Faced with the man's invasive gaze, Crusch froze for a moment, then smiled and shook her head.
"You wouldn't do that. Otherwise there'd have been no need for you to agree to cooperate earlier."
That said, Hayashi Maki still gave her a subtle sense of pressure.
"Haha. You've got a sharp eye, Crusch-sama. I really wouldn't do something that forces another person's hand. But I still have to say this—coming out at night dressed this beautifully and drinking with a man is dangerous. Let that be a lesson, alright?"
He said it with mock seriousness, then sat back down and drained his glass in one go.
He refilled his own, and topped up Crusch's cup as well, letting the mellow wine flow in.
Crusch raised an eyebrow, smiled, and clinked glasses with him again.
"I've received your advice. But to be fair, I usually only drink with Felix. An ordinary man doesn't really get the chance to share a setting like this with me."
"Then I'm truly honored. Enough talk—fill it up. I'll be honest, my tolerance is pretty good. I wonder if Crusch-sama can bear to part with her precious wine?"
"Of course. As much as you want. Opportunities to relax like this are rare—so I'll drink with you to the end."
Crusch laughed, generous and unrestrained.
Before they realized it, midnight had arrived.
Crusch's cheeks were rosy; she was visibly tipsy.
As they drank and talked, she found Hayashi Maki surprisingly easy to talk to. They went back and forth about territorial development, commerce and economics, statecraft, governance—everything.
Crusch was astonished to discover that no matter what topic she brought up, Hayashi Maki could not only follow along, but also offer ideas that made her eyes light up.
It only cemented her belief that he was a rare talent.
If this were a game, Hayashi Maki would probably be hearing constant "Crusch affection +1" prompts in his ear.
Looking at the empty bottles to the side, Hayashi Maki stood and stretched.
"Crusch-sama, it's late. As a beautiful lady, it's time you rested. Staying up is a pretty girl's natural enemy."
As he spoke, he summoned a finely made cloak and gently draped it over her shoulders.
The sudden warmth made Crusch pause. The way she looked at him softened slightly.
"Thank you. Yes… I should rest. Hayashi Maki—thank you for keeping me company tonight."
"The one who should be thanking someone is me. Getting to drink with a beauty like you, Crusch-sama… I had a wonderful time."
Hayashi Maki smiled, naturally stepping to her side. He took her hand and supported her slim waist.
"Come on. My lady—let me walk you back to your room."
"I'll trouble you, then."
Crusch's cheeks warmed, but she didn't refuse his support.
Though the hand at her waist was hot enough to feel strange, she instinctively didn't want to reject the kindness of a man she'd come to admire.
To be honest, she found herself a little envious of Emilia.
To have someone this exceptional supporting her…
With Crusch's soft waist in his arm and her pale hand in his, Hayashi Maki's thoughts inevitably started to wander. A faint, captivating fragrance drifted from her, and his heartbeat sped up for a couple beats.
Luckily, he wasn't inexperienced. He could still keep himself in check.
He escorted the slightly tipsy Crusch to her room, helped her settle in, then quietly left.
Heh—Felix would've come looking for her.
But Hayashi Maki had already set up a masking barrier with his magic, so Felix never noticed that his lord had been up late drinking with a dangerous man.
After leaving Crusch's room, Hayashi Maki returned to the guest room.
The moon was bright.
Out in the courtyard, a tall, upright figure was quietly wiping down a sword.
Wilhelm.
He had waited more than ten years for the chance to hunt the White Whale that had taken his beloved wife.
There were many who couldn't sleep.
Felix couldn't sleep either.
The rise of Hayashi Maki and the Church of Axis gave him a fierce sense of crisis.
He had never been strong to begin with—his greatest weapon was healing magic. And now, out of nowhere, there was a powerful man whose healing was even better than his.
"…No matter what, I'll keep working hard," Felix murmured to himself. "Crusch-sama… please keep watching. My loyalty…"
No matter how impressive Hayashi Maki was, he was still on Emilia's side—he couldn't threaten Felix's place at Crusch's side.
So as long as Felix proved his loyalty, that would be enough.
If he stayed by Crusch-sama's side, surely she would come to understand his feelings someday… right?
The devoted cross-dressing knight's heart was set entirely on Crusch.
Little did he know that, while he was unaware, Crusch had already spent the night drinking with that dangerous man—letting down her guard, just a little.
And Crusch hadn't even stopped his hand when it rested at her waist…
The next day.
Crusch hosted Hayashi Maki and Beatrice for a lavish breakfast.
Her expression was calm and composed—nothing like last night's softer, feminine mood.
Once she put on her uniform again, Crusch became the head of House Karsten once more: a duchess of high standing, a woman worthy of standing in the royal selection.
Her etiquette was flawless—almost too flawless. It could make people feel stiff around her.
And with the Blessing that let her discern lies, she wasn't exactly the type you could casually joke with.
Karsten Manor was lively as ever that day.
Crusch decided they would depart that very night to hunt the White Whale.
Because the deepest fog came in the hours before dawn—meaning that was when the Whale was most likely to appear.
Hayashi Maki didn't give an exact time or location for the Whale. His arrival had already shifted the world's flow; relying on the original "plot timing" was no longer safe.
And this time, Anastasia wouldn't be joining the White Whale expedition.
It would be Crusch, plus Hayashi Maki's Church of Axis.
With Hayashi Maki's strength, there was no need to do something reckless like rely on "Return by Death" to gather information. Each use of that Witch-given authority consumed the world's source power—the more it was used, the heavier the burden on the Witch became.
Hayashi Maki intended to save Satella and bring her into his own "home," so he had no intention of increasing her burden.
With his strength, he could solo the White Whale if he wanted. He didn't need to rally other factions.
His cooperation with Crusch was, frankly, also about getting closer to Crusch herself.
Soon enough, Crusch was dressed in gleaming silver armor, a crimson cloak over her shoulders, her hair tied high for mobility.
She looked like an awe-inspiring valkyrie—sharp, heroic, and dazzlingly attractive.
The manor also filled with soldiers in silver armor.
Many of them had gathered because of Wilhelm—men who had, in one way or another, suffered at the hands of the White Whale, and who now became one of Crusch's best sources of elite troops.
If this hunt succeeded, Crusch's prestige would rise to an even greater height.