“Crown Prince Kyle?!”

Oh my.

The Crown Prince smiled awkwardly and hurriedly covered Reina’s mouth with his hand.

Then he lowered his voice, putting his index finger to his lips and speaking softly.

“Shh. My presence here is a secret.”

Reina remained completely rigid with her mouth covered by him.

“I-I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

Crown Prince. Crown Prince?!

How is he here?

Is he really the Crown Prince?

Putting that aside, my form of address was extremely rude.

The Crown Prince suddenly felt Arthur’s sharp gaze in front of him and removed his hand from Reina.

Then he raised both palms as if surrendering.

“Excuse me.”

Arthur smiled gently.

As soon as Reina was released from him, she hurriedly stood up from her seat, paying respects and stammering.

“I apologize. I didn’t imagine you would set foot in such a humble place, so I committed a discourtesy.”

“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine. Please sit comfortably, lady.”

The Crown Prince calmly pulled up a spare chair nearby and sat down.

“Are you Christina? I’ve heard a lot about you. That you’re the greatest beauty in high society. I’m pleased to meet you.”

Kyle arbitrarily took Reina’s hand, and while looking at Reina with a smiling face, he kissed it and let it go.

Arthur smiled uncomfortably.

“Your Highness. I don’t believe I gave permission for you to join us.”

“Why so inhospitable? For your reference, when you address me like that, it means I’m displeased.”

“It’s not always like that.”

“This time it is, I see.”

Reina fell into a state of panic.

She had been trying so hard not to even meet Earl Rembrandt, and now the Crown Prince?

Though the Duchess hadn’t ordered it, that was surely because she couldn’t even imagine there would be a chance to meet the Crown Prince.

It was clear that as ‘Christina’, she was meeting someone she shouldn’t see.

What should I do? I can’t run away now.

Reina avoided the Crown Prince’s gaze and broke out in a cold sweat.

“……”

The one somewhat reassuring aspect was that Marina had done her makeup today.

These past few days, sometimes Brody instead of Marina did her morning makeup, but this morning it was Marina who did her makeup.

When Brody did her makeup, she didn’t look like the young lady, but on days when Marina did Reina’s makeup, she definitely resembled Christina.

……If that was somewhat reassuring, then it was……

Honestly, it wasn’t much comfort.

Reina desperately buried her face towards the ground and avoided the Crown Prince’s gaze.

If he had seen her face up close before, makeup or whatever, it would show later when he met the real young lady Christina.

“……”

Arthur felt displeased seeing Reina unable to even meet eyes with the ‘handsome’ Crown Prince.

……You said you’d never done that before?

[This is the timeline separator]

“Um….. Taylor. Can I ask you something?”

“There’s this kitchen maid I know who got burned quite a while ago……”

“She says the injured area still hurts sometimes and gets hot……”

“Does that happen?”

“Um, Taylor……”

“About older people forgetting things……”

“Um….. Taylor.”

“Taylor……”

“……”

Such trivial questions.

Every time Reina asked such things, she acted ashamed, like someone secretly stealing something without paying.

I wondered why she was being so hesitant……

Taylor Lorenson sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Haaah……”

Now he could understand.

All those things Reina had been asking about, saying it was about a friend, were actually about her grandmother.

I knew Reina didn’t have any other friends besides me……

Why didn’t I notice?

I was confident I knew her well, just by bringing her newsletters and such.

I thought I was her closest friend, but……

I felt like I didn’t know anything about Reina.

‘……Why didn’t she tell me?’

Could it be related to that confidential matter connected to the Julius family?

“Doctor.”

“Ah, yes.”

The caregiver auntie called him with a smile and took the medicine bowl Taylor had handed her.

“Grandmother’s condition has improved a lot since you started coming, doctor.”

Taylor smiled, genuinely relieved, and put his hand to his chest.

“Is that so? That’s good.”

The caregiver smiled brightly and left with the medicine.

“……”

Taylor touched the back of his head and leaned his body against the desk, resting his hand on it.

Though he didn’t know the details.

For now, Taylor decided to do his best for her grandmother.

