Reina quickly stopped crying and held back the knights.

Reina told the knights blocking between her and Taylor that she was fine and wanted to talk to Taylor, and the knights quietly retreated at her request.

But Taylor seemed even more shocked by the situation.

There was a sense that Taylor was quietly enduring the shock from the moment he first saw Reina in a dress.

The face that had maintained composure until greeting Reina with “Young lady.” was now visibly stiffened.

Reina, whose mind had calmed down considerably after crying once, could notice Taylor’s stiff expression.

“……”

Taylor didn’t seem certain either, but it seemed he had somewhat guessed why I was here and came prepared.

Taylor looked at the knights with a stiff face.

I couldn’t quite read his eyes.

But I think I knew what he was concerned about.

Reina gathered her hesitant thoughts.

I must speak as Christina.

If I speak honestly as Reina in front of the knights, it will reveal that I’ve been exposed to the knights or that I’ve confessed everything.

Then Taylor will get a headache trying to protect me from the duchess.

I shouldn’t involve Taylor and Professor Lorenson…

How should I bring up grandmother’s story as the young lady?

At that moment.

“……”

Taylor took out a thick stack of papers and a pen from his bag and said.

It was a calm voice.

“I apologize, young lady. It’s my first time, so I stumbled a bit. I hope I didn’t make you too uncomfortable… Are you alright?”

Reina nodded reflexively and looked at him.

Taylor naturally lowered his gaze and continued speaking.

“…I’ll prescribe some medicinal tea for you in a bit. First, I’d like to report on the task you entrusted me with. Shall we do that?”

“……”

Reina’s wavering gaze stopped on the papers he had taken out.

Reina’s eyes widened.

【 October −−

Grandmother was in a good mood today.

Again today, she didn’t recognize me, so I reintroduced myself as ‘Taylor Lorenson’.

She almost stumbled on the stairs, so I laid several layers of soft blankets on the floor in case she falls.

…She had potato stew and soft bread for her meal.

She seemed to have an upset stomach after taking the juniper berry medicine I prescribed last time

So I prescribed a gentler medicine along with stomach medicine.

Her meal portions are on the small side, but she eats more if encouraged, though on days she eats a lot she feels bloated, so this amount seems appropriate… 】

【 September −−

She woke up late today, perhaps because of the cloudy weather.

As she usually wakes up early, I’m rather relieved that she slept in.

She’s in a better mood on days she takes walks, but we skipped the walk today because of the cold wind.

Need to consider whether the benefits of walking outweigh the burden of the cold wind.

…For her meal, she had one apple, one pancake, and an egg dish.

She likes the pancakes I make and sometimes asks for them, but I’m careful not to let her have too much maple syrup.

She seems to have knee joint pain, so I prescribed her medicine. 】

What Taylor had taken out was a daily medical journal of grandmother.

How could this be…

Reina covered her mouth.

She could see at a glance that grandmother was doing well.

Reina was utterly captivated by it.

It felt like her chest was filling up with something.

“Thank you for entrusting me with a task I can do enjoyably. I’m working happily as she always treats me kindly.”

Taylor said calmly, lowering his gaze to the journal he had written.

“For now, I’m looking after her like this, and as you can see, I’m keeping a journal.”

And he started writing a memo in the corner of that journal with his pen.

Reina’s gaze, which had been reading Taylor’s journal intently, reflexively followed there.

Taylor’s hand quickly wrote words in the corner.

“?”

【 Cross-shaped scar on left hand. Blue-green iris, mole on right side of neck. If it’s your grandmother, look down. 】

Reina’s eyes widened.

Taylor was calmly reciting words completely unrelated to his memo.

“Is this alright as it is? If there’s anything else you’d like me to record, I’d like to add it.”

【 … Cross-shaped scar on hand. Blue-green iris, mole on right side of neck. If it’s your grandmother, look down. 】

The ink that had wet the paper was quickly evaporating and disappearing as soon as it formed the letters.

What was moistened on the pen tip was not ink, but water… no, it seemed to be colorless alcohol.

“…!”

The words written in alcohol were disappearing within seconds of being written.

But it was enough time for Reina to read.

—Cross-shaped scar on left hand. Blue-green eyes, mole on right side of neck?

Reina stared blankly at it, and only after all the writing had disappeared did she jolt and raise her head.

