Satisfied smiles spread across Irene’s face as she spread strawberry jam on freshly baked, plain bread.

“Delicious.”

There were many expensive and luxurious jams like rose jam or apple jam, but Irene found strawberry jam to be the most suitable for her taste, perhaps because it was the jam her deceased mother used to make frequently.

Although the strawberry jam here was more sophisticated and delicious than what her mother used to make, Irene still preferred the basic taste.

While savoring the bread, Callos suddenly asked, “Are you going to take care of Yomi again today?”

Irene, who was still munching on the bread, quickly swallowed and replied, “Yes, yes. I’m going again today.”

Having hurriedly eaten the bread, her throat felt a bit chilled.

After taking a sip of milk, Irene asked cautiously, “Is it okay if I go?”

“No.”

Callos lifted his coffee cup.

“You can go until tomorrow. I already allowed you to go for a week in the first place.”

That’s right.

Irene empathized silently, gazing at him elegantly sipping his coffee.

Coffee was a luxury item for the nobility, and Irene, a commoner until she met Callos, had never tasted coffee before encountering him.

After coming to Esper Castle, she had the opportunity to try it.

However, as soon as the bitter taste touched her tongue, she shuddered and put the coffee cup down.

Seeing that, Jessy commented jokingly that coffee was something only adults drank.

Anyway, Irene’s experience with coffee was more bitter and toxic than the tonic the doctor prepared.

Just thinking about the bitterness she tasted back then made Irene furrow her brow.

Callos, interpreting it differently, asked, “It seems like you don’t want to part with Yomi.”

“Really? Oh, yes. That’s right.”

Although she didn’t frown because of that, it was embarrassing to say it directly.

Since she had grown attached to Yomi while taking care of her, and it was true that she didn’t want to part with her.

“I’ve grown attached to Yomi while taking care of her. I’ve always dreamed of raising cute animals like Yomi.”

“But why haven’t you raised any? Did your parents oppose it?”

When the topic of parents came up, Irene’s expression darkened.

Thinking about the report that Callos had heard about Irene being abused by her father, he added, “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“Oh, it’s not that… I just wonder why my parents acted that way.”

“What do you mean?”

Playing with her hands, Irene answered, “As I mentioned before, I couldn’t step a foot outside the house until my parents died and the house burned down.”

That was how it was.

Indeed, there were old bruises and scars on her body that indicated that.
“Why can’t I go outside?” Whenever I asked my parents, they always responded like this: “It’s not the right time yet. When the time comes, we will let you out.”

This is the first time I’ve heard this story.

Callos raised an eyebrow slightly. “So, did you know when your parents meant by ‘the right time’?”

Irene lowered her head. “No. My parents never told me until the end.”

“Is that so?”

Callos had thought that Irene’s parents simply abused her, preventing her from leaving the house. However, it seemed there was another reason behind their words.

He didn’t know what it was, and it was highly likely that it had nothing to do with him. Callos had never met Irene’s parents.

Although he had a deep connection with Irene, it was limited to her. He had no connection with her parents.

Nevertheless, it bothered him.

Thinking he should look into it, Callos asked, “Was there anything else they said?”

“Anything else? Like what…?”

“Anything. Whether it’s about you or someone else. If there’s anything you remember your parents saying, tell me.”

Irene wondered why Callos was curious about such things, but since there was no reason not to tell him, she carefully recalled her memories.

“It’s because of you. Because you were born like that, my life turned out like this. Why are you blaming me!”

…Oh, I might not be able to say it.

Irene, who recalled a horrendous memory, tightly closed her eyes.

Her father’s abusive words haunted her ears incessantly, tormenting her.

“Irene?”

“…”

Upon Callos calling her, Irene barely regained her composure and opened her eyes again.

Then, she smiled faintly and said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember anything… It seems I can’t say it.”

A face filled with fear.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do.”

Although he tried to remain calm, talking about parents seemed difficult and frightening.

Indeed, recalling and talking about the person who abused her wasn’t easy.

While Irene could have shared more about her parents if Callos had asked, he cleanly brushed aside any lingering feelings.

He didn’t have a hobby of tormenting others to satisfy his own desires.

Perhaps recalling the story about her parents was quite shocking; unlike before, Irene hardly ate, and her complexion was gloomy.

‘I brought up a unnecessary topic.’

If he had known it would turn out like this, he wouldn’t have mentioned her parents at all. It was a mistake.