Beretta Pallaize. That was the name of the woman now picking an unfounded quarrel with Lysith. Purple hair and purple eyes. One of the women who had a one-sided love for Dietrich Clonair along with Lysith Gronevelt.

She was a woman who left quite an impression in Lysith’s memory. Perhaps because if Lysith hadn’t been there, she would have married the Grand Duke.

…Whether it was because of the fact that she was a rival in love, there weren’t particularly good memories.

Lady Pallaize seemed completely dumbfounded, as if she hadn’t expected Lysith to speak so articulately. It was understandable, as the previous Lysith rarely raised her voice or spoke at length.

Unfortunately, what she didn’t know was that the person inside was completely different.

“What do you…!”

“I heard you well, but that’s enough.”

Just as Beretta was about to flare up, a voice from behind Lysith startled both of them, making them turn their heads. Ashites was walking quickly around the corner.

Ashites’ eyes, which had smiled warmly at the surprised Lysith, turned infinitely cold as soon as they turned to Beretta Pallaize.

“You know that what you, Lady Palla… whatever, just said crossed a serious line, right?”

“……”

“Even if we put aside the lady, you’ve touched on me too, you know.”

As Lady Pallaize bit her lip and remained silent, Lysith, who was watching from the side, lightly tugged on his sleeve to indicate that he should stop.

Punishing her here wouldn’t change anything. Although her words were quite insulting, Lysith no longer considered her a rival, so there was no need to pay much attention. It wasn’t even worth getting angry over to begin with.

When Lysith intervened, Ashites snorted once as if his excitement had cooled, and waved his hand at Beretta Pallaize gesturing telling her to go.

Beretta, who had found herself in a situation where she had to bow and apologize without fail, hurriedly gave a greeting at his gesture and turned to flee with quick steps.

Ashites led Lysith, who had been standing blankly watching the scene, to the corridor where he had been hiding until just now, and promptly hugged her, nuzzling his face against hers.

“Noona……”

“Why, why are you like this?”

“I heard everything.”

To summarize his story, it went like this:

Unable to wait for her, he entered the mansion, and while wandering around looking for her, he discovered Lysith and Beretta and hid to listen to their conversation.

“From where?”

“Hmm, from ‘You’ll just discard someone like the Tower Master, won’t you?'”

“……”

It was practically the same as having heard everything.

As Lysith, at a loss for words, stayed still in his arms, Ashites, further elated by this, continued speaking.

“You really don’t like that kind of guy anymore, right?”

“Mm-hmm, that’s right.”

“Then do you really think I’m far more precious?”

“You said you heard everything……”

The situation felt somewhat familiar, with him clinging and begging her to say it again in front of him. This seemed similar to when he asked for a kiss last time…

But since it was true, and there was nothing particularly wrong with saying it, Lysith decided to just tell him.

“M-my dear Ash is far more precious.”

“……”

“…Isn’t this what you wanted to hear?”

No sooner had Lysith tilted her head in confusion than Ashites’ face drew close, and their lips overlapped. Thinking this was no way to behave in someone else’s mansion, she hit his shoulders repeatedly with her hands, but he, who had always been easily pushed away until now, ignored her resistance and skillfully delved between her lips.

Small smacking sounds echoed in the quiet and slightly dark corridor. Even as she wondered what he would do if someone came, the familiar way his tongue enjoyed her mouth was dizzyingly pleasant, as if this wasn’t the first or second time.

When she finally came to her senses and hit his shoulder again, this time he separated his lips in understanding.

“Don’t worry too much about what that girl said earlier.”

“…Which part?”

“She even said ‘body’, didn’t she?”

“Ah……”

Lysith hadn’t been particularly angry about any part of Beretta’s words to begin with. There wasn’t anything that bothered her either.

It was Ashites who became frustrated at her blank reaction. No, then does this noona really think she seduced me with her body or something?

Her hair, which had been neatly arranged to one side when they arrived, was now naturally disheveled. While still holding her waist, Ashites played with the ends of her hair and then lowered his head again, gently bumping his forehead against Lysith’s, and confessed with a sigh.

