Chapter 8 (Part 8)

“My lady, you have a visitor.”

“A visitor?”

“Yes. It’s Sir Bill Melville.”

The next day, after finishing early morning training without Patrick, Reina was preparing for her lessons on the sofa when an unexpected visitor came to see her.

Reina’s eyes widened in surprise, as she hadn’t expected Bill to come to see her.

Is there a reason for him to visit me?

They had never spoken before, so his sudden visit could be seen as rude. But there must have been a good reason for him to want to meet.

Reina immediately got up and headed to the reception room where Bill was waiting. Since they had only exchanged greetings a few times, it felt awkward when she faced him.

“My lady, you’ve come.”

Bill stood up and greeted her politely. His expression was tense.

“It’s been a while since I saw you at the banquet. What brings you here to see me?”

Reina asked as she sat opposite Bill.

“I wanted to apologize.”

“To me?”

Bill had no reason to apologize to Reina. The one he should apologize to was Patrick.

“Because of my issues, I caused trouble for both you and Patrick. It’s only right.”

“The person who should apologize is Lady Berkshire, not you. Did you reconcile with her?”

Reina’s eyes narrowed, wondering if Bill had gotten back together with Lady Berkshire. 

Did he still like her that much despite being betrayed?

“Oh, no, but I wanted to apologize on her behalf since it seems unlikely she will ever apologize to you.”

“I have no intention of forgiving Lady Berkshire, but I’ll accept your apology.”

“Thank you.”

Bill stood up, bowed deeply, and then sat back down. His tense expression relaxed.

“Since you’ve come to see me, may I ask you a few questions?”

“Feel free to ask!”

Bill’s voice was loud enough to echo down the hallway, startling Reina.

Trying to maintain her composure, she spoke.

“How are things with Lady Berkshire these days? Has she asked to get back together?”

“Oh, she did come to see me. But I sent her away, telling her not to come back since we’re no longer together.”

“You’ve been together for a long time. Are you okay with that?”

Bill’s face darkened as if a cloud had passed over it.

“I thought I couldn’t live without Sandra. Even though I knew her feelings had changed, I still clung to her, only to be betrayed…”

He let out a deep sigh before continuing.

“At first, I wanted to deny it. But after she tried to marry Patrick right after breaking up with me, I felt a deep sense of betrayal. My selfishness caused a lot of trouble for you.”

“You did nothing wrong.”

“Trusting her too much was my mistake, if anything.”

Who could have known that trying to hold onto the woman he loved would result in the irony of pushing her away?

He had simply loved Lady Berkshire passionately, but the result was only pain, and Reina felt sorry for him.

“Lady Berkshire doesn’t seem like the type to give up easily. What if she begs you to take her back? After loving her for so long, wouldn’t you feel weak if she pleaded?”

“I have no intention of taking her back. In fact, she sent a letter asking to meet today. I haven’t met her yet, but I plan to make my thoughts clear to her.”

“You have shared memories. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Of course, there will be lingering feelings. But no matter what, I can never accept someone who betrayed me. That’s a belief I’ve always held and will continue to hold. For Patrick’s sake, too.”

“Ah, you said you’ve been friends for a long time.”

“Yes. He has helped me a lot. You know how difficult it is for a commoner to receive a noble title. During that process, I was often betrayed by my peers. Nobles pretended to be nice to my face but cursed me behind my back. But Patrick was different.”

“….”

“He respected my skills by defeating those who mocked me with his strength. So no matter how much Sandra begs to meet again, I’ll reject her. Patrick is more important to me than Sandra.”

It was clear from the conversation that once he made up his mind, he wouldn’t change it easily.

It seemed that he and Patrick had similar personalities. That’s probably why they both rose to the positions of Commander and Deputy Commander of the Royal Knights.

“Can I ask you just one more thing?”

“Anything.”

“What did you like so much about Lady Berkshire?”

“I liked everything, but especially her body.”

