Feria closed the door with a bit more force as she left. The sound caused Roel’s shoulders to slightly jump.

After being frozen for a moment, her shoulders subtly moved up and down, indicating that she was probably taking deep breaths, trying not to make it obvious.

In the past, Reus would have simply told her to compose herself and immediately left the room.

However, now he had a strong feeling that he shouldn’t leave Roel alone.

But it’s not like his presence would be of any help, and he didn’t know how to comfort her either.

Reus was truly at a loss for what to do in this situation.

Ah. In times like this, would giving her some space actually be more helpful?

Although he pondered belatedly, the answer was already decided. Even if Roel asked him to leave, he probably wouldn’t have been able to step out of the room.

Reus stared intently at Roel, who remained frozen in place without any intention of moving. And in that short moment, after agonizing dozens of times, he held her hand.

Immediately, her delicate shoulders trembled and shuddered.

Roel, who had been blankly staring at Reus for a moment, soon tried to hastily get up from her seat.

“Ah…! I told Julia to wait for a bit….”

“Roel.”

“Y-Yes?”

“I sent the Viscount Gration couple back, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

Although he said not to worry, Roel’s face quickly turned pale. Just when he thought she was starting to feel more comfortable around him, it was back to square one.

Seeing Roel anxiously trying to read his mood again, Reus felt his insides twisting to the point of going insane.

He had sent Feria back as quickly as possible for Roel’s sake, but he shouldn’t have done that.

He should have threatened them using the Everbelle family’s situation, making sure they wouldn’t even think of coming near the ducal castle.

It was a painful mistake. But when Roel’s voice reached his ears, Reus’s anger naturally disappeared.

Because rather than getting angry right now, he didn’t want to make things more difficult for the already frightened woman.

“I’m sorry…. I should have obviously expected Mother to come looking for me like this…. I… I was so thoughtless…! If I had just sent a single letter….”

“Roel.”

Roel, who had been rambling, immediately stopped talking. Reus swallowed the words he wanted to say for a moment.

Be a little selfish.

If they had to assign blame for today’s incident, Reus’s fault could be considered greater.

He was the one who had made the Viscount family the way they were in the first place, and he knew their situation better than anyone else, so he should have anticipated something like this happening.

But Reus had been overlooking the fact that all the things happening to the Everbelle family were just the beginning, neglecting the possibility of an unfortunate event like today.

He had known from the start that they were a rotten bunch, but if he had known they would turn their anger on their innocent daughter, he would have locked the main gates of the ducal castle long ago.

Reus let out a slightly exhausted sigh as he looked at Roel’s face, which had turned pale without a hint of color.

She looked so pitiful that he automatically thought it would be better if she cried like last time when she treated his wound….

Reus gently rubbed Roel’s hand, which he was holding, with his thumb and spoke.

“I’m not blaming you. I sent the Viscount Gration couple back for your sake.”

“…Why?”

“Because I knew you would react like this.”

Roel had an expression that didn’t fully understand what he meant. So Reus calmly continued.

“I already knew that in a situation like this, your well-being would still come after everything else.”

“But I can’t cause trouble for personal reasons….”

“Right. Even this much.”

As he said that, Reus unknowingly moved his hand to Roel’s slightly disheveled hair. But Roel flinched a little in surprise.

Reus didn’t force any movement and gently tidied her hair when she seemed to be okay. Then, as he removed his hand, he said somewhat playfully,

“Isn’t it time for you to stop being scared of me?”

“…I’m not scared.”

“If you say that while glancing away, anyone would think otherwise.”

At those words, Roel’s eyes briefly rolled. But she seemed definitely more at ease than before. Her rapid breathing gradually subsided, and some color returned to her lips.

Feeling a bit relieved, Reus spoke again.

“I sincerely apologize for today’s incident.”

Roel’s eyes widened as if she couldn’t understand why.

“It’s not you who’s ruining the Viscount family, it’s me. I should have anticipated today’s incident. I’m really sorry for not expecting it beforehand.”

“….”

“I promise that something like today will never happen again. And I hope you don’t think you caused any trouble. Well, it seems you’re already thinking that way.”

“Your Grace.”

It was a form of address Reus disliked, but he let it slide just this once. Then he nodded as if telling her to say whatever she wanted.

Roel asked with a face that looked like she wanted to laugh or cry.

“Are you trying to comfort me?”

“If that’s how you felt, then I guess so.”

At Reus’s words, Roel laughed a little, asking what that was supposed to mean.

