“Don’t get the wrong idea.”

The Calliphe doll spoke playfully.

Standing on its stubby legs with one foot forward, it tossed back its golden yarn hair.

“I’m the doctor and you’re the patient!”

“…What?”

“Patients are in a weakened mental and physical state. In other words, Lynen is currently mentally vulnerable.”

“……”

“So when you try to impulsively cross the line, I can’t let myself get swept up in it too. If I were to indulge you out of pity, how embarrassed would you be later?”

“……”

“You need to get a grip. This will all become a dark history later. Oh, should I record everything and tease you about it forever? Hehehe.”

“Are you done talking……”

Thud.

The chattering Calliphe doll fell to the floor, reverting to an ordinary doll.

“……”

“……”

Silence descended.

Dovion broke into a cold sweat.

‘But they’re engaged! They’re engaged!’

Why did I pick Lady Calliphe’s inner thoughts! I was certain there would be sweet romantic words!

What’s all this about doctors and patients?

‘Could it be a political marriage?’

It doesn’t matter either way. I have no interest in love affairs that won’t benefit my inventions.

‘What matters is that my plan to get in Duke Ortega’s good graces is completely ruined!’

“…Don’t cross the line? It would be embarrassing if I indulge you?”

Gasp.

Duke Ortega muttered with a blank expression.

His flat tone sent chills down the spine.

‘Eek! If these two fight, the engagement will fall apart, the funding will fall apart, and my research will fall apart…!’

Dovion desperately clung to Lynen.

“I-I’m so sorry! Please forget everything that just happened…!”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Eh?”

Lynen leaned back against the seat and crossed one leg over the other.

He maintained his usual neat and dignified posture.

With an expressionless face, he spoke calmly.

“I’m not the type to dwell deeply on words from a mere doll, nor do I need to.”

“…It’s not just a mere doll, it’s actually quite a reliable magical tool. Do you know how hard I worked to make it?”

Ignoring Dovion’s timid correction, Lynen folded his arms and closed his eyes.

His demeanor suggested he had truly forgotten everything that had just occurred.

“……”

Throughout the carriage ride, Lynen remained expressionless.

Twitch.

Though his eyebrows occasionally twitched, he wasn’t the kind of man to be shaken by something like this.

When the carriage arrived at House Offensa, Lynen dismissed Dovion and returned to Calliphe’s annex. He hadn’t uttered a word until then.

He only spoke when he noticed the large bouquet placed on the table in his room.

“…?”

A lush bouquet of pink hyacinths and anemones surrounding white tulips.

“Why is this here……”

Perhaps someone had placed it here by mistake?

That’s when he spotted the card inside the bouquet.

[I’m sorry. The truth is, I want to become closer to you.

―C]

If the initial is C, then.

‘Could it be from Calliphe?’

He dismissed the thought the moment it crossed his mind.

“That’s impossible.”

Calliphe isn’t the type to give flowers to anyone. Especially not to him.

‘It makes no sense. It’s definitely not Calliphe.’

While inwardly scoffing, Lynen inhaled the flower’s fragrance and arranged them properly in a vase. Then he contemplated where to place it.

‘There are even daisies. Whoever chose these flowers has quite a modest and cute taste. Really doesn’t suit Calliphe at all.’

Well, miracles do exist in this world, so there’s a slight chance she might have sent them.

So he decided to keep them, just in case.

“This spot will do.”

After 30 minutes of deliberating where to put the flowers, Lynen finally placed them on his desk.

He added water too, to keep the flowers fresh.

He gently stroked the soft petals while considering his next move.

‘If I don’t send something in return, she’ll probably make a fuss.’

Of course, he didn’t truly believe this bouquet was from Calliphe, but this was just precautionary.

Looking at the clock, it was 5 PM. If he hurried, he could reach the shopping district before the stores closed.

Lynen quickly put on his coat and left the room.

Then he stopped abruptly.

‘Is that Dietrich Rotten?’

Why does that fellow have an identical bouquet to mine?

* * *

A little before Lynen discovered the bouquet.

“Delivery!”

“Shhhh.”

Noah gestured to the flower delivery person to be quiet and carefully received the flowers to place in Lynen’s room.

Then he pretended to be taking Imperial language lessons from Dietrich to avoid Lynen who had just returned home.

Though they were actually having lessons too.

The delivery person only spoke after the lesson ended.

“Um… may I leave now?”

“If you’ve delivered the flowers, just go. Why are you sitting there like an idiot?”

At Dietrich’s contemptuous words, the delivery person protested indignantly.

“You need to pay first…”

“Huh?”

Noah blinked.

So that’s what the flower shop employee meant by ‘Would you like to pay on delivery?’

He thought they just brought things when nobles asked because nobles didn’t need to pay.

Noah frantically searched his pockets.

“Here.”

“Eight silver isn’t… nearly enough for the flowers, customer.”

The flowers cost more than a month’s allowance? …For flowers?

Bewildered, Noah looked at Dietrich.

Dietrich lowered his eyes listlessly.

“What, you want me to pay?”

Nod.

“Look how shameless you are. A student trying to mooch off their teacher? Go bring your guardian.”

“Really?”

“…This fish-brain can’t even tell when I’m joking. Sigh, educational authority really is declining day by day.”

Grumbling complaints, Dietrich paid the delivery person.

After the delivery person finally received payment and left, Dietrich heard Noah’s reason for buying the flowers and smirked.

“You sent a gift on behalf of both of them? That tiny head of yours came up with quite a cute idea.”

“My head isn’t tiny.”

“Alright. Then make it king-sized.”

“……”

While Noah was uncertain about whether this was a good idea, Dietrich headed to Calliphe’s room carrying the bouquet.

Calliphe had gone to the library saying she needed to look up some information.

He planned to leave the bouquet in Calliphe’s room during this opportunity.

“…What’s that flower?”

But who would have thought he’d run into Lynen.

Lynen’s blazing blue gaze was fixed intently on the white tulip bouquet.

“Who did you receive that from?”

“…Ah, this?”

Dietrich nearly stepped back instinctively at Lynen’s intensity, but simultaneously, he realized the reason for the interrogation.

He quickly stopped Noah who was about to explain and smiled mischievously.

Watch and learn, fish-brain. You need this much stimulus to bring together proud people.

“It came for Calliphe.”

It was an answer that could be interpreted in two ways.

That Calliphe was the recipient of the bouquet.

And another meaning.

“You’re saying Calliphe sent you flowers?”

That Calliphe was the sender of the flowers.

“Seems like it, yeah.”

“……”

Meeting Lynen’s expressionless gaze, Dietrich picked up the card from the bouquet.

“Says she wants to be closer to me?”

“……”

“Maybe because I’ve given her lots of useful information? Though it was helpful, tsk. It’d be troublesome if she falls for me.”

“…Is that so?”

Still no reaction.

Ugh, did the jealousy strategy fail? Just as Dietrich was inwardly clicking his tongue.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t had a meeting with Noah’s Imperial language teacher yet. Get in the carriage.”

“What?”

“I’ll escort you back.”

A strangely courteous tone.

One corner of Lynen’s mouth twisted up crookedly.

At last, cracks had appeared in his composed facade.