And she almost nodded reflexively with bewildered eyes at Taylor,

Realizing that wasn’t right, she hurriedly ‘lowered her gaze’.

And then raised her gaze.

—It’s grandmother. It’s our grandmother.

It became a gesture as if she had nodded.

Taylor naturally covered Reina’s action as if it were an answer to his question.

“That’s a relief.”

While verbally talking about grandmother’s symptoms and daily routine,

Taylor began writing.

【 Do you need help? 】

Taylor raised his eyes from the paper and stared at Reina.

Reina’s eyes wavered.

【 If you want, I can make you collapse tonight. 】

Reina’s eyes widened.

“First, let me tell you about the health of the patient you’ve entrusted to me.”

Taylor was calmly continuing with words completely different from his hand.

【 If you collapse, I’ll come to take care of you. 】

“It may be too early to judge, but from what I’ve observed so far, she’s in very good shape for her age.”

And Taylor’s hand wrote completely different words.

【 If you want, touch your necklace. 】

Taylor and Reina’s eyes met.

“Still, given her age, we need to be careful so she doesn’t fall or anything.”

Taylor quietly continued speaking.

“Elderly people have weak bones and slow recovery, you see.”

Reina’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

Make me collapse tonight?

No, no.

Don’t make me collapse.

Reina finally realized how she must have appeared to Taylor.

Had been missing.

A stand-in for the young lady.

Being watched by knights.

Came out with puffy eyes, and burst into tears as soon as she saw Taylor.

He’s worried about me.

With such serious content!

For a moment, Reina was so grateful yet flustered that she forgot what to say.

Taylor moved his hand while staring into Reina’s eyes.

“Yesterday, she almost fell on the stairs… Thinking it might be dangerous, I laid blankets on the floor.”

While saying completely different words with his mouth.

The sentence ‘If you want, I can make you collapse tonight’ disappeared smoothly and new words were quickly added below.

【 If you don’t want to, touch your earring. Then I’ll come again tomorrow. 】

You can come again tomorrow?

Reina, almost holding her breath, fumbled to touch her earring.

If you want to collapse tonight, necklace; if you don’t want to, earring.

So I touch the earring.

I don’t need to collapse today.

Taylor, are you thinking I need to be taken out of here right away?

It’s okay. Thank you.

But I need to not leave here for now.

I agreed to talk to those people after meeting you.

“Ah.”

Reina blinked her eyes for a moment.

As her fumbling hand caught on the earring somewhere, her ear felt hot.

Reflexively, Taylor jumped up from his seat and approached Reina.

However, the knights trying to protect Reina instantly approached and blocked his approach again.

Sharp gazes poured down.

“What’s the matter?”

The noble knight wearing a monocle asked.

Taylor, belatedly but quickly, said.

“Excuse me for a moment. The young lady’s ear is bleeding. It seems to be because of the earring.”

Seeing that both of Reina’s earlobes were red and one was bleeding, the knights exchanged glances.

“May I touch her for a moment? I think I need to remove the earring. If not, please call a lady-in-waiting.”

“……”

The knight briefly considered, but seemed to judge that calling a lady-in-waiting would rather hinder the surveillance.

After checking Reina’s intention and seeing her nod, the knights allowed Taylor to approach.

Taylor carefully examined Reina’s ear and removed the earring to avoid hurting the wound.

“……”

Reina had never had her ears pierced.

Looking at the condition, it seemed that after piercing the ear once, the wound that was half-healed from not wearing earrings again had been reopened.

One side was bleeding from being pulled wrong.

Taylor calmly prepared for dressing.

“…The earring caused a wound. I’ll disinfect it for you.”

“……”

Taylor laid a cotton cloth on the table and placed a tray with gauze, tweezers, and disinfectant on it.

“Since it’s a gold needle, the risk of infection is not high, but this earring is too heavy to wear while there’s still a wound. Wear something lighter until the wound heals. And don’t touch your ear.”

Taylor carefully began dressing.

Two knights watched closely from both sides.

Reina, who was letting Taylor tend to her ear wound with somewhat embarrassed and complex feelings, suddenly blinked.

…She felt a breeze.

Bang!

And the door opened.

Everyone’s gaze turned towards the door.

“What are you doing?”

Arthur, who had entered the room, instantly walked over and pushed Taylor away.

And glared at him while standing behind her.

“Don’t touch her. She’s my wife. I only allowed conversation.”