Tristan finally raised her head, apologized by biting her lip, and opened her mouth with a reluctant and amiable look.

“…Your Grace. Do you dislike jellyfish?”

“What?”

Arthur, furrowing his brow, seemed puzzled by the unfamiliar words.

“…”

Tristan, eventually, spoke with an unwilling voice.

“…It’s written that Arthur Kyeong avoids jellyfish.”

Having heard the news that ‘Reina’ was leaking information about Arthur to Julius, Kae silently took off her monocle and washed her face with a dry cloth.

Lukan raised an
While looking at the note, Kae’s expression became strange.

Lukan, with a drained face, leaned against the sofa and glanced at Tristan.

“Do you see that as a code, sir?”

“…”

“No… Why would someone who roughly knows how a code looks react like that? Is it because that woman is displeasing to you?”

Tristan said.

“…I don’t know what kind of code it is.”

“It’s too short to be a code hiding any meaning. Any type of code usually needs to be longer to conceal any subtleties.”

Lionel expressed a similar positive opinion as Lukan.

“…There are limitations to encryption methods that can be used in such a short structure. Codes that someone without background knowledge could handle tend to be more obvious. It’s not a vertical reading style, nor a skipping code. It’s not a method of pushing out spelling… Of course, it’s not. Unless the entire sentence itself has some meaning, I wouldn’t know.”

“…”

“But that lady wouldn’t have had time to prepare something like that.”

It was a valid point.

However, Tristan, unknowingly agreeing with that conclusion, composed herself calmly.

“…Assuming she was always memorizing such things as part of her trained personnel background…”

Lukan said.

“To be a trained personnel, it seems too sloppy. When flustered, her face betrays her, even stopping breathing. And she got caught red-handed like this with the note.”

“…”

Watching the note carefully, Kae lifted her head and asked.

“What do you say, Your Excellency?”

“…”

Tristan hesitated, looking uncomfortable.

“Well…”

Tristan said reluctantly.

“…He doesn’t particularly dislike jellyfish.”

“…”

“What he dislikes is only mushrooms.”

“…”

It felt somewhat absurd.

However, Tristan, firmly, asked Kae for her opinion.

“Is there a possibility that it’s a code?”

But even Kae had a vague expression.

Still, careful Kae asked further.

“What was the situation when you found this note? How did it end up in your hands?”

Tristan explained.

A seemingly accidental incident.

A note dropped on the floor.

Reina’s very noticeable reaction, indicating some irritation, and Arthur’s already knowing, nonchalant response.

Kae looked at Tristan in silence, her chin resting on her hand.

“Hmm… It seems you received instructions from Lady Marquess.”

Tristan anxiously waited for Kae’s words.

“But, Your Excellency, since you already know, there doesn’t seem to be much need for concern. Well, if she succeeds in subversion, she might use you as a double agent. I assume you have some thoughts.”

“…”

Tristan’s face darkened.

In fact, Arthur had mentioned the double agent plan.

But Kae hadn’t directly seen Arthur, who sighed in frustration, looking at that struggling woman.

She also didn’t know that Arthur was hiding a fatal weakness.

Could Tristan speak up even knowing that?
Kae continued speaking.

“I can’t make a hasty judgment, but the possibility of it being a code seems low. I’ve thought of all the encryption methods I know, but none match.”

Holding the note, Kae said, “However, there seems to be a possibility of persuasion.”

Tilting her head, Kae smiled wryly. “I’ll try talking to her.”

“…”

Having heard the reactions of the knights, Arthur lowered his head, covering his face as if touching his forehead.

…He’s laughing.

“Your Excellency, it might not be a laughing matter.”

“…Hmm.”

Arthur removed his hand from his forehead and turned his head toward the window.

Although he covered his mouth with a fist and pretended to cough, the effort to suppress laughter was evident.

…Darn it.

He wanted to ask if stating, “Lord Arthur dislikes jellyfish ‘too’,” implied information about his other food dislikes.

“…”

But it seemed that instead of raising awareness, it would only double the ridicule.

Ugh.

Clearing his throat, Arthur spoke.

“…I told you. That note is not some kind of code. It was a private conversation between us. The dish Lady Marquess dislikes is not jellyfish but something I dislike.”

Withdrawing his hand, Arthur added, “She said she didn’t like fish, so I moved it far away from the dining table. I guess she misunderstood that I disliked it.”

“…”

With a composed face, Arthur reached out his hand to Tristan.

“I’ll explain it. Give me the note.”

“…”

Reluctantly, Tristan handed the note back to him.

Arthur took back the note with a somewhat amused expression.

…What are you laughing at when nothing is visible?

To be prepared, he pointed out the location of the writing on the note and distinctive penmanship.

Looking at Arthur, who was listening, suddenly a sharp pain stabbed through Tristan’s stomach.

Consciously avoiding emotional involvement with Arthur’s real name, Tristan redirected the conversation.

“Lady Kae wishes to speak with the Lady Marquess.”

“With my wife? Why?”

“After seeing that note, she seems to think there is a possibility of persuasion from your wife. She might attempt to subvert her.”

“Hmm…”

Arthur seemed to ponder for a moment.

But soon, he shook his head.

“No. Not yet.”

“…Really?”

Arthur smiled mischievously.

“Kae later. For now, let me speak first.”