No one would be up at this hour. Suddenly feeling wronged at the thought of being alone awake in this vast mansion, tears came again.

Burying her face in the pillow under the covers and squeezing out tears, reality felt wretched. What sin had she committed to be transmigrated into such a game…

After sobbing for who knows how long, enveloped in depression wondering what to do to pass the time since sleep seemed unlikely to return, familiar footsteps were heard nearby.

“……Penchev?”

“Yes.”

Her voice came out nasally from crying. Despite hearing a voice that would normally cause alarm, Penchev answered the call without a trace of surprise.

“Why are you… still awake?”

“I could ask you the same. Perhaps I knew you would cry.”

This was a lie. He simply couldn’t sleep due to the anger he felt towards Ashites.

Briefly hiding his true feelings and reasons, he began to gently pull back the covers to reveal the young lady underneath. Lysith, not particularly resisting and allowing him to do so, covered her face with both hands in embarrassment when her face was finally exposed.

“I cried too much……”

“I saw you cry that day too,”

“That’s enough.”

“Yes.”

After making Lysith sit comfortably on the bed, Penchev brought cold water and meticulously wiped her face with a towel, then stood beside her like a statue.

Finding this somewhat annoying, Lysith invited him to sit beside her. After politely declining once, upon a second invitation, he sat beside her as though he had no choice, and even embraced her without being told to do so.

“I didn’t order this.”

“I thought you might want it in your heart.”

It seemed her heart had softened considerably. To the point of accepting even this. Lysith, letting out a small laugh, leaned comfortably into his embrace. Penchev, stroking her forehead, cheeks, and back, gently rubbed under her slightly swollen eyes as he asked.

“If the one troubling you were someone I could chase away by meeting their eyes, I would do so.”

‘Dietrich…?’

Originally, Lysith was the only one who could remain unaffected by his gaze, so it wasn’t impossible. Imagining this seemed to improve her mood a little.

Hearing his words, Lysith smiled slightly, and Penchev also whispered that he was glad if it had improved her mood, smiling softly.

“About sleeping……”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”

“Then shall we just stay like this?”

“Mm……”

Turning her body that had been leaning on him, Lysith burrowed into his embrace as if seeking warmth. Penchev naturally accepted her and, seeing her close her eyes, patted her back.

Despite saying she didn’t think she could sleep, the warmth of another’s body enveloping her entirely and the steady rhythm of patting seemed to act as a sleeping pill for her early-risen body, and drowsiness washed over her.

Penchev, gazing with a peaceful expression at his young lady who had fallen asleep in his arms, stayed by her side until the sun slowly began to rise.

He wanted to keep holding her, but he couldn’t risk being caught by Eve, so he had to carefully slip out of her room before then.

Thus, without knowing when Penchev had left her side, when Lysith woke up and opened her eyes again, the sun was high in the sky.

She thought she had slept quite comfortably, but her body didn’t seem to agree. Her whole body felt heavy and droopy like water-logged cotton, reminiscent of having her period on a gloomy day with dark clouds and no sun.

Eve, checking on Lysith’s condition as she opened her eyes, helped her sit up in bed and managed to feed her some soup.

Even in a game, it seemed that mental state affected the physical body just the same, causing her to repeatedly sigh deeply. While there wasn’t anything special she had to do today, she hadn’t wanted to be sick either.

‘This is all because of meeting Beretta yesterday……’

What other reason could there be for having a nightmare about being coldly treated by Dietrich out of nowhere?

She was 100%, no, 200% certain that it was because of Beretta Pallaize.

Lysith furrowed her brow and cursed vehemently in her mind. I hope she stubs her little toe on a thick door. I hope she steps on a dragon toy’s claw with her bare foot. I hope she gets a mosquito bite in the center of her foot soles. I hope she gets bitten by a mosquito on her philtrum too.

In the past, Lysith’s hardships weren’t confined to within the grand ducal residence.

While her indifferent family certainly played a large part, the rumors circulating in high society were also to blame. Some people pitied her, but there were also unfavorable rumors, possibly led by Beretta Pallaize.

Ironically, getting divorced ended up quelling those rumors. She wondered why they didn’t amplify them instead…

Amidst the sound of Lysith’s sighs, so heavy it seemed the ground might cave in, a knock was heard at the door.

When Lysith managed to call out loudly for them to enter, Serena came in with a cautious expression and delivered the news.

“Um, the Tower Master has come to visit.”

“Haa……”

This time, it was truly a sigh rising from her core. If her condition had been better, she would have gone out, but now she was in poor shape and hadn’t even changed her clothes.

Lysith pressed her index finger between her furrowed brows to smooth them out and tried to get up from the bed. However, no sooner had she stood upright with her feet on the floor than her weakened legs failed to support her body and she collapsed.

“My lady!”

“……”

She felt like screaming at the top of her lungs into the void. To think she had to endure such a state because of unpleasant memories being stirred up by something she hadn’t even experienced herself…

Since she couldn’t go out to greet him herself, she had to choose someone to convey her condition in her stead. Either send Penchev or send Serena.

Sending Penchev was out of the question.

The memory of him uttering words of caution against Ashites not long ago was still vivid. After all, Ashites was the catalyst for his outburst in the first place.

Lysith opened her mouth as she sat back on the bed with Serena’s support.

“Serena.”

“Yes.”

“You go out… explain my condition, and say I’ll visit later.”

“Understood.”

Although it probably wouldn’t be passed on to Penchev midway, Lysith was about to add ‘Make sure you go out and convey it yourself,’ just in case, but ultimately closed her mouth.

She thought it might seem too suspicious to speak that way.

To tell her not to hand it over to Penchev even if she met him midway and to convey it herself, what kind of bizarre order would that be?

This should be enough. Serena would handle it well on her own.

Lysith sighed softly and lay back down on the bed, watching with blurred vision as Serena carefully checked her blanket before leaving, then closed her eyes.

Serena quietly closed the door without making a sound and stepped into the corridor. It was to carry out the young lady’s order.

As Serena hurriedly walked to reach the Tower Master waiting in the first-floor reception room, she spotted Penchev coming from the opposite corridor and stopped.

“Miss Serena.”

“Ah, yes.”

“How is the lady?”

After briefly answering his whispered question, Serena was about to take her leave, saying she must go, but there was a word that stopped her.

“I’ll go.”

“……Is that necessary?”

“Did the young lady specifically say that you must convey it, Miss Serena?”

“No, she didn’t, but…”

After pondering for a moment, Serena nodded. She thought there wouldn’t be much difference. Although she found it strange that he, who seemed to dislike such tasks due to his eyes, was volunteering, she thought the young lady must have spoken to him well.

In the end, the worst situation that Lysith didn’t want unfolded.

Penchev, after hearing from Serena what needed to be conveyed to the Tower Master, nodded and walked towards the reception room with a completely stiff expression.

This would be Penchev’s first time meeting the Tower Master. He had seen him from afar a few times. Yesterday, when he came to the mansion to meet Lysith, he stared blankly at the man with shining golden hair through the window.

Thinking the ridiculous, jealous thought of whether the young lady preferred such sparkling hair.

As he got closer and closer to the reception room, it felt like dark emotions were about to surface. Before knocking on the door upon arriving at the reception room, Penchev took a deep breath to control those emotions, then knocked as usual.

And keenly, Ashites, who could tell just from the footsteps that the approaching person wasn’t Lysith, told them to enter in a monotone voice.

As Penchev opened the door and entered, Ashites, who had been leaning against the window, straightened up. Gray eyes and heterochromatic eyes met sharply.