“It’s not that.”

“What do you mean it’s not?”

“Body… Damn, it’s not that.”

“…It’s not?”

Seeing that Lysith still looked like she didn’t understand what he was saying, Ashites swallowed dryly for a moment before continuing.

“I… like your smiling face.”

“……?”

“It’s been like that since you first forced a smile for me.”

“…Really?”

If he was talking about when she forced a smile, it must have been that day when she turned off the passive she had been maintaining all along and made an effort to smile at him.

The reaction back then was clearly…

“Wasn’t it a face like you’d seen something you shouldn’t have?”

“Ah, sh*t… No, it wasn’t.”

Even though he barely swallowed his curse and denied it again, Lysith still looked unconvinced, and Ashites felt like crying at this point.

“Earlier too, when you smiled at me, I thought my heart would burst.”

“That did seem to be the case, but I really can’t believe it was like that from the beginning……”

“……”

Pushing aside the desire to slap his past self, he picked her up to leave the mansion and started walking. Thinking he couldn’t possibly be planning to leave like this, Lysith tried to kick her legs to ask to be put down, but she couldn’t because her legs were also held.

“Wait, we’re not going out like this, are you?”

“I am.”

“You……”

“We’re going through the back door.”

Even after hearing this, Lysith looked at Ashites with suspicious eyes for a moment, but thinking that if he lied, she would revert to formal speech, she obediently stayed in his arms as they moved.

And the place they arrived at was indeed the back door. Momentarily opening her mouth slightly at his preparedness, as if he had given prior notice to the marchioness, Lysith got into the carriage and looked quizzically at Ashites, who didn’t follow her in.

“What about you?”

“I have something to take care of for a moment.”

Lysith, who had been looking at Ashites suspiciously with narrowed eyes, sighed in understanding.

“If it’s because of Lady Pallaize, forget it.”

“It’s not.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

If it really wasn’t, it would be an awkward situation of barking up the wrong tree. But Lysith couldn’t shake the feeling that this was right. No, if he was going to care about her, it should be Dietrich, why would he…

Even though she had uttered insulting words towards him.

Come to think of it, if he wasn’t going to stay quiet about words directed at him, she had no grounds to stop him. In the end, Lysith gave up on pressing further and said goodbye, saying she would be going.

Seemingly unsatisfied with her farewell, Ashites quickly kissed her cheek and, while grinning, caressed her soft cheek in reluctance.

After Lysith’s carriage departed, the face turning back towards the marquis’ residence was completely different from the one he showed to the only person he called ‘noona.’

It was the same as his usual expression, which is famous for rarely deviating from a blank face.

* * *

After returning from her outing and receiving greetings from the mansion staff, Lysith bathed as usual and fell asleep, only to have an extremely unpleasant dream.

It was a vivid nightmare that felt as if she could grasp it, due to how recent it was.

* * *

“Um, um… Is today alright?”

“……”

“…Do you not like it?”

“It’s the same whether you dress up or not.”

“I see……”

“Aren’t you just like a purchased item anyway?”

“Did you hear that? Her Highness the Grand Duchess said……”

“I’ll have dinner alone.”

“My goodness, really? Hehe… What should I do, how pitiful.”

“First night? Did you just say first night?”

“……I’m getting a divorce.”

“I heard you two are divorcing? Then the next Grand Duchess……”

“……Gasp!”

Immediately after waking from the nightmare, uneven breaths filled and left her lungs. Closing and opening her eyes, covering and uncovering her ears, the vivid voices wouldn’t leave her.

Along with that man’s voice, a light, feathery woman’s voice swirled chaotically in her ears.

Ignoring, mistreating, mocking, coldness, and shallow disgust.

All these combined voices continued to torment her, making it impossible to escape. Despite not having actually experienced it herself, her chest felt tight, something welling up inside, feeling ready to burst.

“Ugh……”

It was miserable. It was f*cking awful. Why on earth did she have to dream such a dream? Tears flowed unknowingly. Through her blurred vision, she could glimpse the dawn sky, dark yet bright, through the gap in the curtains.