This was the first time I had met anyone besides the three men since I arrive at the mansion. It was my first real interaction in nearly 33 days, and I felt a small flutter of excitement.

“You’re beautiful.”

I said spontaneously, expressing my thoughts about Mio.

“No, you’re much, much more beautiful.”

Mio replied, waving her hands and blushing. It seemed like she was saying I was prettier, and it was adorable.

Although I had initially approached her to gather information, other feelings started to emerge. In my practice, I often consulted with charming young women in their early twenties, and I always found it enjoyable. But Mio was even more innocent and cute than any of them.

“Let’s be friends.”

“Um… I…”

Mio looked flustered, her eyes darting nervously.

“I want to learn Seyonese. I’ll talk to Theo about it.”

As I stumbled through my words, using every bit of vocabulary I knew, Mio’s eyes widened even more. Her black, berry-like eyes sparkled, and it seemed she didn’t dislike me—she was probably just afraid of Theo.

“Mio, you’re beautiful.”

I complimented her again, smiling widely. Her face flushed bright red, and I couldn’t help but laugh at her innocent reaction.

***

“That maid…?”

Theo furrowed his brow slightly.

“Yeah, we became friends. I was so bored without anyone to talk to… I’m glad to have Mio.”

Theo remained silent, rubbing his eyebrows thoughtfully.

“Don’t fire her, Theo. I need a friend.”

“Why?”

Theo asked, genuinely curious.

“…Everyone needs friends.”

“I’m here, though.”

“But you’re my boyfriend, Theo. Mio’s just a young girl. It would be fun to talk and hang out with her. We could swim together and eat delicious food…”

The mention of the boyfriend softened Theo’s expression slightly. Though his emotions were often hidden in darkness, one thing was clear—his feelings for me. It was that presence that could make this cold man seem shy, which was an odd sensation in itself.

“Do as you wish.”

“I’ll teach Mio Arkelese, and she can teach me Seyonese too.”

“The maid has a lot of work to do, so she won’t be able to spend much time with you.”

Theo replied playfully as if secretly hoping for that outcome.

“Well, then reduce her workload. Noel mentioned how advanced magic has become. Can’t we use it for the laundry, dishes, and cooking?”

“People should do their work. Magic can’t do everything.”

“It’s just so sad that such a little girl has to take care of all the mansion’s tasks…”

I genuinely felt concerned for Mio. Her struggles were partly my fault. It was clear that Theo wasn’t hiring other help because of my presence.

“But it’s just you and me that she’s taking care of, right?”

To me, Theo was one person, yet not quite one person. He changed his clothes at least three or four times a day.

Did Mio know about Theo’s situation? Even if she didn’t know the details, she must have had some suspicion. Surely, she had noticed that the master she served was different from ordinary people. Or perhaps she was completely unaware and simply thought he was a bit of a neat freak.

“Or maybe I could help out a bit.”

When I was abroad, I did my own laundry and went grocery shopping without relying on anyone. I could easily help Mio with her tasks without hesitation.

“…Why would you do that?”

Theo furrowed his brow.

“Because we’re going to be friends.”

“A lady wanting to be friends with a maid is something I’ve never seen before.”

“Theo, yesterday Noel mentioned that the Arkel nobility is full of lineage and empty formalities. Isn’t your remark coming from that same perspective?”

Theo seemed momentarily lost for words, then let out a hollow laugh. He raised his hands in surrender, a gesture I hadn’t seen from him in a long time.

“As I said before, do as you wish.”

Internally, I cheered at Theo’s calm consent, though I felt a bit uneasy about how easily he had agreed. When I opened my eyes slightly to glance at him, I noticed he wore a resigned smile.

“I just want to do what I can for you.”

I brushed aside his bitter expression. While Theo didn’t seem to regret it, I could tell he had been making an effort to give me what I wanted ever since I decided to stay. After 33 days, it seemed his trust in me had grown significantly.

***

After that, everything went smoothly. Mio didn’t seem to have any negative feelings about finally being able to talk with me. She seemed to enjoy it. Considering she had been working early in the morning or late at night to avoid me, it must have been quite uncomfortable for her before.

Theo lacked empathy. How could he entrust all the mansion’s duties to such a small, lovely girl? And how could he burden Mio with such unreasonable contract conditions?