“But Your Grace, you shouldn’t carelessly comfort others like that. When someone who doesn’t seem like they would do that does it… it makes me want to cry.”

As if she didn’t want to cry, Roel bit her lower lip hard. Reus frowned slightly and said,

“There’s no need to hold it in. If you think crying will make you feel better, you can cry. No one here will criticize you for doing anything.”

Perhaps Roel choked up, as she pouted her lips for a moment before sniffling softly and slowly shaking her head.

“You’ll think it’s strange.”

“So what if I think it’s strange? It’ll pass after a while.”

“Still… it’s a bit much to do that after Mother just left.”

“What’s wrong with that when I’m the one who made you cry?”

“…That’s strange enough on its own….”

The crying tone in Roel’s voice had lessened a bit.

“If I were the type to cry easily, I would have cried with you so you wouldn’t look strange alone. I’m sorry about that.”

Roel mumbled with a sullen face for a moment before speaking in a small voice.

“I told you not to comfort me… I never said to tease me.”

“I’m disappointed that my sincerity didn’t get through to you.”

“….”

Reus let out a very small smile that even he himself didn’t notice upon seeing Roel’s face, which seemed to have a lot she wanted to say.

* * *

Reus thought the incident would be wrapped up well that day. However, it took some time for Roel to escape from Feria’s shadow.

How much effort did he put in to make her able to straighten her shoulders, properly meet his eyes, say whatever she wanted to say, and feel comfortable in the ducal castle?

‘It all went to waste.’

It was almost lunchtime, but Reus clicked his tongue slightly at the sight of Roel, who still showed no signs of getting up.

These days, Roel spent more than half the day sleeping due to unresolved anxiety and depression.

Unintentionally, he got to see with his own eyes how she had endured in the Everbelle Viscount estate.

He thought it was amazing that she had endured well until now without any support, but this wasn’t how he wanted to confirm it.

Reus fiddled with the strands of Roel’s hair that touched his fingertips.

Come to think of it, there were quite a few habits left by the abuse, although he hadn’t paid much attention to them before.

On their first wedding night, the way she had huddled up and clung to him was strange when he thought about it now.

The temperature in the room that day was warm, not cold at all. Yet Roel kept repeating that she was cold.

‘It was the same when she was briefly ill.’

Even though he had only raised his hand to face level, she had flinched and held her breath.

Apart from those, there were definitely more than a couple of habits that had developed from being abused, although they were minor.

Reus could now accurately understand why Roel had tried so hard to escape the Everbelle Viscount estate, even going to such lengths.

Perhaps she hadn’t been living comfortably in the ducal castle either, but enduring in a similar way.

What’s the point of regretting that now? All he could do was try to make her live comfortably until she left the ducal castle.

As he had come out in the middle of work, Reus pulled the blanket up a bit more and was about to leave the room again.

But at the rustling sound of the blanket, Roel lifted her eyelids. Her drowsy eyes barely focused on Reus.

“What time is it…?”

“It’s 11:36.”

Roel slowly nodded her head, saying ‘I see,’ but then her eyes widened.

She had been determined to wake up at the usual time today, as her waking hours had become a bit irregular lately. But today, she had opened her eyes at such a late hour again.

Roel sat up and smiled awkwardly.

“But what brings you here at this hour?”

“What do you mean? I was waiting to have lunch with you.”

Until just a moment ago, Reus had been planning to return to his office, but he feigned ignorance as if he had never thought of doing so. Roel gave him an apologetic look, unaware of that fact.

“I haven’t been here long.”

Reus naturally lied again this time as well.

* * *

He used to always tell me to eat this and that during breakfast, but these days, he doesn’t say such things.

Not hearing the words he used to say every time made me feel concerned in its own way.

As soon as I picked up the spoon for a moment, Reus said,

“You can stop eating if you want.”

“…No, it’s fine. I want to eat a bit more.”

Although I was a little full, I felt like I could handle a few more spoonfuls since I had been eating a lot lately. As I was diligently emptying the plate, Reus suddenly said,

“It might be nice to spend some time in the garden after the meal.”

Having a light walk in the garden overlooking the sea after lunch, followed by tea time, had become a part of my routine to the point where it was a given. Reus must be aware of that too.

So for him to mention it separately like this….

“Are you perhaps suggesting we have tea time together?”

“If you’d allow me to.”

Everything in the ducal castle belonged to Reus, except for me. So he didn’t really need to ask for my permission. However, Reus quietly waited for my answer as if my opinion mattered the most.