Eventually, Herald, who came directly to the nursing hospital where Lily’s mother Grace Benjamin was hospitalized, commented on the snow-white building surrounded by impossibly high walls.

“Looks like a prison.”

It seemed like a place where even non-existent mental illnesses could develop. If he felt this way on his first visit, how must Lily feel coming here every week? Herald understood why Lily’s expression was gloomy when she went to visit her sick mother.

Of course, even without that reason, visiting an ill mother wouldn’t be purely pleasant.

“……”

Herald checked his pocket watch. Current time 1:30 PM. Lily would arrive soon, so he needed to hand over the box containing her shoes to the hospital staff and leave before then.

Yet he was foolishly lingering because he wanted to see Lily. He didn’t even hope to make eye contact or have a conversation. Herald waited until she arrived, wanting to see Lily’s face even from afar.

Visiting hours started at 2 PM, so he thought she would come before then, but even after 3 PM passed, she didn’t appear. Wondering if he might have missed her, Herald asked a hospital staff member.

“Has anyone come to visit Mrs. Grace Benjamin today?”

“One moment please.”

The staff checked the visitor chart and then shook their head.

“No, no one has come to visit Mrs. Grace Benjamin today.”

As expected, Lily hadn’t arrived yet. After thanking the hospital staff and going back outside, Herald stared at the wide-open main gate with a hardened expression.

“I hope nothing’s happened……”

Of course, Lily already had a guard assigned to her. Dillon had assured him it was someone skilled enough to put his mind at ease, but you never know. Skill was relative, after all. The possibility that an even more exceptional person had appeared and overpowered them couldn’t be ruled out.

Moreover, the guard was only possible when Lily left the Benjamin viscount’s residence. If she were attacked inside the mansion, they couldn’t protect her, nor would they even know if something had happened to her.

Deep wrinkles formed between Herald’s brows as he realized there were more vulnerabilities in protecting Lily’s safety than he’d thought. Skill aside, it greatly bothered him that there was no one to protect her inside the mansion.

Should I have planted someone in the Benjamin viscount’s residence too? He hadn’t done so thinking it would be too much of an intrusion into her privacy, but now he regretted it in this situation.

First, I need to confirm Lily is safe, then think about what to do next.

As Herald promptly mounted his horse and left the hospital, he spotted a carriage rushing towards the hospital and stopped. It was a public carriage without a family crest, and he couldn’t see who was inside.

But instinctively knowing Lily was inside, Herald turned his horse around and returned to the hospital. The carriage that had been speeding so fast its wheels rattled came to a stop in front of the main gate.

Soon after, Lily hurriedly got out of the carriage and rushed into the hospital, causing Herald’s tense expression to relax.

“What a relief.”

I’m really glad nothing happened. Finally at ease, Herald looked down at the box in his saddle bag. Now that he’d seen Lily’s face, he really should leave the box with the hospital staff and go.

That’s what he should do… but he kept wanting more.

If he waited a little longer, he might see Lily’s face again. Wanting to see her just once more, just one more time, he foolishly lingered again, unable to leave.

The Grand Temple was close to the nursing hospital, and thanks to the coachman driving quickly out of sympathy for her pitiful situation, she was able to arrive at the hospital faster than expected.

As soon as she got out of the carriage, Lily ran into the hospital. Though she wanted to run all the way to her mother’s room, that would be improper, so she walked as fast as she could.

With little time left for visiting hours, she felt rushed. Walking quickly, wanting to see her mother even a minute longer, a plump woman approached from the opposite direction.

“Viscountess Benjamin?”

It was Margaret, her mother’s new caregiver. Inwardly sighing, Lily outwardly smiled brightly and took Margaret’s outstretched hand.

“Hello, caregiver.”

“I told you to just call me Margaret comfortably.”

Margaret said with a gentle smile.

“I thought you wouldn’t be able to come today because you had plans, but here you are.”

“Somehow I found the time… But did I say I had plans?”

Not only did she not remember saying such a thing, it was impossible. She hadn’t met Margaret since hearing about the temple schedule from Samantha. Of course, she hadn’t sent any letters either. Puzzled that she knew about her schedule, Lily asked, and Margaret hastily waved her hands.

