Reyna approached the back of the house, which she was familiar with, and found the key hidden in the brick crevice, then spoke.

“Since the old man left, it’s been a forgotten place. No one has come except me… We might need to clean it up to stay comfortably.”

Taylor followed her with his eyes.

The ‘old man’ Reyna mentioned was a person also remembered by Taylor.

Although he didn’t realize he was close to Reyna…

Reyna fidgeted and took out the key from the lock after finding it.

Creak…

As the door opened, the scent of wood and dust wafted out.

Reyna went inside and, as soon as she entered, picked up the long broom placed next to the door and swept away the spiderwebs that had formed in the corners.

Walking a few steps, she opened a drawer, found matches, and lit the lamp.

The familiar routine.

Chick. Huff…

A small, flickering sound was heard, and the interior of the house brightened.

It wasn’t luxurious, but it was a spacious cottage.
The knights looked around the interior with a somewhat surprised expression.

“…Is it okay?”

Reyna continued to sweep the broom upwards.

“We need to get rid of the spiderwebs.”

Although it was dense, there were a few rooms on each floor, and there were even a small attic and a basement.

As Reyna swept away the cobwebs with the broom handle, the neglected feeling vanished, and the space started to look rather serene.

…Wouldn’t it be perfect for hiding for a while?

It was a hard-to-find place.

“Other than Lady, no one knows about this place?”

“Yes.”

The knights who had scouted the surroundings returned shortly, reporting the situation.

An immediate okay signal was given.

“…We’ll tidy up and light a fire. Please bring your grandmother.”

Reyna smiled.

“Yes!”

When Reyna and Taylor brought her grandmother into the cabin, it was already a dark night.

The knights cleaned, lit fires in the living room and each room, and the cabin became quite cozy.

Tap, tap…

A fire was burning in the fireplace.

Taylor and the knights settled on the lower floor.

Bringing her grandmother to the warm upper room, Reyna unpacked her belongings in the small room next to it.

Although her grandmother endured the long journey well, she seemed tired and quickly fell asleep as soon as she sat on the bed.

Reyna gently touched her grandmother’s forehead to check if she had a fever, covered her with a blanket, and whispered, “You’ve been through a lot, Grandma.”

After a brief whisper, Reyna sat by the bedside, silently watching her grandmother for a moment, filling her heart with tranquility. Then, she stood up.

The knights were outside for reconnaissance.

Taylor, bringing in the firewood from outside, placed it next to the fireplace and looked around the cabin.

“…Did you know about this place?”

Reyna smiled, saying, “It’s like a country house, isn’t it?”

Taylor also smiled back and asked with a short pause.

“…The forest keeper you mentioned, Mr. Tom?”

Reyna answered.

“Yes.”

Taylor walked slowly, touching the wooden columns of the cabin, and asked while looking around.

“…Did you come here often?”

“No, not that often. Occasionally… when I thought it was around the old man’s memorial day.”

And with a slight smile, she added, “I missed some days.”

Taylor, looking at Reyna with a smiling face, turned his head.

I didn’t know Reyna had so much I didn’t know.

“Didn’t know you were close to him.”

Even though I thought he was my closest friend for twenty years.

Reyna laughed.

“…He was uncomfortable with blue blood [Star Icon].”

Right. He seemed like that kind of person.

In the memories of a dozen years ago, Taylor recalled the forest keeper, who had rough and quiet skin and rarely smiled.

“I’m not blue-blooded either.”

“You have a title.”

“…I didn’t have it back then. And others don’t know.”

Reyna, as if she knew, touched her nose and smiled.

“It’s similar to nobility or gentry. The Lorenson family maintains a prominent area, right.”
Knowing it’s a story about not being upset with Mr. Tom, Taylor feels a sense of being crossed out by Reyna.

It sounds like it’s coming from quite a distance.

Holding firewood, he absentmindedly touches the thorn that pricked him.

“…So, have you ever brought someone else here? Someone who isn’t of blue blood.”

A slight trace of jealousy.

Reyna smiles, bends down, and starts organizing her belongings.

“No, only I know about this place.”

That’s right. She said no one else knows.

“Did you only tell me?”

“It just happened that way. The cabin was only known to me, so they probably trusted me with it.”

Reyna is talking about herself.

Strangely, it feels more distant now.

Even the past that I thought was close seems different from what I know.

“If Mr. Tom were still alive, you might have come here together occasionally.”

Reyna looks at the cabin for a moment, saying, “It reminds me of him, so I didn’t come with you. It’s the same for others.”

“…”

Asking who she was closer to is not cool.

Reyna smiles subtly and looks down at her belongings again.

“I need to finish organizing this. Where’s your room?”

“Over there.”

“Let’s tidy up and go in.”

While rummaging through things, Reyna mistakenly opens Taylor’s bag, thinking it’s her own.

“…”

In Taylor’s bag were recent newsletters and newspapers.

An article about Arthur was featured on the front page.

Reyna, who thoughtlessly opened Taylor’s bag, discovered him.

“Sorry. I thought it was my bag.”

Taylor grinned awkwardly, scrunching his nose.

“…It’s okay. I thought it was my bag too.”

Taylor also turned slightly, showing his hand.

He had just opened Reyna’s bag.

“…”

Reyna’s face turned red.

Taylor closed her bag and turned it around.

“Here.”

The two awkwardly exchanged bags.

“…”

Taylor, who was holding her bag for a moment, took out the newspapers and handed them to Reyna.

“…Still collecting these days?”

“…”

The headlines of the newspapers outside caught her eye.

【Arthur Kye, Remind Wedding with Lady Christina?!】

Taylor looked at her with a calm, settled gaze.

“…”

After Taylor learned about Reyna’s secret and her grandmother.

Reyna didn’t hide her own story anymore.

But Reyna couldn’t give any answers.

“…I’ve been thinking for a while.”

“…”

“…You don’t have bad memories of me, do you?”

“…”

Reyna couldn’t lift her head.

Taylor changed his words a bit.
“Someone you want to bless, right?”

“…”

The warm light from the fireplace gently reflected on Taylor’s soft brown eyes.

He smiled.

“Well, then I won’t hold a grudge either.”

Unable to reach out to Reyna, Taylor handed her the newspapers.

“…”

Taylor smiled as he looked at Reyna.

I’ll wait.

It’s okay if someone else is in your heart.

For now, let me protect you.

And someday.

Just come to me in the end.

The sound of the wind is heard.

―――――

[Star Icon] Blue Blood: Refers to nobility, aristocracy, and people from distinguished families. The term comes from the fact that the upper class, not engaged in labor, has blue veins visible through their untanned skin.