Reina explained to Kay what she had done so far.

Kay listened attentively, writing her words on paper, and occasionally confirming Reina’s statements.

It wasn’t an interrogation atmosphere.

Kay’s voice was casual.

It was as peaceful as explaining how to repot a plant without killing it.

However, despite the considerate voice, given the content, Reina found herself swallowing dryly.

“The one who gave the order was the Marchioness, and the route for sending out information was by writing notes and delivering them, correct?”

“Yes.”

“You had passed on a note once before, and this was the second time, which was seen by Lord Arthur and Lord Tristan.”

Reina nodded.

The statement confirmation continued.

“The information passed on was about meeting His Highness the Crown Prince in that appearance and being invited to the debutante ball. And that Lord Arthur doesn’t eat mushrooms… These two things, is that correct?”

Reina glanced cautiously.

“…Yes. Even if you don’t believe me… I have no way to prove it, but…”

Kay said nonchalantly.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just procedure to ask once more.”

Kay peacefully confirmed whether Arthur’s information matched Reina’s statement, and filled in new information they didn’t have before.

“Was the route for delivering the notes through a maid or the physician?”

“…”

For the first time, Reina was unable to answer and kept her mouth shut.

It seemed like a question where the person being reported might be harmed.

While she had prepared herself mentally and fortunately received Lord Arthur’s favor,

Would Lord Arthur and Lord Kay show mercy to Dr. Lorenson as well?

“…Please just take this for today.”

“One day is fine.”

Reina didn’t want Dr. Lorenson, who had given her medicine secretly from the Marchioness, to be harmed because of her.

She was also concerned that Dr. Lorenson wanted to continue working for the Julius family that Lord Arthur would inherit.

“That’s… I…”

“…”

Kay quietly looked at Reina as if waiting for her answer.

Reina anxiously gripped the inside of her sleeve and bit her lip.

“If I tell you who it is, that…”

“You don’t have to say.”

“…Pardon?”

Kay lowered his gaze to the paper.

Kay’s hand moved calmly over the paper.

“You’re worried they might be harmed, right? I understand. Exercise your right to remain silent.”

“…”

Reina was a bit moved by Lord Kay’s kindness and choked up.

Such a kind interrogation.

“…”

And those slightly teary eyes and flushed cheeks.

Tightly pursing her lips and trying hard to hold something back while pretending to be fine…

Seeing that expression clearly on her face, Kay once again missed the hardened spies and prisoners.

She’d be utterly useless as a double agent.

Not even close.

Kay held back a sigh that was about to escape.

The courier was obvious anyway.

It must be the physician, Alvin Lorenson.

The maids were always on standby in the direct maid waiting room.

It seemed the maids were sometimes called to the ‘real Lady Christina’ as well, but the reason for using those two interchangeably was probably because only those two among the maids knew about this situation.

They showed signs of being somewhat anxious because they didn’t know.

There were no other suspicious movements.

On the other hand, Alvin Lorenson always went to see the Marchioness after meeting the Lady under the pretext of treating the Marchioness who had fallen down the stairs.

So it was boringly obvious that Alvin Lorenson had received the intelligence notes.

Pretending not to know such easily guessable information by saying she could exercise her right to remain silent, as if being considerate, and gaining the naive lady’s emotion and trust, suddenly made him feel like a scoundrel like Francis.

Kay only swallowed inwardly.

Of course, outwardly, he maintained the poker face of a gentle intellectual, perfectly calm.

“Then let’s move on to the next topic.”

Reina’s eyes suddenly brightened as she nodded.

She seemed eager to answer cooperatively to anything.

Kay asked calmly in the same voice as before.

“Do you have any requests for us?”

“Pardon?”

Kay continued.

“Like if you need any immediate help, or if there’s any inconvenience.”

“…”

Reina looked at Kay with slightly surprised eyes.

What I want…?

Of course, something immediately came to mind, but she hesitated to blurt it out as if she had been waiting for this.

She shrank back momentarily, as if exposing her neck.

Kay continued speaking.

“For now, we’re thinking of replacing the maids. We thought you might be uncomfortable.”

“…Replace the maids?”

“Yes. Is there anyone who’s inconvenient? It might take some time to find new people, but if there’s someone who’s immediately uncomfortable, we’ll change them as quickly as possible. Of course, if you want, we can have both maids stop coming right away. If you can bear the inconvenience of not having maids to help you immediately.”

Reina’s eyes wavered.

At the mention of replacing maids, she immediately recalled Brody looking at her with desperate eyes saying, ‘Please don’t abandon me…’

Reina lowered her gaze and fidgeted with her hands absentmindedly.

The opportunity to replace the maids… That the choice really came to me.

It felt strange.

But if I replace Brody here, won’t she face the Marchioness’s wrath?

Saying, what suspicious thing did you do to be replaced as a maid when I didn’t order anything?

Following the desperate Brody, Marina also came to mind, who despite being prickly, had anticipated and answered what she would be anxious and curious about.

