“You, you…. You cursed devil’s bastard! Aren’t you being too harsh on your sister?”

Despite the profanity that suddenly left Beatrice’s mouth, Mirdal didn’t raise a single brow. Rather, he responded with a smile, which caused Beatrice to bristle with anger.

“Why are you only appearing now? After all, it’s all because of you…. !!”

Beatrice jumped and pointed her finger accusingly at Mirdal. Suddenly, like a broken clock, she stopped. The awkward posture combined with her startled expression looked quite ridiculous.

“Beth, it’s impolite to speak loudly in public. Although Mother educated you to such an extent, it still appears to be insufficient,” Mirdal teased, as he towered over her and tapped Beatrice’s forehead with his index finger.

Amid the interaction, Erel realized that their faces were very similar. Although the hair shade was different, their bright violet eyes were identical.

‘Oh my gosh.’ 

Erel was rendered speechless by the sudden realization of the relationship between the two. It was a truly shocking discovery. Beatrice’s younger brother must be a Masaka.

‘Beatrice’s brother is Mirdal Harmash.’

Just then, Mirdal directed his gaze towards her. Thanks to this, Erel was able to check his information the moment their eyes met.

[Ding! You Have Found the target, Mirdal Harmash]

[Mirdal Harmash: Current Favorability 59]

Erel was surprised by his favorability because it was higher than she expected. She also took note of his surname.

‘He and Beatrice have different surnames.’

Originally, he was also called Mirdal Summer Alberrum Russell… which was a ridiculously long name. However, even though Masakas were born from the womb of a human, they were still children of the gods. Therefore, they didn’t use a human surname but used ‘Harmash’, a surname unique to Masakas.

Initially, no matter how familiar the character was, she would have been reluctant to meet a Masaka. But now, it was a relief that Mirdal had come. If it weren’t for him, the Kitan would have eaten her alive.

“Erel.”

Just then, Mirdal, who had silenced Beatrice, called out to her.

“Since the disturbance is gone, shall we exchange greetings again? It’s nice to meet you.”

His charming smile was calm as if nothing had happened. But Erel couldn’t let go of the tension.

The Mirdal she knew was a character who, like her younger brother, stimulated her protective instincts. However, he became a “predator” the moment someone unintentionally revealed their weakness.

Although he must have seen the vigilance in her eyes, he didn’t acknowledge it.

“You have always been pretty, but you have grown more beautiful than ever.”

Mirdal’s smile deepened, and he lowered his eyelashes. In that shaded gaze, his violet eyes passionately glowed as he stared at Erel.

“I only caught a glimpse of you when I was younger, but I’m glad you still remember me.”

Erel’s brow furrowed slightly in response. Whether she liked it or not, she was in a position where she needed to be quick-witted and quickly grasp the situation.

‘Do you by any chance remember my little brother?’

Suddenly, the question that Beatrice asked in the carriage came to mind. Beatrice was one of Erel’s few childhood friends. So, Erel would have seen the faces of her family members as she went to and from each other’s mansion.

‘But it seems like that happened a long time ago.’

She could tell just by observing Mirdal as he reminisced about his childhood. In essence, he wouldn’t have any reason to interact with Erel because she was just one of his sister’s friends.

But it was obvious why he was trying to be friendly now. He clearly knew that Erel Elorence was a Resabre. (TL: This was previously translated as Receiver but this is the correct term.)

Perhaps he was informed by his older sister, Beatrice, or maybe he heard about the commotion caused by Barkan’s attempt to stake his claim on her. Neither was a good thing.

From Erel’s point of view, the Kitans and Masakas were both just predators trying to eat her.

“You don’t have to be so wary. It’s not the first time we’ve seen each other.”

Mirdal, who was still young, appeared to be more brazen than she thought. No matter how she looked at it, there were no noteworthy memories shared between him and Erel, but he didn’t hesitate to act as if they had some sort of friendly relationship. It was so absurd that even Beatrice, who stood motionless like a doll, stared at him incredulously.

“Let’s see… Do you think you will like these types of hats?”.

It seemed like Mirdal intended to ease her wariness first. While contemplating the most comfortable topic for conversation, he looked at the colorful hats that caught his eye and asked.

“Do women really like things like this?”

