“Understood.”

Knock, knock.

“Yes.”
Reyna, rising abruptly from her seat with a start, greeted Arthur who entered the room seemingly without organizing her thoughts.

“……. ”

Reyna stood facing him with a more rigid expression than usual, awkwardly holding her hands together.

Wearing Christina’s dress from a distance.

On her left ring finger, the wedding ring was still in place.

“……. ”

Although maintaining a poker face, there was a heavy feeling in her heart, as if waiting for punishment after a significant mistake.

Despite being left alone to collect her thoughts after being caught with the note,

she seemed unable to resolve any of the unrest within herself.

Whether it was Arthur’s statement about not wanting to meet Taylor,

his proposal to buy her,

or the concerns about being caught with the note.

The marriage ring he placed on her finger.

Nothing.

Seemingly more burdened with unspoken words than ever before, she couldn’t approach or converse with him as usual.

When he returned, she found herself standing without knowing what to do, and the unconscious joy she used to feel while waiting for him didn’t surface.

Even though she seemed to be pondering, she had mentioned wanting to decide after meeting Taylor.

On the bed, the two bundles of gold coins he left behind remained undisturbed.

As Arthur’s gaze shifted in that direction,

Reyna, appearing nervous, slightly twitched her fingertip and then, with a slightly embarrassed expression, bit her lip.

Only then did she seem to belatedly realize she should have put those away somewhere.

“……. ”

With a bland smile, Arthur closed the door behind him.

Walking into the room, he hesitated to remove the cloak ornament, stopping before taking it off.

Then, standing a few steps in front of her, he gazed at Reyna.

Somehow, he didn’t want to leave her standing like that.

Arthur called out to her, “Madam.”

“……. ”

Reyna hesitated to lift her head and look at him.

Arthur spoke, slightly extending his arms, “Shall I help you?”

“……. ”

Reyna looked up at him with a hesitant gaze. Then, as if confirming what she had been asked for,

she lowered her gaze to the decorations holding down his cloak and the emblems on his chest,

looked down cautiously, and then looked up again with a slightly cautious expression.

With the same smile on his face, Arthur stared at her.

“If it’s not too uncomfortable for you to come to me… There’s something I’d like to ask for if you don’t mind.”

Reyna, without giving an answer, looked at him for a moment, then bit her lip as if she was thinking.

And then, as if half-nodding, she lowered her head slightly, took one step, then another, and approached.

Arthur smiled gently.

“Thank you.”

“……. ”

Reyna lowered her head slightly, seeming to gesture something. Then, pretending to be nonchalant, she raised her trembling hand, carefully lifted his cloak ornament, and…

Tock…

“…!”

Why am I surprised after releasing it?

Reyna was briefly taken aback, then hurriedly pressed down on the cloak flowing behind Arthur with both hands.
Reyna was momentarily startled, then urgently pressed down Arthur’s flowing cloak behind him with both hands.

She hadn’t expected it to flow down like this.

Unable to prevent the cloak from slipping behind his shoulders due to their considerable height difference, she stumbled a bit, trying to catch it falling on his shoulders.

Just before clinging to him, Reyna awkwardly grabbed the cloak on Arthur’s shoulders with a flustered posture.

As the cloak on his right shoulder was about to fall, Arthur caught it and handed it over to her.

“S-Sorry.”

“……. ”

Arthur just smiled.

“……. ”

Sliiip.

Reyna, flustered, received his cloak with a bewildered expression and draped it over her arms.

Then, after swallowing dry saliva, she hesitated with her trembling hands on his outerwear, contemplating what to do.

“……. ”

Unable to bring herself to touch it, Reyna hesitated and looked up at Arthur.

She thought he might take it off himself and hand it over for her to tidy up.

Seemingly unwilling to undress him any further, she didn’t dare to take it off.

However, Arthur, without taking off his outerwear himself, stood there looking down at Reyna with a quiet smile.

As occasionally before, it seemed like he was teasing Reyna a bit.

“Madam.”

“Yes, yes?”

Arthur chuckled.

“Don’t be so intimidated. It hurts my heart.”

“……. ”

Arthur lightly touched her hair.

It was a touch as gentle as a brush.

“I told you. I won’t blame you.”

“……. ”

The curtain by the window swayed.

“I knew it.”

Reyna’s lower lip, which had been fiddling with her fingertips, suddenly popped out, as if trying to hold back tears, and she lowered her head, her chin suppressing the appearance of tears.

With her head down, Reyna, who had been shaking her head, subtly raised her eyes to look at him.

“……I’m sorry. The note…”

“……. ”

Her muffled voice was almost inaudible.

Arthur chuckled softly.

“It’s okay.”

Arthur held Reyna for a moment, looking into her eyes, then gently hugged her.

It was a light embrace that felt comfortable without any awkward implications.

Pat, pat.

Arthur’s hand gently patted Reyna’s back.

“……. ”

Only after letting it out, Reyna realized that it was what she really wanted to say.

Reyna sniffled and buried her face in his chest.

It was strange.

He was the one making her most uncomfortable, yet he was the one making her feel the most secure.