Though he knew Olivia was within arm’s reach, Richard wasn’t permitted to open that door. The fact that any desire toward Olivia Jennings would have to be digested alone from now on had never struck him as bone-deep as this night.

Why had he encouraged her instead of stopping her?

What had he been thinking when he held that body in his arms.

With what thoughts had he kissed those lips.

For the sin of knowing what should have remained forever unknown—Richard Dalton’s sky did not brighten. Probably never would in the future either.

***

When he discovered Claire Murray alighting from the carriage with a bright smile, Richard Dalton had to admit that his mansion in the Sussex estate had somehow transformed into a gathering place for uninvited guests.

Richard wasn’t the only one surprised by the unexpected guest’s visit. Iris and Olivia also looked at him with eyes demanding explanation, but he could only shrug his shoulders. Only Timothy’s apologetic face as he escorted Claire suggested that all this had originated not from his will but from his sister’s stubbornness.

“You’re not going to chase me away for coming without notice, are you?”

Claire approached with an eye-smile and asked in a voice mixed with charm. It was a remark that could come from the calculation that he wouldn’t dare do such a thing to her. That she had struck first before Richard could even begin to say anything was also quite intentional. Iris’s expression looking at Claire was not very good. She hadn’t meant to make such a request to Timothy from the beginning.

Even for Iris, who generally accepted most people as they were, Claire was a burdensome opponent. When that burdensome opponent had excessive interest in her brother, the degree of fatigue increased even more.

She had forgotten about it since there had been no occasion to see her face for a while, but recently Richard, who had been increasingly involved with Timothy, seemed to have finally drawn in Claire as well.

Richard’s attitude had been consistent from before until now, but to Claire, who wanted to be a woman rather than a girl with each passing day, even his firm attitude didn’t seem to be much of a problem.

Iris had somewhat hoped for progress in Richard and Olivia’s relationship when she had practically dragged Olivia here. However, if the Murray siblings joined like this, that effort would certainly come to nothing.

Her foolish brother would try to hand over everything related to Olivia to Timothy, and if that happened, Claire would naturally become Richard’s responsibility. Since Olivia had been busy being sick for the past few days, there probably hadn’t been anything worth using as a turning point in their relationship, so it was obvious.

On the other hand, Olivia was much calmer than Iris. Her reaction was merely thinking that this was how the price for refusing the young lady’s travel plans was coming back. If she hadn’t known she was here, it would be one thing, but after knowing, Miss Claire Murray didn’t seem like someone who would quietly stay home and mind her own business.

Various means including charm and stubbornness would have been used to coax her most soft-hearted brother. The thought made her smile a little. How much Richard Dalton would understand and accept that earnest lady’s heart was another matter, but she wanted to highly regard at least the point of boldly stepping forward like that to express her feelings.

The female protagonists Vivian Bennett loved didn’t quietly wait only for someone’s choice. Perhaps Miss Claire Murray was exactly such a character.

“I was going to invite you two to Scotland without even knowing you had other plans.”

What Claire truly wanted to reproach wasn’t her own foolishness but Olivia. Olivia, who had seen through Claire’s intention that she didn’t even think to hide, smiled lightly.

“It was a suddenly decided matter. I’ve been feeling unwell for the past few days, so I didn’t have time to contact home.”

“Oh my. Are you still very unwell? Let’s go inside quickly. Let’s have the rest of our talk over tea.”

Claire, her round eyes filled with tearful concern, linked arms with Olivia. Who could call it pretense when those eyes looked ready to collapse from worry?

Olivia, who had been grouped with Claire as ‘us,’ turned toward the mansion. Richard’s state of mind seemed complex in the brief moment they passed, but it wasn’t her problem to worry about. Richard Dalton wouldn’t want her to either.

“Sorry. Claire insisted to the point of skipping meals……”

Timothy, who had approached Richard, explained while looking at Olivia and Claire moving away. He had thought about sending a letter first, but gave up thinking their arrival here would be faster than the letter reaching them.

