“No, I was just wondering if it would be difficult to continue practicing given the distance.”

“Heh, sadly for you, I have no intention of letting you slack off. I’ll whip you into shape if you do.”

“…”

“Why, why are you smiling? Did you really not plan to come back?”

Roger kept interrogating me, anxious that I might never return. He only stopped after he had found out the exact address of Polong Ga.

My somewhat good mood turned heavy as soon as we entered Roskoph Village. Was it because the sound of instruments that usually greeted us at the entrance sounded weaker today?

I felt empty inside.

Scanning the surroundings, I noticed storm clouds gathering in the sky. Shop owners were packing up their wares. Some stores were even closing early due to a lack of customers.

There were no children selling flowers or newspapers on the street. The atmosphere, to put it mildly, was somber.

After a few minutes, our carriage stopped, presumably in front of the Bacchus estate.

“It looks like we already have a guest. That carriage looks familiar.”

Roger, who got off first, commented. Following him, I spotted a carriage parked in front of the Bacchus estate and frowned.

It had an elaborate golden border and floral patterns. The overall color was wine red, but the door was closer to dark brown. As Roger said, it looked familiar.

“…Delphinium.”

The golden floral pattern was delphinium. That flower was one my father liked. The very familiar carriage was my father’s.

“Lise, what’s wrong?”

Roger asked, noticing my hesitation. A sense of oppression and unease enveloped me. I felt strange and uncomfortable.

“Ah, no, it’s just that the carriage is so flamboyant.”

The carriage kept bothering me. I wanted to ask Roger, but he seemed to have no idea who owned it. I looked at the carriage from all angles.

‘It looks exactly the same…’

The carriage in front of me was undoubtedly my father’s.

“…”

If this was my father’s carriage, why was he at the Bacchus estate? I hadn’t seen him in a few days, so I had no way of knowing why he was there.

“Roger… is your father also at the estate right now?”

“My father is in the capital for work on a commissioned piece. He won’t be back for a few days.”

That meant Roger’s father was not currently in the estate. Feeling uneasy, I grabbed Roger’s sleeve as he moved to enter the mansion.

“What’s wrong, Lise?”

“I’m just… concerned we might disturb your guest.”

“It’s not like we’re staying. We’re just dropping off a letter, okay?”

Roger looked puzzled.

“Still.”

“Besides, if the letter is for Mrs. Marsen—your mother—it’s important. If you’re worried, wait here. I’ll go in and come right back.”

As Roger tried to enter the estate alone, I gripped his sleeve tighter. His brow furrowed.

“…Lise.”

“…”

“Lise!”

Roger waved his hand in front of my face.
“Why are you acting like this? Are you okay?”

“…I’m fine.”

“If it’s hard, you can skip the violin lesson today.”

“Ah, no. And I will go in too.”

Determined, I moved my feet toward the Baccus mansion. Contrary to my expectation, nothing would be happening inside the mansion. It was better for me to see this with my own eyes and be at ease.

Roger carefully opened the door so as not to disturb the guest. Holding his arm tightly, I entered the mansion and held my breath at the surprisingly quiet interior.

“What’s this?”

Not only the mother and the guest but also the absence of the maids made Roger hunch his shoulders, sensing something was off. The atmosphere was tense.

Roger’s other arm gripped my hand. He led the way to the reception room.

“Roger, maybe we should just leave…”

“Be quiet, Lise. I hear something.”

We reached the door of the reception room. A dull sound and a faint male voice were heard.

“… ”

“… ”

“Step back, Lise.”

Roger glanced at me once before gently opening the door handle.

“A, an object fell.”

The voice of Mrs. Baccus was heard. Roger’s tense shoulders slightly relaxed. Just when he was feeling relieved…

“It’s fine. It didn’t break. See, it’s intact.”

“But, but that object was a gift from him…”

“Forget about your husband and focus on me now.”

It was my father’s voice.

Sensing the situation first, I squeezed Roger’s hand, but he didn’t budge.

“…Ro, Roger.”

Whether shocked by my mother’s infidelity or not, Roger’s body stiffened. Unfocused, Roger let go of the door handle.

The door slowly opened.

“Count! Someone seems to be here!”

“What?”

Our eyes met with Mrs. Baccus and the Count, who were embracing each other on the bed.

“… ”

“… ”

It felt like time had stopped, yet as if my blood was flowing in reverse. I was sure everyone here felt the same.

“Ah!”

My father, who quickly understood the situation, pushed away the Mrs. Baccus he was holding. She also saw Roger’s frozen face and trembled her lips.

“Kids, this is a misunderstanding…”

“What are you?”

Roger’s voice was lower than ever before. He scanned my father and his eyes widened.

“…What.”

“… ”

“…You’re Count Marsen, aren’t you.”

Roger had recognized that he was my father.