Instinctively, he sensed that the grandmother was someone precious to Reina.

Even if not for that reason, as a doctor, she was also his patient.

“……”

Taylor pulled a book from the bookshelf.

The symptoms of Reina’s grandmother, Iona, were a bit strange.

Full-body burns from five years ago.

Now they had mostly become scars, and what remained were small areas of wounds on her back, but.

Could such inflammation last that long?

No….. Before that.

Could a person be okay with inflammation not healing and lasting that long?

“……”

Taylor opened a medical textbook he had bought from a specialized bookstore in the inner city, with a short sigh.

“Doctor.”

The caregiver with a tray appeared at the doorway again and called him.

“Yes?”

Taylor raised his head towards her.

“Dr. Lorenson has arrived. He’s your father, right? The one who came with you a few days ago……”

“Ah… Yes!”

Taylor stood up right away, placing a bookmark in his book, pleased.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Father!”

“Yes. Are you doing well?”

Alvin Lorenson was just getting out of the carriage and receiving luggage handed to him by the coachman.

“Well, yes. More or less……”

Though he said that, he actually wasn’t sure.

Taylor received a large bundle of medicinal ingredients his father handed over, looking unsure.

“I’m working hard, but…… Ah, you said you were in charge of grandmother’s burn treatment five years ago, right?”

“Yes. That’s right. She almost died, but we barely saved her. It was a miracle. Is she healthy?”

They continued their conversation as they walked towards the house.

“Yes. Her condition isn’t too bad. Considering her age that I was worried about, her physical state is good. Her mood is generally good too. Though she treats me like she’s seeing me for the first time every day……”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yes. But I heard she does that to the caregiver auntie who’s been seeing her for years too. It seems a bit strange for just forgetfulness……”

Meeting his father, the questions he’d been thinking of came pouring out.

“Has grandmother ever injured her head? The caregiver auntie said she doesn’t know either. She said she’s been like that since she first met her……”

“Hmm….. I only saw her once five years ago, so I don’t know well.”

Alvin Lorenson said as he entered the house with Taylor.

“There are often such cases among the elderly. Recently, there are academic claims that it’s not just old age, but a kind of disease. Is she irritable or shows violent tendencies?”

“No. She’s not like that.”

“Then that’s fortunate at least. Make sure to lock the doors well and take care so she doesn’t run out of the house and get lost.”

Taylor blinked his eyes as he put down the medicinal ingredients on the table.

“She runs out of the house?”

“Yes. It’s something that often happens to such patients.”

Alvin Lorenson continued.

“They go out of the house without knowing what they’re doing and forget the way back. They even forget that they need to come back.”

Taylor’s expression became worried yet ambiguous.

Is it just old age?

He hadn’t seen any adults over seventy besides the head maid Mrs. Hurst around him, so it didn’t quite resonate.

Mrs. Hurst was so sharp that she didn’t seem to be of the same age as Reina’s grandmother, and she was even more vigorous than his father.

The head butler Jim was barely sixty, 10 years younger than her.

Besides them, the only one similar in age to the grandmother, the Grand Duchess, didn’t stay at the mansion and lived far away in a separate villa.

An elderly person with fading and weak memories, Iona grandmother was Taylor’s first experience.

Well, it’s rare to see people over seventy in the first place……

“……”

Should I say it’s fortunate that Reina took good care of her grandmother?

Taylor said as he unpacked the medicinal ingredients and organized them in the cabinet according to his father’s advice.

“Still, I think I should talk to the guardian. If she’s ever been injured…… Since when she’s been like this.”

Taylor subtly laid the groundwork to see Reina.

“Right. That’s what I came to talk about. Have you assessed the symptoms and organized what you need to say?”

“Yes. No problem.”

Dr. Lorenson raised his eyebrows at the unexpectedly willing response.

This kid, not bad?

“……”

However, the next moment, Alvin Lorenson silently stared at his son.

He suddenly noticed his young and handsome son’s good-looking face.

Dr. Lorenson narrowed his eyes.

“You…… perhaps……”

“Yes?”

He remembered his son’s hesitant look when told he’d have to stay out of the mansion for a long time.

