Catherine slowly tilted her teacup while watching Samuel open the bottle and smell its contents. After wetting her lips with the tea, she silently set down her cup just as Samuel placed the glass bottle on the table. When Samuel looked up, Catherine spoke.

“I found it last night in front of the chapel.”

Catherine calmly told this lie.

“I saw you heading toward the chapel in the evening, so I called out, wondering if it might be yours.”

Feigning ignorance, she lifted her teacup again and gazed at Samuel over its rim. The warm tea moistened her lips as it flowed in.

Catherine wondered how Samuel would respond. In her mind, he had three possible answers: he hadn’t gone to the chapel, it was his, or it wasn’t his.

If he claimed he hadn’t gone to the chapel, the matter would end with Catherine having simply been mistaken. If he said it wasn’t his, that wouldn’t be bad either. But if Samuel claimed the bottle was his…

Catherine slowly blinked as she set down her teacup. Looking at her cold reflection in the shallow remains of the tea, she considered the implications.

In that case… Catherine would have to suspect that Samuel had some connection with David, since the bottle had been inside David’s coat the previous night.

Catherine stared at Samuel as he examined the glass bottle with unreadable eyes. His expression was quite serious. His hand slowly tapped the armrest of his chair. Samuel spoke.

“It’s not mine, but…”

Thinking she might have been mistaken, Catherine gestured for him to continue.

“May I take it and examine it?”

“…Is there a problem?”

Catherine asked, surprised by the unexpected request. Samuel rubbed his chin with his rough hand a few times, then softly cleared his throat while rubbing his lips. His slowly blinking gaze gradually met Catherine’s.

Noticing that Samuel was deliberating whether to speak, she nodded slightly in permission. Go ahead and speak. Despite Catherine’s permission, Samuel seemed to hesitate, struggling to find words.

“…May I check it first and tell you later?”

This was Samuel’s eventual response. Catherine stared at him as he closed his mouth carefully, then readily nodded.

“That’s fine with me, but is it something dangerous?”

“…It shouldn’t be harmful to people.”

This wasn’t untrue, considering David had given it to Catherine the previous night. Although the strong scent had made her retch, apart from that brief moment, it didn’t seem to have any particular effect on her body. Samuel, tucking the glass bottle into his br*ast pocket, asked:

“If there’s nothing else, may I leave now?”

The business was concluded, so there was nothing more to discuss. You may go. Catherine waved her hand lightly. Samuel rose from his seat, bowed politely, and departed.

Catherine listened to the reception room door open and Samuel briefly exchange greetings with a girl waiting outside, while she stared at the seat where Samuel had sat without touching his teacup.

“Madam, shall I clear the table?”

Soon, the girl who entered the reception room approached Catherine. Catherine lifted her head, looking away from the seat opposite her. She gazed briefly at the doorway through which Samuel had left, then turned her attention to the girl. Catherine said:

“I’ll call someone else for this. Could you do me a favor instead?”

***

“Sister-in-law.”

Catherine, walking down the corridor lined with tall glass windows, stopped at the call from behind.

Turning around, she saw David approaching from the opposite end of the corridor, having just entered. He was dressed in outdoor clothes, seemingly on his way out. As David came near Catherine, he spoke.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes, thanks to you. Thank you for your consideration.”

Catherine nodded readily in response. Literally, thanks to David’s thoughtfulness, Catherine had been able to spend the night comfortably.

David’s entrance into the main hall the previous night had drawn the servants’ attention, preventing scandalous rumors, and he had sent a maid to help her clean off the dirt and prepare for bed.

While Catherine appreciated David’s consideration, she also found it puzzling. She didn’t understand why the man who had whispered false love and threatened to make things difficult for her had suddenly abandoned that opportunity.

However, since the unexpected change in attitude wasn’t unwelcome, Catherine didn’t dwell on it much.

“It was nothing.”

David smiled happily at Catherine’s gratitude. Responding naturally, he extended his arm to her.

“You’re going to my brother’s bedroom, aren’t you? Allow me to escort you.”

“Weren’t you about to go out?”

When Catherine asked, David shrugged lightly, suggesting it was no problem, and replied:

“Sparing a moment for a lady is what makes a gentleman.”

You told me to act like a gentleman. David’s skillful recitation of words Catherine had once spoken in anger was quite brazen. Catherine shook her head slightly in disbelief, but David paid no mind and extended his arm to her again.

Shall we go? His eyes narrowed into crescents as he smiled, with sunlight falling diagonally across his face.

Beneath the golden brown hair bathed in light, his pale forehead stood out prominently. His high collar, tightly fastened around his neck, was stiff from starching.

It was a face that particularly suited the white collar. Catherine gazed at David’s face with fresh eyes for a moment, then placed her hand on his arm and gently pulled him along.

“Is there something on my face?”

Walking slowly as Catherine guided him, David touched his cheek with his free hand and asked. Nothing came off on his hand. David looked down at Catherine obliquely. Her expression was somewhat cold as usual. With that cool face, Catherine said:

“Hmm… I was just thinking how handsome you are.”

David was taken aback. What? He was so surprised that he unconsciously asked aloud. After asking, he didn’t even realize he had spoken until his eyes met Catherine’s.

This was understandable because, as far as David knew, Catherine was not the type of person to say such things to him.

“Is this the first time you’ve heard such a thing?”

Catherine, however, tilted her head curiously at his reaction, finding it strange. Her attitude suggested she was stating something completely obvious.

Finding it somehow difficult to maintain eye contact, David rolled his eyes and answered:

“No… that’s not it.”

Of course, it wasn’t the first time he had heard such words. From childhood, David had often been told he was lovely due to his exceptionally neat appearance, and this hadn’t changed as he grew older.

After entering the theological school, his face became more defined and overlaid with piety, so those who saw David praying would jokingly call him a young saint.

Even when encountering patients during his time at the theological school, his appearance always shone. He easily won people’s affection, inspired trust, and sometimes his very presence was regarded as a sanctuary.

Because of this, when David returned to Cavendish, he thought he could easily persuade his widowed sister-in-law.

Married for barely three months. He had heard it was a sudden marriage without love. Whatever Saul had offered her, now that Saul was dead, David thought he just needed to give her a reason to leave.

He thought love would be enough. Since love burns like fire, he believed the sudden heat of passion could consume Catherine’s reason. He thought he could protect her under the pretext of that love.

Perhaps if Catherine hadn’t loved Saul. If that had been the case, things might have turned out that way.

So even as he answered reflexively, David could hardly believe Catherine had said such a thing to him. Catherine had been consistent from the moment they first met.

With a face that suggested he might have misheard something, he fiddled with his ear. He had thought they didn’t look alike… Then he dropped his hand at the sound of Catherine’s continuing voice. Catherine said:

“I can see some resemblance to my husband in you, surprisingly.”

Ah, Saul. It’s about Saul again. David felt his heated head cool down.

“…It’s been a while since I heard that I resemble my brother.”

After responding this way, David belatedly thought he could have given a more conventional, inoffensive answer, like saying it was natural since they were brothers. He regretted not answering that way.

However, Catherine didn’t seem to take his response badly and simply nodded without comment.

“When you were standing by the window earlier, the sunlight was shining on you.”

Was it? David didn’t remember clearly because he had been looking at Catherine. Perhaps it had been so.

“When I first met Saul, the sunlight fell on him just like that.”

We first met on a bridge. That’s when Saul proposed to me. He took off his hat and extended his hand to me, and somehow when you offered to escort me just now, I was reminded of Saul at that moment.

Catherine said this. Listening to Catherine’s soft whisper, David slowly continued walking.