replied casually.

  “I see. There are a few things that need adjusting, but honestly, this is a solid pn.”

  Sophia exhaled in relief. “I’m gd to hear that.”

  Watching her reaction, a thought crossed Cal’s mind, 'Is she trying to make herself useful?'

  After a pause, he decided to add, “This will help a lot. Thank you.”

  Sophia’s face brightened. “No problem! Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”

  Cal studied her for a moment. 'Maybe I’ve been too hard on her before.'

  He shifted, moving closer to Sophia.

  “Sophia,” he said, his tone changing as he changed the subject.

  “Yes?” she responded.

  “About the letter problem—I’ll report it to your father ter.”

  Noticing the change in his tone, Sophia tensed slightly. “Um... Cal, I don’t think that’s necessary.”

  Cal’s expression hardened. “Sophia, this is a btant act of disrespect toward the Kovalevska household.”

  For a letter to reach a noble, it must first be reviewed by the household’s head butler to ensure there is no malicious intent and to verify its authenticity. Yet, the fact that Sophia hadn’t received any letter indicated one thing: the head butler was deliberately isoting her.

  Cal was not oblivious to the behavior of the staff in the Kovalevska Mansion. If it weren’t for Sophia constantly assuring him that she could handle it, Cal would have taken matters into his own hands long ago.

  "It’s alright, really," Sophia replied. "I already gave my 'Personal Coordinate' to Ivanna, so she can send me letters through a 'Messenger' if she wants."

  Using a 'Messenger' service differed significantly from traditional means of sending letters. These services could deliver messages across nations—even to desote areas—without much scrutiny, and directly to the recipient.

  To utilize such services, one needed to purchase a 'Coordinate Card' from the messenger company. This card enabled real-time tracking of the recipient’s location, allowing letters to be delivered directly. However, both the sender and the recipient had to exchange and register each other’s 'Personal Coordinates' in advance, ensuring only authorized individuals could send letters to each other.

  "Sophia, I think this is going too far," Cal said, his voice softening.

  "Cal, we’re leaving tomorrow. Stirring up trouble now would help no one, don’t you think?" Sophia locked eyes with him.

  Using his bloodline ability, Cal discerned Sophia’s concealed intention. A crime of this magnitude could only be punished by torture until death, and it was clear she was trying to protect the head butler.

  After a long pause, Cal relented. “Fine.”

  Sophia smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

  Silence settled between them. For a moment, they simply stared at each other.

  Unable to hold her gaze, Sophia looked away, her cheeks slightly blushed. “Hey, Cal,” she said softly, breaking the silence. “About earlier... we are dating, aren’t we?”

  “Yes,” Cal replied with a pyful smile. “Though I thought we already were—since you’ve been telling Seraphix that.”

  Sophia chuckled nervously.

  Cal then stood, brushing off his clothes.

  Watching him, Sophia fidgeted with her fingers. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “So... are you going to take it tonight?”

  Cal raised an eyebrow. “Take what?”

  “My first.”

  Cal froze, his expression unreadable.

  After a moment, Cal regained his composure.

  “No,” he said ftly. Without waiting for her response, Cal turned and left the room, his pace quickening with each step.

  ***

  Sophia y on her bed, in the same spot where Cal had been earlier, facing downward. Her breathing was heavy.

  'Cal’s scent…' she thought to herself.

  Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, she jolted upright.

  “What am I doing!? I’m not a pervert!!” she blurted out.

  Flustered, she grabbed Seraphix and y back down, this time staring at the ceiling with the bck loaf resting on her stomach.

  “Cal didn’t notice anything, right?” she whispered under her breath.

  Earlier, when Cal was asleep, Sophia had taken the opportunity to inspect his body—purely for educational purposes, or so she convinced herself.

  It was a rare occasion for Cal to fall asleep so soundly in front of her, something that felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She hadn’t wanted to waste it. But what kind of opportunity? Even she wasn’t sure.

  As Sophia carried out her inspection, something strange began happening to her. Her body felt hot, her breathing grew unsteady, and her mind became clouded.

  Suddenly, another thought crept in—an idea for an even more thorough inspection. This was a rare opportunity, after all—and it was all for education, she reminded herself once more.

  But then she hesitated—even she recognized how wrong this could be.

  Yet another thought crept in. 'It’s fine, right?' she reassured herself. 'Cal said we’re dating. This is just what couples do… right? Natalia said so, after all.'

  Sophia used her friend from Naurvile Academy as a reference—though, in reality, Natalia was a massive pervert and a terrible example when it came to retionships. But at this moment, just this moment, Sophia chose to trust her judgment.

  As her inspection escated, Cal suddenly stirred, shifting slightly in his sleep.

  Panic surged through Sophia. In a rush, she hastily fixed his clothes and bolted to her study table, pretending to be engrossed in work.

  With her body still in heat and her thoughts unfocused, she forced herself to write—though all she managed was incoherent nonsense. Needing a real distraction, she decided to focus on something else: a pn to help Ivanna escape abroad. After all, Ivanna had ended up in this mess because of her. The least she could do was take responsibility.

  A few hours ter, her draft pn was complete. Satisfied with the results, she reviewed it one st time.

  Then, Cal began to wake up.

  Noticing this, Sophia panicked again and rushed to his side, shoving the pn into his hands.

  She was desperate to divert his attention—after all, there were still traces of her inspection on his body.

  ***Now, lying in bed with Seraphix on her stomach, Sophia repyed the inspection in her mind.

  One key finding from her inspection: despite looking lean in his clothes, Cal was surprisingly well-built.

  His skin was also smoother than she had expected.

  And as for his taste—

  Before she could finish the thought, Seraphix stirred, letting out an annoyed meow before wriggling free from her grip and settling on the other side of the bed.

  Only then did Sophia realize she had been squeezing him too hard while lost in thought.

  Feeling guilty, she scooted closer and reached out. “Uhh, Sir Seraphix, I’m sorry—”

  But before she could touch him, Seraphix swatted her hand away with his paw.

  “Tonight, you sleep alone, you pervert,” he said firmly.

  “P-PERVERT?!” Sophia stammered, completely caught off guard. “I-I don’t think I’m a pervert, though…”

  Seraphix gave her a long, knowing look before replying.

  “Go look in the mirror first. Also, I won’t judge your kinks or whatever, but next time, keep it quiet.”

  Sophia’s face instantly turned crimson.

  'Sir Seraphix saw what I was doing earlier?! But which part?!' Panic set in. 'He didn’t see that part, right?!'

  “Uhm, Sir Seraphix, c-can you not mention anything you saw to Cal?” she asked nervously.

  From Cal’s earlier joking remark, she realized something—Seraphix was probably the one who had told Cal they were dating in the first pce. She couldn’t risk his loose lips causing any more trouble.

  Seraphix didn’t respond.

  “…Don’t fall asleep yet!” Sophia hissed in a loud whisper.

  Losing patience, she grabbed him unceremoniously and shook him violently.

  “Sir Seraphix! Promise me you won’t tell Cal! Promise me!”

  That night, Sophia was officially banned from sleeping on the bed.