Meeting Sion’s bulging eyes, Agate finally lowered her head with her eyes closed. At least she had some conscience.

‘There are all sorts of ways to make someone drink water…’

His anger wouldn’t easily subside. Agate’s fall into the water was clearly due to his negligent supervision, and he would bear all the responsibility. Things had become quite troublesome. But that wasn’t why he was angry.

Others might think Agate had accidentally slipped and fallen into the water, but he knew.

This woman had deliberately thrown herself into the lake.

And the one who had led her to the lake was none other than himself.

Sion found this unbearably infuriating and was seized by the impulse to vent his emotions, even if it meant shouting at her.

But he had to swallow this difficult-to-control rage. Agate had begun to shiver. Evidence that her body temperature was dropping.

“…I’ll carry her on my back. Let’s hurry—she’ll quickly develop hypothermia in wet clothes.”

“Are you alright, Butler? You’re soaking wet too…”

Kanna’s concerned gaze turned toward Sion.

He hadn’t noticed in all the commotion, but now he realized he was starting to feel chilly too.

‘It won’t do any good for two wet people to stay close together…’

Sion’s concerns deepened. There was no alternative. He was the only one among them capable of immediately transporting her to the villa. Yet he couldn’t remove her wet clothes either.

Having made his decision, he let out a long sigh, clearly displeased with it. Then he removed his jacket, which had become heavy with water. Along with the jacket, a small piece of paper from his br*ast pocket fell to the ground.

‘I’m truly not in a position to hope for luck or good fortune.’

The paper with Agate’s signature was now unrecognizable, the ink completely smeared. With a frustrated chuckle, Sion crumpled it and stuffed it into his pants pocket.

As he removed his jacket to reveal his shirt, the servants’ eyes widened, and all attention focused on Sion. His wet shirt clung to his body, clearly outlining the contours of his lean muscles.

Sion unbuttoned his shirt one by one and threw off the wet garment as well. When his sturdy, firm upper body was plainly revealed—impressive enough without needing to touch it—exclamations burst out from various directions.

“Please help the young lady onto my back.”

Sion deliberately ignored the burdensome gazes and reactions as he turned his broad back toward Agate.

“Quickly, everyone help move the young lady onto the butler’s back.”

Molly clapped her hands, awakening the distracted servants’ attention. Only then did they all tear their gazes from his broad back and collectively support Agate. She was already drained of strength and hung limply.

“Miss, let’s go quickly. Butler Adollo should be back by now. Though we left a message about going on a picnic to the lake, there will surely be an uproar when he sees you.”

“We should call Dr. Barten as soon as we reach the villa. She might become ill during the night.”

“Uh… uh, uh…”

“Miss? What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”

Hearing Agate’s groaning over his shoulder, Sion half-turned his head. Agate was refusing to be carried on his back.

“Perhaps you find it improper? Miss, there’s no choice. If your wet clothes touch you, your body temperature will drop even faster.”

“Uuuuh…”

As if that wasn’t it, Agate squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. Though she had been drooping like a wilting plant just moments before, she was now quite stubborn, drawing strength from who knows where.

“Don’t tell me you’re refusing to leave?”

While everyone was struggling to grasp her intentions, Sion asked in a somewhat irritable tone. With an urgent feeling as if being chased, it was difficult for his words to come out gently.

It should have been a wrong guess, but unfortunately, Agate immediately nodded in agreement to his question.

Now he wasn’t even angry anymore. He was just dumbfounded. Even in this state, what business could she possibly have left at the lake to make her resist? Surely she didn’t want to jump in again?

Though Agate’s notebook was nearby, he lacked the patience to listen to her long-winded reasons, which weren’t worth confirming.

“You must already have a fever, judging by your strange behavior.”

Sion couldn’t wait any longer. Without delay, he turned to Agate and scooped her up in his arms. Agate’s stubbornness was no small matter—she tried to struggle unnecessarily, but firmly held in Sion’s arms, she only ended up pressed closer to his body.

Realizing her strength was no match, Agate soon quieted down.

“You seem desperate to make things harder for me. I understand you’re trying to thoroughly repay my past rudeness.”

A very low voice, audible only to her, settled coldly over her head. Agate didn’t look up.

“……”

“Sh-shall we go?”

The servants only exchanged glances without trying to intervene as Sion handled the lady’s body without seeking her consent. No one objected to the idea that Agate needed to be taken to the villa as quickly as possible, even by these means.

The picnic was ruined before it even began, and on the way back to the villa, everyone maintained silence as if they too had fallen into the water and emerged.

Agate didn’t open her eyes until they reached the villa. She couldn’t open them, as if weights had been attached to her eyelids, and she couldn’t face anyone directly.

The uncontrollable shivering of her body had stopped. That was thanks to him. The warmth transmitted through his embrace was almost shamefully comforting.

Though she couldn’t raise her head to look at him, she wished the time before leaving his arms would come later. His warmth was too precious to let go.

The vivid memory of the bone-chilling cold in the water became blurry as soon as she was held in his arms. Looking back, she had been afraid of those deep lake waters. That must be why she had grabbed his extended hand as if she had been waiting for it.

‘…There are limits to shamelessness.’

Unlike when she had firmly held his waist while riding the bicycle, Agate kept her hands clasped together without touching him. She wished for the miracle of time stopping right there.

* * *

“Miss, you went to the lake without even telling me…”

As Molly had said, Adollo had returned earlier than expected. Sensing the picnic party’s arrival, he came running breathlessly, then froze like a stone when he saw Agate and Sion’s appearance.

“Butler! So what happened was…!”

The experienced Molly, who had been carefully crafting an excuse on the way back, tried to get ahead of the situation, but Adollo raised his hand to silence her. His eyes were already glaring at Sion as if to kill him.

“You explain. What exactly is going on here?”

A sharp question flew like an arrow toward Sion. Unlike Molly, and unlike his usual self, Sion had made no preparations for this foreseeable difficulty. Throughout the journey to the villa, he had been absorbed in only one thought.

“As you can see, she fell into the lake. First, we need to remove her wet clothes and immerse her in warm water. I’ll give you a detailed explanation afterward.”

Sion recited only the urgent matters in a businesslike manner, completely devoid of emotion. Normally, Adollo would have yielded to such words, but the situation before his eyes had scattered the reason that usually prioritized Agate’s well-being.

Unfortunately, Sion’s words didn’t register at all in his ears.

“What on earth is this…! Put the young lady down immediately!”

Finally, Adollo shouted, and the room instantly froze. All the mansion’s servants gathered in the first-floor hall, neither intervening nor leaving, holding their breath as they watched the scene.

Sion obediently followed his order, and so did Agate. As soon as Agate separated from Sion, Adollo strode toward him. Then he raised his arm sharply.

Though Sion read this obvious movement with his eyes, he deliberately made no attempt to avoid it, and it was already too late for the servants behind him to intervene.

But Adollo’s arm never came crashing down.

“…Miss, please step aside.”

Adollo spoke to Agate, who had stepped in front of him, not hiding his surprised expression. She stood between Sion and Adollo with her arms spread wide. Even Sion, who hadn’t batted an eye until now, furrowed his brow.