I blinked, a little surprised, because it wasn’t something I knew Kaien would say.
“…Thank you.”
“For this?”
Kaien chuckled lightly.
“By the way, why did you need physical contact? Did you go see an assassin? Or did you get injured somewhere?”
“It’s just a periodic thing. It would’ve been fine to endure a bit, but Gio insisted that Milady should come.”
“This happens periodically?”
“It happens to all transcendents.”
“This isn’t your first physical contact, is it? How have you managed until now?”
“Usually, a person who has a high match with one Transcendent has a high match with most other Transcendents, so I’ve gotten help a few times from a nearby Transcendent’s match, but it’s never worked as well as Milady’s.”
“I see.”
“Do you have any other business? If you want, we can go to the mansion together.”
“I’m done. Let’s go to the mansion.”
Kaien knocked on the window twice.
Then, the stationary carriage began to move.
Since the square wasn’t far from the Wintbell Ducal Mansion to begin with, we arrived at the mansion quickly.
Kaien got off and escorted me.
As we entered the hall, Sophia and Gio approached us.
“Miss. Did you have a good time?”
I was receiving greetings when suddenly Kaien approached me.
“Ah, Milady”
“Yes?”
“It’s dangerous, so from now on, don’t go anywhere alone. Make sure to bring a maid with you, even if it’s just one.”
“Ah…… yes.”
What’s all this about all of a sudden?
Turning away, Kaien addressed Gio.
“Gio, what happened to that thing?”
“I’m still investigating. However, there’s a rumor that someone named Jack is very tight-lipped. There’s a possibility he won’t disclose more information about the magic scrolls…”
I paused at the name that came out of Gio’s mouth.
Then I stared intently at Kaien’s back.
‘A certain high-ranking nobleman was said to be interested in the magic scroll.’
A high-ranking noble.
A noble.
‘Could it be…?’
As I looked at Kaien, dressed in what looked like an expensive suit, I swallowed dryly.
‘Could that noble be Kaien?’
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“Should we assign someone to her?”
Gio asked Kaien as soon as they entered the office.
Kaien took off his coat and sat down.
“No need. We’ve already finished our background check thoroughly.”
“It’s my fault. I didn’t anticipate Milady going out without a maid.”
“She is different from other noble young ladies. She’s… somewhat insensitive.”
Her lack of fear of crime was different from not sensing danger at all. Despite her appearance, she seemed excessively calm.
Her fine features remained visible even with a wide-brimmed hat. In fact, Philome possessed an exceptionally beautiful appearance.
Perhaps that’s why he only saw Philome emerging from the dark alleys. Instinctively, he knew she was the one who could relieve this pain.
Gio swallowed dryly and asked cautiously.
“How was it?”
“Quite…”
“Are you okay?”
“It was good.”
Kaien chuckled lightly, recalling the gaze that looked at him as if he were a pervert.
Gio let out a relieved sigh without even realizing it.
“Well, that’s good to hear. Even with a suitable match, there are times when it doesn’t work out, so I was really nervous.”
Finally feeling relaxed, Gio slumped his shoulders.
“Gio. I’m curious; why do you think someone doesn’t feel bad when someone looks at them like they’re a pervert?”
“Isn’t it because that person is actually a pervert?”
……me?
Kaien took a serious look at his own tastes. But it didn’t seem like he strayed too far from the ordinary level.
“Oh, by the way… I found out Lady Nadia’s whereabouts.”
“Let me see.”
Kaien, who had been pondering, took the documents.
It detailed how Nadia had traveled by carriage and the nature of their relationship.
“They didn’t even try to hide it, like they didn’t think someone would follow them.”
Despite having a noticeable appearance, they didn’t even wear a robe.
“Are they foolish or naive?”
Kaien muttered, narrowing his eyes.
“I’ll discuss this separately, so don’t mention it to the lady.”
“Yes, understood. And Duke, while Lady Philome might not like it if she hears it, I actually think it’s fortunate that Lady Nadia had an affair with Lady Philome’s former fiancé. Originally, we were considering Lady Philome, not Lady Nadia. But we found out about the engagement ceremony later and excluded her.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“I suppose it’s just as well, in more ways than one, because if I had married Lady Nadia, I would have missed out on the right match.”
Kaien raised an eyebrow, looking at Gio.
“You seem quite pleased. You’re not going to dislike the lady anymore?”
