Huh……? You, you……?

Belladonna opened her eyes wide and Escalion turned around. Scarlet raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Did you not consider the lady’s wishes at all?”

“I was going to bring her and treat her well.”

“You have no conscience.”

Belladonna blinked her eyes as she watched the unusual conversation between the siblings.

She thought that Escalion had probably answered that way for her sake.

“The lady must have gone through a lot.”

[My husband treats me well, so I don’t have any hardships.]

“You don’t need to lie for Escalion’s sake.”

But it’s not a lie……

Still without any change in expression, Scarlet murmured softly.

“Still, it’s fortunate. It seems he’s not neglecting you at least.”

“……”

At her words that seemed to have thorns, Escalion who was sitting nearby quietly put down his utensils.

Belladonna swallowed dryly as she looked at him.

“Scarlet.”

Eventually, Escalion opened his mouth.

Scarlet nodded while finely chopping the tomato on her plate with a long knife.

“Yes.”

“I have something to tell you.”

“Go ahead.”

Escalion paused mid-sentence and looked towards Belladonna.

When Belladonna, who met his eyes, gave a small nod, he let out a small sigh and brushed back the hair that had fallen over his forehead before speaking.

“I apologize… for having been indifferent all this time.”

At the sudden apology, Scarlet raised her head. She frowned with an expression similar to when she had said “ugh” earlier.

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

“You may have thought I neglected and ignored you.”

“Because it’s true.”

“At that time, I thought I didn’t have the strength to protect you. I was also very inexperienced, having suddenly gained a younger sister for the first time in my life.”

“I never asked you to take responsibility for me. I never came looking for you asking you to act like an older brother either.”

Scarlet spat out in a rather sharp tone. It seemed that her relationship with Escalion had become a bigger wound than expected for her.

Escalion stared at Scarlet, who was like a hedgehog sticking out its quills in defense, for a moment before speaking again.

“I know.”

“……”

“I wanted to do it.”

At Escalion’s words, Scarlet put down her fork, her lower lip trembling slightly.

She looked at Escalion with wavering eyes.

“When our parents passed away and you were living alone. I heard that I had a remaining family member.”

“……”

“At first, I tried to just ignore it. I didn’t think of a child I had never lived with or met as my family.”

Scarlet picked up the water glass on the table with trembling hands and gulped it down.

“But when I saw you, who looked exactly like father… that is, like me.”

Escalion paused. He looked at Belladonna once more as if struggling, then slowly said.

“…I wanted to take care of you.”

“……”

“I apologize that my method was very clumsy. I apologize for unintentionally hurting you as well. It was never because I was ashamed of you or didn’t want to show you to others.”

“Ha……”

“I’m sorry for causing unnecessary misunderstandings too. I’m originally not the type to care about what others think, so I didn’t pay attention, but it seems the misunderstandings grew and worsened. Now I understand how difficult it must have been for you, not being able to explain properly.”

Belladonna watched as Scarlet struggled to hold back her emotions.

She could see that Scarlet, who had been maintaining an expressionless face all along, was desperately trying to hold back tears.

“Anyway….. Ah, I think you both know that I’m not good with words.”

Belladonna nodded slightly.

“Well, I’m sorry, and that’s the end of what I wanted to say. So. Let’s just finish eating.”

After finishing his words, Escalion picked up his fork again, stabbed a piece of steak, and moved it onto Belladonna’s plate.

Realizing that he was doing this out of awkwardness, Belladonna gave him a warm smile.

Silence fell over the table where they sat.

Only the small sounds of Escalion moving his utensils could be heard occasionally.

No one could easily open their mouths.

“……You really suck at talking.”

At that moment, Scarlet, who had been holding back her emotions all along, slowly spoke.

Escalion and Belladonna turned their heads towards her at the same time.

Scarlet had returned to her usual expression as if nothing had happened and let out a small breath.

“Then can I visit often from now on? Don’t misunderstand that it’s because I want to see you, it’s because I want to see the lady.”

Escalion nodded, pulling up one corner of his mouth.

“As much as you want.”

[This is the timeline separator]

Belladonna, who had briefly stepped out, returned to the reception room.

After eating, the siblings who had been spending an awkward and difficult time alone looked at Belladonna entering the reception room as if she were their savior.

“Bella.”

“Welcome back! Where did you go?”

Were they waiting for me? Belladonna smiled as she looked at the siblings whose eyes were shining in the same way.

She held out what she was holding towards Scarlet.

