Rihanel momentarily stopped breathing. So this was…

“So what? What does it matter that you ended up in Adif Prison! It’s a completely protagonist-like ending!”

The woman on the second level of the bed, Mellin, hit the top bunk hard with apparent displeasure.

Why is that woman so angry? What if Janet falls? Rihanel frowned.

“Haha!”

But Janet Wilton burst into laughter. And following Mellin, she hit her own bed hard.

“Hehe. Is this funny? Is it funny?”

“Yes, it’s funny.”

“Actually, I find it funny too. Prison, of all places! Coming to a place I’d never visit in my lifetime! You must get married. And come back.”

“I don’t want to.”

Janet flopped down on her bed.

Rihanel couldn’t understand what was so funny at all. But Janet Wilton looked quite happy.

Rihanel stood up and looked around again. It was his first time seeing Adif Prison where Janet had been.

It was a bit different from what he had imagined. He knew it wouldn’t be a comfortable environment, being a prison, but…

It was more harsh than he’d thought.

His maternal grandfather had regularly sent money there. To ensure Janet’s living conditions weren’t too bad.

He couldn’t understand. Perhaps… they were using this room temporarily? Like, a temporary shelter while their room was being cleaned?

If not that… maybe it just looked this way because it was night. Yes, the environment couldn’t be that harsh.

Because Janet Wilton looked so happy right now.

Even considering all the moments he thought she had smiled after her release, there was no smile as joyful as this. No, even before that… it wasn’t common when he was at the Philodis orphanage either.

“You said you had someone you liked anyway. So marriage could be good.”

At that moment, Mellin asked Janet. Rihanel turned around to look at them. Janet responded as if it were obvious.

“I can’t, not with that person.”

“Why?”

“Because that person won’t marry me.”

“Ugh! What a rotten bastard.”

“Right? A rotten bastard, isn’t he?”

Rihanel was a bit surprised. It was unfamiliar to hear the term “rotten bastard” come so naturally from Janet’s mouth.

“What’s his name? Just tell me.”

“Tell me too!”

“Tell me too, Janet.”

Now he noticed that Janet and Mellin weren’t the only ones in the room. The narrow room had two triple bunk beds. So six people were in one room.

“Just tell us, Janet.”

Mellin asked somewhat subtly.

“Hmm… should I?”

Janet opened her mouth, drawing out the moment. All the women in the room stretched their necks, focusing on Janet’s words.

And Rihanel too, stared at Janet along with them.

The person Janet Wilton liked.

He didn’t know if his name would come up, or if it would be the name of the bastard who was there when she started the arson.

“His name is…”

Rihanel unconsciously clenched his fist tightly. He felt he had to tense his body like this, or he wouldn’t be able to handle it.

“A secret.”

Janet said primly. Even though he had tensed up, Rihanel’s legs went weak, and he leaned against the wall.

“Are you crazy?”

“Woo! You’re going to be like this?”

Mellin hit Janet’s bed hard again from below. People booed, and Janet giggled.

‘Haha…’

Somehow feeling drained, Rihanel also lowered his head and let out a hollow laugh. Perhaps he hadn’t wanted to hear the answer.

That’s when it happened.

“Then just tell me this. Is it him? The one who was there when you set the fire.”

Mellin asked that. Rihanel stopped laughing. Would she say it’s a secret this time too? He raised his head.

Janet hesitated for a moment.

And then answered.

“Yes. That person.”

Rihanel’s expression hardened.

‘Is that so?’

An inaudible murmur scattered.

So it was like that after all. It wasn’t an unexpected answer. Nevertheless, hearing it directly from Janet’s mouth was quite shocking.

‘Janet.’

Rihanel approached Janet.

But… looking closely, Janet’s complexion didn’t seem good. On her face… there was something grimy.

‘…No way.’

Was it an injury?

It was too dark to see properly. Just as Rihanel was taking another step to see more clearly.

With a slight dizziness, he woke from the memory.

***

Rihanel removed his hand from pressing Janet’s wound. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say the strength left his hand.

“Are you done?”

“…Yes.”

Janet immediately turned away.

“……”

Is it just his feeling that the current Janet seems more troubled than the Janet in the prison memory?

So does that mean… life in Adif wasn’t so bad? That being married to someone she didn’t want is worse?

All sorts of thoughts flooded his mind. Rihanel suppressed the confusing thoughts rising and put his hand in his pants pocket.

He felt the small paper box Janet had dropped when she fell.

He grabbed it tightly, almost crushing it, then took his hand out.

And he boarded the carriage as if nothing had happened.

***

“A doctor will come. Wait here.”

“Yes.”

In this house, Janet and Rihanel’s rooms were adjacent. Without specific instructions, the two rooms had been placed next to each other.

