Dewey immediately conveyed the news to Irene that she could return to her bedroom.

“……”

He thought she would naturally be happy since it was what she wanted, but surprisingly, Irene’s expression was not very bright.

“What’s wrong, miss?”

Worried that something might be wrong, Dewey asked concernedly. Only then did Irene shake her head with a bitter smile.

“It’s nothing. So, I can go back right away?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good. Very good.”

Irene repeated the same words like a cow chewing its cud, then greeted Dewey and turned away.

*

Returning immediately to her bedroom, Irene stood in front of the tightly closed door and looked around the room.

‘Something feels off.’

Although she had only been away from her bedroom for two days, it felt like she had been gone for several days.

It also felt similar to when she first came to Esper Castle.

Still, she felt more at ease than when she was in Kalos’s bedroom.

Irene took off her shawl like a snake shedding its skin and approached the window.

When she drew back the curtains and opened the window wide, the red sunset of late autumn poured over her body.

It was a bit chilly, but the stuffy feeling in her chest, as if she had indigestion, seemed to clear up a bit, improving her mood.

Whooosh-.

As if teasing Irene, a chilly wind blew in forcefully.

“Cold……”

Irene’s body shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself.

She wanted to stay like this a bit longer, but she’d have to close it soon to avoid catching a cold.

Irene was about to close the window right away when she paused.

Kalos was sitting under a large unnamed tree at the center of the garden.

What is he doing there when it’s so cold?

“……!”

Irene, who had been unconsciously watching Kalos, quickly ducked down when he suddenly turned his head in her direction.

Crouching below the windowsill, she tightly gripped the hem of her skirt.

Did that man see me?

I hid quickly, and there’s quite a distance, so he probably didn’t see me?

……But why am I afraid?

There’s no reason to hide like this, nor any need to be anxious about whether he saw me.

“……”

Suddenly feeling foolish about her behavior, Irene carefully poked her head out.

Kalos was still sitting in the same place.

Fortunately, it seems he didn’t see me.

Irene peeked at Kalos, feeling deeply relieved.

Looking at him brought back memories of what happened in the reception room, which was both painful and curious.

Do you really wish for me to be with that man called Abel?

Am I truly nothing to you, Your Grace?

Then why did you kiss me?

Not once, but twice.

The first time, I can understand given the atmosphere, but…

The second time, there was no such atmosphere at all. What was your reason for kissing me?

……Come to think of it, he said he would tell me his reason if I told him why I didn’t avoid it.

Suddenly remembering this fact, Irene’s expression darkened.

Although she had figured out why she didn’t avoid it when Kalos kissed her, she didn’t have the courage to tell Kalos that fact.

How could I tell him that it was because I like him?

“……”

But if I don’t tell him, I won’t be able to hear his answer.

Torturing the innocent hem of her skirt, Irene pondered what to do. Eventually, she put on the shawl she had taken off and left her bedroom.

*

Crunch-.

The sound of stepping on fallen leaves echoed widely in the quiet garden.

Irene flinched and lifted her foot from the crushed leaves.

Then she smiled awkwardly at Kalos, who had been staring at her for some time.

“I didn’t mean to startle you… I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

Kalos replied indifferently and turned his head away.

He truly didn’t seem startled, not as if he was being considerate of Irene.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel self-conscious.

Irene carefully approached Kalos’s side and asked.

“May I… sit beside you?”

“……”

There was no reply, but silence is often considered affirmation, so Irene quietly sat down next to Kalos.

Once again, Kalos only glanced at her from the corner of his eye without saying anything noteworthy.

I suppose that means it’s okay for me to keep sitting here.

If he disliked it or found it bothersome, he would have told me to leave immediately.

“……”

While that was fortunate, the problem was that she didn’t know where or how to start the conversation.

It was also difficult to bring up abruptly.

But I have to do it. I can’t just go back after coming this far.

Irene watched Kalos, who kept looking at the sky, and slowly opened her mouth.

“Um… I have something to say.”

Only then did Kalos turn to look at Irene.

Seeing his purple eyes, sunken and emotionless, her heart sank.

It became difficult to breathe, as if her heart had stopped.

Her heart started beating rapidly again when Kalos reached out his hand towards her.

Staring blankly at his hand, Irene tightly closed her eyes just before it was about to touch her.

“……”

But no matter how much time passed, she didn’t feel his hand touching her.

What’s going on? Did he just brush past?

Irene slightly opened her eyes.

She saw a large hand stopped right in front of her eyes.

……What is he doing?

Puzzled by this incomprehensible action, Irene fully opened her eyes.

“……”

Kalos, who had already lowered his hand, looked ahead again and said casually.

