Melissa tried to enter the castle while chewing on the inside of her cheek. But before she could even reach the entrance, Reizen grabbed her arm and stopped her.

Whisk, suddenly made to turn around, Melissa ended up meeting his eyes.

It was different from the pressure she felt before. Though it was the same gaze, today it somehow gave off a more sensual and decadent atmosphere.

A terribly low voice flowed from him.

“Why are you avoiding me.”

Her heart pounds again. It felt as if Clara was running wild inside her.

Her heart swayed more violently than the waves during their boat ride earlier. Should she be trembling this much just from his casual words?

Something was seriously wrong. Melissa grabbed her stigma on her left arm that was again burning hot and radiating heat. The pain jumped around with her heartbeat.

Please stop. Just stay still.

Melissa frowned in pain. Not knowing her condition, Reizen quietly watched before stepping back and saying:

“Want to come along?”

Though he tossed the words out casually, Melissa wavered.

“…”

Her chest rose and fell heavily. Though she was silent for just a moment, when she tried to answer, Reizen took over the conversation.

“It’s fine if it’s too difficult.”

Why do you always say everything is fine?

Melissa looked up at him reproachfully. If he had waited just a bit, she would have asked with an excited heart if it was really okay.

“Don’t feel pressured. Pretend I didn’t ask.”

Seeing her expression, Reizen smiled innocently. As he turned away while patting her shoulder like encouraging a friend, Melissa felt anger rising.

“…I’ll go.”

Without looking back, Reizen said:

“Pack your things then.”

With those brief words, he walked into the castle. Melissa followed behind him.

* * *

Clara was so happy to hear Melissa was coming along to Glinford that she shouted.

The child who had been bouncing around energetically like a freshly caught fish wanted to ride in the carriage with Melissa too, but Arthur barely managed to convince her they had to travel separately.

Reizen said:

“Clara really likes you.”

“Yes, thankfully so.”

Melissa sat properly with her hands folded across from him. It was a complete contrast to Reizen who sat crookedly with his legs crossed, leaning one arm against the window.

Reizen raised one eyebrow and smiled hazily. His gaze was directed outside the window rather than at Melissa.

When the carriage departed, both fell silent for a while. With just the two of them in the enclosed carriage, Melissa felt awkward about the silence.

It seemed better now to make casual conversation rather than bringing up other topics.

“…Will we be staying at a hotel?”

He nodded lightly.

“Yes. At a newly opened hotel.”

Come to think of it, this was their first outing together.

When Melissa said she would travel, not only maids but the Emperor’s knights and Horrux all tagged along like a string of sausages, but still, she felt somewhat excited about going to a new place.

It would be perfect if only this stigma would stop acting up whenever she was with Reizen.

Melissa bit her lip while wrapping her arm. Should she tell him honestly? That the stigma had manifested.

It’s not that she hadn’t thought about it but…

Actually saying such words felt shameless, and above all, she wasn’t sure if she was mentally prepared. What if she ended up rejecting Reizen again after being the one to request intimacy first?

Thinking about it the other way, she thought it would be extremely rude, as if playing with someone.

There was already a subtle atmosphere between them, and she didn’t want to disappoint Reizen and strain their relationship over something like this.

Every time the carriage shook, Reizen’s golden hair swayed as he sat crookedly with his eyes closed.

Though it bothered her that he kept his eyes closed and didn’t speak, when she looked at him quietly, he was beautiful enough to make her forget the passage of time. Soon the carriage stopped, and Reizen opened his eyes.

“Get out.”

When she looked up at the brief command, he held out his hand. Though his tone was cold, he still did what needed to be done…

Melissa grumbled internally while taking Reizen’s hand and getting out of the carriage.

Glinford, which they arrived at as the sun was setting, was all reddish gold, dyed by the sunset.

The hotel was built like a large mansion right in front of the sea, and as soon as they got out, the street lamps installed near the hotel lit up.

Melissa’s eyes slowly widened.

‘Wow!’

Though the exclamation came from Clara first.

‘It’s so pretty!’

The dock in front of the hotel was neatly maintained.

