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The oppressive tension hung in the hospital room.

Ray had been unable to speak easily about what had transpired. Rather, every time he managed to utter a syllable, his reactions were all over the place, making it unavoidable.

Sometimes he seemed to be in pain, and other times he appeared momentarily dazed as if something was holding him back.

Shione could roughly sense the situation from his varied responses.

‘It must be the constraints set by the ancestors.’

He had actively helped during the last trial and avoided being hindered then. This time, it seemed they were trying all the harder to prevent him from resolving everything on his own.

Shione was not pleased with this situation.

‘Ray is bound to me… and isn’t receiving help something that falls within my capabilities too?’

A dream that must be resolved by her own power.

In the past, she had at least acted out sweet dreams, but this time, the more she peeled back, the further it strayed from happiness. In a way, her growing closeness with him, allowing him to provide sharper assistance, was a testament to her own abilities.

A bit of complacency and an obsession with viewing him as her possession.

Because of that, she was now filled with irritation at the sight of him lying in bed, groaning in agony, and she started to think.

‘Still, there’s a way.’

If he were to be plagued by pain or various restraints whenever he attempted to mention something specific, it would be fine to gather pieces of information indirectly within the limits of what wouldn’t disturb him. She had completed some investigation, so contrasting it with what he said would be a big help.

Shione opened her mouth gently.

“When Herrel visited, you were about to pass out from blood, right? How did that happen?”

“……”

“Can’t you answer this either?”

“…I’m sorry I can’t be of help.”

“It’s alright. Just try not to strain yourself with the questions I ask and only answer as much as you can.”

“Understood.”

The questioning began.

“The day you collapsed, were you continuing the investigation I had instructed you to do about Herrel?”

“Since it was a task assigned by you, it is only natural that I put in great effort to accomplish it.”

“So, does that mean you collapsed because of something I instructed?”

“…Ugh.”

“Don’t answer that. I get the gist of it.”

Even without a response, he seemed to show quite a painful expression.

It seemed that just being asked certain questions inflicted a significant penalty on him. Thus, it became necessary to shift from direct inquiries to guiding him towards questions he could respond to within feasible limits.

“…Are you feeling alright?”

“I’ve caused a scene.”

“Don’t worry about it; there’s nothing to make a fuss about.”

Their gazes met.

As they both sensed the flow of the situation unfolding, their conversation progressed swiftly.

“I would like to know what you did that day, if you can share it, of course it’s not an obligation.”

“It was the same as usual. The only difference is that… I had some minor clashes with others.”

“…Your nose…”

“Nothing at all.”

Ray casually wiped away the dribble of blood from his nose.

He brushed off Shione’s look of concern and continued speaking.

“You have quite a number of servants following you, don’t you? Unfortunately, since they have weak connections, it seems the ‘servants’ discussed matters they shouldn’t have.”

“Stop talking about that.”

“I couldn’t just ignore it since it involves slander against my senior, considering I’m a junior and a personal attendant of you.”

“Do you even realize how you look right now?”

“I’ve shown an embarrassing sight, haven’t I?”

Whether he was suffering from a strong headache, his brows were furrowed, and the bloodshot around his eyes revealed tears due to the pain. Moreover, one thin stream of blood had trickled down around his mouth, leaving a droplet on the blanket.

Shione assessed his condition and gathered her thoughts.

‘When I was wandering around targeting Herrel, Ray must have overheard hearsay about him and this is how he ended up.’

Though she hadn’t heard all the details, it was an easy enough assumption to make.

This trial was about Herrel. The fact that demons lurked among those tormenting Herrel had long been established.

Shione contemplated the word Ray had bled out while in pain.

‘He said “servants.”’

He emphasized the term “servants,” denoting that he meant multiple individuals, not just one.

That slight emphasis on the word made his expression warp as if it were a critical keyword.

‘…Could there be more than one demon?’

Not just the maid but all the servants could potentially be demons. Or was there something else entirely?

Shione took a small sigh as she registered that another variable had emerged in her mind.

‘I need to drink some water.’

She quickly gulped down the plain water that had been prepared in the hospital room.

However, she didn’t swallow it right away; she held it in her mouth to feel the refreshing sensation of the water, resembling a cute little creature storing tasty treats in its cheek pouches.

Stiff speech and actions that didn’t match.

Ray gazed at her with a blend of concern and silence, then spoke.

“Shione.”

“Hmm?”

“Previously, you mentioned to call you my wife.”

“Ugh—”

She hadn’t expected to hear that right now…!

In a rush to swallow the water, she choked slightly, desperately hiding her fluster and saying, “…Yes, that’s right.”

