Ch.2727. From Now On

After leaving Sione’s room, I went straight to find Diolia.

I knocked on her door.

Knock knock.

“Lady Diolia, I’ve come with a message.”

“…Come in.”

I carefully opened the door and entered.

In her room, I could see Diolia with her hair down, which was usually tied in a ponytail.

She was holding a fountain pen, staring intently at a paper with a displeased expression before turning her head toward me.

Her brown hair, which reached down to her chest, swayed as she moved her head.

Unlike her usual sharp demeanor as a knight, the relaxed Diolia gave off the impression of a modest noblewoman rather than an expert knight.

“What brings you here?”

Despite the softer atmosphere, Diolia’s manner of speech remained as stiff as ever.

Well, she was always like that anyway.

I relayed exactly what I had heard in Sione’s room.

“Lady Sione wishes to tour the Marquisate of Feiosha tomorrow. I request your escort again tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, is it? I shall keep that in mind.”

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

After giving Diolia a slight bow, I turned to leave.

But then, with a sigh, Diolia called out to me.

“Wait.”

At Diolia’s call, I turned to look at her again.

She was resting her chin on her hand while looking at me.

Unlike usual, her brow was slightly furrowed, suggesting something was bothering her…

I wondered why she was making such an expression while looking at me.

By now, I was more afraid of this knight Diolia than Sione, with whom I had become friendly, so I tensed up involuntarily.

“I just realized we should discuss how to handle Lady Sione’s broken engagement.”

“Ah…”

“I’d like to talk about this matter for a moment. Do you have enough time?”

I nodded.

“Of course.”

Sione was sprawled out sleeping in her room, so this was my free time.

I had a room assigned to me as a servant and was planning to rest for a bit…

But I suppose it wouldn’t be bad to coordinate with Diolia about the troublesome situation Sione had created.

I gave up on my short nap and turned back to face Diolia.

“Sigh… there’s no way to prevent the broken engagement, is there?”

After drifting from baby giraffe flowers to garden balsams, how could there be any way to prevent the broken engagement?

I quietly shook my head.

“Not only Lady Sione, but Evan Feiosha also said he received permission from Marchioness Yulia for the broken engagement…”

At my words, Diolia’s expression visibly contorted.

“Indeed, preventing the broken engagement seems impossible.”

“Tsssk…”

Diolia pressed her temples as if she was getting a headache.

“The Marquisate of Feiosha will send a letter to Sianella, but shouldn’t we also inform our head of family about the situation?”

Diolia tapped the paper with the nib of her fountain pen.

As if struggling to write, dots filled one corner of the paper along with her worries.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

For a while, Diolia just stared at the paper, repeatedly touching it with her pen and lifting it.

She let out another deep sigh.

“But I’m not sure what to write in the letter.”

Indeed, how should one write about a story that started with cheerful baby giraffe flowers and ended with garden balsams?

I approached her as she held her head, thinking about Sione and Evan’s conversation from earlier.

“I’ll help you.”

Step by step.

Without hesitation, I walked up until I was right in front of Diolia.

I bent down to look at the letter paper on the table.

As expected, she hadn’t written anything substantial, only the formal greeting “To Lord Ainel Sianella.”

If left like this, she’d spend all day just making dots on the paper without writing anything meaningful.

I thought it would be better if I wrote it for her.

I needed something to write with… borrowing Diolia’s fountain pen would be good.

It wouldn’t be polite to ask for the pen while only looking at the letter paper.

I turned my head quickly to face Diolia.

“Lady Diolia.”

“Eek!”

Perhaps because I suddenly turned my head to look at her.

Diolia seemed quite startled by my unexpected action.

Why would someone who could calmly face an assassin be startled by something like this?

Maybe because the distance was too close.

Screech.

Diolia pushed her chair back to create distance between us.

Then, as if embarrassed by her previous reaction.

She casually tucked her hair behind her ear, trying to appear nonchalant.

“…What is it?”

“May I borrow your fountain pen?”

“Fountain pen?”

“Yes, I’d like to try writing the letter.”

Diolia handed me the fountain pen and asked.

“Do you know how to write?”

“I’ve received some education… though it’s not perfect, so you’ll need to correct any mistakes.”

“I will do so.”

I took the fountain pen and began to write.

The pen nib moved, starting to draw words on the paper.

It was quite difficult to write in the continent’s common language rather than the familiar Korean.

As I struggled to write, Diolia, who had been alternately looking at my profile and the letter, said:

“Sit in the chair and write.”

“…Thank you.”

I paused writing the letter, gave Diolia a slight bow, then sat in the chair and continued writing.

