“I’ve been playing babysitter for days now…”

Arinne sat in the garden and muttered while watching Ray play a short distance away.

Ray kept glancing toward Arinne and waving his hands enthusiastically. Each time, Arinne halfheartedly wiggled her hand back in a pretense of greeting.

‘His arm’s going to fall off at this rate.’

When Arinne waved back the same way, Ray got even more excited and waved bigger, moving his arms and whole body.

“The young master seems quite fond of you, Miss.”

Jo refilled Arinne’s teacup and spoke. Arinne nodded absently while staring at the filling cup.

“Yeah. That’s the problem. I’ve been so busy watching the kid that I haven’t even brought up marriage.”

Four days into her stay at the Marquis’s estate, all Arinne had done was entertain Ray when he came around and avoid Jade, who was too busy running away whenever they crossed paths.

“Big sister!! The ball got stuck in the tree!”

“I’ll get it!”

Jo rolled up both sleeves and ran toward Ray.

Actually, the word “babysitter” suited Jo better. Jo was the one who actually played with and looked after Ray.

Yet Ray always thought Arinne was the one playing with him.

And it wasn’t just playtime. At meals, he’d come sit next to her or try to climb on her lap, and at night, he’d show up at her side with his pillow.

Whenever someone came to fetch him, he’d go back with a sullen face.

Arinne only had to pretend to go along with it until then, so when Ray came around, Jo was the only one who got busy having to attend to two people.

‘Why does he even like me?’

She had no idea why Ray was so fond of her.

Did he like that she indulged his cuteness a bit? But he liked her from the very beginning.

‘I don’t know. It’s not like I dislike him. If he likes me, why question it?’

Arinne propped her chin in her hand and stared listlessly toward where Ray and Jo were.

“JoJo! You can do it!”

“Yes! I’m doing it! And I’m not JoJo, I’m Jo!”

Jo stood on tiptoe, shaking the tree with a long stick, while Ray stood beside her with both fists clenched, cheering her on.

“It’s coming down!!”

Finally, the ball fell.

“Did you see? I got it— a, a bug!! Kyaaaah!!”

Jo looked proud for a moment, but when a bug plopped onto her shoulder, her face went white and she screamed.

“The ball!! Roll roll roll~!”

Regardless of Jo’s distress, Ray’s attention was solely on the ball. Ray giggled and chased after the ball with his short legs as it rolled away after falling from the tree.

“He’s quite adorable, isn’t he?”

“Hm?”

A pleasant low voice descended from above Arinne’s head.

Arinne looked up questioningly at the man who had spoken.

A man with rich coloring—dark tawny hair and eyes slightly lighter than that—was staring vacantly at Ray playing joyfully, just like Arinne had been doing moments ago.

The color scheme that made up the man—hair that could look red in firelight and eyes that could look yellow in bright light—reminded her of a certain someone.

Marriage and all that. She’d come all the way to the capital full of bravado, but she had to admit she was still trapped in her ex-lover’s shadow.

Everything red and yellow looked like Noah, and now she was seeing Noah even in colors that weren’t those.

“Who are you?”

Even at Arinne’s listless question, the man smiled gently.

“I’m Calon, captain of the Carentium Knights.”

The man placed one hand on his chest and the other behind his back, bowing lightly toward Arinne in greeting.

“Ah. I remember now. Were you the one who looked after me that day?”

Arinne clapped her hands lightly and sat up straighter, looking at the man with slightly more interest.

“It’s a bit late, but let me thank you now. Thank you, Sir.”

“I was only doing my job.”

Calon answered plainly and moved from behind her to stand at her side.

“How considerate.”

The movement was so natural that she wouldn’t have noticed unless she was paying attention, so Arinne only realized his consideration after a large shadow fell over her body like a tree.

“Is Calon your given name?”

“Yes. I don’t have a family name.”

This time too, Calon silently curved his lips in a way you wouldn’t notice unless you looked closely.

The heat should have been intense, but his upright posture and face showed no signs of discomfort.

He felt like an old tree.

“That must be freeing.”

Calon didn’t answer Arinne’s words. He simply stood there with a calm face, blocking the sunlight beating down on her.

“Aren’t you hot? I think the heat won’t really hit until after the Thanksgiving festival.”