“You also mentioned the term ‘ex-husband’ earlier.”

As Shione nodded, Ray’s gaze, once smiling at her previous reaction, sharpened noticeably.

“Are you a reincarnation?”

He remained sharp.

Shione affirmed his question.

Reincarnation; though it was a tale from a fantasy world. It was true that she had come back twice to the past.

“Just as I thought—”

“Ray…!”

However, upon receiving that confirmation, Ray’s focus seemed to momentarily falter as if he had received confirmation of a truth he shouldn’t have known, leading him to have an irregular cough of blood.

“This is a mess.”

“We’ll discuss this another time; you’ve already lost too much blood since you’ve just woken.”

Ray added a line in response to Shione’s concerned expression.

One possibility she had hinted at regarding the future. If the term reestablishing the master-slave relationship were not a lie, then due to the deepening connection that she alone had accumulated over time, the scope of his capabilities would surely expand.

Thus, for his own future, he needed to clearly distinguish whether the new relationship she spoke of was truth or deceit.

“Though I’m a servant, Shione is kind to even my slave, isn’t she? Could this be because I’m her future husband?”

Of course, it wouldn’t be normal for a noble to accept a slave as a husband, but she was the only notorious troublemaker of the Count’s House.

Eventually, Ray could clearly weed out the veracity of the words and future with the bait he had thrown out.

“…Shut up and focus on recovering. You’re not feeling well, so don’t talk so much.”

Not quite the feeling of a wife caring for her husband, but rather a shy reaction like that of a girl in unrequited love.

Even if she wasn’t his wife, it was clear something had transpired, and as she kept staring at him in confusion, Shione began to blush.

“Ah, why are you looking at me like that?!”

Nevertheless, whether she had fallen head over heels or not, this shout boiling up from that troublemaker of the Count’s House continued unabated.

*

Over the next few days, she carried out more investigations. Afterward, it became nearly impossible to speak with Ray. It felt as if he were alive, yet not truly alive to her.

‘He likely intended to fall into a deep slumber whenever I showed up.’

Whenever she wished to see him, he was always deep in sleep. So much so that even after waking him, he wouldn’t stir.

As a result, without his help, she could only observe the dynamics among the servants and attendants, leading her to a deeper realization of the aching reality and finally firming her conviction.

“No matter how I look at it… this trial’s demon must be the head maid.”

The demon was the head maid. Using her faction of servants and attendants to thoroughly isolate only Herrel. Not long ago, she had barged into the head maid’s office, and it transformed back into slander against Herrel, driven by unfounded malice from the woman.

The one who had focused on creating enmity between herself and Herrel was certainly the head maid.

‘Not only circumstantial evidence but also physical proof is needed… but first, there’s something I must do.’

The trials show a happy world, and the sole reality desires to break free of this world that hasn’t blended, demanding the overcoming of burdens as a condition this time.

To be honest, if she hadn’t had such a deep suspicion and interest in Herrel from the start, she might have fallen into this sweet world. Since the twisted Herrel always smiled and thought of her first, along with Ray being there, it was indeed a convenient world where even her sudden request for a one-on-one meeting with her busy mother would be immediately accepted.

However, having known that the true thing she should aim for lay outside and understanding from past experiences, she hadn’t been deceived. Hence, from the beginning, she remained focused solely on Herrel and the hidden figure behind him, avoiding the pitfalls of indulging in an ideal situation.

‘To perfect the condition for achieving the trials—’

It was somewhat embarrassing, and now it felt potentially unsettling. Picking at her shortcomings with no impact whatsoever on the outside world, barely creating a ripple.

‘I have no choice but to first talk with Herrel’s nurse.’

Still, in place of her father who had left first, Shione called upon the nurse who had once cherished and raised her with affection.

“It’s about time for her to arrive.”

Shione quietly gazed around her favorite garden.

In the center of the garden stood a quaint little wooden table and chairs. Under the stone structure that offered shelter from the rain and sun, she took in the flowers blooming vibrantly throughout the garden.

The fragrance that tickled her nose came from roses and various plants suited to the warm weather of June. Among them, the white roses meticulously cared for by the gardener and the yellow buttercups with their white petals were particularly striking.

And then, at that moment…

“I’m sorry, Shione… have you been waiting long?”

Herrel arrived, sporting a calm smile as usual.

The white rose symbolized respect, and the buttercup symbolized reconciliation.

“No, I just got here. I saw some blue roses on the way; did you see them as well?”

Shione reflected on the hidden past of the connection she lost alongside her own collapse.

 

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