The problem was… this clearly looked like a bedroom.

“This is…”

“My bedroom.”

Though she had already guessed it, hearing it verbally confirmed felt strange.

The conditions matched, but was there really a need for it to be a bedroom?

Moreover…

“Then… is that my room beyond there?”

There was a familiar connecting door in this room. The same type of connecting door that was in Saena’s room. And considering the spatial structure, her room would indeed be beyond that door.

“Yes.”

“…There’s a connecting door. Then is the room I’m staying in… perhaps the Duchess’s room?”

“Well, yes, but what does it matter since the Duchess isn’t here now?”

“Still…”

“This floor has the best security. Only absolutely trustworthy people are allowed in and out.”

Ah, so that was the reason.

Making her strange suspicions seem foolish, it suddenly started making sense.

“And…”

The Duke stopped mid-sentence and strode outside, then after a while, opened the connecting door from Saena’s room side and came through.

“This door automatically locks when closed. It can only be opened from the lady’s side.”

Ah… she didn’t know about that feature.

“I’ll keep this door open. So if you get sleepy or tired while drinking, you can go back and rest anytime.”

So she could just close the door and go to bed if she got drowsy while drinking, right?

After hearing all these explanations, it seemed like a very good choice.

Saena quickly forgot about her earlier impure suspicions and settled down in front of the fireplace in the Duke’s bedroom.

Crackle, crackle.

The sound of burning logs jumped up from inside the fireplace.

As evening approached, plenty of food was brought up out of concern for empty stomachs. It wasn’t just simple snacks to pair with drinks but nearly a full meal.

Following her earlier request, he poured wine into a glass and pushed it toward Saena, while filling his own glass with spirits. The crystal glass containing the crimson liquid suited his long fingers very well.

The way his Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed the drink somehow caught her attention.

“Your Grace. Please have some of this too.”

Seeing that he was only drinking, Saena offered him some food.

The Duke slightly raised the corner of his mouth while swallowing his drink.

“Alright. You should eat well too, lady.”

Unable to actually feed him, she could only offer verbally, but the Duke just acknowledged and continued drinking.

It was somewhat awkward drinking face to face, so at first, they just drank in silence. However, after some alcohol, the tension eased and conversation began to flow.

“Come to think of it, did I thank you?”

The Duke merely raised his eyebrows without asking what for.

“You saved me again.”

“……”

“How did you know to appear right then?”

She really wondered how he came to such a remote place.

The Duke’s eyes trembled slightly at her words before returning to normal, but Saena failed to notice.

“Besides, you looked so cool. The way you controlled the Guardian Spirit. Hehe.”

Saena recalled how he had cleared away the building debris with a single gesture and saved people.

“Riding Morev was amazing too. As if the deep snow didn’t matter at all, like we were really flying…”

It had been a mystical experience. She never imagined one could materialize and ride a Guardian Spirit.

“I can do such things for you anytime. Did you enjoy it?”

“Yes…”

Saena answered with a slightly dreamy expression.

“…I see you did.”

While Saena’s expression resembled that of a fan meeting their idol, the Duke’s expression watching her face was equally peculiar.

“Hmm. Would you like to ride again?”

“Ah! Of course!”

As the alcohol took effect, Saena answered cheerfully. Plus, it was about the Guardian Spirit. She couldn’t help but feel even better.

“Once the snow lets up a bit, we’ll go out.”

“Really?”

Saena’s eyes sparkled.

“But is it okay to treat such a precious Guardian Spirit that way?”

She wondered if it was appropriate to use it as transportation. Wasn’t it ‘that’ Guardian Spirit?

But the Duke snorted.

“It’s fine. That fellow should be grateful to be used even in such a way.”

“…Pardon?”

The way he spoke suggested that even this much attention was something it should be grateful for.

People who only observed from afar vaguely imagined the relationship between Oathkeepers and Guardian Spirits to be somewhat sacred and solemn, and Saena wasn’t much different in this regard.

But considering what Lady Floria had said before, and now the Duke’s remarks, it felt more like living with an unavoidable troublemaker.

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to ask, ‘Could it be that Your Grace’s Guardian Spirit has a nasty personality?’

No, Saena wanted to believe that Guardian Spirits were extremely divine and noble beings.

“Um, I have another question.”

“What is it?”

“These dresses I’m wearing… whose are they?”

“The dresses?”

“Yes. There are no women in House Kramer, but there seem to be many women’s dresses available…”

“…Don’t noble houses usually keep emergency clothing? Most noble families…”

Emergency clothing, with this many dresses?

Saena recalled her time managing the Hollander household.

