* * *

“Where did my easy life go…”

Serena thought as she stood in front of the Lavernia mansion.

She had clearly intended to live an easy life, and had tried not to get more entangled with the original story…

But far from not getting entangled, she had become properly entangled with the husband she was supposed to divorce, and her work had piled up into a mountain.

‘…Doesn’t this defeat the purpose of reducing profits to the limit?’

Serena thought blankly.

No, it’s not like she’s being asked to do anything particularly troublesome.

There are many things that need to be checked.

But there were more of them than expected.

‘No, is it because of the prosthetic arm production?’

Serena pondered seriously as she followed Slay, who had come out to greet her.

About where and what had gone wrong in her plan.

Of course, Serena didn’t know.

That everything, from start to finish, had been wrong.

That it was a problem with her own personality.

One of the essential conditions for being a teaching assistant is meddlesomeness. The inability to leave anything alone that’s in front of you!

And Serena was the queen of meddlesomeness, the Meddlesome Queen.

Of course, the problem was that she herself was unaware of this.

As mentioned before, Serena looks scary when she’s expressionless and silent. She appeared cold.

And the one who had suffered the most from this Serena was none other than Slay, the butler of the Lavernia household who had escorted her here.

So now, Slay was very worried.

He was concerned that if her mood became unpleasant, it might greatly worsen the physical condition of the madam he served.

If the madam’s condition worsened, it would upset the mood of the Marquis, the master he served.

If the Marquis’s mood worsened, the fallout would land on him.

If his mood became low, the servants would become wary, and the atmosphere of the entire mansion would turn gloomy.

Having thought all this in an instant, Slay was currently in a state of restlessness.

Because he felt he should say something, but couldn’t muster the courage to do so!

“M-M-Miss!”

But seeing that they were getting closer and closer to the bedroom, Slay finally clenched his fist and said with a resolute expression.

‘…What is it.’

Serena looked at the pitiful butler trembling before her eyes.

While wondering how much he must have suffered to be like this, she also felt a simultaneous urge to tease him because he looked like a small animal.

You know, like a squirrel clenching its fist and grumbling for acorns.

Serena put even more strength into her eyes to hide that she had such an impolite thought.

Otherwise, she felt she might burst into laughter in front of the person.

“M-M-Madam! Her physical condition is not good, so she must absolutely rest!”

Slay said.

It felt almost like a loyal subject risking his life to give advice to the king.

His face said he had to say what needed to be said, even if he didn’t know when his head might be cut off.

‘I want to tease him.’

For him to make her feel this way.

Serena briefly pondered about her own tastes before shaking her head.

Then, for the sake of this pitiful butler, she nodded her head comfortably.

It was because her mind and body had been at ease lately thanks to Magnus.

Although being probed was unpleasant, if you think about it, what he said wasn’t wrong.

No, in fact, most of what he said was right.

Anyway, it was quite unseemly, but after receiving some comfort, albeit while crying, rather than being comforted, her heart had become much more at ease.

“Alright.”

So Serena nodded her head somewhat readily.

Hearing those words, Slay’s eyes widened in surprise. Then he started clenching his teeth.

‘Compared to Pamel, he’s certainly… a bit more childlike.’

Of course, at face value, he looks a dozen or so years older than Pamel.

“I-I-I was a-actually b-believing…”

He was clearly about to say not to cause any trouble.

Serena nodded her head even though she noticed this.

“I understand, Slay. You mean I shouldn’t cause any trouble, right?”

“Huh, ah, Miss!! I wasn’t trying to presumptuously say such a thing… what?”

Slay, who had only heard the word ‘trouble’ among the many words, was startled and kept making excuses for his words.

Then, realizing what she had said, he tilted his head with a puzzled expression.

“Pardon?”

“I said I understand. Is His Gra… I mean, is Father here?”

Serena used the somewhat uncomfortable title, just in case the source of evil or whatever might appear again.

“The master is with Madam.”

“I see, lead the way.”

“Ah, yes, yes!”

Slay was on edge, very tense.

‘What’s this, is she in a good mood today?’

He had been tricked too many times to believe her change so quickly.

In fact, Serena hadn’t said that hoping he would believe her. She didn’t particularly care about making a good impression.

She just felt a bit sorry for him trembling so much.

“Then, please take care…”

Slay retreated, looking at Serena with a worried face until the end.

Serena became slightly sullen.

She felt that her sincerity hadn’t been conveyed at all, despite speaking rather kindly.

Thinking about Slay, who had disappeared while examining her like a terminal paranoia patient until the end, Serena went inside.

As soon as she entered, a cozy warmth enveloped her.

It feels particularly warm compared to other places.

“You’ve come, Serena.”

“Yes.”

Serena answered calmly.

A red-haired woman leaning against the bed’s headboard smiled with a pale face and opened her arms.

“It’s been a while, Serena. You’ve become quite a fine lady since I last saw you.”

“Ah, yes.”

Serena answered as she approached her.

Seeing her daughter not intending to fall into her outstretched arms, the Marchioness, Charlotte Lavernia, hung a bitter smile on her lips.

“Won’t you fall into my arms? They’re getting sore.”

Of course, she didn’t back down easily.

“Ah, yes.”

Serena bent her upper body with a somewhat unfamiliar feeling.

Charlotte’s eyes widened as she pulled Serena into her embrace.

‘…What’s this?’

Being in the warm embrace feels strange.

Feeling a bit stuffy and uncomfortable in her chest, Serena quickly broke away from the embrace.

“I heard you withdrew the divorce.”

The Marquis of Lavernia, Irdin Lavernia, threw a question into the awkward atmosphere of the reunion.

“Ah, yes.”

“…I see.”

“Yes.”

“……”

Marquis Lavernia was also a bit flustered by the conversation not flowing at all.

However, once Serena focused on something, she became extremely insensitive to her surroundings.

Serena, who had answered calmly, closely examined Charlotte Lavernia.

‘Pale skin, dark circles under the eyes, whitened lips. Above all, her hands are chapped and there are black spots on her neck.’

Serena narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.

“Do you often have headaches, and sometimes blurry vision or declining eyesight? Does your skin also feel sore after washing?”

“Ah, um… yes, that’s right. How did you…”

“I see. What did the doctors say?”

“They said it’s a rare… symptom they’ve never seen before. They’re still researching treatment methods, but they say it can’t be cured.”

“Ah.”

Has the medicine not been developed here yet?

Well, the dangers of that herb might not be known yet.

“May I see the bathroom you frequently use?”

“Oh, sure.”

Despite looking perplexed at her rather stiff daughter’s words, Charlotte nodded obediently.

After Serena entered the bathroom, Charlotte glanced at Marquis Lavernia. The Marquis also let out a deep sigh with a tired expression.

“She seems much less sharp than before……”

“…The problem is she’s become cold.”

Marquis Lavernia answered his wife.

They had somehow managed to prevent her from cutting ties, but their relationship hadn’t particularly grown closer.

It felt like a relationship no different from strangers, just remaining related on paper.

‘But why is she suddenly asking about the symptoms?’

They had been waiting after receiving a sudden letter a few days ago saying ‘I’d like to see you together with Mother’.

Of course, it was also thanks to Charlotte Lavernia’s timely return from her recuperation.

“Thank you for letting me check.”

“Ah, sure……”

“Then I’ll be going now, thank you for your time.”

Serena, having checked what she needed to, came out of the bathroom and slightly bent her waist.

With an expression that showed absolutely no lingering attachment.