“…Senior Margot Matilla told me. Care to explain yourself?”
“Tell her we will have a wonderful romance and spend a lovely time together.”
“All right—wait, that’s not what I mean!”
I was almost swept up in his pace.
Leisurely turning the page of his book, he paid no heed to my words. I brought my hand down flat over the volume he was reading, preventing him from going any further.
At my interference, his gaze turned toward me. The faint smile playing on his lips made him look thoroughly infuriating for no reason. Like a child overcome with pettiness, I looked at Khalid and spoke.
“I said, explain yourself.”
“Is an explanation necessary? A mission came down, and I simply accepted it.”
“Oh, is that so? Convenient how you leave out the part where you snatched it up at the speed of light.”
Khalid let out a soft laugh at my words. Staring blankly at the gentle smile spreading across his face, I shook my head. No, this won't do. I cannot be swayed by his face.
Khalid took my hand resting on his book, slotted the volume into the small shelf on his left, and then caught my hand with his, drawing me toward him.
Finding myself thoroughly pulled into his embrace, I pouted. He knew me all too well. He knew under what circumstances I could never stay angry with him, and how to make me yield. Tenderly stroking my cheek with his broad hand, he spoke.
“Opportunities are meant to be seized.”
I was rendered speechless. You win.
Because it felt so good, I ultimately gave up on interrogating him, burying myself against him and wrapping my arms around his waist. Clearly pleased with my reaction, Khalid held me tight. Tucked into his chest like an infant, I tilted my head back to meet his gaze.
“Were you upset that we couldn't see each other lately?”
“No.”
“You know lies don't work on me, right?”
“In truth, a little.”
A giggle burst from my lips. It wasn't as though there was any ill intent between us; we were simply both so busy that we hadn't been able to meet. In truth, I had begun to feel the lack of time together as well.
Even so, I hadn't wanted to put him in an awkward position out of sheer stubbornness, nor did I want to burden him when he was already occupied. So seeing him take the initiative like this…
Looking at his face brought Isabel back to mind, but I promptly banished her from my thoughts. Or rather, I tried my best to do so. Why had he been engaged to her, and under what circumstances? How did Isabel actually view me, and just how deeply was she in love with Khalid? And finally, what were my own true feelings? Questions cascaded one after another, but I forcefully pushed them aside.
In the end, I buried my face in his chest and mumbled.
“To be honest, so was I.”
“Were you?”
When his hand rested against the back of my head, a happy smile rose to my lips. His gentle caress felt wonderful. He was a soft, tender man. And whenever he was with me, his attention was solely on me. I loved that fact beyond measure.
I lifted my head again to meet his eyes. What did Khalid think of me? When had he fallen in love with me? Why had he acceded to my demands so easily? It wasn't as though such doubts had never crossed my mind. It was merely that, intoxicated by happiness, they hadn't mattered.
Even so, after Isabel had wept before me like that and I had spent days clutching my head in solitary rumination, questions would surface unbidden.
How deeply did he love me, and how much did I love Khalid? Was there some ulterior motive mingled in my decision to see him?
The answer to that last question was quite clear. To claim there were no other motives would be a lie. Isabel had certainly been a factor. It was undeniably true that a third party was present in our rather impulsive relationship.
That realization filled me with immense guilt. Khalid had been more generous with me than I had any right to expect. He always listened to what I had to say, always supported whatever I wished to do, and had even joined me in my petty revenge. Yet here I was, harboring these thoughts—feeling anxious and doubting myself.
I detested myself for feeling as though I offered nothing to match his efforts.
Love was meant to be reciprocal. A love given by only one side grew weary and quickly cooled.
That was why I had always preferred dating people I loved rather than simply being with those who loved me.
I beamed at Khalid, who was gazing at me brimming with affection. Rising onto tiptoe, I pressed my lips to his. His eyes widened in surprise, but upon seeing my smile, he softened into a laugh once more. Thoroughly pleased by how he reacted to my every little gesture, and so deeply happy, I spoke with a smile.
“Still, tell me beforehand next time, all right? I was caught completely off guard.”
At my playful admonition, Khalid gave a nod. As his expression melted sweetly like sugar, my mood brightened, and I bit my lip lightly, looking up at him. Soon after, he spoke in a tender voice, offering the final seal of certainty.
“Understood.”
I buried my face in his chest once more, drawing in a long breath.
Well, what did it matter? He loved me, and I loved him.
The work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not simply conclude with a signed negotiation; it also involved all manner of subsequent cleanup. Consequently, neither I nor anyone else in the department questioned why things were so frantically busy these days.
