The aphrodisiac was supposed to be the drug to attract him to the first woman he lays his eyes on who was supposed to be one of his bride candidates, which was of course another convoluted scheme his grandmother thought in order for him to marry. That was the plan. Unfortunately, the first woman he saw wasn't the bride, it was her—his nitpicking aide.

"Michael, it is not as simple as you speak of. By the age of eighteen, I must never love a man because if I do, my heart will wither and my whole body will turn into stone. You must understand that being an apprentice under Howl is my key in breaking this curse." She said. "B-but, Clarence, you're a girl! Falsifying your identity to an infamous wizard doesn't count!" (HowlxOC)

Behind the sidelines, there was only one woman who irked him at best yet tended him in his most strained days. She changed...into a woman ready to scold you as if she was your mother. Yet he didn't care, she was his childhood friend. And his ever diligent caretaker. (ZenxOC) One-shot