She was a considerate girl despite pretending to be prickly.

Without time to think deeply, Reina opened her mouth and stammered.

“The, the maids are fine. I like Brody and Marina. They’re not inconvenient. You don’t need to replace them…”

It was because the ‘maid’s hardships’ that they might experience if they were replaced came to mind.

“…”

Kay stared blankly at Reina.

I thought she’d want to change either both or at least one.

She says she’ll keep both.

The maids are fine, you naive and foolish young lady.

Then that means you were handing the notes to the physician.

[This is the timeline separator]

At that time.

A low-ranking knight who had jumped off his horse urgently knocked on the door of the Julius Marquis mansion.

The guards guarding the main gate of the Marquis mansion naturally blocked the door and asked with whom in the mansion he had an appointment.

Of course, without a prior appointment, the knight who was not given permission began to plead, stammering to call for ‘Lord Arthur’ or ‘Lord Lucan’.

If that was difficult, he asked to at least pass on the message that there was a knight looking for them regarding ‘Lord Dylan’s matter’.

Of course, the Marquis mansion was not a place where an ordinary knight could enter by pleading like this, but the Marquis’s guards looked at each other.

They were servants who followed the orders of the Marquis and Marchioness, but they also understood the recent atmosphere in the mansion, so they guessed that if they turned away a knight looking for ‘Lord Arthur’ on their own, it could become a big problem.

But they were also afraid to simply open the door for a visitor looking for Lord Arthur.

On the contrary, they thought Lord Arthur might thunder at them, ‘You dare to seek me for such a trivial matter?’, ‘Are you going to bring in everyone who claims they need to see me?’, ‘Didn’t you hear that I don’t meet anyone except for official duties as a victorious general?’

Such mishaps were very common for servants of high nobility.

If they were important knights to Arthur, their names would already be widely known through newsletters, but ‘Lord Dylan’ was a name they were hearing for the first time, and the visiting knight didn’t seem to be of very high rank, which also played a part.

When asked if it was official business, the knight couldn’t answer that it was.

The guards, feeling perplexed, said that if he explained the situation, they could ask one of Commander Arthur’s close knights if they could meet him, depending on the matter.

[This is the timeline separator]

An aura swirled around Arthur.

“…”

Arthur unclasped his hands on his knees and stood up from his seat.

“…?”

Tristan looked up at him quizzically.

“Your Excellency?”

Arthur calmly looked down at Tristan as he fastened his cufflinks.

“Get up, Tristan. We need to go out.”

“Pardon?”

Tristan questioned but immediately stood up.

Arthur’s face, which rarely lost its smile when starting to speak, was expressionless.

“What’s the matter?”

Arthur answered briefly as he turned his head.

“Dylan’s business.”

At the name of his old comrade from Arthur’s lips, Tristan paused.

Dylan.

It was a name that could make all four of Arthur’s closest men pause for a moment.

Just as Tristan was about to step forward, Lionel opened the office door.

He seemed to have forgotten even to knock in his urgency.

“…Your Excellency!”

Lionel called him from outside the door.

Though calling calmly, his eyes were unusual.

Behind him stood a knight who had presumably brought urgent news about Dylan, with anxious eyes.

Without even asking what the problem was, Tristan immediately put on his coat and asked.

“If it’s a matter I should accompany you on, shall I call Lucan as well?”

Arthur nodded briefly.

“Call him.”

And as Arthur brushed past Lionel, he lowered his voice and left instructions.

“…Tell Kay to report separately about the conversation with my wife.”

Lionel nodded.

“Understood.”

Arthur withdrew his aura.

[This is the timeline separator]

“…?”

For a moment, Reina paused and blinked.

Kay, noticing Reina’s strange sign, asked.

“My lady? What’s wrong?”

Reina rubbed her nape with a slightly puzzled face.

“Suddenly, a wind…”

“Wind?”

Kay, seemingly not having felt it, turned his head with a puzzled look to see if a window was open.

“…?”

But in the quiet reception room, there was nowhere for wind to enter.

Reina noticed this too and trailed off, unsure.

“I thought I felt… a wind…”

[This is the timeline separator]

Arthur’s closest knights were originally five.

Tristan Gottfried, Kay Ford, Lucan Rushman, Lionel Jackson.

And Dylan Osborn.

However, the war left deep scars on Dylan Osborn, who had been one of Arthur’s most excellent closest knights, and he was unable to return as a knight until the final battle line.

Fortunately, he was able to return alive, but he was suffering from severe torture aftereffects.

He couldn’t walk despite not having lost his legs.

He suffered from severe neurosis,

And attempted suicide once.

He only recently returned with the latest group, along with those who had lost limbs or were severely injured.

Quietly, with the injured and disabled soldiers, behind the honored knights who were welcomed with a grand victory ceremony.

[This is the timeline separator]

Just before Arthur, Tristan, and Lucan mounted their horses.

The knight briefly reported the situation.

“Lord Dylan Osborn has attempted suicide by poison.”

It was the second suicide attempt.