After exchanging a few polite words with Benedict, Penelope returned to the drawing room. Silas was sitting in an armchair, looking relaxed, reading a book.

The close-knit Feilding siblings were sitting on the sofa beside him, chatting and smiling.

Penelope took a seat opposite them and smiled.

“It seems something amusing is going on.”

“Ah, Miss Rothermere. I was just telling my brother that Miss Clara Burke sent me two tickets to her recital.”

Kyla’s eyes curved slightly as she smiled, her expression so bright and innocent that it made Penelope feel sick.

Jayden Feilding probably had no idea what kind of vulgar behavior his seemingly pure younger sister was capable of.

“I see. It seems you and Miss Burke are still in contact.”

Even now, the mere thought of Clara Burke left a bad taste in Penelope’s mouth.

She had put a lot of effort into creating the perfect recital, but Kyla ended up stealing the limelight.

It was enough to make her blood boil.

“We haven’t really been corresponding yet… I was just about to send her a thank-you note.”

Kyla’s face lit up with excitement and joy.

Watching her, Penelope realized just how wrong she had been.

She had assumed that, as someone of noble birth, Kyla would be similar to her, but ultimately, an orphan was still an orphan.

Kyla was a woman who would cast aside refinement and noble dignity without hesitation if it served her purpose.

Rather than trying to ruin Kyla, Penelope realized that she should have focused on one thing: keeping her away from Silas.

“Well, that’s wonderful. Since there are two tickets, you can go with Mr. Feilding.”

“Yes… if the Duchess permits it. We’d have to go all the way to Ashton, and even if we take the train after finishing Lady Riona’s piano lesson, it might be a bit tight on time.”

At Kyla’s words, Jayden turned to Silas with an expression that seemed to say What kind of nonsense is that?

“The Duchess will, of course, give her permission. Isn’t that right, Silas?”

Silas lifted his gaze from his book and looked at Jayden without a word.

“Not that—Silas, if you allow it, that settles everything. If the Duke approves, who would dare object?”

Facing Kyla, Jayden grinned, his expression full of happiness.

‘Idiot. What’s so great about going to a piano recital together that he looks that pleased?’

Silas clicked his tongue inwardly. His mother would, of course, permit it. She had never been one to concern herself much with the affairs of others.

“Fine. Do as you wish.”

Silas lowered his gaze back to his book.

He had opened it to avoid looking at her — her eyes were shining as she watched Jayden — but he had been staring at the same page for a while.

The two of them were sitting side by side, far too close.

He knew that Jayden saw her as a woman.

This made him uncomfortable, the way Jayden looked at her with open longing and the way her eyes curved into soft, crescent-shaped smiles in return.

Even to himself, it felt unbearably petty.

Silas barely held back a hollow laugh.

At first, he had dismissed it as nothing more than pity or desire.

The shallow, instinctive pull that any man might feel towards a beautiful, captivating woman.

But the moment he saw her at the racetrack, trembling and drained of color. What he felt then was nothing like that.

It was as if his mind had gone completely blank.

As if his heart had dropped straight into emptiness.

As if losing her would leave him unable to go on living.

‘Losing her? That woman?’

Silas let out a quiet, self-mocking sigh.

When had she ever been his to lose?

She was Count Snowdon’s daughter.

The woman his friend loved.

Most of all, she was a woman who wasn’t interested in him at all.

He shouldn’t even look at her.

He should close his eyes and shut his heart, and stop thinking about her.

Silas turned a page he hadn’t read.

The soft tapping of rain against the window filled the room.

Amidst this gentle sound, he heard a woman’s voice – low and clear, and carrying a warmth that had never once been directed at him.

Three people were speaking, yet only her voice reached him with perfect clarity, threading through his senses.

Penelope glanced at Silas.

He sat in silence, his gaze fixed on the book, his expression undisturbed.

He appeared completely indifferent to both her and Kyla.

It stung.

And yet, at the same time, it brought her a strange sense of relief.

Letting out a quiet breath, Penelope turned her attention back to Kyla.

“Miss Feilding, the venue for Clara Burke’s recital… isn’t it the Royal Philharmonic Concert Hall?”

Penelope asked Kyla.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“It was nearly canceled due to renovation work, wasn’t it?”

With a slight smile, Penelope raised her teacup to her lips.

“It’s a recital I was quite interested in as well.”

At her words, something seemed to occur to Jayden, and he spoke.

“Then why don’t you come along as well, Miss Rothermere? I heard your father, the Count of Rothermere, invested quite a large sum in that concert hall. It shouldn’t be too difficult for you to get tickets, right? Silas, you should come too.”

Jayden turned to Silas with a smile.

“I’ll pass. The three of you go.”

Silas replied without lifting his eyes from his book.

“I’ll pass as well. I don’t particularly enjoy train travel. Riding a massive hunk of metal racing at such terrifying speeds… it makes me feel like baggage.”

