“Ah, wait a moment, Alejandro. Let’s clarify the forms of address first. You understand, right?”

Words that made her heart shudder every time she heard them were now off-limits. Nerea casually waved her hand in front of Alejandro’s eyes.

Judging by the slight pain she felt, it seemed she had indeed trained quite intensely yesterday.

But all of that was a secret from Alejandro.

“I’m not a knight anymore. I can’t…”

“…”

“I can’t wield a sword anymore.”

At those quiet words, Alejandro’s eyes flashed sharply. But Nerea spoke calmly, as if unaware of the gaze fixed on her hand.

“I can’t even remember when I last handled a sword. It’s been too long, hasn’t it?”

When Alejandro didn’t respond, Nerea added jokingly,

“But now I can hold cups well, and I’ve gotten quite good. Feel free to visit anytime from now on.”

“Where would I go?”

“What?”

Nerea asked back with a puzzled expression. Alejandro blinked his large eyes, equally confused.

“You told me to come in.”

She couldn’t understand what he meant. Just then, the sound of the door opening was heard. It was Heather.

“Miss, there’s someone outside…”

Heather’s voice trailed off timidly, and her eyes widened in an instant. Too surprised to say anything, Nerea quickly introduced her to Heather.

“Ah, Alejandro. This is Heather, the only maid in this townhouse. And this is…”

How should she explain? He used to be an attendant, but now she wasn’t a knight, so he couldn’t be called an attendant…

While Nerea hesitated, Alejandro twisted his lips into a somewhat unpleasant smile before speaking in a kind voice.

“Nice to meet you, Heather. I’m Alejandro, the knight’s only attendant.”

Alejandro introduced himself without his surname. Noticing the curious glance, he continued with a smooth brow.

“And the person outside is my assistant.”

Assistant? Had he received a knighthood now? But Alejandro didn’t seem inclined to satisfy her curiosity, quickly saying,

“I’ll organize the luggage outside gradually. There’s still a lot that hasn’t arrived. Could we check the storage room or stable first?”

“Things that haven’t arrived?”

Nerea’s eyes widened. Alejandro chuckled softly, the corners of his mouth lifting gently.

“You know, I always carried heavy luggage.”

That’s right. She clearly remembered him lugging around loads much bigger than his own size. As Nerea smiled slightly in recognition, Alejandro bowed his head lightly and headed towards the doorway.

“Ah, is it alright if I shorten this lamp cord a bit?”

He didn’t forget to grab the cord while standing under the lampshade. Seeing the shadows cast on Alejandro’s face under the bright light, Nerea simply nodded.

As the door closed, Heather blinked, looking towards where Alejandro had left. Her face, which had shown admiration and longing for the handsome man, suddenly turned pale as if realizing something.

“He’s very beautiful and handsome. And so tall too.”

Heather spoke haltingly, her face looking sad. Unable to understand why, Nerea answered truthfully.

“That’s right.”

The pale face turned ashen. Heather’s voice trembled as if about to cry.

“He’s not like me, who ruins bread and upsets you, is he?”

Only then did Nerea smile a little. The faint anxiety seemed to stem from Alejandro introducing himself as an attendant.

“Even so, the role of head maid in ‘this country house’ can’t change, can it?”

Heather’s ears perked up. Nerea lowered her voice even more.

“You know this house best, and I really like ruined bread. And…”

Ruined bread. Her pronunciation trembled very slightly, but Heather didn’t seem to notice. So Nerea lifted her wrist once. And she smiled the kind of smile that only those sharing a secret would make.

“You’re also the one who brews my medicine best.”

Finally, Heather’s face brightened. Her face, flushed with joy, turned triumphantly.

“That’s right! Then I’ll guide those people to the storage room.”

“Heather. Wait a moment.”

The place Heather had turned to was right under the lamp. Recalling Alejandro’s much larger face, Nerea muttered without realizing,

“A little later.”

That child was always like that.

Pretending to be skilled, but still too young to hide even the trembling of his eyelashes as he tried to collect his emotions.

Nerea quietly looked out the door where he had left. He would probably be out there.

.

.

.

But since it had always been just the two of them, Nerea didn’t know that the soundproofing in this house was poor.

She didn’t know that Alejandro, who had gone out the door and turned around, had leaned against the wall, let out a shaky breath, and slowly closed his eyes.

He really hasn’t changed at all.

That kindness, that consideration without showing it. Even the calluses on his hands were still the same.

