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Asterios' fingers stop tapping on the table. There is no point in fighting an ego battle with the human until he wins; it will not be a fair fight and very ridiculous of him.

Thinking of Jeremy, the jackal's forehead furrows deeper and deeper. And the mountain goat, feeling curious, asks him in a very careful voice.

『Um... I was wondering... is there someone you have a crush on lately?』

『Hmm, maybe.』

『Oh my God, really? Even Mr. Asterios finally...!』

Contrary to what the mountain goat expected, Asterios answers without a hint of irritation. She is surprised. The Jackal has a reputation for stoicism and has never been subjected to the kind of scrutiny common to senators.

The stiff city senator has been known to shoo away beautiful women who approach him about a job.

『You react like it's a natural disaster.』

Asterios laughs sardonically at the goat's reaction. Honestly, it's indeed natural for Asterios. Not only does the mountain goat know that her boss doesn't generally seek sexual pleasure, but she also knows that Asterios isn't someone who's easily flattered.

『Don't tell anyone. It'll be a big story if it gets out. The media will be all over me...』

After a moment of hesitation, the mountain goat can't help but ask again with a twinkle in her eye.

『Can you give me a clue as to what kind of Thelma they are? I can find out what their likes and... habits.』

『No need to bother yourself. I can do it myself.』

『Ah... haha. Yes, you're very good at it, but I'll see if I can rearrange your schedule to give you some extra time if you need it...』
 
If only the mountain goat knew what Asterios had done to Jeremy, she probably would not have said that.

Thinking that the nosy secretary is being overly curious, Asterios turns his head in annoyance and asks in a dismissive tone.

『...I've been wondering how to win their favor. Do you have any suggestions?』

『What? They need you to win their favor when they know you are a senator? They're very presumptuous.』

The mountain goat's ears flick back in disbelief. Asterios can give this presumptuous person anything they want—literally, not just money and honor, but anything they want. How could they not be flattered by the great Asterios? The mountain goat's curiosity about whom Asterios is trying to please only grows.

『They have someone else in mind.』

『Eh?』

At this answer, the mountain goat's ears perk up. She swallows nervously and asks, 『Are they...married?』

『No. Not really.』

The straightforward answer is followed by a sigh of relief. Asterios is not as serious as she had always feared.

In fact, she always thought that a relationship with someone as cold as Asterios would not be much fun. Maybe the cold-hearted senator is just trying to get this person to work with him because he has something to gain politically.

Either way, the secretary's job is to help her boss get his way. So she racks her brain as best she can, trying to come up with a helpful answer.

『Hmm...how about getting them a gift, or taking them somewhere special?』

『I've already done all that.』

What? When on earth did you do that without me, your direct assistant, knowing?

Asterios, having read the secretary's unspoken thoughts, waits for the mountain goat's answer with deliberate ignorance. He is in a position to ask for advice, but he has no intention of filling her in on the details of Jeremy.

『So...have you ever told this person how you feel? Maybe a little romantic talk will get them to drop their guard a little.』

The mountain goat adds, remembering that the Senator is hard on everyone. Being romantic is easy. You just have to be nice to one person. It is hard to imagine the Jackal being nice to anyone, but it seems the most likely way.

Asterios let out a short hmm as he listens to the secretary's heartfelt advice. It's true that he never confessed his feelings to Jeremy, but he's not even sure if what he feels now is love. It doesn't fit any of the descriptions in the book, and the unfamiliar feelings he's never experienced before are more on the unpleasant side.

Regardless, now is the time to collect his thoughts. The Jackal waves his big black hand in the air.

『All right, thanks for the advice, but you should go. I'll call you when I need a reschedule.』

『Yes. I understand, and if you need... any other advice, just let me know.』

The authority figure nods, and the mountain goat quickly leaves the council chamber. Asterios stands for a moment, his eyes taking in the rows of books on the desk, before muttering softly.

『...You never know.』

Wanting to shake the other person up, manipulate them, and sometimes leave them gasping for breath is called...love?

It's ridiculous. Asterios has seen examples of love before. Jeremy Rogers is clearly in love with a guy named Max...

『......』

The jackal clenches his fist tightly, showing some veins. The face of a faintly smiling middle-aged man comes to mind, his eyes looking off into the distance, out of reach.

It is an unbearable sight to imagine. But Asterios can't understand why he's angry.

Is it because the human doesn't worship him? Because he doesn't accept his authority?

The Jackal imagines Jeremy groveling at his feet every time they meet. It must be really sweet of him to do that, but in reality he only does it to Max. It gets on Asterios' nerves that Jeremy is a person who is capable of smiling and showing appreciation, but never shows it to him.

『Haah...』

Asterios turns away from his desk and walks to the large window that overlooks the city. The cars and busy beast-headed figures below look like tiny dots from up here.

Looking down on the city, his own personal capital, Asterios realizes how powerful he is. It is in his hands to make the glittering city even richer or, conversely, to make it disappear overnight.

How strange...

Even the weather, which is synonymous with moods, can be manipulated at will. Suddenly, Asterios wants to conquer it.

Ever since the city was founded, he has been the most powerful man in the land. Minos, Asterios. His names may change over time, but the fact remains that he is the supreme authority here.

While everyone else is busy groveling at his feet, that human dares to hold his head stiffly up and glares at him. It is fascinating how he can be both terrified and excited at the same time. The novelty of his reaction piques Asterios' interest, and a feeling of favoritism washes over him.

『......』

The once clear sky is gradually covered with gray clouds. Asterios just stands there, arms folded, staring up at the dense cluster of skyscrapers. Tap, tap, tap. Raindrop after raindrop begins to dangle from the transparent windows. Within a minute, the drizzle turns into a hard rain that looks like fog.

Well, the secretary's advice is thelma's way. Perhaps humans are more complex and require a more delicate approach.

The black monster lurking on top of the building closes and opens his eyes lazily, turning away from the rain beating against the window. It will be wet in the city for a while.



NOTE

Since one of the novels I translate is gone from NovelUpdates, I decided to make a DISCORD SERVER just in case~




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