“…Yes. The capital’s summer is hot.”

Calon’s voice was steady. The slow pace of his breathing and the consistent pitch that barely changed gave a sense of stability.

“Are you always this quiet?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

However, that attitude felt excessively bland.

‘Boring.’

And she revised her assessment of Calon. He didn’t feel like an old tree but just like a chopped piece of firewood.

“You’re a boring person.”

“Somewhat, yes.”

Only after hearing he was boring to his face did an awkward smile appear on Calon’s face.

The subtly changed expression was unexpectedly cute.

“Sir. Are you married?”

“Pardon?”

Calon’s even face crumpled.

Except for the occasional moments when he responded, his gaze had been on Ray the whole time. This time, seemingly quite flustered, Calon stared at Arinne for quite a while.

“It’s nothing major. There’s a decent marriage prospect. I was wondering if you might be interested.”

“…I’m not interested.”

At that reluctant face, Arinne couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“If you change your mind, let me know anytime.”

“…Yes.”

“But don’t wait too long. The bride’s side changes their mind easily too.”

“…Yes.”

At the absurd suggestion of matchmaking out of nowhere, Calon was at a loss for words and answered everything with just “Yes.”

Arinne suppressed the urge to tease Calon a bit more.

And for some reason, looking at Calon suddenly reminded her of Marquis Carentium.

‘Why did I do that?’

Thinking about how she’d childishly raised her voice and argued with the Marquis over scissors made Arinne’s face heat up.

At her sudden fanning, Calon stepped one pace away from her.

“Are you hot?”

“A bit.”

Calon probably thought she was hot because he was standing close.

Even though someone wearing a full uniform and standing in the sun in this weather would be much hotter.

“Do you handle heat well?”

“I don’t.”

“…How about moving aside then?”

“I’m fine.”

“Come into the tree shade. The shadow’s gotten pretty big now.”

“I’m comfortable here.”

At the answer that was frustrating in its clarity, Arinne’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

“Aren’t you hot?”

“…No.”

“That sounds like a lie.”

“…”

“Fine. Do what you want.”

“Yes.”

Calon stood there by Arinne’s side, blocking the sun for quite a while.

Until Ray, who had enjoyed playing with the ball enough, came toward Arinne and Calon.

“It’s Calon!”

Ray, who had been about to wave at Arinne but noticed Calon’s presence, ran over and clung to his legs.

“Toss toss!!”

“It’s dangerous, so no.”

“Just once! Please, okay?”

“…Just once.”

“Okay!!”

Calon sighed and picked up the child clinging to his legs and threw him into the air.

“Kyaaaaa!”

Ray’s body spun about two times in the air and landed precisely in Calon’s arms.

Arinne’s eyes widened at the sight.

Every time Ray whined “one more time,” Calon pretended he couldn’t refuse and threw the child into the air several more times.

‘Is that right?’

Arinne looked around and examined the servants’ faces. None of them looked surprised, acting like the sight was familiar as they went about their work.

She didn’t claim to know everything, but she could tell that wasn’t an appropriate activity to do with a child.

“Jo! Go get the kid. Bring him back nicely or smack him on the back and snatch him away.”

“Oh my…”

“You don’t have a mom.”

“…Wow.”

Jo approached Calon with a face that clearly showed she was thinking ‘You don’t have a mom either…’ and poked his back.

“The Miss says if you don’t stop right now, she’ll tear you limb from limb.”

“Pardon?”

Calon glanced at Arinne.

‘Put. Him. Down.’

When their eyes met, Arinne pointed at the ground and gestured for him to put Ray down.

Calon thought about it together with Jo’s words and read it as a signal that she’d bury him if he went further.

Ray’s two feet safely touched the ground. Ray looked disappointed but soon pulled his protruding lip back in and ran toward Arinne.

“Big sister! Did you see Ray? I was super high!”

“Yeah. Are you done playing now?”

“Yeah!”

Arinne responded halfheartedly and turned Ray’s body around to check if he was hurt anywhere.

Ray giggled at the ticklish sensation and pulled Arinne’s hand.

“Now let’s go see Jade!”

“Where is Jade?”

Calon, who had been watching Arinne and Ray’s conversation, approached with an awkward face.

“He should be at the training grounds.”