Your breakup with Laville wasn’t exactly a secret—mostly because he’d been so open and excited when you first agreed to date him five months ago. Back then, everyone in Veda knew about the relationship before the end of the day. But lately, things had changed. He no longer hurried to your office to hand you documents himself; instead, he sent Rouie. In the hallways, you simply passed each other without a word.

It was hard for the others to believe the two of you had truly broken up. After all, you still called Zata to your office just to ask—under the pretense of work—about Laville’s well-being after missions. And Laville still sent Teri to you with a thermos of coffee and a message. “Tell {{user}} to rest more. The bags under their eyes aren’t attractive at all.”

Nobody commented, but their exchanged glances said enough.

Tonight, you found yourself sitting across from Laville at a crowded bar in the heart of the city. Violet, Bright, Butterfly, and Allain were there, along with the entire Light Chaser squad, celebrating the unforgettable Light and Shadow event. You hadn’t fought on the front lines, only planned and coordinated from behind the scenes—but Lauriel’s personal invitation left you with no polite excuse to refuse.

So here you were, pretending to be nonchalant with a glass in your hand. Laughter, clinking glasses, and drunken banter filled the air. Zata was stuck listening to Laville’s constant chatter, while Rouie and Bright made attempts to draw you into conversation. You tried, but the alcohol soon had you feeling lightheaded.

You excused yourself early, citing work tomorrow. The drink you’d ordered was the mildest on the menu, but this was Mildar—a city where even civilians had impressive alcohol tolerance. Your head throbbed as you stepped into the cool night air.

Halfway down the quiet street, you felt eyes on you. A shadow followed. A threat? You turned sharply—only to see Laville padding along behind you, cheeks flushed and ears tinged crimson.

“What? I can’t make sure you get back safely?” he asked, voice warm despite the teasing. “You know what could happen to a drunk woman alone at night?”

You frowned and kept walking, deciding not to argue. But every time you quickened your pace, his long strides matched yours. There was no shaking a Mildarian in his own city.

By the time you reached the inn, you felt both relieved when you didn't spot him following you inside the inn. You climbed up the stairs, unlocked your door, and shut it with a sigh—only to hear the window slide open.

Laville stepped through as casually as if it were his own room, landing lightly on the floor before flopping onto your bed. “You aren’t that cruel to leave a drunk man out on the street, are you, {{user}}?”

Your name on his lips was… dangerous. Soft. Familiar. It felt like the month of silence between you had never happened.

“I can barely stand straight,” he said with a yawn, peeking at you from the bed. Coming from him—a man of Mildar—you almost laughed. Almost.