---o---
"I think I've taken a liking to Kiana, and I want to try pursuing her."
Those words seemed to possess a kind of magic.
The air in the room, as if suddenly filled with gel, became thick and heavy.
Even Ishtar, who had been sweeping off to the side, lowered her broom.
She stared at the young man who had just declared his intent to woo another girl right in front of his lover, her face a mask of pure shock.
But that shock didn't last long before it morphed into something else.
She eyed the trio, whose relationship seemed rather bizarre, her eyes wide and her ears practically perking up.
The desire to watch drama unfold is universal.
Clearly, having stumbled upon a huge scoop, Ishtar was preparing to enjoy the show.
Equally stunned was Miss Kiana.
She had always been curious about what the Director of Chaldeas, who seemed to be on good terms with Otto, actually wanted with her.
And the answer was...
This guy wants to hit on me?!
Her bright, azure eyes were filled with bewilderment.
She was beginning to understand the reason behind all his strange actions.
Why he had insisted on taking her from the laboratory.
Because he liked her.
Why he had prepared the "Winter Princess" gown for her.
Because he wanted the girl he liked to be dressed beautifully.
Why he had suddenly paid attention to her diet and cooked for her.
Because he wanted to win her over.
As she connected the dots, Kiana's expression grew flustered and uneasy.
To suddenly have a suitor appear out of nowhere—for a girl who had spent her life in a laboratory and was, for all intents and purposes, naive to the ways of the world—this was far beyond anything she was prepared for.
"Is it that strange?"
Seeming to notice the anxiety on Miss Kiana's face, the young man spoke in a leisurely tone.
"When you see a girl who's exactly your type, wouldn't it be stranger not to pursue her?"
Hey, hey, hey! Pursuing a girl just because she's 'your type' is what's really strange!!
Although she had lived in the closed environment of a lab, Miss Kiana had been taught common sense by her teachers. Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.
"Boss, do you have any idea what you're saying?"
The girl whose face had been tinged with a shy blush just moments ago was now staring at her lover, her expression unreadable. Her pale gray eyes held a blade-like coldness.
She had long suspected that the way the Boss looked at the girl who was a carbon copy of Sirin was off, but to actually hear him say he wanted to pursue her...
Bronya was already contemplating whether she should just smash Project Bunny over this scumbag's head, give him amnesia, and send him back for re-education.
He already has so many girls around him, yet he still wants to flirt with more. Is he trying to become a Humanoid Sowing Machine like Cú Chulainn?!
"I am a thoroughly worldly person. When I see a mountain, it is a mountain. When I see the sea, it is the sea. When I see a flower, it is a flower. But when I see a girl, I see either unbridled youth or the tenderness of water."
The man, who was indeed planning to pursue Miss Kiana, stated his desires with complete honesty.
"When I see Kiana, I inexplicably want to collect her youth and embrace her tenderness."
That sounds incredibly poetic, but in reality, it's just lust at first sight, isn't it!!
The corner of Bronya's mouth twitched.
She began to consider chemically castrating him.
This man, who was basically ruled by his hormones in any non-critical situation, was simply too much of a bastard.
If she had him chemically castrated, he wouldn't be chasing after every girl he saw, would he?
Unfortunately, doing so would affect Seele's happiness.
The girl, who genuinely wanted to just chemically castrate this scumbag, took a deep breath.
"Um, I think it's a bit strange to pursue other girls when you already have a lover."
Miss Kiana, the target of this sudden confession, looked at the man whose gaze had been off from the very beginning, her expression flustered.
She didn't know what was happening, but this development was clearly not right.
"Is it strange?" the man, whose moral compass had never been straight, asked breezily.
It's extremely strange!
Kiana's mouth twitched, wanting to retort.
But the words died on her lips.
Li Zihan seemed to be anything but a normal person. Trying to persuade him with conventional logic would be next to impossible.
"In any case, from now on, I will be trying to pursue you."
Feeling Bronya's gaze grow ever colder, Li Zihan maintained his death-defying demeanor and spoke with utter seriousness.
"I refu—"
"That is my business."
Before the girl's refusal could fully leave her lips, the young man's words cut her off.
"Whether you agree to date me or refuse is your business. Whether I pursue you or not is my business."
"Just as I cannot force you to be with me, I assume you won't forcibly stop me from pursuing you, right?"
With the conversation having reached this point, the girl named Kiana was left completely speechless.
Her expression, however, grew more troubled. She shifted uncomfortably, her eyes clearly showing a desire to escape.
"Lady Ishtar, can you tell me where my room is?"
Clearly unable to cope with the sudden pursuit, the girl ultimately chose to flee.
"Your room?"
Ishtar, who had been standing on the sidelines enjoying the drama, was startled when her name was called. It took her a second to register the question.
She had been so immersed in the unfolding drama that her reaction was a bit slow.
"Go forward, turn left, then turn right, continue straight for a thousand meters, pass through a corridor, and then make a left."
As a temple, Ishtar's domain was vast and complex.
"It's a bit hard to find. Would you like me to show you the way?"
"Yes, please, Lady Ishtar," Miss Kiana requested with great urgency.
"Oh, I understand."
Led by Ishtar, the girl named Kiana gradually disappeared from the main hall.
Left behind were only the girl named Bronya and the young man who had just confessed to another girl in front of his lover.
"Boss, is there anything else you need to say to Bronya?"
The girl, with the aura of a Stand user materializing behind her, stared coldly at her lover, her tone like that of a judge about to sentence a criminal.
The young man, who had already donned Kavacha and Kundala and implanted a conceptual weapon of a bow into his being as a defensive measure, smiled at his lover.
"Can you go a little easy on me?"