Bill’s face turned red in an instant. He continued speaking with his head bowed.

“Being with her felt like our souls were connected. Maybe it was because she was my first woman, but everything about her was wonderful.”

Oh?

The more she talked with Bill, the stranger she felt.

Could it be…?

Reina glanced at Bill. Her gaze deepened as she looked at him.

“Can I ask you for one last favor?”

“If it’s something I can do to make up for the trouble I’ve caused, I’ll help with anything.”

“Can you keep my necklace until tomorrow? If the color changes while you have it, please let me know.”

She felt sorry for Sir Melville, but she was curious if the necklace would change color between him and Lady Berkshire.

Considering he mentioned meeting Lady Berkshire later to clearly convey his thoughts, asking him to keep the necklace for a day seemed like a good way to see if it would change color.

“A necklace?”

Bill looked puzzled, as it wasn’t the request he was expecting.

“Is it not possible?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s actually a relief that it’s something simple.”

Still puzzled, Bill carefully accepted the necklace. Although his eyes still held questions, he didn’t ask further.

Bill politely bowed and left the Lennox estate. Reina watched his departing figure through the window, resting her chin on her hand.

Will the color change?

The next afternoon, Bill returned to give the necklace back to Reina.

“Did the necklace change color?”

Curious about the result, Reina asked bluntly before even exchanging greetings. Although he could have been flustered, Bill answered calmly.

“Yes, it changed when I met Sandra.”

“To red?”

“Yes.”

Oh my. The necklace turned red between Lady Berkshire and Sir Bill?

Reina had thought it wasn’t entirely impossible, but she was still surprised to hear it had actually changed. Blinking her wide eyes, she asked Bill.

“Did Lady Berkshire also see the color change?”

“Of course. She asked what kind of necklace it was, so I told her it was one you had lent me.”

“What did she say?”

“Her face turned pale, and she asked me to get back together, saying we were destined for each other and should be together. I stood up and left, as there was no need to continue talking with someone I had already ended things with.”

“Are you okay?”

“Of course. I have no intention of clinging to a relationship that’s already over.”

Bill was firmer than she had thought. It seemed he had no intention of forgiving Sandra, who had betrayed him.

“Thank you for letting me know.”

“Please call on me if you need anything in the future.”

After returning the necklace and bowing politely, Bill left the estate.

Reina watched his retreating figure until he was completely out of sight, then turned her gaze to the necklace.

“Does this really indicate s*xual compatibility? Why was it so fickle only with me?”

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the necklace, and her lips pouted.

No matter how much she thought about it, it didn’t seem broken. The color changed easily enough, so it couldn’t be broken.

This meant that Lady Berkshire, by being greedy for status, had lost her true match.

Seeing Bill’s firm resolve, it seemed unlikely he would take Lady Sandra back, no matter how much she begged.

So, she would probably regret it for a long time. If she had never known, it would be different, but once tasted, it would be unforgettable.

For Reina, it was a bit of a gamble. If Bill realized that Lady Berkshire was his best match in s*xual compatibility, he might forgive her.

A man who is going to change his mind will do so for any reason, but Bill’s current demeanor showed he wouldn’t. He seemed resolute in his decisions no matter what happened.

Realizing he wasn’t a man who would be swayed by Lady Berkshire brought her relief. He seemed to know how to find happiness after all the hardships.

After finishing her conversation with Bill, Reina felt much lighter. But there was still some lingering unease.

“Why was it so fickle only in front of Patrick and me?”

Reina returned to her room and looked at the necklace again. She couldn’t understand why it caused her so much trouble while changing color easily for others. She let out a hollow laugh, finding it absurd.

“It’s so strange!”

She had intended to return the necklace to her father, but Reina wanted to use it one last time.

Although she didn’t want to show it to Earl Selkirk, she was suddenly curious. 

Would it change color between him and me?

What color would it show when I was with him? 

Any color would confuse her, but the meaning would differ.