Lily’s eyes sparkled with barely contained curiosity as she poured the drink and asked the question. Estella met her gaze silently for a moment before finally answering with a voice that sounded oddly refreshed.

“It’s a secret. Just think of it as the same way I recognized all of you.”

Lily’s sparkling curiosity deflated like a balloon with a leak—it was a much duller answer than she’d hoped for.

“Like how you figured out the use of the Nevrion ore?”

Ciel, cutting through Estella’s vague remark, went straight to the point. Estella fell silent, looking as though she was thinking deeply, then slowly nodded. Ciel had a strange habit of zeroing in on the heart of things without even trying.

“Something like that.”

“So you’re sure that guy won’t betray you.”

“Probably not? Just like you guys wouldn’t betray me.”

It was an illogical, baseless explanation—but somehow it had weight. Just as she had made an offer to them that was nearly impossible to refuse, she’d probably dangled some irresistible reward in front of that scrawny mage too.

Whatever it was, it had to be something he desperately wanted.

Meanwhile, the empty glass on the table had been filled with honey liquor. As the glass filled up again, Lily regained her energy and began to sparkle once more.

“This drink is pretty strong. Will you be alright?”

Ciel asked with concern as Estella beamed, holding her glass. No matter how you looked at her, Estella was far too squirrel-like to be drinking such strong liquor.

“What do you take me for? I’ll have you know that back in the unit…”

“Yes?”

“Nothing. I mean, I can hold my liquor.”

She must’ve lowered her guard after spending some time with them. Estella accidentally let one of Yoon Seo-yi’s memories slip out and gulped it down along with Lily’s honey brew.

Despite being strong, the liquor went down impossibly smooth. The honey’s rich, never-cloying sweetness, the mellow spread of cinnamon on the tongue, and a peculiar fruitiness whose source she couldn’t place—it all came together in perfect harmony.

“Ahhh!”

“H-Hey! You can’t just chug that all at once!”

Lily cried out in horror as Estella downed the honey liquor like it was cold water. Even Lily herself—who’d made the drink—had never thrown it back like that because of its high alcohol content.

But Estella, clearly having learned this somewhere, raised the now-empty glass above her head and let out a gleeful laugh.

“Wow! You made this, Lily? Really? It’s amazing!”

“R-Really? But are you really okay?”

“What’s there to be not okay about? C’mon, pour me another. This stuff is a masterpiece!”

Lily blinked in disbelief, then filled Estella’s glass again.

“It’s so good! Lily, you’re the best!”

Estella had boasted about her tolerance and just emptied a high-proof drink in one go, so she was probably not drunk yet. Still, Lily couldn’t shake the feeling that Estella’s tone had shifted ever so slightly.

Soon her glass was once again filled with the sweet honey liquor, and Estella clinked it with the mercenaries’ glasses—clink clink!—before shooting to her feet and shouting:

“One shot! One kill! No sipping allowed! Raise your glasses!”

Sensing something was off, the Squirrels glanced around nervously, but since it wasn’t clear yet, they awkwardly stood and lifted their glasses.

“Hahahaha! I knew I had an eye for people! Drink up!”

Estella shouted again and guzzled her drink. Ciel, unable to watch any longer, rushed over and snatched the glass from her hands. If this went on, it was going to end badly.

“You bastard! How dare you take your superior officer’s drink! You call yourself a soldier?!”

“She’s drunk.”

“Didn’t she say she could hold her liquor?”

Bruno and Kyle muttered under their breath. Lily, laughing her head off for some reason, threw back her own drink and eagerly echoed Estella’s words, while Airi shook her head in exasperation and sipped from a glass the size of her face.

“I’ll escort her.”

Ciel lifted the now-wobbly Estella into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his shoulder.

Lily watched them leave with a grin and then gently leaned her head on Bruno’s shoulder. Bruno recoiled in horror, and Kyle quickly caught the swaying Lily before she could fall.

Thump thump.

