Being worried, Raina fiddled with the end of the note.

The note was small.

I have a lot to hear about my grandmother…

Can we share stories about my grandmother just with notes?

Like the note I’m passing to Mr. Lorenson, what I want to say is not short.

And I’m not a doctor, so I don’t even know what the doctor needs to know for diagnosis.

Thinking back to when I was ill a while ago, the physician, Mr. Lorenson, diagnosed my condition by asking things I hadn’t thought of, and Raina’s face turned worried.

She didn’t have medical knowledge, but Raina had learned several things from being friends with Taylor for a long time.

Sometimes the doctor’s questions that seemed unrelated to the disease were an important factor in diagnosis.

“……”

So, I need to know what information Taylor needs to be able to answer properly…

But I was bothered by the command that the Duchess had given me.

“Be careful not to mention that you’re a maid, even by mistake.”

“Remember that there are many eyes and ears in the mansion.”

“……”

Raina knew too.

There were many ears in the mansion.

If the Duchess or some other visitor accidentally heard me, pretending to be Miss Christina, asking Taylor all sorts of questions as ‘Raina’, that would be a real disaster.

I couldn’t hope to be lucky like Sir Rembrandt.

I’ve already been exposed to too many people, and Raina was aware of the precarious situation.

I can’t afford to let my guard down and relax just because I’ve been lucky a few times.

Thinking about my grandmother’s safety, Raina steeled herself.

“……”

But, honestly, thinking about my grandmother made me feel a little better.

Grandmother has a resident doctor.

And it’s Julius’s young physician, Taylor Lorenson.

Raina was proud to think that Grandmother was being treated like a lady.

Raina cooled her flushed cheeks visible in the mirror with her palms so as not to look too excited.

Don’t get too excited.

Anyway…

It’s a favor I received for selling Sir Arthur’s information.

Besides, I might soon become Julius’s traitor.

It’s not a time to be calmly happy.

Let’s keep a clear conscience, Raina.

Stay focused.

And think about tomorrow.

Talk with Taylor, assess the situation.

Ask enough about Grandma.

And… also…

Prepare for how the situation might change.

“……”

The more Raina thought, the more she wanted to be greedy.

She wanted to keep sending Taylor to Grandmother, and she wanted to accept Sir Arthur’s proposal to protect her if she joined his side.

Asking Sir Arthur if he could buy Taylor too

was the most audacious yet honest thought Raina could think of now.

But even if Sir Arthur did that,

The problem was whether Taylor would be willing.

Taylor said he liked it here.

Although there were often people asking why a talented doctor wouldn’t go independent…

He always said that he liked and was familiar with the people here.

Maybe he would be here forever.

He said that and smiled.

Could Sir Arthur buy Taylor?

Mr. Lorenson was a good man, but he also had a sense of loyalty, having been with the Duke for a long time.

It seemed likely that Taylor would be similar.

“……Hoo.”

In the end, I had no choice but to ask Sir Arthur and Taylor.

While I was conversing with Taylor, I had to refrain from hasty judgment or wrong decisions due to the overwhelming emotions.

I hoped tomorrow’s meeting would give that assurance.

Reyna repeated the questions she planned to ask Taylor tomorrow in her head.

How is grandmother doing?

Is she eating well?

Is she alright now, as she sometimes has fever?

And her frequent memory lapses.

Are they getting worse?

Why hasn’t grandmother’s burn inflammation, from five years ago, healed yet?

What does Taylor think about it?

Could there be a way to heal it?…

After burning Mr. Lorensen’s note with a candle, Reyna sat in front of her dressing table and folded the note she wrote.

“……”

Should I give this note… a little later?

I don’t want to see Sir Arthur being served the same hated dish at the table every day.

And honestly, I hate anchovy too.

Knock knock.

“Yes.”

At the sudden knock, Reyna quickly rose from her seat.

But in her hurry, she tightly grasped the folded note, stood up too quickly, and ended up pushing the earring display on the vanity.

“!”

The display toppled over with a loud noise, dropping several important pieces of jewelry on the floor.

Reyna, startled, stared at the pearl earrings on the floor and the wedding ring rolling away.

“……!”

The door immediately opened at the loud noise.

Arthur came in first, followed by a surprised Tristan.

Rumble.

The wedding ring rolled quickly across the floor.

Arthur cleverly turned his foot and stopped the rolling ring inside his shoe.

Almost simultaneously, Tristan turned his gaze sideways and gestured, seemingly signalling a maid to come over.

“……”

Bending down, Arthur picked up the ring that had stopped in front of his shoe.

Then he approached Reyna and asked her,

“Are you okay?”

She was not okay.

The folded espionage note lay on the floor.

“……”

“……”

Arthur and Reyna’s eyes both landed there at the same time.

“……?”

And then Tristan, who had followed Arthur in, picked it up.

Reyna’s face turned pale.

Arthur put his hand on his forehead.

“……”

“……”

In the awkward silence,

Arthur reached out his hand to Tristan.

“…Give it.”

“……”

Tristan handed it over to Arthur.

Pale Reyna looked blankly at the note being passed to Arthur.

It’s over……

An indescribable silence enveloped the three of them.