Janet opened the door first and entered her room.

Looking at the closed door, Rihanel took the box out of his pants pocket. A flat box the size of his palm appeared.

He untied the ribbon and immediately checked the contents.

It certainly looked like a gift, but he didn’t feel at all that he shouldn’t open it. Regardless of who the recipient was, it was Rihanel Reynes who should check it.

“……”

Inside was a handkerchief. With small red flowers and vines clumsily embroidered.

Rihanel silently examined the handkerchief with his eyes. It didn’t seem to be something sold in stores.

Could it be… she made it herself?

Just then, hearing footsteps coming this way, Rihanel looked toward the corridor.

Soon his eyes met with Letsy, who had just turned the corner.

“Ah, hello, master.”

Letsy hurriedly bowed her head in greeting. And the moment she raised her head, she recognized the handkerchief in Rihanel’s hand.

An exclamation mark flashed in Letsy’s eyes.

Noticing this reaction, Rihanel approached Letsy with large strides. He had already reached the corner. Now they were far enough from Janet’s room that whatever conversation they had wouldn’t be heard.

Rihanel raised his hand holding the handkerchief to Letsy’s eye level.

“Did Janet make this?”

“What? Yes.”

Letsy was puzzled but answered anyway. She thought it was going to be given as a birthday gift, but had it already been given? And why was his reaction like that? Questions filled her mind.

“Why?”

Why did she make it? Well, that’s…

“To give as a gift!”

“To whom.”

Huh? To you, who’s asking… No, but why is he asking when he already received it?

“That’s…”

Letsy opened her mouth and glanced up at the duke, and at that moment realized something was off.

The duke didn’t have the face of someone who had received a gift and was happy. It was as if… yes, like a detective searching for a culprit…

“I’m not sure.”

Letsy barely managed to finish her words like that. She realized that Rihanel hadn’t received this directly from Janet.

The hint was also in Rihanel’s other hand, which held a crumpled box. There were what looked like shoe prints on it, as if it had been stepped on.

Did he pick up something my lady dropped?

“You don’t know who she made it for?”

“…No.”

She actually knew very well, but she had no choice. It was supposed to be a surprise gift, and Letsy herself couldn’t reveal the recipient!

“Anyway… it’s a gift, right?”

“Yes!”

The day after tomorrow is the duke’s birthday. And coincidentally, mentioning a gift now was almost like giving away the answer.

However, the duke held out the items to Letsy with an ambiguous expression rather than complete expectation. At least his voice, which had sounded like an interrogation, had softened.

“I picked up what Janet dropped. Say you found it. Don’t mention my name.”

Letsy nodded as she received it in a daze.

Rihanel had already turned around and entered his room.

Letsy neatly folded the handkerchief and placed it in the crumpled box. Then, with the most stoic face she could manage, she entered Janet’s room.

“My lady! It seems you dropped this just ahead. I found it, but the box is dirty and needs to be replaced.”

***

Rihanel Reynes did not hold an official birthday banquet this time.

Nevertheless, many people visited the Reynes mansion. Due to the overflow of people bringing loads of gifts, twelve dinners and twenty-seven tea parties had already been held in the annex of the duke’s residence since past noon.

Rihanel did not appear at all the dinners, but he did not prevent guests in the annex. He did show his face once with Janet. Though a bit annoying, it wasn’t a bad cost-benefit ratio for networking.

The annex would naturally remain crowded until late into the night.

For the visitors, this visit was worthwhile. Just leaving their names in the mansion’s guest book achieved their purpose. Moreover, with the duke’s aunt, who extremely enjoyed such gatherings, firmly planted in her seat, they even felt as if they were being entertained by the duke himself.

Of course, many also sent gifts without visiting in person. Whether they had made reservations to ensure arrival on the exact day, gifts had been pouring in from all directions since morning.

The gift from the imperial palace was one of them.

Rihanel held in his hand a pocket watch with transparent jewels and well-crafted intricate patterns. Click, his brow furrowed as he closed the cover of the pocket watch.

“What is this?”

It was strange. It was quite valuable for a gift sent out of mere courtesy.

Sure enough, a letter was enclosed in the gift box. Rihanel quickly unfolded it.

“…Damn it.”

The emperor’s letter contained a notification disguised as a request. He pressed his throbbing temple, then flipped the letter over in frustration.

“What’s wrong? What does it say?”

Flan asked while opening one of the stacked gift boxes. He had just arrived at the Reynes mansion after a short rest, timing his arrival with Rihanel’s birthday.

“He says he wants to go hunting.”

“Well, His Majesty does that every year.”

“In Reynes territory.”

“What?”

Flan looked at Rihanel with rounded eyes of surprise.