All Ciel was doing was carrying a drunk girl—but his heart was pounding wildly. Shocked by how Estella had slammed back her drink without hesitation, he hadn’t even taken a single sip himself.

“She brags all that just to get wasted after one drink…”

“Aaah… I feel so good. So good…”

Maybe her survival instincts were still intact, because she clung tightly to his neck, trying not to fall, and it was kind of cute.

“I’m glad you’re feeling good.”

“What is?”

Ciel froze when he felt a small palm brush against his cheek. His heart, already racing, felt like it was about to leap out of his chest. He clamped his lips shut.

“You brat! You’re so damn handsome! You! Don’t think for a second that I picked you just ‘cause you’re handsome. I am the kind of person who does things based on looks, got it?!”

“Do you think I’m handsome?”

A soft smile tugged at Ciel’s lips. The sweet scent of alcohol wafting from Estella was dizzying.

“You! You! Stop it!”

“What am I doing?”

Estella’s flushed cheeks glowed even redder as she grabbed his face and shook it.

“You cocky types always know you’re hot and still ask if they’re hot! You think I’m gonna say you’re good-looking? Nope! You’re uglier than a half-dried goose turd, got it?!”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“So… tch…”

Estella let go of his neck and cupped both his cheeks, glaring at him with drunken seriousness.

“If you sign some kind of contract with Katrin, I’ll kill you. Got that?”

“Yes.”

“Only look at me. Because I’m your master. Who am I?”

“My master.”

“Exactly. I’m your master. So… you’re mine. You can’t go to any other woman. Especially—!”

Estella’s head, which had been drooping downward, suddenly shot up.

“Katrin is absolutely off limits! Repeat after me! Katrin is off limits!”

“Katrin is off limits.”

Ciel repeated her words with a broad grin. He’d never imagined a drunk woman could be so adorable—especially one who declared so confidently that he was hers.

“Estella.”

“You bastard! Are you saying my name because I’m drunk right now?!”

“Am I not allowed to?”

“…Say it! I’m generous. Just say it… Say whatever!”

“Can I call you a nickname?”

“Ugh, what’s with the ticklish nickname talk! What are you gonna call me?”

Estella’s voice began to fade as she spoke, her wide eyes slowly closing. Her arms, which had been tightly wrapped around Ciel’s neck, slipped down.

Ciel adjusted his hold to make sure she was comfortable and began walking slowly. One of her maids would probably come to collect her soon.

“Ella.”

“So tacky.”

Estella was lovable to the very end.

Ciel whispered quietly as he looked down at her sleeping like a baby. Then he gently kissed her round, messy forehead.

Smack!

That’s when it happened.

SLAP!

Estella’s hand smacked his cheek with perfect precision. For a moment, Ciel thought she was angry that he’d kissed her forehead and rushed to apologize.

“Sorry! I just…”

“Fucking mosquito… My blood… Tch! Not giving you a drop.”

Estella, with her lightning reflexes, had mistaken the ticklish sensation of Ciel’s lips for a mosquito bite and reflexively swatted at it.

Ciel stood there stunned, baffled, then let out a soft chuckle. He figured he must be the only man who’d get slapped by a woman and still smile about it.

Far off in the distance, her maid Ria came rushing over, and the moment she saw Estella slumped in Ciel’s arms, her eyes widened in shock.

“Good night, Estella.”

At his whisper, Estella’s lips curved into a slow, sleepy smile.

“Uuuugh, my head!”

Estella scowled in pain the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, her head pounding like it was going to split open.

She remembered drinking the honey liquor Lily had poured for her, but everything after that was a complete blackout. She didn’t remember a thing—not even how she ended up in bed.

“You’re awake, my lady? Please don’t drink so much next time. You always suffer like this the day after.”

Ria came over with a glass of water and spoke with concern. Estella snatched the cup like someone lost in a desert for three days and downed it in one go before asking,

“But… how did I get here?”

Chapter 50

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