Hugo strode briskly toward the detention cell where Leonardo was held, exuding a chill that seemed to lower the very temperature around him.
The restless guards at the end of the corridor brightened at the sight of him, but as he drew closer, they couldn’t fully welcome him—not with the Commander’s face frozen in a stern ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) scowl.
Without any preamble, Hugo asked,
“Where is Leonardo?”
“Ah—he’s inside.”
Paying no mind to the trembling reply, Hugo threw the door open in one motion and stepped into the detention cell.
His face immediately darkened as his shoes crushed the spilled remnants of food on the floor.
And there, sprawled arrogantly across the battered old sofa, Leonardo Blaine sat with his legs crossed. Lounging sideways with his head tilted, he raised a hand lazily toward Hugo.
“Oh, you got here faster than I thought.”
Hugo slammed the door shut and stalked toward him.
Leonardo, who had been grinning casually, sensed the storm in Hugo’s mood and leapt up from the sofa, hurriedly backing away in the narrow room.
“Wait, I didn’t do anything—I just stayed put!”
“Didn’t do anything?”
Hugo’s eyebrow arched as he echoed the words. At the same time, Leonardo swallowed hard as blue mana flickered ominously in Hugo’s palm.
He’s pissed.
The expression on that cold, rigid face hadn’t changed much—but the icy tone and biting pressure in the air made it painfully clear.
Leonardo usually didn’t care whether people were angry at him or not. But in a sealed room with his mana restrained, arrogance was a luxury he couldn’t afford. If that mana hit him, he’d pass out before he could say a word—defeating the entire point of calling Hugo here.
Trying to de-escalate, Leonardo stretched his hands out and said calmly, as if appealing for rational conversation,
“Don’t get mad—just hear me out.”
“Mad? Leonardo. I’ve never once been mad at you.”
You’re literally mad right now.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Hugo’s arm snapped forward—and a long whip materialized and shot toward him.
Cornered against the wall, Leonardo ducked and dove to the side.
“Hey—hold on!”
The whip, though formed from water, crackled with dangerous force—it was Hugo Agrizendro’s mana, after all. When it struck the iron wall, it left deep scratches.
Leonardo narrowly dodged several swings, dashing toward the corner bed. He vaulted over the sofa in one breath as Hugo advanced—not running, but covering ground with long, relentless strides, the whip lashing out without mercy.
The moment the whip curled around Leonardo’s ankle and yanked him back, he stumbled over the low table and crashed onto the bed.
Even as he fell, a chill raced down his spine. He rolled instinctively, flipping to the side.
Bang!
Hugo’s hand smashed into the mattress where Leonardo’s head had just been, punching clean through. Steam hissed from the scorched hole.
Leonardo stared wide-eyed at the fist embedded beside his face, then looked up at Hugo looming over him and said with a grimace,
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“I’m not going to kill you.”
The whip slithered as if alive, binding Leonardo’s wrists tightly. Hugo pulled his hand free from the mattress and raised it again toward Leonardo’s head.
That bloodless face, cold and merciless, made it sound more like he intended to knock him out. Panicking, Leonardo tried to sit up, but Hugo’s other hand clamped down on his shoulder, pinning him.
The grip was so crushing he thought his shoulder blade might shatter. As the threatening hand drew closer to his eyes—
Growl—
A loud, desperate gurgle came from Leonardo’s stomach.
The hand froze just inches from his face.
For a second, complete silence hung between them.
Leonardo squeezed his eyes shut, brows furrowed in pure mortification. The timing couldn’t have been worse—and the room’s quiet made the noise seem even louder.
But at least he hadn’t been knocked out.
Slowly opening his eyes again, Leonardo looked up at Hugo—still glaring down with that frozen expression—and muttered the actual reason he’d called him here.
“...Give me something to eat.”
****
The sound of clinking tableware echoed through the room.
Hugo sat with his hands clasped, chin resting on them, watching the growing stack of empty dishes. Across from him, Leonardo was inhaling food at an astonishing rate.
He wasn’t exactly shoveling it down, but his small mouth and hands moved quickly, making entire plates vanish in moments. Even the server walking back and forth began to eye him with disbelief.
Hugo kept his face carefully neutral. If he looked surprised, it might embarrass Leonardo. Still, it was hard to believe so much food could fit inside that slender body.
“...You must’ve been starving.”
Leonardo nodded, cheeks puffed full, like a chipmunk. At the sight, Hugo silently pushed another plate toward him.
This infuriating man had begged and pleaded to be moved from prison to the temporary detention wing—swearing he’d behave—then used the threat of escape to force the Commander himself to show up.
And now, after rejecting bland rations and insisting on real food, they were seated in the Council’s staff cafeteria—quiet after lunch hours—because Leonardo had demanded it.
It wasn’t proper etiquette to stare at someone eating, but Leonardo’s sheer delight over the food was such a rare sight that Hugo couldn’t look away.
Eventually, Leonardo polished off the final plate, stacked it neatly, dabbed his mouth with a napkin, and patted his stomach in satisfaction.
“Whew, that hit the spot. The Council food’s actually great! If they’d fed me like this from the start, I wouldn’t have caused any trouble.”
He looked truly content—happier than Hugo had ever seen him.
Though Hugo was only here because he was the only one in the Council capable of subduing an unquantifiable S4-grade mage by force, seeing that wide grin made the hassle feel—almost—worth it.
Suppressing the smile tugging at his own lips, Hugo lifted a cup from the table. Water filled it slowly under his touch, rising halfway before he placed it in front of Leonardo.
“I’m glad you’re satisfied. Now, let’s go. I brought you out for a bit because of your escape threats.”
Leonardo raised the cup to his lips, but his brows creased at those words. After downing the water in one gulp, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve and deliberately set the cup down with a clink.
“I’ve been locked up this whole time. You could at least let me stretch my legs a bit. What’s the rush in heading back?”
“...”
“And that escape talk was just a bluff. Look, you’ve already chained me up like this just for stepping outside. Where would I even go?”
Leonardo rattled the cuff on his left wrist. It was connected by a long chain—secured at the other end to Hugo’s right wrist.
Hugo glanced at the thin chain and sighed lightly. Then he stood and said,
“I have a meeting soon.”
Leonardo looked up, disappointed. Meeting Hugo’s steady gaze, he heard him add,
“...So I can’t give you much more time. But if we go out for a bit and return right after—promise me you’ll behave.”
Leonardo’s face lit up again. He grinned and replied cheerfully,
“Okay. I promise. For real this time.”
He stood, pinky extended toward Hugo in mock sincerity, and headed for the door.
Hugo wasn’t sure if giving in to all his whims like this was the right decision—but with the chain tugging tight, he had no choice but to follow.