Gio smiled awkwardly at his words, scratching his head.
“Oh, why would you say that? I was just worried about the Duke. Actually, I liked the lady’s straightforward personality from the beginning.”
Kaien chuckled and focused on his work.
As he began reviewing the documents, time flew by quickly.
He had a quick dinner and continued processing the paperwork, but suddenly he looked up.
The sun had already set, and it had been hours since Gio had left for home.
Kaien rubbed his tired neck and got up from his seat.
‘I could use a cup of tea.’
Sebastian would probably be asleep by now, so it was more convenient to go get the tea himself than to wake him up.
As Kaien headed towards the kitchen, he noticed someone standing alone in the corridor.
The dim light made it difficult to see the face clearly, but the sunset glow on the sleeves felt oddly familiar.
“……Milady?”
The figure jumped in surprise and turned to look at him.
“Duke, why aren’t you sleeping?”
“…shouldn’t I be asking you that? Why isn’t Milady sleeping?”
“Oh, I just couldn’t fall asleep. I’m nervous about meeting the Emperor tomorrow.”
Philome hesitated for a moment before gesturing toward him.
“Would you like to come here for a moment?”
Kaien approached Philome obediently.
“Over there.”
Philome pointed out the window she’d been looking at.
“The moon looks so beautiful, doesn’t it?”
As Philome had said, the beautiful moon was clearly visible.
“So that’s why Milady was standing here.”
“Yes. It’s beautiful.”
Forgetting about going to get tea, Kaien spent some time admiring the moon with Philome.
“You don’t need to worry about tomorrow. His Majesty is vaguely aware of the situation, so he won’t put Milady in a difficult position.”
“I’m relieved, then.”
“By the way, did Sebastian deliver the dignity maintenance fund?”
Philome’s nightwear, seen up close, was clearly worn out.
Philome scratched her cheek.
“Well, even if I change beds, I sleep well, but if I change nightwear, I can’t sleep well… Sebastian provided me with all the necessary funds, yet I struggled to motivate myself to change my nightwear.”
Kaien chuckled at her words, which sounded like those of a child reluctant to part with a favorite toy.
Philome cautiously scanned her surroundings before quietly asking,
“Should I change my nightwear?”
“It’s fine. There aren’t many people who can see Milady in nightwear. And among them, am I not the highest in status? If I allow it, then it’s fine.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed for no reason, Philome fiddled with her sleeves.
Tap.
Then something fell from her pocket.
Philome tried to grab it, but Kaien was quicker.
“What is this, Milady? The Duke of Wintbell is famous for producing transcendents through generations. The current Duke is also transcendent. And the Three Sizes are…”
“Whoaaa!”
Philome screamed in horror as Kaien began reading it. She snatched the note away and stuffed it into her mouth without hesitation.
“Milady, are you crazy?!”
Kaien grabbed Philome’s cheek firmly with one hand, applying pressure.
She had no choice but to open her mouth.
Without hesitation, Kaien retrieved the note from Philome’s mouth and threw it away.
“You didn’t swallow it, did you? Is it still in your mouth?”
Kaien frantically felt around inside Philome’s mouth, turning it up and down.
“Ouch… it hurts!”
Philome grunted and barely managed to break free of Kaien’s grip.
The area where Kaien had grabbed was throbbing with pain.
As Philome held her cheeks, tears welled up in her eyes.
“Why did you grip me so tightly?”
Kaien, who had been about to apologize reflexively, suddenly felt unjustly treated.
“Then, is it reasonable for Milady to shove the paper into her mouth like that? Can you imagine how many germs are on it?”
“Rather than suffering from germs, I feel like I’m going to suffer because of you, Duke!”
As Philome whimpered with tears, Kaien approached her.
“…Did it hurt a lot?”
Seeing Philome, who was usually reserved, react like this made Kaien start to worry.
Philome gestured toward Kaien’s hand.
“Of course, it hurt a lot when you gripped me with your hands like a pot lid!”
“A pot, what? Anyway, let me see. I’ll check if there’s a bruise.”
Kaien examined Philome’s jaw closely. Sure enough, there were red marks exactly where he had gripped her.
“Does it hurt?”
“Yes, it does.”
“It doesn’t seem broken. You’ll be fine.”
“But it hurts.”
“You should be fine with this level of pain.”
“It still hurts.”
“I think it’s fine.”
No, I’m saying it hurts because it hurts!
