With a slightly anxious heart, Raina waited for Arthur and tried to dismiss any negative reasons for his absence.

It couldn’t be that.

It’s just my unwarranted insecurity and anxiety.

It’s not for that reason.

There must be some reason.

Maybe there was no judo practice.

What if something happened?

I should have asked the knights.
“Do you mind if I ask?”

Raina, in a dress, crouched down like a hermit crab.

“…….”

Her mood was strange.

Everything… went so well.

It was all so fortunate beyond imagination.

Why does it feel so empty?

She no longer had to pass notes under the burden of guilt.

Even the knights, knowing that she was passing notes, thanked her for making an effort not to pass on important information.

She decided to meet Taylor tomorrow, and perhaps… she thought her request to protect her grandmother would be accepted.

They were good people.

“…….”

Yet, why did she feel so uneasy and empty?

Maybe because Arthur hadn’t returned.

“…….”

Raina quietly stared at the ceiling in her quiet guest room.

She spent more time alone, but somehow, the scene with him was more familiar.

Then, she remembered Lady Hujak preparing a new room for the young lady.

It was fortunate.

Lady Hujak seemed to have found a good solution.

She didn’t need to worry so nervously about this room anymore.

“…….”

Somehow, for the first time, a cautious thought of “It’s still okay” came to Raina’s mind.

She half-rolled on the bed.

The young lady is going to a new room.

So, she won’t come back to this room.

She probably won’t wear the dress I wore once again.

It was a good thing for Raina too.

Then, Arthur will probably stay there, right?

Then, what will happen to this room?

Will it be organized?

“…….”

She felt a bit regretful about this beautiful room.

It would be nice if I could just take this room by the beach.

If you’re going to throw it away anyway…

I’ll take it.

Raina turned her head slightly and pressed her cheek against the sun-scented blanket.

…If this room remains, will Arthur occasionally think of me?

“…….”

Feeling a bit funny about herself.

Raina chuckled like the day when she laid out the scrapbook and said a grateful farewell to Arthur.

“…….”

Somehow, it was hard to find anything funny.

…It felt familiar.

Um, how long will I be here?

Is General Arthur talking to the lord, lady, or Miss Christina?

Is Miss Christina not angry?

Am I causing trouble for General Arthur by being here?

General Arthur, is there anything I can help with, even a little?

Kay, seated at his desk, began writing the report to hand over to Arthur and recalled his last conversation with her.

Finally, after Kay presented his words of tidying up and stood up, Raina’s mouth opened.

It was exactly the timing Kay had anticipated.

“Um… if it’s okay with you, can I… ask you a few questions?”

Kay willingly sat back down.
And with a non-pressuring smile, he waited for her next words.

Raina asked cautiously, “Um… how long will I be staying in this place?”

From her, the inner thoughts of wanting to quickly escape from this uneasy situation were apparent.

As expected, there seemed to be no audacious plan like seizing Arthur’s side or any bold rise in status.

Kay calmly gave a prepared response, “It’s difficult to provide a definitive answer, but you don’t need to worry too much. As much as we benefit from having you here, we plan to ensure Lady’s safety even if the duration becomes somewhat longer. However, we also anticipate that it might be inconvenient for Lady. If Lady has a place to return to and needs to enter into matrimony, we’ll try not to prolong it too much…”

He was implying an understanding of Raina’s difficulty on this side and expressing the intention to be considerate regarding the matter.

However, Raina’s expression became somewhat bewildered at his words.

“Eh? Matrimony? I’m already married… um…”

Raina stopped speaking and smiled awkwardly, pressing her throat.

“It might be difficult for me to remarry…”

“…Huh?”

Kay paused.

Is it because of her relationship with Arthur?

In her embarrassed attitude, there was an implication that she didn’t dare to blame Arthur.

But with her next words, Kay became dumbfounded.

“I don’t have a partner.”

“…What?”

What is she saying…

She…

“……Taylor Lawrence, didn’t you promise a future with him?”

“……Yes?”

At the perplexing question that came from her mouth this time,

Kay suddenly regained his composure.

He politely apologized, hiding his momentary confusion.

“…I apologize, Lady. It seems I might have misunderstood something………May I ask just one more thing, even if it’s impolite to ask a personal question?”

“Oh, yes.”

Kay cautiously asked in a tense atmosphere.

“Taylor Lawrence… isn’t he… Lady’s lover?”

She smiled vaguely, as if accustomed to such groundless rumors.

“We’re not in that kind of relationship.”

“The reason I said I wanted to meet Taylor first was…”

“Not because he’s my lover… It’s for the safety of my… family.”

“Tomorrow… when I said I wanted to meet Taylor and make a decision…”

“…It was because of that.”