I decided to start studying Seyonese during the leisurely afternoons after lunch. I wasn’t a slow learner, so I figured it wouldn’t take long. In the meantime, I wanted to gather as much information from Mio as I could. She would undoubtedly be more honest and straightforward than Theo.

“Friends?”

Cane reacted similarly to Theo’s, his expression filled with disbelief.

“Why would you need something like that?”

“Everyone needs friends.”

“I don’t.”

I kept my mouth shut—there was no point in trying to explain social interactions to Cane.

Even after s*x, he wouldn’t leave immediately; instead, he’d hold me tightly from behind. Cane was always like this—washing me, staying close, and sharing small moments of physical affection.

Today, however, he didn’t fall asleep right away. Perhaps it was because I had a lesson with Mio scheduled for the afternoon, but I was filled with excitement and anticipation.

“I’m going to swim. You can rest, Cane.”

I said, picking up the robe that had fallen to the floor and pulling it on as I quietly pulled away from his embrace. If I stayed in his arms any longer, I’d fall into a deep sleep. And if I overslept, it might delay my Seyonese lesson, which I didn’t want.

Cane frowned, looking displeased.

“Looks like you’re not very tired today?”

I felt a twinge of anxiety. I froze for a moment and looked at Cane. If it were him, it wouldn’t be strange at all if he said, “I’ll make you tired,” and lunged at me again.

“Well, then I’ll join you.”

Contrary to my expectations, he got up from the bed lazily with a playful smile.

“Cane?”

I blinked in surprise at the completely unexpected turn of events.

“Why?”

“Well… but… do you even have a swimming suit?”

“It’s probably somewhere. Besides, it’s not like you have to wear a swimsuit. Who else is in this mansion?”

He wasn’t wrong. There was no one else around, and the only people using the pool would be Cane and me. Was he suggesting we swim completely n*ked? I quickly pushed that thought away. He probably meant wearing something other than a swimsuit.

The idea of swimming happily with Cane was hard to imagine. If it were Noel, I could understand, but Cane? It seemed too unexpected.

There was no point in stopping him if he insisted on going for a swim. I tightened my robe and made my way to the small living room and then to the pool. Cane stepped into his room for a moment and came out in a pair of tight-fitting swimming trunks. Thankfully, he wasn’t as completely n*ked as I’d imagined. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“You really splurged.”

Cane said, clucking his tongue as he lounged on a sunbed. It was amusing to hear such a comment from the one who actually did all the splashing.

Leaving Cane behind, I stepped into the shower room, briefly wondering which swimsuit to wear. Even though we had seen everything there was to see of each other, the thought of swimming together in swimsuits made me feel awkward and self-conscious. In the end, I chose a simple light blue swimsuit.

It wasn’t too revealing in the back or front, and it had no flashy patterns—just a plain, modest swimsuit.

Feeling too shy to walk over to Cane, I quickly slipped outside and stepped into the pool. The cool water enveloped me as I dove in and swam towards Cane’s sunbed. As I approached, he sat up and looked at me.

“You swim well, Doctor.”

“Theo probably swims well, too.”

“Even if Theo doesn’t swim well, I do.”

He slowly waded into the water. His relaxed and gradual approach to swimming looked natural.

“Have you ever taken swimming lessons?”

“I learn it naturally during training.”

“Military training?”

“Yeah.”

Every time I spoke with them, they felt so real and alive. Both Theo and Noel insisted that they were real individuals.

I don’t really believe in unrealistic powers, nor do I put much stock in magic. Concepts like the afterlife are hard for me to accept.

“You mentioned you’ve been in the war, right?”

“Several times.”

“What wars? The first, second, or third?”

I asked again, a question I had posed before.

We both emerged from the water and swam side by side, moving slowly. Cane’s gaze remained arrogant and dark, but he seemed more relaxed than usual. His face, now clearly visible beneath the wet hair he had pushed back, was undeniably handsome.

“The first and second wars. I fought in Arkel and was sent to Seyon. I also spent some time on the Northern Continent.”

I nodded at his direct answer.

“It must have been hard.”

“Not really. It was fun.”

“Is killing people fun?”

I asked, surprised.

“War can turn people into monsters.”