“Ugh-”

The sound of retching broke the sentiment, and his relaxed eyes narrowed sharply. Alejandro spoke quietly.

“…What is it?”

“Just… a moment.”

Leaning against the carriage half-hidden in darkness, Johnny bent over and retched.

He thought he had seen everything there was to see in the world, but this… ‘That’ Alejandro Rosa acting coy!

Johnny’s stomach was turning so much he felt like he wanted to wash out a part of his brain.

“Johnny Hamilton, what about the exhibition in Lessor? Did you set up the guards properly? Any letters about the Count’s proxy or that disgusting wife?”

“Just… just a moment.”

He had followed right behind Alejandro, so what was this about the exhibition in the provinces and the affairs of Count Esteban’s proxy? He had no choice but to follow when Alejandro suddenly ran off looking like he was about to die.

But the indifferent question came only once. There was no mercy for those who couldn’t answer.

“I’ll ask the same questions in twenty-four hours.”

Johnny knew well that this meant he was to have perfect answers exactly twenty-four hours later. Crazy bastard. How far was it from here to the provinces?

But as soon as Alejandro entered the carriage, Johnny quickly separated one horse from the carriage and hurriedly mounted it.

Twenty-four hours.

It was far from enough time to make a round trip from the provinces to Alpern, but there were no excuses that would work with Alejandro Rosa.

Late at night. Nerea’s room on the second floor.

“As you said, I showed Alejandro to the bedroom on the first floor. It seems he brought a lot of things. He keeps unloading stuff from the carriage.”

It was just as Heather had said.

In front of the house where light barely reached, Alejandro kept taking things out of the large carriage. From a large bed frame to pretty tables, chairs, and even an exotic patterned carpet.

As if noticing her gaze, Alejandro looked up at Nerea’s window and smiled brightly.

“But, Miss.”

“Yes?”

Nerea turned to Heather absentmindedly and pressed her lips together. Heather’s face was full of curiosity.

“Was that person really your attendant? Then, that Lord Jenax I had an interview with at that time…”

“That’s right. Lord Johan Jenax’s younger brother.”

“Oh my…!”

Heather covered her mouth with her palm. Nerea laughed at her surprised face with her brown eyes almost popping out, and clearly heard Heather’s muttering voice.

“As expected, rumors can’t be trusted. I really thought he was dead.”

“Dead?”

Oops.

Heather belatedly realized her mistake, but the miss’s aqua eyes were already looking straight at her.

The round smile like a lazy summer afternoon had disappeared from her eyes, which now looked cold. The unique atmosphere that sent chills down one’s spine was frightening.

Heather unconsciously clenched her hands. They were clammy with sweat.

“Well…”

A quiet conversation ensued, almost like whispers. And just as Nerea lowered her gaze to the floor,

Knock knock-.

At the knocking sound breaking the heavy silence, Heather opened the door, excessively welcoming.

Mr. Alejandro!

The competitor she had worried would take over her maid position just moments ago was now no different from Heather’s savior.

“I-I’ll be going now. Then, good night, Miss.”

With a perfect excuse, Heather hurriedly left Nerea’s room.

Alejandro tilted his head, looking at the space where she had left, closing the door behind her. Then he turned to Nerea and smiled brightly.

“I’m sorry for being away so long. I couldn’t even help you change.”

Looking at that clear face, Nerea swallowed. Words that were neither organized nor refined scratched painfully at the back of her throat.

“…It’s okay. Do you like the room? Even though we cleaned it in a hurry, it’s been empty for a long time, so you might need a lot of things.”

“It’s very nice. You know, I can sleep well even on dirt floors.”

Only after hearing that glib remark did Nerea manage to smile a little. Liar.

“Well. I only remember the little boy who cried when he first entered the barracks.”

“You really remember everything.”

Alejandro smiled sheepishly. His face seemed new all of a sudden. Below the sharp jawline, his Adam’s apple protruded, and under his handsome forehead, his high nose bridge and thick eyebrows were beautiful.

Nerea felt her throat somehow getting scratchy. Afraid that her jumbled inner thoughts might show, she put on another layer of smile.

Meanwhile, Alejandro held out something.

“I didn’t know you’d go to bed this early, so I was just unpacking other things and finally found this. I brought it just in case.”

It was a sleep light covered with thin paper in dark purple and navy blue. Very similar to what Nerea used to always have in her barracks a long time ago.

Not knowing what to say, Nerea let out a low “Ah.” A dull pain rose in her chest.

“Of course, you probably sleep well without it now?”

“…No.”