“How have you been? Over these years.”

Reyna awkwardly responded to Miss Christina’s routine.

“Just… I’ve been fine.”

“……”

“On weekdays, I spent time with my family at home… and on weekends, I went to the temple for mass… praying for your safe return… for the war to end soon.”

While avoiding Arthur’s gaze, Reyna responded hesitantly, staring only at the tea cup on the table he had pushed toward her.

He said, “I see,” and asked no more.

After a brief silence, he opened his mouth again.

“Have you got any questions for me?”

Reyna raised her eyes, which had been silently staring at the teacup, to look at him.

“……”

As she took in the sight of him, melting into the background as naturally as if part of the daily scenery, her mouth moved before she could even form a thought.

It was a question that her heart had seemingly been longing to ask for a long time.

“…How have you been?”

However, once she’d spoken, she realized that she had merely returned Arthur’s question in kind.

Her face flushed.

It seemed such an insipid question to ask.

While she had been in the mansion, he had been off to war.

Quickly averting her gaze, Reyna hastily added,

“…Are you hurt anywhere?”

Arthur quietly chuckled.

“……”

And with a smile still on his face, he took a drag of his cigar and replied,

“I’ve had the usual injuries and recoveries. Nothing’s particularly bothering me right now.”

“……”

The flame quietly burned out at the end of his cigar.

After a deep inhale, Arthur stubbed out the smoke in the ashtray and asked,

“Do you know Count Rembrandt?”

“……”

At the sudden mention of the royal guest’s name, Reyna’s face stiffened.

Count Rembrandt…

He had arrived about a week ago and had been staying in the mansion, an envoy sent by the royal palace.

Accompanied by about ten attendants, he had come to paint a portrait of the recently deceased Duke.

The son of the queen Orabi?

He was a noble of high birth, but not someone Reyna had any reason to encounter.

She had once run into one of his attendants sitting on a bench near the annex, and she had read about the royal news…

“……”

Did Miss Christina have any interaction with Count Rembrandt?

Reyna considered whether Christina and Rembrandt might have met.

Christina was not the type to meet with any distinguished guests at the mansion.

So, if they had met, it would have been a big topic of conversation.

Both the Duke and the Lady would have hidden her away from any significant visitor.

They’d cleverly arrange it so they could only catch a glimpse of Miss Christina’s ‘appearance’ from a distance.

Though Miss Christina was incredibly beautiful, she certainly wasn’t a sociable and gentle lady.

Concluding that Christina would not have had any interaction with Rembrandt, Reyna replied,

“…You’re talking about the nobleman sent from the palace, right? I know he’s here. But I’ve only heard his name, and I’ve never met him up close.”

Arthur’s silvergray eyes looked at her.

Reyna smiled awkwardly.

“Especially avoid ‘Count Rembrandt’ at all costs. He’s a royal guest staying in the mansion, you know? If he sees your face, things will get complicated. Just make up an excuse, like you’re not feeling well, or you don’t want to see any man other than your husband.”

Reyna thought nervously about what she could say to decline.

She couldn’t exactly say she was already planning to be sick that day…

And as for not wanting to see any man other than her husband… but what if it was her husband’s suggestion?

She didn’t want to say something silly like she wanted to be alone with him and leave Arthur flabbergasted.

For now, the only option seemed to be to say she understood and then feign illness when the time came.

She felt a tightening in her chest at the thought of telling such an obvious lie.

“……”

Until then, she thought that would be the extent of her efforts for the day.

Until Arthur opened his mouth again.

“What about Taylor Lorenson?”

Thud.

Her heart sank.

Her face hardened far faster than it had when she’d heard ‘Rembrandt’s’ name.

That was the name of the man she’d promised to fetch his weakness in exchange for his protection.

Why is he asking about this?

Why is he asking about this now?

Does he know something?

Unable to tear her gaze from Arthur, Reyna broke out in a cold sweat.

Her throat was dry.

Though she hadn’t yet engaged in any espionage that could harm him,

Just by having accepted that command from her grandmother, Reyna couldn’t stand in front of Arthur with confidence.

Reyna managed to respond from ‘Christina’s’ perspective with great difficulty.

“Are you talking about the son of Doctor… Lorensen?”

Her heart thumped wildly.

The hand clutching the hem of her skirt trembled.

“I… I’m being cared for by Dr. Lorensen… so I don’t know much… but I’ve heard he’s a competent doctor. …Why do you ask about him?”

She spoke very slowly, barely avoiding stuttering.

Did my voice sound too strange?

As she waited for Arthur’s reply, Reyna thought her heartbeat might reach Arthur.

“……”

When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem

This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Synopsis:

“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”

Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.

Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.

While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the  Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…

Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.

_____

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