Two days before my scheduled meeting with Henry, I sent him a letter.
It was a rather one-sided notice that I was in no condition to meet and we should see each other another time.
Henry then said he would come to visit me in my illness. Of course, I declined. I also politely declined his offer to personally send an imperial physician out of concern for my well-being.
I’m sorry to Henry, but I was in no state to meet anyone right now.
Oscar’s sudden departure left me feeling bewildered. It all seemed like my fault.
The time I spent with Oscar felt like a dream. As I lay there blankly with my eyes closed, I heard a knock at the door.
“Ari. It’s Dad. I’m coming in for a moment.”
It was Viscount Hayworth’s voice. I thought he was away on a business trip for a major trade deal. It seemed he had returned earlier than expected.
“…Father.”
“Just stay in bed.”
When I tried to get up from the bed, Viscount Hayworth strongly objected.
Still, I couldn’t greet my father lying down after his long absence. I raised my heavy body and sat up, leaning my back against the headboard.
“You came early?”
“Yes. I came because I missed our Ari. Now, bring them in.”
At Viscount Hayworth’s command, maids entered carrying trays. The table was filled with cakes, cookies, chocolates, and other treats.
“You may leave.”
The maids looked at my complexion, then left the room with regretful faces.
“My daughter. Your pretty face has become half of what it was since I last saw you.”
“No, it hasn’t.”
“Of course it has. I’m heartbroken.”
Viscount Hayworth clicked his tongue and handed me a plate of cake. The sweet and rich aroma of whipped cream wafted strongly.
When I hesitated, he placed a tea fork in my hand.
“It’s the cream cake that Ari loves most. I brought an exceptional one.”
“Why cake?”
“Hmm. That prince… ah, no, His Highness sent it. The person may be annoying, but the cake is innocent. The imperial chef’s cakes are the finest in the empire.”
He answered with a reddened face, showing both frustration and resignation.
Whatever the circumstances, it’s a parent’s heart to want to feed their only daughter the most delicious things when she’s unwell.
I found Viscount Hayworth endearing and smiled faintly.
“Ah, when I attended the imperial ball, my tongue nearly melted from how delicious it was… so I brought it right away. We may have broken the engagement, but that doesn’t diminish the quality of the cake.”
Seeing how his explanation grew lengthy, it seemed Viscount Hayworth was also embarrassed.
“Sweet things are best when you’re feeling down. So eat up.”
“Thank you.”
Though I had no appetite, seeing Viscount Hayworth’s face made it impossible to refuse. I cut a small corner of the cake with the tea fork and tasted the cream.
A soft flavor filled my mouth. Though I still had no appetite, the sweetness seemed to improve my mood somewhat.
“Well. Along with these, he sent this vexing letter.”
“…From His Highness?”
“Yes. I originally intended to tear it to shreds without delivering it, but one shouldn’t carelessly destroy a royal letter.”
Viscount Hayworth reluctantly handed over Henry’s letter with a disgruntled face.
“…Well, I don’t care about such things, but I kept it in case you worried about our family being executed.”
“You did well. Thank you, Father.”
I carefully unfolded the letter.

[To my low-spirited Nuna
I paid the imperial chef overtime and baked this with him at dawn.
I lack skill, so I only placed the cherry on top of the cake, so you can trust the taste (please make sure to eat the cherry too).
I find that eating sweet things gives me strength. Rest well. See you next week.
Your temporary friend,
Henry Grant.]