“There was a leaf stuck in your hair.”

“……”

At those words, Irene felt her hair.

Crunch, the leaf that had been stuck to her hair crumbled and fell as powder.

“……”

Irene lowered her gaze and brushed off the remaining powder.

So that’s why he reached out his hand.

But he didn’t remove the leaf himself and lowered his hand again, probably because I told him before to just tell me when something like this happens.

“……”

Kalos appeared outwardly cold and seemed like he wouldn’t listen to others, but that wasn’t the case.

Surprisingly, he listened carefully to what others said and usually granted their requests.

……Maybe that’s why I came to like this person.

This newly realized fact weighed heavily on her heart, but it also gave her the courage to somehow want to know his feelings.

Irene took a deep breath and slowly parted her lips.

“I have absolutely no desire to be with Your Grace’s friend.”

Before asking about his thoughts or feelings, I should first express my own feelings and thoughts.

“So I hope you won’t wish for me to be with your friend.”

“……I never wished for that.”

His monotone voice, devoid of any inflection, was not at all convincing.

It felt strongly as if he was just going along with her strange words because he had no choice.

If it were her usual self, Irene would have become discouraged and shrunk back when Kalos responded like this, but now it was the opposite.

Instead, Irene, burning with the desire to somehow know his true feelings, asked:

“Then why did you speak as if you wished for me to be with Your Grace’s friend?”

Kalos’s eyes wavered slightly as he turned his head again.

“……You and Abel seemed to be getting along well.”

His voice was a bit lower than usual.

“So I thought you might have feelings for Abel too.”

What nonsense is this again?

Taken aback by these unexpected words, Irene unintentionally raised her voice.

“Absolutely not! I don’t have even the slightest feelings for Your Grace’s friend!”

“Alright, calm down. I understand.”

Kalos laughed as if amused.

“I see. It was my misunderstanding.”

“Yes! That’s right! You misunderstood!”

Still finding it incredulous, Irene let out a bitter laugh.

“How could you possibly think that? Ah, was it because your friend put a hairpin in my hair?”

When she asked out of curiosity, Kalos affirmed with silence.

So it was because of that after all.

Since it was a scene that anyone would misunderstand, Irene understood Kalos’s feelings.

“Really, really, it’s not like that.”

Regardless of understanding, she had to say what needed to be said.

That way, Kalos wouldn’t have such strange misunderstandings in the future.

“I’ll say it again, but I’m not interested in Your Grace’s friend even the slightest bit. The person I’m interested in is…!”

It’s you!

In her excitement, Irene almost spilled out all her feelings, but she belatedly came to her senses and hastily swallowed her words.

Thanks to regaining her composure even at this late stage, she was able to prevent a major incident.

“So there is someone you’re interested in.”

Why does this man keep charging forward without pulling the reins, even though I barely managed to stop?

Irene was very flustered, but showing it would only make her look guilty, so she tried to answer calmly.

“Of course not. I was about to say that there isn’t anyone just now.”

If Kalos had pushed her back, saying he wished for her to be with Abel, she would have honestly confessed her feelings.

But now that she confirmed that wasn’t the case, her anger subsided along with her courage.

She would have to reveal her own feelings sincerely to hear Kalos’s true feelings, so she would tell him someday, but not now.

“Is that so?”

Kalos’s tone and gaze clearly showed that he didn’t believe Irene’s words.

“Yes. There really isn’t anyone, so please don’t make strange misunderstandings.”

Irene firmly denied it, pretending not to notice even though she knew.

“Then why did you want to meet Abel?”

“Ah, that’s……”

How should I answer?

Irene rolled her eyes, pondering.

She couldn’t say that she met Abel because she was so afraid of Kalos abandoning her and wanted to confirm that wasn’t the case, even if her mouth was torn.

“It… it was because of the hairpin.”

“The hairpin?”

Irene nodded.

“Your friend said he would fix my hairpin. He put it in my hair himself to check if it was properly fixed.”

Kalos’s lips curved crookedly.

“……He was making a move.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing.”

He seemed to have cursed something with a terrifying expression just now.

As Irene tried to gauge the situation, Kalos smiled, relaxing his lips.

“Was that all you talked about with Abel?”

“Ah, no.”

It would be too long a conversation time to say that was all.

As she had something she wanted to ask him anyway, Irene immediately inquired:

“I heard that Yomi is confined in prison because of what happened then… When might she be able to be released?”

Abel had told her that Yomi would be released when it was certain she wasn’t being controlled, but Irene wanted to know exactly when that would be.

“……”

Kalos looked at her with a bitter and sympathetic gaze, then asked in a lower voice.

“Do you want to go see Yomi?”