"Give me some clothes to wear," Aske said.

"Everything is in the wardrobe, why don't you take a look?" Eleanor sat next to him, leaning against a pillow, with a book in her hands. Her curly blonde hair cascaded over the smooth silk collar of her pajamas, looking extremely enchanting and alluring.

"Yours?"

"Of course, they're all women's clothes."

"What about my clothes?"

"They've been taken for washing, they probably won't be dry until tomorrow."

"So you want the squad leader to just lie here on your bed?"

"Yeah, why not?" Eleanor closed the book, slightly raised her smooth chin, and gave him a teasing look with a provocative smile.

Then Aske realized he couldn't retreat any further; otherwise, he'd be endlessly oppressed by the taunting knight girl.

"Otherwise, some bad things might happen." He said with a serious expression.

"Like what?" Eleanor smiled.

Aske turned over and pinned the death-seeking knight girl beneath him.

Eleanor stared at him for a few seconds before shyly closing her eyes, waiting for the squad leader to lean in for a kiss.

Though the moment seemed calm, Eleanor's slightly trembling long eyelashes, and the tight grip on the duvet betrayed her anxious and fearful heart.

Kissing her felt somewhat like bullying, so Aske took a pillow and pressed it against Eleanor's face.

Eleanor: !!!

She angrily threw the pillow aside, turned around, and pushed Aske down. The two of them playfully wrestled on the bed for a while, inadvertently touching and rubbing against each other, gradually giving rise to a shy and ambiguous atmosphere.

"Aske..." Eleanor, already lying down, reached her left hand over from under the duvet and gently held his arm, "I'm a little tired."

"Then take a nap." Aske stared at the deep red canopy above the bed.

"I want to sleep cuddled up in your arms," Eleanor said.

Aske: ???

"Then I'll sit up." He propped a pillow vertically, then glanced problematically below the duvet, saying, "At least give me a pair of pants."

So Eleanor happily climbed up, selected a pair of striped shorts with a neutral style from the wardrobe, and tossed them to him.

While Aske was putting on pants, Eleanor lay by the bed, resting her chin in her hands, watching him, making him feel all sorts of unnatural.

"What are you looking at?"

"Something I don't have on myself. Can't I take a few more glances?" Eleanor retorted confidently.

"Eleanor, you've changed." Aske sighed, pulling up his pants.

"It's been six years; it's impossible not to have changed even a little," Eleanor snuggled into his embrace, resting her head on his thigh, pulled up the duvet, and muttered, "Besides, if I don't take the initiative..."

"If you don't what?" Aske didn't catch it.

"Nothing," Eleanor cuddled his arm, "Darling, let me nap a bit first."

She quietly fell asleep, while Aske gazed at her side profile, and his thoughts suddenly drifted elsewhere.

He suddenly recalled he had a daughter with Medea...she should've been born by now, five and a half years old?

So, guilt welled up in Aske's heart, wondering whether he could mention this to Eleanor and ask to meet his daughter.

With Eleanor's character, even if she and Medea were at odds, she wouldn't be at odds with a little girl. As for being jealous or reproaching him, that would be perfectly normal, no matter what Eleanor said, he'd have to take it.

And other ladies...although it's embarrassing to say, he had once unrealistically fantasized about having a harem, but it seems unlikely now.

Men ultimately have to face their own hearts sincerely. He should seize an opportunity later to meet them and sincerely apologize.

Yes, they should forgive me, right?

............

A few hours later, Aachen Palace, dinner party.

Eleanor had changed out of her knight robe and into an elegant off-shoulder evening gown. Aske, her fiancé, also donned a hurriedly tailored suit by the court's tailor.

After waving away the maid, Eleanor started helping Aske tidy up his attire.

"By the way, what's the situation with your brother?" Aske asked.

This morning, when young Otto saw Eleanor clinging to his arm, his face looked as if he'd been cuckolded, making it impossible for Aske to ignore.

"It's a mental gap," Eleanor smiled, tidying his coat's hem, "After all, his sister suddenly brought back a man from outside; it's hard to accept no matter what."

"Even so, his reaction was overly intense." Aske said hesitantly, "Could it be...a sis-con?"

"You're talking about hereditary attraction?" Eleanor was a bit surprised, "Maybe, Nora once mentioned it to me, but so what? I can't see myself falling for my brother."

"True enough." Aske nodded, "I'm confident about that."

"Look at you, full of yourself." Eleanor finally tied his bowtie.

"Having an almost perfect fiancée, after all," Aske laughed.

So Eleanor beamed as if she'd eaten honey, wrapped her arm around Aske's, and under the maid's guidance, headed to the dining room.

The Saxon family dinner party included young Otto, the abdicated Emperor Otto II, his wife Diophano, and Eleanor's sister Matilda, who had just returned from her husband's home.

Of course, there should've been an elder sister, Adelaide, but she's now a bishop in the Church Court and has very weak ties to the Saxon family; she's hardly ever seen returning.

Everyone met at the dinner party and greeted each other politely.

Otto II looked noticeably older than before, having faced disastrous defeat during the Church Court's expedition, losing face, status, and almost everything. If not for the family's glory brought by Princess Sofie, the Saxon family's hold on the Iron Throne might be uncertain.

Diophano was a serious-looking noblewoman, formerly an Eastern Roman Empire princess, actually Theodora's cousin, sharing some resemblance in their features, but her youth had clearly faded.

Matilda and young Otto had physiques closer to their father's Frank lineage, with proportionate muscles and long legs, their facial features closer to their mother's finesse, resembling a lower version of Eleanor... though it may sound harsh, perhaps they haven't grown fully, but Aske truly found Eleanor prettier than them.

Aske silently observed them, while the Otto family quietly assessed him.

In fact, aside from the old Emperor Otto II, the rest were meeting Aske for the first time, especially Eleanor's mother Diophano and sister Matilda, since young Otto had exaggeratedly reported to them prior, resulting in a not-so-favorable first impression of this man.

A side note: young Otto depicted him as a "pretty face," "jester," "living off sister Sofie."

Otto II completely disregarded this. Having previously dealt with The Azure Longsword, he recognized the young squad leader's extraordinary strength. Even Mind Dragon Bruto, during last time's reunion with Eleanor, casually noted: this young fellow might have already reached Demigod Rank...

Therefore, he exercised fatherly authority, properly reprimanding young Otto not to exaggerate and harm others' reputations.

However, Otto II's personality was inherently arrogant, always boasting, "No one understands better than me," plus his loss of reputation after failing at the Church Court's expedition and stepping down from the Iron Throne, steeply dropping his family's standing, resulted in Diophano and Matilda completely distrusting him—assuming this old man was merely defending his son-in-law out of paternal affection.

Now seeing Aske's handsome appearance, exotic charm, indeed attractive, they unconsciously believed young Otto's slander seven to eight-fold, assuming this son-in-law ensnared Sofie solely by his looks.

Thus, they naturally put on stern faces.

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