Yesterday and the day before, her husband hadn’t come home. It was the first time she hadn’t seen him for two consecutive days when it wasn’t even a business trip.

Opening her eyes in the morning and looking down at her body where his traces were fading, Adeline felt somehow empty. 

Since he was the one being unreasonable by ravishing a sleeping person, she found herself a bit ridiculous for asking him to observe proper courtesy between spouses.

And to be precise, it wasn’t even just two days.

〈The master asked me to tell you he’ll have difficulty coming home.〉

Before evening arrived, disappointing news came from Mrs. Lien’s mouth once again today.

Mrs. Lien’s message was that his return home was uncertain.

However, Mrs. Lien soon said she’d pack clothes for Kailen to change into and send them to his office.

Thinking it was an opportunity, Adeline asked her to wait an hour and headed to the simple kitchen on the second floor, mainly used for warming snacks or food. When she said she’d make sandwiches to send to Kailen as a snack, Mrs. Lien was horrified.

“Madam, you mustn’t! Please have the servants do such things instead.”

“But I want to make it with my own hands. The sandwiches we ate together during our academy days. Only he and I know the taste of those sandwiches.”

She couldn’t perfectly recreate the taste of those sandwiches they’d eaten sitting on the bench behind the old greenhouse that had been neglected for so long it was desolate to the point of being eerie, but if she thought positively about it being a nostalgic flavor, she might be able to imitate it similarly.

“Food is made with sincerity!”

She wanted to go down to the first-floor kitchen to examine the ingredients, but she restrained herself from going that far since it would seem strange for her, the mistress, to be going in and out of the kitchen.

Mrs. Lien chased after Adeline, who was heading to the kitchen without even eating breakfast, pleading with her to please think of her dignity.

“Madam, then if you tell me the sandwich ingredients, I’ll write them down and have the cook make it exactly the same later.”

“No, what’s the point if only the ingredients are the same? Food is made with sincerity, I tell you.”

Adeline boldly opened the double doors of the empty kitchen and opened the cold food storage, taking out vegetable baskets one by one. Then she found cheese and sliced ham that the servants had set aside for a late-night snack in the very back.

“Thank goodness. It’s not like there’s nothing. There are plenty of vegetables, and ham and cheese! This is enough. It’s simple, so I’ll be done quickly. I won’t get hurt either.”

Unlike the brightly smiling Adeline, Mrs. Lien, whose head was throbbing, stood holding her forehead and sighed. It was unlike her, who always maintained proper courtesy toward the mistress.

“…Do you even know how to make sandwiches? No, have you ever even tried cooking?”

“Um… I’ve seen it in books. I know how to brew tea quite excellently.”

She’d naturally expected someone of such noble status, who probably had never held anything but teacups and fans, to have no experience with entering kitchens. But at Adeline’s confident words that she’d seen it in books, Mrs. Lien squeezed her eyes shut.

“…”

“…Won’t it work?”

Adeline approached with a face so earnest she looked quite pitiful and grabbed Mrs. Lien’s arm.

“Madam.”

“Still, I want to do it myself. Please help me… Mrs. Lien.”

The reason Adeline could unhesitatingly grab Mrs. Lien’s arm, whom she’d only met recently, separate from personal affection, was because the head housekeeper before her gave off the same feeling as Mrs. Neumann.

Mrs. Lien ultimately couldn’t resist Adeline, who pleaded “please” while warmly rubbing her arm.

“Just this once, I’ll help you just this one time. Please be careful not to be seen by others.”

“Thank you!”

Mrs. Lien rolled up her sleeves and stood beside Adeline, helping measure the amount of cream cheese and thoroughly remove moisture from the vegetables.

“You must thoroughly remove the moisture. Otherwise, the bread will get soggy from the water coming out of the filling.”

Adeline’s expression as she aligned the angles of the neatly stacked bread and cheese was as serious as a head chef leading a banquet.

“Yes, I understand.”