It was a witty letter. I smiled slightly and put the cherry from the cake into my mouth.
It was a cherry coated in sugar syrup. It was truly dizzyingly sweet. A sweetness that seemed capable of blowing away any depression in an instant.
But there was also something unpleasant about it.
“When angry?”
“Eat candy.”
I remembered chanting this playfully with Oscar. After teaching him to eat sweets when feeling down, he became a little boy who habitually carried lollipops.
Recalling this made me miss him so much that tears welled up.
“I see our daughter is quite the crybaby.”
“When have I ever cried?”
When Viscount Hayworth patted my shoulder, I felt my emotions welling up even more.
“It’s alright, tell Dad about it.”
“I just remembered how Oscar liked sweet things. I taught him to eat sweets when he felt bad.”
“So that’s why that little one was always sucking on candy?”
“Yes.”
“What an odd fellow.”
“He was indeed.”
I forced a smile while my eyes glistened with tears. I felt sorry for making Viscount Hayworth worry too much.
“But he was cute. It was nice to have energy in the house.”
Viscount Hayworth muttered with a melancholic face while reminiscing about Oscar.
My father, who had always disapproved of bringing Oscar home and only worried about me, seemed to have grown quite attached to him.
“Ari. There’s nothing to blame yourself for.”
“……”
Indeed, his eyes couldn’t be deceived. Even though I had kept hiding it to avoid upsetting my father, it seemed my self-blame had been exposed.
“He left your care when the time came. Isn’t that proof that you raised him well?”
“…Is it okay to think that way?”
“Of course.”
He wiped away the tears that had somehow streamed down my cheeks and looked at my complexion with concern.
“Why do I feel so uneasy about him leaving after he’s grown up…?”
“It’s natural. I feel the same way.”
“You too, Father?”
“Yes. Just as our Ari has become such a fine lady, yet in Dad’s eyes, you still look like a six-year-old little lady.”
He stroked my hair and handed me a macaron.
“Even back then, Ari loved macarons.”
I took it, but couldn’t bring myself to eat it, just fidgeting with it instead.
“Even though you’ve grown so much, I can’t help but worry needlessly about something going wrong, just like I always do.”
I hope that’s really the case. I hope Oscar arrived safely at the ravine…
“Ari.”
“Yes, Father.”
“You’ve been through a lot. Dad is proud of you.”
Was I too comforted by Viscount Hayworth’s words? Tears fell even more freely.
“My child. Everything will be alright.”
Viscount Hayworth silently embraced me tightly.
‘Did I really do the right thing…?’
Thinking of Oscar made my heart ache terribly.

*** 

This time, Benedict visited my room. Judging by his dressed-up appearance, he seemed to be leaving the mansion.
“…Are you leaving already?”
“Yes. I just stopped by briefly to say goodbye before I go. Please don’t get up.”
When I tried to rise to greet him, Benedict waved his hands in protest.
“You’re leaving right away?”
“Yes. It seems I must. Lord Hayworth is waiting outside the door.”
“What?”
“He says he will see me off.”
These Hayworth men, really. Even for a brief sick visit before leaving, they were excessively protective.
“If it’s because of Leon, I can speak to him sternly.”
“No, it’s not that. I have postponed work at the Magic Tower, too. I might get fired if I don’t go to work today.”
“You’ve been putting everything on hold because of Oscar?”
“That’s right.”
He didn’t seem inclined to make empty pleasantries.
“Well, not only because of that.”
He smiled awkwardly.
Whether it was out of goodwill toward me or because it was related to dragons, thanks to his help, Oscar overcame his crisis and grew up safely to depart for the ravine.
‘I should express my gratitude properly.’
I brought my hands together at my waist and bowed my head respectfully to him.
“Grand Mage. Thank you so much for all your help.”
“Not at all. I didn’t do much.”
He blushed and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. To say he didn’t do much was excessive modesty.
“If you hadn’t been here, it would have been impossible for me to care for Oscar alone.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
A brief silence fell after our simple exchange of greetings.
“……”
“……”
Until now, we have had many conversations because of Oscar.
‘…There’s nothing particular to say.’
Since Benedict was originally not very talkative, I hesitated about what to bring up.
“By the way, my lady, are you eating your meals regularly?”
Unexpectedly, Benedict was the first to break the silence.
“Yes. I’m trying to.”
“Please eat light foods that are easy to digest. And don’t skip meals.”
“I will. Thank you for your concern.”
He was truly a good person. I had kept my distance from him only because Oscar made our relationship impossible. He was indeed worthy of being the male lead of this game.
“Ah, I came to give you this.”
Benedict held out a glass jar containing tea leaves. I took it somewhat dazedly.
“Is this tea?”
“Yes. I brought some of the tea I drink when I’m feeling down. It has a calming effect and stimulates appetite, so it should help if you drink it regularly.”
Though he couldn’t meet my eyes out of embarrassment, and couldn’t say comforting words like “cheer up” or “it’s okay,” this seemed to be Benedict’s own way of offering comfort.
I opened the lid of the glass jar and smelled the tea leaves. The fragrant aroma seemed to improve my mood a little.
“It smells nice. I’ll enjoy it.”
“I’m glad you like it. When you feel better, please come to the library. I hear a new volume of the series you like has been released.”
I can’t resist new books. I smiled spontaneously, grateful for his thoughtful consideration.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Leon entered.
“Grand Mage. The carriage is ready.”
It meant he wouldn’t allow us to be alone any longer, so please leave now. Benedict smiled slightly and gave me another eye greeting.
Everything that had changed because of Oscar was returning to its place.
It felt like I was the only one left behind.