Arthur took another puff of his cigar, then extinguished the barely smoked cigar in the ashtray.

Then he swiftly went to the dining table and pulled out a chair with one hand.

Screech.

The sound of the chair scraping against the floor was heard.

“……”

He turned his head sideways to look at Reina with a crooked gaze.

Followed by a slight nod.

“……”

Realizing that he was very upset, Reina turned pale.

“……”

Reina stood blankly for a while,

Then barely managed to move her feet and stood creaking in front of the chair he had pulled out.

After quietly pushing in her chair, Arthur pulled another chair next to her.

Thud. He sat down and crossed his legs in the opposite direction from Reina.

Then he picked up his cutlery and immediately started cutting into his steak.

Without saying a word.

“……”

Having missed their chance to escape, Marina and Brody sat down awkwardly around the table, unable to refuse.

The table was fully set with the most precious and excellent dishes carefully prepared by the Julius family’s chef.

“……”

In the chilly silence, broken only by the clinking of cutlery.

The three maids began to savor the extravagant feast with nauseous expressions.

[This is the timeline separator]

After the maids finished their meal and hurriedly retreated with the trolley, Arthur let out a short sigh and, running his hand through his hair, spoke to the frozen Reina.

“Let’s talk.”

Knock knock.

But the subsequent knock on the door cut through the air as if passing a baton.

“……”

Then the visitor’s voice was heard from beyond the door.

“Young lady.”

It was immediately recognizable.

It was Dr. Lorenson, the family doctor who had agreed to come every day to tend to Reina’s wounds.

[This is the timeline separator]

“……”

Dr. Lorenson called out “Young lady” from outside the door and waited patiently.

Though he felt chilly and cautious about facing Arthur after learning about the fraudulent marriage, yesterday’s Arthur had been favorable towards him despite knowing everything.

Thinking that showing a guilty and timid demeanor when Arthur’s attitude had changed from yesterday might rather upset him, Lorenson had resolved to maintain the same welcoming and pleasant attitude.

He wanted to give the impression that this was ultimately where Arthur would return, even if he was momentarily angered by the marquis family’s mistreatment.

Clunk.

Instead of telling him to come in, Arthur opened the door himself.

“Ah, Lord Arthur.”

Dr. Lorenson took off his hat to show respect and smiled brightly.

“I’ve come to dress the young lady’s wounds… but…”

Lorenson trailed off.

The newlywed’s atmosphere was chilly.

Dr. Lorenson looked up at Arthur with a bewildered expression.

“My lord…?”

“……”

Arthur smiled faintly.

“Dr. Lorenson.”

…But why does he seem displeased?

“Come in.”

Reina was sitting behind Arthur, fidgeting and blushing furiously.

―I won’t eat you, so let’s be alone for a bit.

Her heart sank and started pounding at his low, muttered words as he rose from his seat.

[This is the timeline separator]

Arthur stood with his arms crossed next to Reina, watching the doctor dress her wounds.

In the somehow unsettling atmosphere, even the sociable and friendly Dr. Lorenson kept his mouth shut and silently disinfected Reina’s wounds.

“……”

What on earth was the identity of this ruined atmosphere?

According to the Marquis and his wife, Lord Arthur seemed to have known about the young lady’s switch even before the welcoming ceremony.

If that was true, then his attitude couldn’t have changed just from learning about the fraudulent marriage yesterday or today…

At first, he thought there might have been some unpleasant incident with Reina, this maid pretending to be the young lady, but…

Dr. Lorenson began to feel an increasing sense of discomfort that there was something else going on.

Arthur’s gaze had been fixed on his face for a while now.

Something… different from yesterday…

“……”

Suddenly, it felt like he was being scrutinized as if exploring enemy territory.

Yesterday, when they first met, he seemed to have shown a fresh and friendly attitude to his greeting.

Now there was a strange sense of hostility.

Did Reina perhaps say something bad about me to Lord Arthur…?

“How long have you worked here?”

Arthur abruptly asked.

It sounded like a gentle tone.

‘Am I imagining things…?’

Dr. Lorenson smiled readily, albeit a bit cautiously, and answered.

“It’s been a little over thirty years.”

Arthur stared at him quietly and gave a plain smile.

“You’ve worked here for a long time. Has your family served the Marquis for generations?”

“Haha… That’s what I’m hoping for. If Lord Arthur allows it, that’s how it will be.”

Dr. Lorenson worried that his revealed intentions might seem like flattery and tried to modulate his tone so as not to be burdensome, feeling embarrassed.

“But my family’s connection with the Marquis family starts with me. It began 30 years ago when the Marchioness, in her youth, looked favorably upon me, an unremarkable young doctor, and took me in.”

Alvin Lorenson wanted to make a good impression on Arthur.

Though the Julius Marquis family had many rough edges, outrageous points, and frankly, extremely excessive aspects,

Even that had long since become ‘my foolish child’ to him.

Anyway, he had been working here for 30 years, they paid well, and along with the head maid Mrs. Hurst and the head butler Jim, he was treated as one of the three long-standing fixtures of the mansion, respected by the servants of the Marquis family. He found his own satisfaction in this work.

Alvin Lorenson wanted to become a retainer serving this Marquis family for generations.

But Alvin Lorenson only mentioned his connection with the Marchioness and refrained from saying more.