Penelope set her teacup down and smiled faintly.

The thought of travelling by train with Kyla to attend a recital was unbearable.

Even sitting with her in the drawing room was irritating her.

She needed to talk to Jayden about Benedict, but with Silas and Kyla there, she felt it was not the right time.

She decided to wait for an opportunity to speak to Jayden alone.

***

After finishing lunch, Kyla went up to the third floor for her piano lesson.

Just then, she ran into Vanessa Hamilton in the corridor as the latter was stepping out of the study.

“Miss Feilding. I was just thinking I needed to speak with you—what a coincidence.”

“Mrs. Hamilton. Is something the matter?”

“Nothing serious. It’s about the favor you asked me the other day.”

“A favor?”

Kyla searched her memory.

“Ah… you mean the piano teacher position.”

Although Jayden had helped her avoid expulsion, she still thought it best to eventually leave the ducal household. This was why she hadn’t withdrawn her request to Mrs Hamilton.

However, before she knew it, she had grown accustomed to life at the Lester estate, even forgetting at times that she would one day have to leave.

“That’s right. I made some inquiries through an acquaintance, and it seems that securing a position as a piano teacher wouldn’t be too difficult for you. Your performance at the Duchess’s birthday banquet has been the talk of the town.  After all, you performed alongside the famous Clara Burke.”

Mrs. Hamilton looked as pleased as if it were her own achievement.

“Really? That’s a relief…”

Though Kyla said so, she couldn’t bring herself to smile. Leaving Chatsworth now would also mean parting from Riona, whom she had only just grown close to.

“However, the problem is…”

“A problem?”

“As I mentioned before, there don’t seem to be any positions available for a live-in piano teacher.”

“Ah… I see.”

Kyla nodded. It was something she had already half expected. As Riona’s round, cheerful face came to mind, she even felt that perhaps it was for the best.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“No, not at all—why would you apologize, Mrs. Hamilton? I’m the one who should be sorry. I asked you for a favor and then practically forgot about it.”

Kyla waved her hands lightly.

“Thank you so much for looking into it for me.”

“But is it still necessary for you to leave the ducal house? I heard your brother is a friend of the Duke.”

“Ah, yes. Thanks to my brother, I don’t think I’ll be turned out for the time being.”

When Kyla smiled with relief, Vanessa Hamilton looked at her as though she couldn’t quite believe it.

“Well, it’s good that you don’t have to leave. But if it’s only ‘for the time being,’ does that mean you’ll eventually have to go after all?”

“Most likely… yes.”

When Vanessa asked her a question, Kyla’s gaze dropped involuntarily.

Silas had been so determined to send her away.

Sometimes he was kind, but his attitude would shift without warning, turning cold again as if on a whim.

Just when she thought she understood him, even a little, he would change again.

She remembered the warmth of his hand when she had almost collapsed at the racetrack and his voice steadying her.

Those memories returned again and again, unsettling her for days.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t grateful to him.

She truly was.

Yet she still couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze.

Moments like these, when she lost her composure, left her feeling drained.

A tangled mix of anxiety and unease weighed heavily on her.

If she felt this way, perhaps it really was better for her to leave the ducal household.

“Well, that’s how it is. In our line of work, we can’t stay in one household forever. Children grow up eventually, don’t they?”

“That’s true.”

Kyla nodded.

Sooner or later, the day would come when she would have to stop teaching Riona.

It was only a matter of time.

Nevertheless, she wanted to stay a little longer and teach her a little more.

There was still so much she wanted to give her.

Whenever she looked at Riona, she saw a reflection of herself: alone in the Feilding household, despite its abundance.

After exchanging a brief farewell with Vanessa, who patted her on the shoulder comfortingly, Kyla stepped into the study.

Riona, who had been tapping at the piano keys, spotted her and lit up immediately like a sunflower.

“Teacher!”

Without realizing it, Kyla smiled.

“Teacher, come quickly and listen! I practiced a lot!”

Riona began to play excitedly.

It was Moritz’s sonata, which she had spent the last month practicing.

The bright, clear melody that rang out felt like a perfect reflection of herself.

Last week, she had been focused solely on avoiding mistakes, so when had she improved so much?

Kyla felt proud, thinking of how much those tiny hands must have practiced.

Riona swayed to the rhythm as she played, as if singing, her face brimming with joy.

As soon as she had finished playing the piece beautifully, she hopped down from the bench and ran towards Kyla, her yellow dress fluttering as she went.

“How was it? I did well, right, Teacher?”

Her sparkling eyes seemed to beg for praise.

“Yes, my lady. You did wonderfully—truly. I’m amazed. Just how much have you been practicing?”

“Hehe. It’s a secret.”

Riona stuck out her tongue playfully.

Kyla reached out and gently stroked her dark hair.

A soft warmth spread through her chest.

No, it wasn’t time to leave yet.

Just a little longer — just a little more.

Looking at Riona, Kyla smiled brightly.