“Oh my, it, it was just a guess. You always came before 2 PM, but when you didn’t show up for a while today, I guessed you must have other plans. I apologize if I offended you.”

“Ah… No. It’s fine.”

Though still somewhat suspicious, the misunderstanding was somewhat cleared up, and wanting to see her mother quickly, Lily greeted Margaret and turned away.

“I’m here.”

Mom. Lily swallowed the words she wanted to say but couldn’t as she entered the hospital room. Her mother was in a deep sleep, tightly hugging a doll. Her appearance looked so peaceful that Lily’s heart, stained with worry and concern, felt somewhat cleansed.

Smiling fondly as she watched her sleeping mother, what caught Lily’s eye was that ugly doll. With so many pretty dolls available, she was holding that one tightly as she slept.

Not knowing who gave it or if it was stolen was unsettling enough, but what bothered her more was that the doll’s side was torn. The stuffing poking out about the size of a thumbnail kept catching her eye.

“I should mend it.”

Lily first took out the embroidery set from the drawer. She had prepared it hoping it might help recover lost memories, but didn’t expect it to be used like this.

Threading the needle, she grasped the doll her mother was holding tightly. Worried she might wake up and react sensitively like before, claiming the doll was being taken away, Lily carefully undid her arms, holding her breath.

“Phew, done.”

How could just taking a doll be this difficult? Lily exhaled the breath she’d been holding and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

Now all that was left was to mend the doll’s side and put it back in place before Grace Benjamin woke up.

As she was first tidying up the stuffing that had come out, she felt something inside the doll’s belly. Judging by the rustling sound, there seemed to be something other than stuffing.

“What’s this?”

Did Mom put something in through the torn side? Lily inserted her finger through the gap and pulled out the mysterious object. It was a crumpled note about the size of a pinky nail. Unfolding the note, there was an unfamiliar address written on it.

Why was something like this inside the doll’s belly? Questions soon turned to suspicion, and the already unsettling doll became an even more dubious object. Lily put her hand inside the doll and stirred around to check if there was anything else.

“Nothing else.”

She checked thoroughly but didn’t find anything other than stuffing. Then is it okay for Mom to keep this doll?

Grace Benjamin was very fond of the ugly monkey doll, so if it were taken away, she would surely cry and make a fuss. That would trouble the caregiver and others, so Lily reluctantly returned the doll to her mother’s arms despite feeling uneasy. Of course, she carefully mended the torn side.

“I wonder if I should ask the caregiver if she knows who gave Mom the monkey doll.”

Since she had been by her mother’s side constantly, she might know something. Thinking it would be good to ask if she knew about the address on the note too, Lily left the room to look for Margaret.

But Margaret was nowhere to be seen. Other caregivers and hospital staff shook their heads, saying they didn’t know her whereabouts either.

“Where on earth is she?”

It was strange that she couldn’t be found anywhere despite surely being somewhere in the hospital, as it was too early for her to have gone home.

While searching for Margaret, she eventually reached the central garden. The nursing hospital building was rectangular-shaped with an open center, and that empty space was the central garden, usually off-limits.

“I should leave quickly.”

Just as Lily belatedly realized this and hurried to leave the garden, a large hand shot out from inside and grabbed her arm. In a moment of surprise, her body was pulled inward.

“…!”

“Just a moment.”

About to scream in shock, Lily swallowed the scream rising in her throat as a familiar voice reached her ears, and slowly turned her head. Soon her vision was filled with a face that stirred up emotions just by looking at it.

“…Herald?”

When Lily called him by name, not ‘Dillon’ or ‘Count Braden’, his golden eyes noticeably widened.

But only for a moment; Herald smiled, curving his eyes into crescent moons as if he had never been surprised.

“Yes, Lily.”

As his deep voice gently called her name, her heart stuttered as if malfunctioning. Lily stared at him blankly, forgetting she needed to go find Margaret.

Pleased to see his image filling her round green eyes like a rabbit’s, a satisfied smile spread across Herald’s lips. He had intended to be content just watching from afar, but holding her in his arms like this made him feel like he was walking on clouds.

…Although it was somewhat of a flaw that they hadn’t met while doing something good.

Glancing sideways towards the inner part of the central garden, Herald’s eyes were cold and eerie, unlike when looking at Lily.