Iris, who had approached the two men with linked arms, didn’t hide her expression full of dissatisfaction. She also fully revealed her inner thoughts that if she had known it would come to this, she wouldn’t have leaked the plan to Timothy. Timothy really had nothing to say, so he could only repeat apologies.

“Well then. How could that be Mr. Murray’s fault.”

Iris, who had been grumbling while looking in the direction the two women had disappeared, glanced at Richard.

“Are you saying it’s my fault?”

“It’s not my fault.”

Iris shot back briefly at Richard, who asked back like someone with many guilty points, and moved into the mansion.

Richard exhaled briefly while watching his sister’s shrinking figure. It seemed the main culprit was Richard Dalton, not the Murray siblings. At least to Iris.

“Even though you said it was fine, I should have stopped her.”

Timothy looked back at his friend with a face full of regret. That Claire would come out like this was something Timothy, if no one else, had known from the beginning.

This was a problem that had nothing to do with how well Richard Dalton drew lines from the start. Claire was desperate. For Richard Dalton who seemed within grasp but remained elusive before her eyes.

“I said it’s my fault. You don’t need to make that face.”

Richard smiled as he placed his hand on Timothy’s shoulder. He tried not to recall things like the kiss he had shared with Olivia last night, but the more he saw Timothy’s smiling face, the more that memory stood out clearly. So it was him that should say sorry. Timothy, who looked at him with a good smile, probably wouldn’t know until the end.

“You said there were many places to fix. Has some of it been resolved?”

“The urgent things, roughly. I was planning to return soon.”

“But Claire packed like someone who has no intention of leaving for a while. She’ll make quite a face when I tell her this news.”

Timothy shook his head as he watched the servants still busy carrying luggage. It had already been reduced again and again, yet it was still uncertain whether they could unpack everything during their stay. Most of it was dresses, which had forced them to use an unnecessarily large carriage for the entire journey.

Claire had argued that women originally needed more luggage than men, but Timothy knew it wasn’t simply because his sister was a woman. He also knew very clearly who she wanted to show what to.

“If necessary, I’ll tell her she can manage well even without me.”

“Then what do you think that girl needs most?”

Richard just smiled. Now he might rather welcome the fact that someone had come between Olivia Jennings and himself. So that there would be no more incidents like last night. So that he wouldn’t create more things to be sorry about to everyone.

And he didn’t forget the fact that the person he should be most sorry to was precisely Olivia Jennings.

***

When Claire was going on about London’s latest news that wasn’t particularly interesting, Olivia was thinking about the kiss from last night. Richard was treating it as if it had never happened, but Olivia couldn’t act the same way.

It was difficult not to think about him within his domain where she couldn’t even escape. Especially when that kiss felt like one that had never existed in her life and seemed like it never would again.

If only that kiss had been terrible. Or if it had only been as good as dreams she had dreamed before. Then it would have been easier to endure than now. But Olivia knew well that wouldn’t be the case. Even before that kiss became reality, Olivia had vaguely known. That a kiss with him would grant her incomparable ecstasy.

If asked how she had known, she would have nothing to say, but nevertheless she was certain she had known. A kiss with Richard Dalton could never be terrible.

Olivia unconsciously sighed and put down her teacup. The breath that burst out loud enough not to be ignored drew everyone’s attention to Olivia.

Claire, who had been talking about a party she had last attended, looked at Olivia’s face with a slightly embarrassed expression.

“Sorry. Was my story very boring?”

“Oh. It’s not that. I’m just a little tired……”

“Right. For someone who’s not feeling well, it might have been an uninteresting story to listen to.”

Saying that she had been so uninterested that she couldn’t even judge whether it was boring or not wouldn’t be much help in the current situation. Olivia waved her hand with an apologetic face, but Claire had already put down her teacup on the table with a slightly hurt mood and clasped her hands together.

Richard and Timothy were watching the two closely, and Iris was also showing more interest on them than in the novel she was holding.

“I just didn’t sleep well last night. I’ll feel better if I take a short walk.”

When Olivia stood up, Richard started to get up as well but hesitated and looked at his friend beside him. Since Timothy had come, he thought this was no longer his business either.