Still, saying she was quite confident in the wrapping, Adeline looked down at the result with a proud expression after neatly wrapping the sandwiches in a pink napkin.

“It looks quite presentable… I like it.”

“You’ve worked hard. Leave the rest to me and go back now, madam. I’ll deliver this well.”

“Yes, then I’m counting on you.”

Adeline’s bright smile as she handed over the sandwich box with a note and ribbon attached was the brightest and happiest Mrs. Lien had seen her look. Enough to unconsciously make her smile along as well.

* * *

Kailen, who’d been unable to smoke even one cigarette all afternoon while sitting at his office desk processing the flood of documents, finally turned over the last document and took a brief break.

He sat still and took a drag of cigarette smoke. Watching the white smoke disperse, useless thoughts suddenly flooded in.

“…”

He remembered something from a few days ago.

〈I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from doing what you did last night. I was really startled.〉

The image of her speaking elegantly, gracefully, and carefully appeared before his eyes like a painting.

And when he recalled “what happened last night” through association, a chuckle escaped his lips.

The image of her wailing flashed by—spreading her legs as they were spread, lifting them as they were lifted. The sight of her soaked below while covered in tears had been more worth watching than expected.

〈Am I, am I strange?〉

It was the moment he recalled even those innocent eyes asking that question. Feeling blood rushing downward, Kailen was startled and brought his mind back to reality.

Looking down, he saw something bulging between his thighs. Kailen stiffened his expression, flustered at himself for reacting this way from just thinking briefly.

Did I get like this from thinking about that woman?

Kailen found himself absurd. Then he soon shook his head.

Well, he hadn’t held a woman for quite a long time since taking charge of the Varsen branch. Since he hadn’t released anything, this was naturally an appropriate physical response. 

Thinking that and ignoring what was still heavy below, he was stubbing out his cigarette in the ashtray when—

“Lord Belliche, it’s Collen. May I come in for a moment?”

It was Chief Secretary Collen Vark, who’d carefully assisted him from close by for a long time. Kailen, who answered to come in while adjusting his clothes, was already sitting in his usual posture looking at Collen.

Collen’s hands were full of something—Collen, who was as busy as his master and didn’t normally do trivial tasks. Finding this strange, Kailen tilted his head to the side.

“What is it?”

“Here, this is an urgent message sent by Lord Rainer.”

And Collen, who first set down a letter, set down a fairly heavy paper envelope beside it.

“And this was personally sent by the madam through a maid, so I brought it.”

Kailen, who’d picked up the letter Rainer sent first and was taking out a paper knife, stopped his movement.

“…”

To those who didn’t know Kailen, he would seem the same as usual, but Collen read a strangely uncomfortable mood from his impassive expression.

“Should I remove it?”

“Leave it.”

Kailen answered, raising one eyebrow, and turned his attention back to Rainer’s letter.

My dear brother Kailen,

Be grateful to this older brother who’s writing you a letter as soon as we reached the first port. 

That the first thing I did on this trip was think of you—it feels like such an ominous start that my hands are trembling.

Did you cause some trouble again?

I thought it was enough that you made Mother faint with your unilateral marriage decision. Though I’ve caused plenty of trouble, the scale was never as dramatically large as yours.

Last week, was it the day before departure? Mother said this:

“I really need to see that child in person.”

Who else could “that child” be to Mother but you? At that moment, the secretary rushed out like he’d received divine revelation.

Documents flew, Mrs. Madison screamed, and someone flopped right on top of my luggage.

So I wisely grabbed my bags and ran in the opposite direction.

So I’m telling you in advance, exercising tear-jerking brotherly love.

Before this letter even reaches you, your drawing room may have already been invaded by Mother. Be careful.

If the door suddenly bursts open right now and you hear “Kailen!” being called—

Just smile.

Please smile.

That’s the art of survival.

If you don’t smile, you’ll hear Mother’s lament doubting her parenting methods, saying “I really did raise my child wrong.” And my name will get mentioned along with it.

(Why do I get cursed at more when I’m absent?)