Edmond and I sat side by side facing each other in his office.

The maid placed the tea and disappeared, and silence fell for quite a while.

Edmond did not rush me and waited patiently, staring at me quietly. Though I had caught someone about to go out and should finish quickly, my lips wouldn’t part.

I fidgeted with the teacup, circumventing the question.

“What happened to that coachman when I was kidnapped?”

“The new coachman was being threatened by guild members hired by Devon, who held his child hostage. It’s been resolved amicably, so don’t worry about it.”

“I see. Oh, by the way, you heard about the withdrawal of the lawsuit? That’s a relief.”

“Yes.”

However, he raised an eyebrow as if asking if such a thing had happened, seeming not to have cared about it in the first place. It was a bit disappointing, but the satisfaction of not having caused him any trouble was enough.

As I nodded my head needlessly, Edmond opened his mouth expressionlessly.

“But is that what you wanted to talk about?”

“That, and…”

Thanks to Edmond breaking the ice, it became easier to speak. I organized my thoughts, took a breath, and opened my mouth.

“As you know, my memory is hazy from the fever that day.”

“That day…”

Edmond’s eyes, which had briefly drifted off into space, returned as he finished his thought.

“Is that so.”

“Yes, but I remember grabbing your shirt sleeve in my sleep that day. Is that right?”

“It is.”

Indeed. As I got closer to the question, my heart started pounding for some reason. Thinking this was silly, I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

“I’ll ask directly, did we have that kind of… thing happen between us?”

Edmond frowned and tilted his head. His expression showed he couldn’t understand.

“What kind of thing?”

“Well, you know… did we sleep together?”

After blurting it out, I glanced nervously at Edmond. He had a strange look on his face, as if he’d heard all sorts of odd questions.

Oh no, was that expression too crude? As I was about to speak again, Edmond calmly answered.

“We did sleep.”

Oh no… I squeezed my eyes shut.

I thought I must have finally acted on my drooling over his handsome appearance and made a mistake. When I opened my eyes again in confusion, Edmond had an expression of not understanding.

But why does he look so calm? Normally he would have been very flustered. Did he properly understand what I meant? As I felt something was off and was about to ask again, he spoke.

“Is that what you were so carefully asking about, Lady Countess, in a manner unlike you?”

Just that… Unlike me… My face flushed as if he was saying I was putting on airs.

Right, as Edmond said. Setting aside whether he understood properly, why am I so embarrassed over this? We’re both adults who’ve been through it all. Feeling a strange sense of defeat at the complete reversal of our usual relationship, I raised my head stiffly.

“That’s right. I made an unnecessary fuss. But I’m sorry, I don’t remember anything at all-”

“What good would remembering do, it’s not like it was anything good.”

“…It wasn’t… good?”

This is a bit shocking. Well, I guess I was drugged then. It certainly wouldn’t be a good memory for me, the victim.

The same goes for Edmond. A person who may not even have sexual desire spent a night for treatment purposes with someone delirious who couldn’t tell sky from ground – he probably didn’t enjoy it. But still…

‘I feel a bit…’

As I furrowed my brow, Edmond asked with a subtle expression.

“…Why are you making that face?”

“Such expressions of sentiment are rude, younger brother.”

“I was stating a fact rather than a sentiment.”

I smiled faintly. Though I was seething inside.

“Ah, I see. I respect that. It doesn’t have to be good.”

After a brief exchange of glares, Edmond nodded as if understanding and picked up his teacup.

The conversation seemed to be moving on. If I hadn’t put down my teacup with a thud as I followed his lead.

“But I don’t think I was that terrible, which part was so bad, younger brother?”

Edmond paused as he was about to drink his tea. His beautiful golden eyes rippled with bewilderment.

“Are you angry with me?”

“Me? I’m not angry. I’m extremely calm. In this state, I could sleep standing up.”

After blurting out the last words, I inhaled deeply, my chest swelling. Edmond still had a look of not understanding. With a thoughtful expression, he rubbed his forehead slowly before leaning back in his chair and speaking.

“Are we talking about the same topic?”

At this ominous question, I forgot my anger and rolled my eyes. Come to think of it, the conversation has been strangely off-track.

“What were you talking about, younger brother?”

“And you, Lady Countess?”

“I was of course…”

Edmond and I opened our mouths simultaneously, looking at each other.

“We mixed our bodies-”

“You had a nightmare and fell into peaceful sleep-”

Silence fell for a while. Ah. A sigh escaped my lips, and Edmond squeezed his eyes shut.

He took a deep breath, his chest heaving, and pressed his eyelids.

“How is it that when I think we’re having a normal conversation, you always turn it in that direction…”

As I learned the truth, my face burned briefly.

‘Is he angry?’

Anxious, I leaned forward slightly to check his condition.

