The cool and sarcastic Benjamin lightly patted Yurisien’s shoulder. It seemed to be advising her to be more careful in choosing friends in the future. Yurisien’s earlobes turned slightly red as if he was saying, “Be careful of who you befriend,” like a friend.

At the same time, Yurisien realized that she was in a position where she could ‘hide’ people now, and a corner of her heart became calm again.

Benjamin, with a friendly expression, addressed Jürgen, who seemed a bit unpleasant.

“It seems that we should postpone the meeting a little. Even if we proceed forcibly, wouldn’t it be better to tidy up one more thing cleanly?”

“I agree. Yurisien, can you handle it alone?”

“Of course, Father. And… unlike other times, I understand now. Why Edna came.”

Yurisien patted Benjamin’s backhand, which was resting on her shoulder, once.

“Will you escort me?”

“Of course.”

Smiling, Benjamin waited for her response, and Yurisien, with him, walked away.

Watching Yurisien’s back, Andersen smiled contentedly.

“It seems he didn’t ask to open the gate.”

In response to Andersen’s words, Jürgen, who had been absentmindedly looking out the window, looked outside again. The two people who had descended the stairs were soon heading straight for the main gate, crossing the garden.

They were a well-matched couple, and at the same time, they were more terrifying due to the fact that there was nothing to fear anymore.

Seeing Yurisien, who had arrived in front of the iron gate, Edna reached out through the gap in the window.

“You!”

Whether it was grabbing Yurisien’s hair or her collar, there was an expression of frustration, anger, and the like. However, when Yurisien easily avoided it, Edna, with an intensely poisonous look, said as if chewing and spitting.

“Are you even a human? After all you’ve done, huh? Are you a human?! How can you still do this to me today, following yesterday?!”

Edna’s rhetoric was always like this. Without clearly stating what the problem was, she just hoped that the other person would realize and apologize for the damage they caused to ‘me.’

Moreover, she demanded that the other person bear her sadness and emotions, and even asked them to compensate for this sad time.

Therefore, instead of listening carefully to Edna’s repetitive story that she would repeat two or three times in the future, Yurisien, who realized that Daisy, who had been waiting in a slightly distant place, was called, called her with care.
“Next to my bed, if you open the bottom drawer of the bedside table, there’s a diary. Bring that to me.”

“If you really thought of me as a friend… What? What are you doing? Yurisien! Aren’t you going to open this door right now?”

When Yurisien pretended not to know me, Edna burst out in anger once again. Whether she did or didn’t, Yurisien waited for Daisy with a weird expression.

“I have found it. Miss.”

“Yeah, give it here.”

Yurisien unfolded the diary she received from Daisy. Benjamin, who was looking quite interested, turned his head towards Yurisien. After flipping through the papers, Benjamin suddenly smiled. Then he made eye contact with Edna.

Encountering a handsome man and making eye contact regardless of when and how always made the heart flutter unavoidably. However, it felt a bit different now.

‘What’s this?’

Benjamin’s gaze at Edna. A gaze from Edna that couldn’t be unknown.

“Life is going to be a bit difficult from now on.”

It was the sympathy she had expressed to Adele.

“What…?”

“Well, Edna. Look at this.”

Yurisien opened the diary in front of Edna. Edna, forgetting about trying to grab Yurisien’s hair or collar, looked at the diary Yurisien offered through the bars.

It wasn’t a diary. It was a kind of account book.

“Why on earth…”

It was a ledger documenting the financial transactions between Yurisien and Edna so far.

“I received education on how to keep accounts from a young age. So, a personal account book is my diary. At that time, it was just enjoyable to record shopping with you, a friend. Thanks to this habit, I managed to collect all the money I lent you. Look, here. I even have a promissory note for a prepayment.”

Edna, who now remembered the existence of the promissory note, opened her mouth wide. Come to think of it, she always confirmed and signed the crossed checks to prevent any payment issues at the salon.

Edna, who had been staring blankly for a while, mumbled slowly.

“W-We are friends. Among friends, is there any need for such a thing? When friends lend each other money, it’s considered as giving, right? My father…!”

“That’s the teaching of Countess Calypso, not the teaching of Windsor.”

Yurisien cut off her words sharply.

“And it’s a proverb not to show further mercy to one who has betrayed kindness.”