Taylor asked back, pretending to be calm as he closed the medicine cabinet.

“……What is it?”

Alvin Lorenson asked.

“Do you perhaps have someone you’re meeting at the mansion?”

“No?”

A shameless immediate answer came out.

“Then do you want to go on a blind date?”

“No?”

An immediate answer with a changed, serious expression.

Dr. Lorenson raised his eyebrows and said.

“Why? There’s Lord MacDuff, a fairly decent gentry* family with a nineteen-year-old youngest daughter. I heard that family is interested in you.”

Taylor answered nonchalantly.

“I’m grateful for the excessive interest. But isn’t there still a ban on noble social gatherings? The noble marriage ban hasn’t been lifted either.”

Dr. Lorenson retorted.

“Anyway, once Earl Arthur goes to the capital and finishes the triumphant ceremony, both the social gathering ban and noble marriage ban will be lifted soon, right? Everyone’s already started making underground contacts. You’re at just the right age too……”

Taylor quickly took the initiative.

“I have someone I like. And I won’t tell you who it is.”

“……”

“……”

Dr. Lorenson, who had been having a staring contest with his son, sighed as if he had expected this to some extent.

“……Is it perhaps one of the maids at the mansion?”

“……”

Taylor didn’t answer.

Dr. Lorenson took off his glasses and pressed his furrowed brow with his fingertips.

It’s obvious since you won’t tell me.

“Honestly, you could even meet a gentry young lady. You know that, right?”

“……”

Taylor kept his mouth shut.

Dr. Lorenson only said that much.

His son, with reddened ears, looked pathetic to him.

No matter how well-treated a maid is on the continent, a maid is just a maid.

Even though he had an attachment to the Julius family and didn’t have much prejudice related to status.

Marriage was a practical matter.

This guy could even present his name card to noble families.

“……”

After 30 years of devotion to the Julius family, building his reputation as a doctor, and forming relationships with many nobles, he had now risen to a position that could be called gentry himself.

It was disappointing that the one his son had set his heart on was a maid.

But it was obvious who such a disposition resembled.

Alvin Lorenson sighed.

“……Don’t cause any trouble. Bring her to meet me later.”

Taylor’s eyes immediately sparkled.

“Really?”

Dr. Lorenson hit his son’s back with annoyed eyes.

“I’m just saying I’ll see her. It doesn’t mean I’ll allow just anyone.”

[This is the timeline separator]

“How are you here? I thought you were going straight to the capital.”

The Crown Prince picked up a fork and speared the one remaining mushroom on Arthur’s plate.

“……”

“……Sorry. It looked delicious seeing the lady eat.”

Arthur sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

“Kyle.”

“Cut me some slack. I want to postpone it.”

“……”

“‘Saved by a bastard and returned?! You should have died honorably in battle!'”

Who was he imitating?

The Crown Prince, who spoke in a theatrical manner changing his voice, shuddered exaggeratedly with an “Ugh.”

Who on earth could speak to the Crown Prince like that?

“I should see Rembrandt too. He’s here, right?”

Then he turned his gaze to Reina.

“He’s my cousin. You know him? Want to meet him together?”

“Ah, no!”

I see.

Earl Rembrandt was His Highness the Crown Prince’s maternal cousin……

For a moment, Reina’s gaze stopped somewhere.

Someone was coming up the stairs to Arthur’s private garden.

Huh?

That person is…..

Earl Rembrandt’s attendant.

The one who sold me the royal newsletter……

Reina stared at him blankly.

He stared back at Reina blankly.

“Ah, sorry. Actually, I already called him.”

The Crown Prince followed Reina’s gaze to look at him and gestured.

“Rembrandt.”

Reina’s eyes widened in shock.

“What?!”

That person is Earl Rembrandt!?

“……Haah.”

Arthur let out a deep sigh and held his forehead.

―――――

*Gentry: People of noble families. In a broad sense, it includes titled nobles, and usually refers to second sons and below of nobles who don’t have titles. They use noble crests and are the ruling class of society. They are lower nobles or wealthy small and medium landowners and local influential figures below the nobility.