Earlier, you mentioned pretending to be fake lovers.

Honestly, I can’t deny that I had considered it a little…

But that’s not my style.

I’m just going to clear up that misunderstanding.

You’ll find out the truth soon enough anyway.

Rather than creating a dramatic scene at an unexpected moment,

I plan to carefully inform you myself to prevent things from escalating.

It’s better that you know before it becomes irreversible.

Although I work for Lord Arthur,

Personally, I hope the lady can be happy and safe if possible.

Lord Arthur is the most amazing person I know, but

I think the lady would be happier somewhere other than by his side.

You have a family to protect, and

You’re not prepared to get involved in life-threatening political strife, are you?

You should protect her.

As you’ve guessed, Lord Arthur is wavering because of her, but

If you think you can make her happy,

He will eventually let her go safely.

If you’re sincere about her, don’t give up.

I’ll help you.

[This is the timeline separator]

Crackle.

Sparks flew from the fireplace.

A red glow from the fireplace and candlesticks colored the dark room filled with a pale, cold air.

Though he didn’t need the lighting,

Arthur quietly lifted the candlestick and lit each candle.

Whoosh…

The autumn night air was cold.

As if rain would fall soon, damp night wind tapped on the windowpane.

Though closed, cold air seeped through the window.

Reina curled up in her sleep, as if cold.

Drawing the curtains over the window, Arthur approached the bed and carefully covered her with a blanket.

[This is the timeline separator]

“……”

Reina quietly woke from her sleep.

The sky was pitch black.

The fireplace was burning in the darkness.

The firelight reflected and flickered on Arthur’s gray eyes and black hair.

“……”

“……”

As their eyes met, he smiled.

He was sitting within arm’s reach.

Reina quietly looked into his eyes and said,

“……It’s the middle of the night.”

Arthur smiled brightly and put down the book he was holding.

“Were you tired? You slept for a long time.”

“Were you waiting?”

Arthur answered.

“Yes. I felt I should wait as long as you had waited.”

Reina chuckled softly.

“Thank you. But it’s a waste of time….. Next time, please wake me if I’m sleeping.”

Arthur looked down and smiled.

“Alright. I’ll wake you next time. As long as you don’t look too tired.”

Reina smiled as she looked up at him.

Arthur combed her hair with his hand.

Reina shifted comfortably, accepting his touch.

“Were you waiting for me?”

Reina smiled.

“Yes. A little.”

So next time, if you’re going to be late or can’t come home. Please let me know.

I understand.

Reina stared at him for a moment, then murmured softly.

“You really are. Handsome.”

“……”

Arthur stared at her intently.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I must not be fully awake yet.”

Perhaps thanks to the darkness hiding her face color,

Reina managed to feign nonchalance quite successfully.

But Arthur noticed her throat and ears getting hot as she cleared her throat softly, and he smiled.

“You looked very pretty today too. Your dress was more elaborate than usual. You braided your hair… And wore earrings.”

He gently combed through her hair with his fingers, undoing the remaining traces of the braid, and asked.

“Why don’t you dress up like this when you’re with me?”

“……”

The feeling of his fingers on her scalp was pleasant.

Reina closed her eyes.

Perhaps because she had laid everything bare, somehow an honest answer came out very easily.

“I thought it might seem… Like I was getting overly presumptuous ideas.”

Arthur continued to gently undo her hair as he spoke.

“I thought you didn’t like dressing up much since I’ve never seen you like this normally.”

Reina answered with her eyes closed, feeling his touch.

“I don’t dislike dressing up. But it’s not mine.”

Arthur asked after a short pause.

“Why did you dress up so beautifully today?”

Reina answered slowly.

“Brody did it for me today. I didn’t ask her to…”

The maid?

Yes. I must have looked depressed.

She probably thought dressing up would make me feel better.

…She’s a kind friend.

“…Were you depressed because I didn’t come?”

“……”

Reina was silent for a moment, then said quietly.

“…That was part of it… But it wasn’t because I had any other expectations.”

“……”

“I just felt like we parted without a proper goodbye. Silly, isn’t it?”

And Reina went on at length about how hard Brody had worked to dress her up.

“I see.”

Arthur’s voice resonated in the room.

“…I wondered why you dressed up so beautifully.”

Reina smiled slightly with her eyes closed.