…Of course, they had no emergency dresses. Everyone was too busy spending money like misers to waste it on emergency dresses for guests. Though they weren’t in any position to receive guests anyway.

She thought of the relatively wealthy House Debov, but… they didn’t keep emergency dresses either.

“…That doesn’t seem to be common practice… Do you receive female visitors often?”

With many occasions requiring change of clothes…?

There was usually only one situation that would require that, right?

Surely not everyone was trapped by heavy snow like her…

Thinking this, Saena suddenly felt strange. Though they were already someone else’s clothes, they now felt even more like someone else’s.

“…I don’t know what you’re thinking, but that’s not it.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re wondering how many women must frequent here for that amount of clothing to be prepared, aren’t you?”

“……”

Since that was exactly what she had thought, Saena kept quiet.

“Unlike other houses, Kramer has no direct female family members. These emergency dresses exist because there’s no family to handle situations where female guests might need clothing.”

“Ah, I see…”

“I would prefer you not make strange assumptions.”

“……”

Having made exactly such strange assumptions, Saena quietly lowered her head. Feeling embarrassed, she picked up her glass and pretended to drink enthusiastically.

Just then…

“Your Grace.”

Along with a knock, butler Royter’s voice came from outside.

“I apologize, but there’s a matter that requires your attention.”

Usually, no one would disturb a private time like this in any household, so it must be urgent.

“I’m fine, please attend to your work.”

“I’ll return shortly.”

The Duke rose and went outside. She heard something about the heavy snow before the door closed and the voices faded. Something seemed to have happened because of the snow.

‘Actually, it would be stranger if nothing happened in this weather.’

Thinking about it, she realized that was true. This region didn’t usually get this much snow, so the damage would likely be significant.

Naturally, Saena recalled her memories of managing the Hollander territory. Whether it was a year of poor harvest or good harvest, nothing ever improved there.

Though every season was hellish in its own way, winter was especially brutal. So many territory residents died each winter… Though she tried to help however she could, Saena’s power had been too limited.

‘Their situation must be the same… I wonder if they got this much snow there too?’

Though she knew it wasn’t her concern anymore, she still worried. Though she knew there was nothing she could do, she couldn’t help but worry.

Feeling bitter, Saena raised her glass.

Due to her suddenly sinking mood, she had unconsciously finished a bottle of wine with small sips. After tilting the empty bottle, Saena turned her attention to the Duke’s spirits.

It was easier to drink the alcohol in front of her than to ask for more wine to be brought. Even though it wasn’t a type she had tried before.

Her body, not particularly tolerant with alcohol, grew languid from the effects. While stroking the soft fur, Saena slowly lay down.

“Pat my head…”

Though she wasn’t a frequent drinker, her old drinking habit emerged once drunk. Saena whined while grabbing at the blurry figure before her.

“Yur… touch me… okay?”

She used to fall asleep well when Yuri stroked her head.

‘Oh my, this one. She’s something else.’

When she whined like this, Yuri would grumble but still gently stroke her head.

A large hand with a cool scent slowly stroked from her forehead to her crown. Each time the cool hand passed over her forehead heated from alcohol, Saena smiled contentedly.

“Nice…”

Though she thought it strange that the scent was different from usual, drunk Saena didn’t realize these weren’t Yuri’s hands.

Saena clung more tightly to that arm, acting spoiled. She didn’t want to let go because it gave her a nostalgic feeling.

“Yur… tap tap…”

Requesting Yuri’s habit of tapping her forehead and bridge of nose when telling her to sleep quickly, Saena thr*st her face forward. Her eyes remained closed.

It felt like she could fall asleep right away if he tapped her.

Of course, Saena was offering her nose bridge, but to an observer, it might have looked like she was offering her lips.

“…Who is Yur?”

And since Yuri couldn’t possibly be here, the person currently dealing with Saena’s drunken behavior was naturally Duke Kramer.

“Is the name Yur? A man?”

Though in a half-asleep state, she thought the voice reaching her ears was too deep. It was completely different from Yuri’s voice.

But it was a gentle voice. Saena, unable to distinguish this deliberate gentleness, answered drowsily.

“Yur is… Yuri. Bad guy… tap tap… hurry…”

Muttering words that truly sounded like a drunk person’s rambling, Saena rubbed her face against the arm she was holding. It felt refreshing to rub her heated cheeks against the cool pillar.

Eventually, his hand came near her face.

She waited for him to tap with his fingers, but that hand remained suspended in the air for a long while.

Unable to wait any longer, Saena buried her face in the palm that emitted a refreshing scent.

Why won’t you tap tap?

Still, the touch felt nice, so she was satisfied. Her eyelids trembled briefly before she fell into sleep.