Mirdal had an unbelievably tall stature. As he approached, a long shadow naturally fell over Erel.

Standing in the shadow felt ominous because of the risk of being under the influence of his power. So Erel took a small step back and replied as calmly as possible.

“Well, it’s bright and pretty like spring flowers.”

An unfamiliar look of regret flashed in Mirdal’s eyes as he watched Erel escape his shadow. After a moment, Mirdal reached out and picked up a mint-colored bonnet with a sky-blue ribbon.

“You’re the one who is bright and pretty like spring flowers.”

Mirdal put the bonnet on Erel with a natural movement like flowing water. Then he gazed at her as if appreciating a work of art.

“Is it because your hair is so pretty? …You would look good in anything.”

They were only empty sweet words, but at least Mirdal’s eyes seemed to hold genuine admiration. It was clear that any woman would blush and have a fluttering heart under such a gaze.

But then Erel noticed the faint chain marks imprinted in the palm of his hand when he placed the bonnet on her head.

“This is…”

She definitely remembered seeing the same marks around the Kitan’s neck as it rushed towards her. At that moment, a terrible hypothesis quickly formed in Erel’s mind.

‘No way.’

Initially, she found it strange how persistent Beatrice was when she dragged her to shop at Madame Deki’s hat store. And she appeared to be looking for someone as she wandered around the unpopular store.

Presumably, she intended to hand Erel over to her younger brother from the beginning. Maybe Mirdal offered her something in exchange, or maybe she believed it was the only other option for Erel.

In any case, it was clear that all of this was planned. At least halfway through, it seemed that way. But after discovering Kitan, Beatrice’s reaction was by no means an act.

She shed tears when she saw the victims of the Kitan and was so terrified that Erel had to desperately grab her and drag her away.

‘You were definitely afraid…’

Judging from Beatrice’s casual murmurs, this must have been the initial plan.

First, take Erel to the hat store and shop normally. Then Mirdal would release the Kitan, which he captured in advance.

‘They probably agreed not to cause any casualties.’

Beatrice wasn’t that malicious. Otherwise, there was no reason to react so intensely when Mirdal appeared.

She even swore at Mirdal, calling him a cursed demon. Her terrified and scornful gaze was not something that could be faked.

Perhaps the original plan was for Mirdal to step up and save Erel before the Kitan harmed her. After winning Erel’s trust and favor, he would make her his own Resabre. It was such a cliche and typical plan.

But why did he change his plan along the way? Erel frowned at the strange thought. After a moment, Mirdal noticed that Erel’s gaze rested on the traces left in his hand.

“Oh, my”.

Although Mirdal was still young, he was naturally quick to notice. He immediately realized why Erel was staring intently at his hand.

“You saw it, huh?

Just like a white handkerchief absorbing ink, a bitter smile spread across Mirdal’s innocent face.

“This is why I don’t like people who are quick-witted.”

Before she had a chance to avoid it, another bonnet was placed over Erel’s head. At the same time, the shadow of Mirdal’s large hand quickly covered her face.

“So why are you so pretty? Makes me want to steal you away.”

Mirdal, whose eyes curved into a crescent moon-like shape when his smile deepened, playfully stroked Erel’s cheek. She tried to twist away to avoid his touch, but Mirdal’s shadow held her firmly in place.

“Just as I thought, this bonnet suits you well.”

Mirdal adjusted the slightly crooked bonnet on her head with a delicate touch. Given the situation, his tenderness was very disturbing.

“I’ll buy you at least a hundred hats like that. So, choose me.”

After he finished speaking, he politely took Erel’s hand and guided her as if he was escorting a lady in a ballroom. Erel, who was completely under the influence of his ability, had no choice but to follow him like a doll.

His youthful hands were large with a strong grip. When he held her hand, she felt despair because it was like she was wearing shackles. However, Mirdal seemed to enjoy the feel of her small, slender hands.

[Ding! Mirdal’s favorability has increased by 3]

After fiddling with his hand a few times, Mirdal boldly grasped her hands and softly smiled as he led Erel to the back door.

A faint rustling of horses could be heard through the door. Perhaps there was a carriage already waiting. Since the truth of the plan had been discovered, it was clear that Mirdal intended to kidnap Erel.