It was too awkward to joke about having a son at just the right age to serve loyally for generations.

He didn’t know how angry Arthur was about the fraudulent marriage, or if this matter would be resolved well…

Arthur didn’t speak further.

“……”

Dr. Lorenson finished applying a thin skin-colored gauze to Reina’s wound and then stood up.

Then he went behind and started preparing other medicines.

“……”

Clatter clatter.

On the tray in front of him was a bowl containing the ‘dark red liquid’ ordered to be made by the Marchioness.

Alvin Lorenson opened his medicine bag and took out pills he had prepared separately in a glass bottle, placing them discreetly next to the medicine bowl.

It was a pill to neutralize the toxicity of the ‘dark red liquid’.

To maintain the contraceptive effect requested by the Marchioness while making it less harmful to the body…

Still, it couldn’t avoid putting a strain on the body.

‘…This child is really suffering.’

Alvin Lorenson swallowed a sigh inwardly.

“……”

Working at Julius, he had seen, heard, and experienced countless things too embarrassing to speak of elsewhere,

But this was one of the worst among them.

A fraudulent marriage against the Imperial family.

And to make matters worse, getting caught and bringing things to this state.

It was by far the worst among all the outrageous incidents the Marquis family had caused.

With all the people in the world gathered in the front yard, calling it the couple of the century, the welcoming ceremony of the century…

‘…I wish the Marquis family would come to their senses after being taught a lesson this time…’

But of all opponents, it had to be the Imperial family.

It was too dangerous to just think ‘let whatever happens happen’.

If it wasn’t the Imperial family, they wouldn’t have to worry about the entire family’s existence being in jeopardy or their heads rolling…

‘This is a big problem. I hope it can be resolved without becoming a huge commotion…’

Alvin Lorenson went to Reina with the tray containing the medicine bowl and pills.

Reina seemed to already know what medicine he was going to present, with a calm face, but she looked up at him quizzically upon seeing the pills next to the dark red liquid.

“……”

If Arthur had any compassion, he would know that releasing this child quickly would prevent ruining her life…

Alvin Lorenson added discreetly.

“…It’s a pill to make the medicine a little less potent. While maintaining its effectiveness.”

“……”

Reina, who noticed the hidden meaning in the doctor’s words, blankly bowed her head slightly and said.

“Thank you…”

Alvin Lorenson didn’t answer.

Honestly, it was a pitiful thing to hear while making her take such medicine.

[This is the timeline separator]

After the doctor left, Arthur was finally alone with Reina.

Arthur glanced at Reina.

For some reason, Reina seemed much calmer after drinking the medicinal tea.

“……”

Arthur felt his irritated feelings subsiding somewhat.

He didn’t want to see her looking dejected after seeing his upset demeanor.

It felt like watching a bird that had been flapping desperately to escape from a net, now sitting with its wings folded and lifeless after being scolded once.

He hadn’t expected to feel this way.

The annoying fluttering from before had been better.

“……”

Arthur, hesitating, finally opened his mouth.

“The tea you drank at the end?”

Reina answered after a brief pause, with a slightly cowed smile.

“It’s medicinal tea. They say it’s good for the body.”

She seemed to have been looking for words to say as well, as she continued speaking.

“…I’m sorry. It’s not that I disliked being alone with you. I just… felt awkward. A bit embarrassed too…”

Reina touched her nape.

Her face was a bit flushed, as if sheepish.

And she hesitates as if unable to get the words out.

Then she muttered, almost inaudibly.

“…I couldn’t bear to look.”

At what?

Arthur narrowed his eyes.

In a voice that had shrunk as if trying to crawl away.

“…Because you’re too handsome…”

It was a bit burdensome too…

The words were almost without sound.

Arthur stared at Reina as if nailed in place.

She kept pausing as if at a loss, touching her nape.

Her hand, sliding down from her hair anxiously, brushed her collarbone and went to the other side of her neck, then down to her chest.

“You see…”

Her tongue slightly peeked out to moisten her flower-dyed lips.

“It was the first time I’ve ever had such a dream.”

“……”

Reina made an awkward expression that barely managed to become a smile, then lowered her head again.

“…Isn’t it normal to find it hard to look straight at someone after having such a dream?”

“……”

She spoke, then closed her mouth again.

Reina paused hesitantly like that again, then finally raised her head and looked directly at Arthur as if gathering great courage.

“But for me to avoid you so rudely…”

“……”

Arthur was staring at her intently.

Reina continued speaking, maintaining eye contact with difficulty.

“…I think you must have been upset. I’m sorry. I was being foolish.”

And as if quickly reaching her limit, she lowered her gaze again, touching her bangs.

As if she had used up all her strength to pour out those words, she bit her lip weakly and whispered towards the floor in a feeble voice.

“Please don’t be angry…”

“……”

Some silence passed.

Then Arthur’s mouth moved, breaking the stillness.

“Was I in your dream?”

“What?”

As if she hadn’t imagined such a question, her flushed face, looking bewildered, was already answering that foolish question.

“……”

Arthur was at a loss for words.

“…?”

Reina looked up at him cautiously with her flushed face, trying to read his expression.

His mouth moved without him realizing.

“Just me?”

“Pardon?”

You and me, two people?

It wasn’t three people, was it?