“I’ll be going to Quinton.”

“……Pardon? All of a sudden?”

Ephine, who almost never questioned anything, opened her eyes wide. It was plain on her face exactly what she was thinking: what on earth had gotten into her mistress, deciding to go there alone, and behind the master’s back, no less?

“The thing is…… I’m going to confess to Dante.”

“Confess? But the two of you are already married.”

“So, I mean, it’s more like…… saying thank you for everything, that sort of thing. And the wedding anniversary is coming up soon.”

“Ahhh…….”

Phew. Ephine seemed to accept that. Lionette fanned herself to cool the cold sweat trickling down and continued.

“But this time I want to be the one to show Dante around. So I thought I’d go ahead and scout it out in secret.”

“What shall we tell the master?”

“……Mmm.”

Lionette hummed, then looked up with a gleam in her eye.

“Let’s say I’m going for a rest.”

“A rest? Well, you have been looking rather worn out lately, my lady……”

“Right? You think it’ll work?”

“If you’re asking whether it’ll hold up, I suppose it will, but……”

Even as she answered, Ephine wore the expression of someone wondering whether she should really be going along with this. But Lionette was resolute, and Ephine could push back no further, so she began writing down everything Lionette needed.

“A change of clothes, train tickets, small change and a bank draft…… How many maids will you be taking?”

“Just you is enough, but if that’s too much, you can bring one or two more.”

“Since rest is the stated purpose, it would look better to bring more.”

“All right, let’s do that then.”

From there, things moved along smoothly. Saying the words had been easy, and lying was even easier. At the dinner table the next day, Lionette spoke up.

“Um, Dante.”

“Yes, Lionette.”

“I haven’t been feeling well lately…… I thought I might go to the seaside to recover.”

“……A rest.”

Dante’s expression seemed to stiffen, and Lionette paused. She watched his face, and then he smiled at her with his eyes and asked “Are you feeling quite unwell?” and the subtle shift she had sensed a moment ago seemed like it must have been her imagination. Lionette gave a nod.

“I thought the sea air might help. I’ve been feeling a bit low lately……”

“That is serious. I’ll have the butler arrange things soon—”

“Ah, that’s why I’m planning to leave tomorrow.”

“Pardon?”

This time, Dante’s surprise was visible before he could hide it. It was an understandable reaction given the timeline. Lionette wanted to leave as soon as possible. She wanted to go and come back quickly and reset things between them. She was also, admittedly, conscious of Elise.

Leaving Elise and Dante alone together weighed on her…… but there was nothing else she could do.

‘……Should I leave Ephine behind?’

The thought crossed her mind for a moment, but Lionette shook her head.

“How long are you thinking of staying?”

“Well. Until I feel better…… I suppose.”

No. She would be back in three days. But if she said she was going for a rest and then came back three days later, that would look suspicious in its own way……. She ignored the prickling in her chest at the growing pile of lies.

She couldn’t leave for too long either. Who knew what might happen between Elise and Dante in the meantime. Lionette shook her head.

No, Dante wouldn’t throw away the title of a happily married couple and do something like that. Unless he wanted to be that happily married couple with Elise instead, but…… at the very least, under their contract, the role of the wife he cherished had to be Lionette’s.

Clinging to a contract that existed only on paper, Lionette told herself.

In truth, she was probably worrying too much about Elise. Dante hadn’t openly shown any closeness with her, and the servants’ whispers had died down within a day or two. Almost like someone had quietly put a stop to it.

So probably…… leaving the two of them alone for three days would be fine. Nothing would happen, she trusted Dante that much, Lionette whispered to herself.

Dante looked like he had much to say, but then smiled again, easy and light. She tilted her head, unable to read the meaning of it, and a quiet voice followed.

“Understood. I’ll see you to the train station tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to—”

“Lionette, please let me do at least this much.”

The courteous words left her with no argument, and she simply nodded. It seemed fair to let him do at least that much. Since she hadn’t told him the exact number of days, he had no way of knowing she would be back in two or three. They would be apart for what he thought was a long stretch, so letting him see her off was the least she could do.

A hush settled over the dinner table. Lionette said she would excuse herself first, as she had the day before, and went up to her room.

Ephine drew a bath, saying she should ease her fatigue before the long journey ahead. Lionette sank into the tub, which carried a faintly sweet scent, and Ephine asked in a careful voice. Small enough that it wouldn’t echo through the wide bathroom.

“My lady, you’re all right, aren’t you?”

“With what?”

“Just…… everything.”

The look on Ephine’s face said she had much to say but couldn’t bring herself to say it. She probably thought Lionette’s plan was reckless. She had known her headstrong mistress since her days at the Wagner count household, and she may well have been thinking that her mistress was determined to cause trouble once again.

“Everything is fine, truly. Dante said it was all right.”

“I’m glad to hear it, then.”

“More importantly, aren’t you excited about the sea?”

Lionette changed the subject, and Ephine held back a sigh and played along.

“Yes, it sounds absolutely wonderful. A life in a place like that.”

“Doesn’t it?”

Lionette nodded, splashing her hand through the rippling water. A life with a view of the sea did seem like it would be different from life inland. A warm city where every breeze carried the scent of the ocean felt romantic in a way she couldn’t quite explain.

After Ephine finished drying her hair, Lionette went to the bedroom early. Dante was still not in bed, busy again it seemed. But come the small hours of the morning, the owner of the large hand that always pulled her close by the waist without fail would be Dante.

Lionette fidgeted with her fingers under the covers. The thought of leaving this man behind early in the morning made even that brief separation feel unbearable.

‘But there’s no helping it. This is all for the future.’

After hearing her confession, he might…… maybe, just a little, even faintly, smile at her? She had no memory of ever seeing Dante smile brightly. She had seen his faint smiles and the way his eyes curved often enough, but never that.

‘I’ll go, find a good place to confess, look up the sights along the shore. Then come back and tell him it was wonderful, that I want to go again with Dante.’

Just imagining Dante smiling against the backdrop of the open sea made her heart race.

Picturing the face of a man she had never seen like that, Lionette drifted off to sleep.

Deeply enough that someone could have carried her away and she never would have known.