Chapter 6

I nodded in admiration, though it wasn’t quite admiration, and Ruby spoke as if satisfied.

“Of course this is the best. You look so beautiful, my lady.”

“Thank you, Ruby.”

“Then all that’s left is choosing a hairpin.”

“Again? I think it’s already pretty as it is.”

“Would a hairpin be too much? All right, then let’s go with a ribbon.”

“No, Ruby…”

“The ribbon color should match the dress, right?”

Ruby picked out ribbons in shades of purple to match my light-violet dress and asked.

She looked ready to hold each and every one of them up to my head.

We’d already been fussing with adornments for an hour, and as expected, being possessed wasn’t easy.

By the time I barely finished preparing for what was definitely not a date, Linus arrived, bathed in the dazzling afternoon sunlight.

“Ayrbet, I hope I’m not too late.”

Seeing his face, smiling brighter than the sunlight, made me feel like I could forgive him even if he were three days late.

Every time I saw him, I thought, this man really is sweet.

“No, you’re right on time.”

When I greeted him with a smile, his face brightened even more.

Behind me, Ruby and the maids hidden throughout the mansion watching us all sucked in a breath.

Even you girls can tell he’s sweet, huh?

I held back a laugh and guided Linus to the parlor.

April sunlight streamed in like a painting as we sat across from each other with fragrant tea between us.

It would have been perfect if not for the fact that my mind was tangled, unsure of what to say first.

“I didn’t realize your health wasn’t good.”

“What?”

“I heard you’d been bedridden for a long time. I was worried you might have overdone it yesterday.”

“I’m fine. I’m all better now.”

Too healthy, honestly, but I gave a faint, meaningful smile like someone with a tragic past.

It would be strange for someone who woke up after ten years to say, ‘I’m strong enough to beat up monsters now!’

Linus continued, eyebrows drooping slightly as if feeling apologetic.

“I committed a discourtesy without knowing. If walking is difficult, I’m fine with just staying here like this.”

“No, I want to take a walk.”

This kind of moment or that kind of moment would both be nice, but right now I needed a quiet place where only Linus and I could be together.

I needed to talk about a secret no one, not even a mouse or bird, should overhear.

When I suggested we go somewhere outside the mansion, Linus thought for a moment before speaking.

“I’m not very familiar with Arendel, so I’ll accompany you wherever you like, Ayrbet.”

“I don’t know any places either, since I’ve just stayed at home…”

“Then how about the garden at the Piction estate? It isn’t far from here.”

“All right. Let’s go right away.”

I sprang up in my eagerness, and Linus offered his large, firm hand.

Apparently, this man had no intention of letting me walk alone.

I didn’t dislike his consideration, so I pretended I couldn’t resist and took his hand. Linus smiled so happily that it almost startled me.

Why is he that happy over just holding hands? It’s enough to make a person flustered.

I barely hid the smile creeping up and walked out of the parlor with him.

When I told Ruby I would be visiting the Piction estate, she stared with wide, popping eyes.

“What? My lady, you’re going alone?”

“Yeah, I’ll be back soon, so don’t worry.”

“But my lady, going out without a chaperone or a maid is a bit…”

“Oh, please, I’m just stopping by Duke Piction’s house. It’s fine, it’s fine.”

“No, but, my lady?”

I waved my hand lightly at Ruby, who tried to stop me, and stepped out of the mansion.

Ruby stood in front of the mansion until the carriage passed through the front gate.

I felt bad for giving my already-worried personal maid something else to stress over, but today I really had no choice.

Feeling uneasy, I stuck my head out toward the carriage window, and Linus spoke.

“Your maid seems very worried.”

“Ruby worries a bit too much.”

“It looked like she truly cares for you.”

As he said, Ruby showed me excessive affection.

Sometimes I even felt sorry that I was the one occupying Ayrbet’s body.

She had stayed by Ayrbet’s side ever since she fell unconscious from that mysterious illness more than ten years ago, so she was someone I felt grateful to, even if I wasn’t the real Ayrbet.

I decided that when I returned, I would comfort her with a slice of pumpkin pie she liked.

We hadn’t traveled long from the Titanoa estate before arriving at the Piction estate.

If the Titanoa estate was a pretty mansion straight out of a fairy tale, then the Piction estate resembled a fortress guarding the border.

Black bricks wrapped around the exterior of the massive mansion, giving it an imposing appearance.

When I stepped down from the carriage holding Linus’s hand, a butler who looked like he had never smiled in his entire life bowed his head.

“Welcome back, my lord.”

“Mm. This is Lady Ayrbet Titanoa. Ayrbet, this is Colbet, our butler.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Lady Titanoa.”

Our butler at home is warm and friendly like a neighborhood uncle, but the Piction family’s butler was so formal it made me shrink back.

The other servants lined up behind him also wore extremely solemn expressions.

So solemn, in fact, that I got the impression they might even be uncomfortable.

Just as I thought Linus might feel embarrassed being the only one smiling brightly, the rumors Ruby had told me flashed through my mind.

“They say he’s a bastard, and some even claim he’s not the late duke’s real son at all, just a fake.”

I thought those were ridiculous rumors floating around Arendel, but… do these people believe them too?

Or is this household just naturally stiff like this?

I didn’t know the circumstances of the Piction family, but having grown used to the warm and cozy atmosphere of the Titanoa estate, this felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

Perhaps noticing my unease, Linus immediately led me toward the garden.

Walking through the well-tended garden with him, I stopped at a suitable spot.

“Linus, could you clear the surroundings?”

“There is no one here except you and me.”

Linus reassured me with a gentle smile.

Then he guided me to a nearby bench.

We sat side by side, and after taking a moment to choose my words, I began with the topic of the gate.

“It seems Arendel was turned upside down because of that strange hole yesterday. I heard even His Majesty was worried.”

“Is that so? Well, something like that appearing inside the palace would certainly startle His Majesty.”

Linus responded as if hearing the story for the first time.

My father had been summoned to the palace yesterday for an emergency countermeasure meeting because of the gate, but fortunately, it seemed Linus had not been called.

Still, even if he wasn’t at the meeting, he might have spoken with someone about it.

Pretending to know nothing, I subtly probed him.

“What do you think it was, Linus? What are other people saying?”

“Well… I’ve never seen anything like it, so… And I don’t know anyone in Arendel well enough to ask.”

“You didn’t tell anyone?”

“No. Should I have reported it to someone?”

Internally cheering, I asked, and Linus looked at me in confusion, asking again.

I kept my expression perfectly calm and told him he didn’t need to go that far.

Then, the main point.

I clasped my hands together and smiled, trying to look as harmless as possible.

“Linus, could you keep it a secret that I went there too?”

“That won’t be difficult, but may I ask why?”

“I think my father would worry if he knew.”

I had agonized all night, but this was the most plausible excuse I could come up with.

If he learned that his long-ill daughter had been sucked into a foreboding black hole, Father would be shocked beyond belief.

I was worried Linus might say that was exactly why I should tell him, but thankfully, he understood my desperate filial piety.

“I see. Very well. Then let’s say neither of us ever went there.”

“And also… um… when I was there, I… well…”

“I was not there, Ayrbet. So I saw nothing.”

Linus said this with a playful wink.

How can someone this handsome also act in such a cute way?