“Oh? This is……”

In Belladonna’s hand was the sparkling red ruby necklace that she had once found in the room.

Scarlet, who received the necklace Belladonna was holding out, asked.

“Where was it? I thought I had lost it when I stayed briefly in this castle before.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s the birthday gift you gave me, you idiot.”

“Ah.”

Scarlet, who was glaring at Escalion as he turned his head away in embarrassment, looked up at Belladonna and pulled up the corners of her mouth.

“Thank you so much for finding it. It was something I cherished… I was a bit sad when I lost it.”

“……”

“I don’t know whose taste it was, but it was the best birthday gift I had ever received. Though it seems the person who gave the gift has completely forgotten about it.”

“I remembered. It was the first time I bought something with a large sum of money.”

Escalion grumbled. He pulled out a chair for Belladonna and took her hand.

Scarlet, who was watching Escalion treat his wife as carefully as if handling a glass doll, blurted out.

“You two seem to get along well.”

“I’m always good to my people.”

“Where did your conscience go? Or is your memory bad?”

“It seems you don’t remember a single thing you’ve received all this time.”

Belladonna watched with interest as the siblings started bickering again.

Just as she was listening to the conversation that continued quickly back and forth like a small ball bouncing rapidly across the center net, someone knocked on the door of the reception room.

Turning her head, she saw Wolf standing in front of the door with a troubled expression.

“My lord……”

“What is it?”

Wolf, who had briefly glanced at Belladonna, opened his mouth.

“Well, there’s an urgent letter that you need to check, could you spare 10 minutes? I’m sorry for taking away your intimate family time.”

“Does it have to be done right now?”

“I’m not sure myself, but there’s a seal indicating confidentiality stamped on the envelope. I’m also worried in case it might be an urgent matter……”

It felt like Wolf kept checking Belladonna’s reaction while speaking.

What is it……? At his gaze, Belladonna clenched her hands that were resting on her knees.

Although she couldn’t know what it was about, she kept having an ominous feeling that it might be related to the Pope.

“An urgent matter?”

“Ah, it might not be an urgent matter. It’s just that I’m worried…. But letters with confidential seals are rare. Please just check it quickly.”

Escalion frowned as if annoyed.

He seemed quite reluctant to leave his wife and younger sister alone.

But Belladonna, who had noticed Wolf’s subtle gaze, gently pushed Escalion away, indicating for him to go quickly.

She wanted to find out soon what it was about.

“Alright, go ahead. I want to have a conversation alone with the lady anyway.”

With Scarlet joining in as well, Escalion stood up reluctantly.

He had an displeased expression on his face, but he planted a light kiss on the back of Belladonna’s hand that he was holding before turning and leaving the reception room.

“Wow……”

As soon as Escalion disappeared, Scarlet exclaimed with her mouth wide open.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Escalion make such a stupid expression.”

Stu-stupid……?

Belladonna looked at Scarlet in surprise at her merciless choice of words.

“He was either completely expressionless to the point of coldness, or totally weightless and light. He was someone whose inner thoughts were impossible to know, but it turns out he could make such an expression?”

“……”

“It seems he really cherishes you.”

Scarlet said as she twirled the straw in her drink in front of her.

Belladonna picked up the notepad on the table and quickly wrote down some words.

[He cherishes his sister just as much.]

Scarlet, who had briefly glanced down to read Belladonna’s writing, nodded with a smirk.

“I know. I know that he cares for me in his own way. Even though I’m grateful, I have a bad personality too, so I only responded in a crooked way. I should apologize for that as well……”

Scarlet trailed off, continuing to stir her drink with the straw before speaking again.

“I’m glad Escalion seems to have met a good person.”

“……”

“I was worried if he could properly form a family with that personality. He takes most things indifferently and lightly, but he’s actually afraid of deep relationships.”

Scarlet continued speaking with a gentle smile. She swung her crossed legs slowly and said playfully.

“Escalion is secretly quite tender-hearted.”

Escalion is tender-hearted…… Belladonna quietly listened to her story.

“In my opinion, I think he deliberately doesn’t form deep relationships for fear of getting hurt badly. He’s been really popular with women since he was young, you know? But he’s never had a serious relationship.”

“……”

“At first, I thought maybe he had some flaw or different preferences from others? But as I got older, I understood.”

Scarlet’s voice, which had been playful and light all along, settled down calmly.

“Escalion lost his family when he was young.”

That’s right…….

Belladonna nodded her head as if she understood.

Escalion was feeling fear.

Fear that the new family he had gained might easily leave him again…….