His face and neck visible under his hand were flushed red. He was even biting his trembling lips with his white teeth. He seemed to be suppressing rising emotions. Since it clearly looked like an angry reaction, I quickly apologized.

“I’m sorry. I made a needless misunderstanding.”

“You were having a nightmare and grabbed my sleeve in your sleep, so I stayed by your side for a while. That’s all. Did you see me as such a scoundrel, or do your thoughts always turn in that direction?”

I felt a bit wronged. Lilien had asked me to ask… Though I’m also responsible for not stopping it at my level and readily accepting it.

“I’m sorry. The maid said she saw a situation that could be misunderstood, and Lilien asked me to ask. I didn’t know my intuitive expression would cause such a misunderstanding.”

“Don’t play along with my sister’s tune. She’s always trying to match Lady Countess and me somehow.”

“I won’t from now on.”

It was then. Edmond abruptly stood up and opened the office door.

“Please leave now.”

His face was still red, but thanks to the cheat key of Lilien, it seems I’ve avoided major anger. In times like this, it was best to leave before escalating things with unnecessary words.

“Alright, you must be busy.”

I got up awkwardly, pulling my chair, and headed for the door. As soon as I stepped out, the door slammed shut behind me, and I was kicked out of the office.

I blinked, standing with my back to the door.

‘Just when I thought we’d finally gotten a bit closer…’

Instead of the harmless, colorless woman that was my original goal, I seem to have become a lascivious woman full of impure thoughts.

‘To think I have to go on vacation in this awkward atmosphere…’

Once again, irretrievable regret and shame washed over me. What had I been possessed by? Why did I ask such a question… and even demand to know why it wasn’t good…

I let out a deep sigh to cool the heat rising inside me.

As I glanced at the door, wondering if I should apologize once more, a maid walking from afar saw me and opened her eyes wide.

“Lady Countess, are you alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your face is extremely red… Did you catch a cold again?”

“…I’m fine. It’s just hot because it’s summer.”

I gave the maid an unnecessary smile. The maid looked around briefly and tilted her head.

It was natural, since it was June and chilly at night, and the mansion was cool. I smiled again and quickly left the place at a brisk pace.

A bright white light burst forth from the portal of the Mifidian ducal family, and a carriage appeared.

It was Edmond, disembarking from the carriage. Tail, who had been waiting at the cave-like portal entrance, spotted Edmond and approached, bowing his head.

“You’ve arrived, mas…”

Tail raised his waist with a smile but paused.

“Did something happen?”

“What do you mean?”

Edmond responded coldly as he passed by Tail.

Tail tilted his head. That’s not right. He arrived thirty minutes after saying he would arrive immediately through the portal. His fastidious master was someone who kept time appointments precisely.

Thinking perhaps an incident had occurred… yet he appeared with reddened ears.

But he couldn’t pry, even if curious. As Tail put away his questions and hurriedly followed, Edmond spoke.

“Tail, prepare for a duel in the ducal territory after I finish my schedule.”

“…With you, master?”

Edmond nodded calmly.

At the same time, Tail’s mouth fell open. His master would push his opponent to the point of breathlessness during duels, until they finally collapsed unconscious. It was such an ordeal that when they lived in the forest as knights, the rest, except those on guard duty, would decide the master’s dueling partner as a punishment game.

Tail, who had instantly turned pale, chased after Edmond, who had already moved far ahead.

“Did, did I do something wrong?”

Edmond frowned and glanced at Tail following behind.

“Do you need to have done something wrong to duel? I’ve been cooped up in the office, so I’m just trying to loosen up my body.”

“Is that so…”

Tail replied with a disgruntled look. No. It’s clear that something’s troubling him. Even in the forest, whenever Edmond suddenly sought a dueling partner, it was always when he had trouble sleeping or was in a bad mood. Then the knights would avoid eye contact, pinch the thigh of the person next to them, or push them forward.

“Yes… I understand…”

Tail accepted the outcome of suffering from muscle pain the next day with tears in his eyes.

Eventually, the place the two arrived at was the central temple.

The central temple, standing tall deep in the mountains, created a grand and majestic atmosphere with columns arranged on both sides of the arched entrance.

“It is an honor to meet the hero of the empire.”

A priest who spotted Edmond came out and bowed his head, then glanced at Tail standing behind. When Edmond dismissed him with a gesture, the priest finally guided them with a relaxed expression.

The place they eventually arrived at was the exhibition hall where the biographies of past holy maidens were preserved.

The exhibition hall was restricted to imperial family members and high-ranking priests, but there was a ritual for those who inherited or were awarded titles to view the exhibition hall, with the purpose of commemorating the holy maidens who protected the empire, according to special laws.

Another reason for wanting to become a duke. It was an opportunity to investigate the demon beasts that killed his parents 9 years ago.