When the phrase “I would like to meet again and talk” repeated for the second time, Meiana folded the letter again and put it back into the envelope.

Sediloi remarked, “Not as fervent as expected? Or did he not properly apologize?”

Meiana looked at him with a surprised expression.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you’re completely wrong.”

“Really? I was certain the letter was a confession of love to you. Or perhaps it contained contents where he regretted kicking you aside like trash and made childish crying sounds.”

The candle wick made a sound as it burned. It was the sound of oil burning. Meiana glanced at the flickering flame for a moment and then looked at Sediloi with an uncomfortable expression.

“Neither of those is true. Especially not the second one.”

“Is that so? I thought that letter would confess his love for you or contain some apology for a stupid mistake. Well, my imagination might be running wild.”

Meiana suddenly felt that his tone was like a thorn stuck in her throat. No, not in her throat, but in her chest?

Sediloi said, “Let me say one thing; I am not someone who meddles in the romances of employees.”

“I understand, Your Grace.”

“Of course, I’ll do the same with you… But if by any chance you develop a romantic relationship with this man named ‘Luke’…”

“That won’t happen.”

Meiana cut off Sediloi’s words decisively. After that, she felt somewhat bewildered about why she had acted that way.

And then, she suddenly realized the identity of the discomfort that had been stuck like a thorn in her throat or chest.

At the moment she felt that eerie voice… Meiana had an impulse.

Now, it wasn’t sitting like this in his parlor, something she would never do again. It was the realization that she had missed something, coupled with a feeling of disappointment. She almost glanced towards his bedroom to fill that void.

She hoped that Sediloi would not know anything about her impulse. Once she realized it, she felt shameless enough not to want to think about it again.
Sediloi, as if Meiana’s figure was not visible, remained silently lost in thought before speaking.

“Alright, I understand. If you insist so firmly, let’s drop this topic.”

Then, as usual, he stood up first. It was a signal for Meiana to leave. Meiana, who had neatly organized the sewing materials that had fallen out of the basket, stood up and followed him.

Perhaps because of the recent incident, which had happened only in Meiana’s mind, for some reason, she couldn’t look directly at him.

“I don’t know whether I should be relieved that you didn’t respond to me in the same way or not.”

Meiana, who had walked to the door just before leaving the parlor, turned her head quickly. Her hand was about to grab the doorknob, but now it hung in the air.

“What are you talking about?”

“The conversation we had last night. You asked me if I had a plan. If you were to have my child, and if you were to harm Arianthe. Do I have a plan for that? However, I didn’t say ‘it will never happen,’ did I?”

“If you need someone for wordplay, it’s better to call Mr. Lauren, Your Grace.”

Meiana replied. It was a tone that felt like a jab, but the end of her voice trembled helplessly. However, she knew it wasn’t because of discomfort or fear. And perhaps Sediloi knew it too.

Sediloi, staring at Meiana with a clenched fist, faintly smiled.

“Let me say one more thing; I hope you understand that I didn’t say those words just to mock you.”

Meiana laughed. It was a slightly twisted and forced laughter.

“If it’s not mockery?”

“Well, a proposal?”

“A proposal?”

The voice that burst out for a moment was so sharp and loud that even Meiana herself was surprised. It was a mix of nervousness and awkward laughter.

She lowered the hand that had reached towards the doorknob completely. Then, facing Sediloi, who had approached her with a clenched fist, she stood.

“I don’t know why the Duke Marquis would say such… things to me. I didn’t say ‘it will never happen,’ but don’t you remember? I told you, ‘I will never share a bed with the Duke,’ didn’t I?”

“That meant you wouldn’t become a one-night stand or a government, just like I told you I didn’t hope for. You must have known that.”

As Sediloi took a step closer to Meiana, even though there was still some distance between the two… Meiana sensed what he was about to do.

In an instant, in her lowered gaze, she saw that the top button of her dress had come undone. It was something she had been unaware of until now. It wasn’t as if exposing skin with just one unbuttoned button was visible. She raised her hand to fasten the button, and as a result, the basket with sewing materials fell down.

The moment Sediloi’s fingertip touched Meiana’s dress was precisely that moment.