“…I won’t dress up anymore from now on.”

Arthur said calmly.

“No. Dress up. Be as pretty as you want.”

“……”

“When you meet Taylor Lorenson. Dress up prettily when you meet him.”

“……”

Reina opened her eyes.

She couldn’t see Arthur’s face clearly.

His voice continued.

“But when you’re with me too. Dress up as prettily as you want.”

“……”

The candle burned quietly.

“I hope you don’t think it’s presumptuous.”

For some reason, her throat felt dry.

Reina averted her gaze from him and quietly looked at the burning candle.

His voice continued.

“Shall we get you a new dress? For you. Winter is coming soon.”

Crackle. Crackle.

The sound of burning wood was quiet.

Sparks quietly flew inside the fireplace.

Reina answered with a smile.

“Shall we?”

Fine raindrops shook the window.

Arthur asked.

“Is your ear alright?”

Reina answered softly, trying not to sound choked up.

“Yes.”

His touch reached her ear.

“Are you going to wear earrings? Or let it heal?”

“I’ll wear them.”

I think I’ll leave that much of a trace.

So I can try dressing up in front of you too.

Reina looked at the fireplace with a smiling face and quietly opened her mouth.

Lord Arthur.

Yes.

This might be an unnecessary explanation, but…

Yes.

I don’t mean anything else, just…

I’m just saying this in case you misunderstood, but…

Taylor is not my lover.

Arthur stroked her hair and said,

“…Yes. I heard.”

Arthur opened his mouth.

“…I misunderstood.”

“……”

Reina answered after a moment.

“Yes… I thought you might have. Lord Cay misunderstood too.”

Silence fell for a moment.

Arthur said.

“I didn’t know you meant you wanted to know about your family’s safety.”

Then he smiles slightly apologetically.

“I don’t have a family, so. I didn’t think of it.”

Though he’s apologizing calmly,

He wore a slightly stiff, sheepish smile.

“I’ll let you meet your grandmother anytime. No… Cay already said all that.”

Cay. Good job.

Arthur just muttered that.

“……”

“……”

After a brief silence, Arthur spoke again.

“I might have… Seemed like I was threatening your family. Saying I didn’t want you to meet them, talking like that.”

“……”

Reina seemed to be pondering whether she had felt that way.

“…I don’t know. I think I was out of my mind then too.”

“Really?”

He smiles.

“…I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner. Such an explanation also felt… Presumptuous somehow.”

“……”

Silence flowed for a while.

Arthur quietly opened his mouth.

“Did you see the marriage contract I gave you?”

“……”

Arthur looked at the fireplace as if recalling a distant past.

“…My fate depended on that war.”

He began his story.

“That contract states that if I achieve merits in the war, the imperial family will recognize me as part of the imperial family and grant me a duke title. It also says that if I achieve merits significant enough to elevate the name of ‘Julius’, I’ll be recognized as a co-ruler within the family equal to the ‘head of family’, with the imperial family guaranteeing it. It also stated that if I die honorably in battle, I’ll be buried in the imperial tomb as a son of the imperial family.”

“……”

“Instead, if I fail to achieve merits or die dishonorably, the marriage would be as if it never happened. The imperial family would remain silent about me, and there was a condition for Julius’ dowry to be secretly returned in full.”

“……”

“Much depended on the tip of my sword.”

His voice was low,

Like the sound of wind,

Like the sound of dry firewood burning.

“……”

Arthur smiled slightly and lowered his head to look at his fingertips.

“The idea of living a life like Ryan Dalton was quite comforting to me for a long time.”

“……”

“At first I didn’t think much of it… But it started coming to mind more and more often.”

Once in a while at first.

Then more frequently.

And at some point, quite often.

Almost always when there was a difficult battle.

“……”

It wasn’t that I wanted to become Ryan Dalton

I just remembered those words.

That someone had said such a thing to me.

“……”

Arthur smiled calmly.

“The Roath viscounty is the family that raised me, and without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today. But they couldn’t make me feel the affection of family.”

“……”

“Roath always said I should reclaim my honor, rights, and status.”

“……”

“Of course, I’m grateful for those words. They were for my sake.”

Arthur smiled calmly.

“But no one ever told me it was okay to abandon everything and run away to live.”

“……”

So,

Arthur looked at Reina.

“I guess that’s why I kept mulling over your words.”