It seemed quite a few nobles came here for vacation because of the naturally beautiful scenery. Several small sailboats owned by them were docked in front of the pier.

Though the port itself wasn’t huge, everything was perfect like a painting – from the distant mountains to the sea spread before them and the hotel.

Melissa stared at the distant sea. The sea wearing warm sunset colors over its blue base sparkled like jewels.

Reizen silently watched Melissa before shifting his gaze. The hotel staff waiting in front greeted him respectfully.

Among them, a young woman wearing a fashionable red dress from the capital who looked like the owner approached and spoke to him.

“Welcome to Glinford Hotel, Your Highness.”

She bowed only to Reizen as if not seeing Melissa beside him and kept her eyes fixed on him.

She had a tall, slender figure. She was a beautiful woman with striking features and clear pronunciation. Reizen responded with a smile playing at his lips and a nod.

“Lady Florence.”

From their eyes, they seemed to know each other already.

Melissa’s hands tightly gripped the hem of her dress. Reizen looked down at her standing beside him and introduced her.

“This is my consort.”

“I know well. But since Her Highness the Consort wouldn’t know me, let me introduce myself.”

Florence smiled coquettishly as she greeted.

“I am Roana Florence.”

Though her appearance and manners were noble, Florence was a family name she had never heard before.

Melissa nodded lightly to acknowledge her greeting. Then Florence added:

“The Florence family is a baronial house belonging to the Maidos region. I once served in the Imperial Knights, where I saw Your Highness from afar.”

“Really?”

Reizen tilted his head to one side as if hearing this for the first time.

“Yes, I thought you were such a beautiful person. Of course, that’s still true now, isn’t it?”

Florence smiled brightly as she guided the way. Her tone subtly hid thorns. Though common in social circles, while Melissa had only observed before, this was her first time directly experiencing such hostility.

She had already understood Florence’s feelings for Reizen from her eyes when first welcoming him. And Melissa had learned not to be shaken in times like this.

“Thank you, Miss Florence. You are very beautiful as well.”

At Melissa’s following compliment, Florence paused briefly while maintaining her smile.

“I’m grateful Your Highness thinks well of me. Shall we go up?”

Melissa moved elegantly with a small smile on her lips.

The inside of the hotel was luxurious. From the lobby, an enormous chandelier caught the eye.

If they belonged to the Maidos territory, that meant they were vassals of the count, but… Would the Florence baronial family have had enough money to build such a hotel?

Melissa had been a member of social circles since birth. The Sys Empire’s royal court and social circles were her life itself.

So there was no way she wouldn’t know the name of a family with this much financial power. Moreover, a lady from a family with such wealth would have had no reason to serve in the knights.

Things didn’t add up. And such suspicions had never helped her life when she dug deep into them. It was the same when she suspected the relationships between her ex-husbands and Selheim…

Should she really dig up bones someone had buried in the ground? When truth can only be uncovered by those who have the courage to handle it?

Melissa felt somewhat uneasy.

“Oh, then I’ll be heading that way.”

Arthur, seemingly already familiar with the hotel, confidently pointed to his path.

“I’ll come by in the evening after handling the matters we discussed, Your Highness.”

He took off his hat and bowed politely. Just as Reizen nodded and was about to answer Florence’s question.

‘No! No, no, no, no!’

Clara clung to Melissa like a cicada, refusing to let go. Seeing the flustered Melissa, Arthur forcibly pulled his daughter away while almost crying himself.

‘See you tomorrow, Clara.’

Melissa waved her hand soothingly. But Clara, pulled away by Arthur’s hand, burst into tears in the distance. Though her extremely high-pitched crying echoed through the hotel, no one present seemed to care.

It seemed Melissa was the only one who felt uncomfortable about this.

Somehow she felt a sense of alienation.

“Sites 1 and 4 are the most promising for selection. Site 1 is the one Your Highness mentioned last time, but I think it would be better to see it in person to judge.”

Though she was actually his wife, seeing Reizen and Florence walking side by side made her heart ache.

Perhaps she shouldn’t have said she’d come along?

Melissa walked beside Reizen with a bitter feeling, aware of her position that felt like an afterthought.