I omitted the story of Sione’s garden balsams and the broken engagement drift, and instead wrote that Evan Feiosha had been considering breaking the engagement for some time.

And that Sione also did not want this engagement, so the two had amicably agreed to break it off.

“Please read it.”

“…Not bad. It just needs a few adjustments.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Now that I’ve written a rough draft, it should be relatively easy to revise.

As long as the unnecessary details about Sione’s misbehavior aren’t included, Ainel should be able to accept this explanation.

I placed the fountain pen on the desk.

“Then I’ll take my leave now.”

“Good work.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Only after leaving Diolia’s room did I finally feel the tension drain from my body, knowing I could rest at last.

* * *

Today, as Sione had mentioned, we went outside the mansion to tour the Marquis’s territory.

Since Diolia was with us this time, I could go out in my servant uniform with the Sianella emblem without any special armament.

No quest had appeared, and we would only be going to crowded places anyway, so there was nothing to worry about.

I looked at Sione, who had suggested going out like this the very day after breaking her engagement.

She was wearing the hairpin I had bought for her.

I thought it would break quickly or she wouldn’t use it much since it was cheap, but contrary to my expectations, Sione was using the hairpin quite well.

As Sione was looking around, turning her head this way and that, she seemed to notice my gaze.

She tilted her head at me questioningly.

“Is there something on my face?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Don’t make me curious, just tell me.”

“I was just thinking it’s good that you’ve been using the hairpin I got you often.”

“Ah, the hairpin.”

At my words, Sione briefly stroked her hairpin.

“Thanks to you buying it for me, I’ve been using it comfortably. Thank you.”

I nodded with a faint smile.

I didn’t expect her to be grateful for something like this.

It was bought with Sione’s money anyway, so there was no need to thank me.

I thought that if she was going to use hairpins so often, it would be better to use something prettier than such an ordinary hairpin.

After all, Sione is a lady from a Count’s family.

It would be better for her to adorn herself with something more expensive.

“How about buying a new hairpin this time?”

Sione shook her head with a faint smile at my suggestion.

“No need. This is enough for me.”

With those words, she grabbed my sleeve and began to lead me.

“By the way, it looks like they’re selling something to eat over there. Let’s go quickly.”

Following Sione, I was able to enjoy street food and tour the city.

Fortunately, unlike the cookies she had selfishly put only in my mouth last time, Sione made sure to get some for Diolia too.

Thanks to that, Diolia didn’t feel left out by Sione like yesterday.

After touring the city for some time.

As the sun that had been high in the sky began to set.

While I was sitting on a bench in front of a fountain, resting my tired legs, I could see Sione and Diolia talking in the distance.

“Sir Diolia, could you step away for a moment?”

“What is it?”

“I have something to say to Ray in private. I’ll signal you when we’re done, so please.”

“Hmm… as you wish.”

After some conversation, Diolia moved away from Sione, creating distance.

As I was quietly watching them, Sione slowly walked toward me.

Sione’s expression seemed somewhat tense, as if she was nervous.

Why is she suddenly acting like this?

She had the same feeling when she suddenly confessed about breaking the engagement yesterday.

Seeing Sione now, so different from her bright demeanor all day, made me tense up too.

As a slave and servant, I couldn’t remain seated while my master came to see me.

I stood up from the bench to greet Sione.

“Ray.”

“…What is it?”

…Why is she suddenly creating such an atmosphere?

In this uncomfortable situation, all I could do was quietly listen to what Sione had to say.

“Umm…”

After hesitating for a moment, Sione steadied her trembling eyes and looked at me directly.

“I was happy that you gave me faith when I was falling apart… and grateful that you gave me new hope when I had given up on everything.”

“And… for protecting me that day too…”

Apparently embarrassed by her own words, Sione’s ears turned bright red.

Sione bowed her head deeply to avoid my gaze and continued to mutter something.

I relaxed my tension and smiled slightly at the sight of Sione.

In the midst of this, Sione approached me.

“Huh?”

She grabbed my sleeve and pulled strongly.

Caught off guard by Sione’s sudden action, I ended up in her embrace.

Sione, with a flushed face, held me briefly and said:

“…Ray, I’m counting on you in the future as well.”

With those words, Sione hurriedly separated from me and called for Diolia.

I silently watched Sione for a moment before letting out a hollow laugh.

The day after breaking off her engagement with the Feiosha young lord, embracing a servant in front of a fountain in the Feiosha Marquis’s territory.

If this fact reached the ears of the Feiosha family, what would happen?

Thinking they might accuse me of seducing Sione and causing the broken engagement, possibly resulting in my beheading.

I could only endlessly stroke my neck.