Just as one task was winding down, a new one would arrive, and as that one neared its end, another took its place. Khalid seemed to have a great deal of preparations for the journey to Capella, so after that day, I naturally didn't get to see him for long periods either.
Of course, since we would be seeing each other the entire way to Capella, I had no complaints.
Meanwhile, as if mocking my brief anxieties, all news of Isabel ceased entirely, and she remained silent for ten days, then a fortnight. Despite having left in such an agitated state, House Wither showed no notable movement in the capital. Naturally, the rumors about Isabel that usually fluttered through high society also went quiet. Thanks to that, I was thankfully able to put thoughts of her out of my mind for a while.
I skimmed through the personnel dispatch list for Capella that had just landed before me. Familiar names appeared here and there. Beyond ministry officials, there were also those listed as advisors, even though they were not royal employees. Lady Walter, having recently earned her doctorate from the Academy, was one of them.
Yesterday evening, when the documents regarding the treaty with Sierra arrived, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs fell into an all-night vigil once more. Their desperate efforts to preserve even a semblance of security for their crumbling royal house were almost touching. Of course, I was hardly one to talk, having seized upon those very efforts—or perhaps struggles—to manipulate the situation.
I could understand their feelings entirely. The Winchester Royal Family would have done the same. Those who have tasted absolute power and the zenith of glory live today on the memories of that past, clinging desperately even to a frayed, precarious lifeline. To borrow Olivia's words, it was the arrogance of a ruler and the limits of royal authority.
Yet because it was Winchester that profited from Sierra's actions, I felt a scholar's bitterness while rejoicing immensely as a noble of Winchester. Perhaps this, too, was my own arrogance and limitation.
Whatever the case, Sierra's course was set, and it was clear that Winchester would write history on its own terms. Setting aside such complex ethics and humanitarian concerns, I simply strove to carry out my duties diligently.
Tucking the roster into a folder at my side, I resolved to focus on the work before me. The sheer volume of documents greeting my eyes left no room for idle thoughts.
Just then, a dark shadow fell over my desk. Looking up, I saw Celine standing quietly before me. She was holding a copy of the exact same roster in one hand, but stranger still was her expression, which was entirely unlike her usual self.
Celine looked as though she desperately wanted to say something, yet could not bring herself to utter the words. An awkward silence hung in the air. Even as my gaze invited her to speak, she kept her lips pressed tightly shut, an attitude so unlike her that I deliberately waited for her in silence.
Yet Celine only stood there, her lips twitching slightly.
Ultimately, I was the one who broke the silence.
“Celine, having someone stand before you while saying nothing only signals that you're anxious…”
“Lady Scarlett.”
Celine's face was so filled with anxiety and tension that even the most oblivious person would have recognized how precarious she looked. Because she was normally a girl who smiled brightly and laughed with boundless cheer, I assumed whatever she wished to say was not something trivial, and chose to overlook the rudeness of daring to cut me off.
Yet after interrupting me, she resumed her silence. Rather than feeling annoyed by her behavior, I simply found it strange. For a girl who never acted this way to do so now, there had to be an unmistakable reason.
And perhaps because my patience had reached her, Celine finally spoke.
“Um, about this assignment…”
“Yes? What about it?”
“Could I… please be excluded?”
What, was that it?
Making a fool of my momentary worry that something terrible had happened, her request was quite unexpected. Recalling the peculiar look on Celine's face days ago when I informed her she would be going to Capella, I leaned back against my chair and regarded her quietly.
Her anxious gaze remained fixed on me. Bearing that look, I sat in silence for a beat before opening my mouth.
“What is your reason?”
“You need to give me a reason so I can review it, don't you think?”
Modifying a finalized roster was quite difficult, but if she provided a sound reason, I could adjust it within my authority. However, in state diplomatic matters, rosters were not altered and reshuffled simply because someone didn't want to go, so my request was entirely fair.
Yet Celine still failed to provide any justification. Watching her eyes waver ceaselessly, I could tell she had spent the past few days agonizing over this. Whatever that reason might be, everyone has their own circumstances.
Straightening up from the back of my chair, I looked at her. Celine bit her lip hard before shaking her head.
“Never mind, Lady Scarlett. I'll just go.”
I watched Celine's unsteady back as she quietly made her way back to her desk. This was not a post one could simply back out of on a whim, nor could I pull someone without a reason. After watching her sit down with a visibly subdued expression, I turned my attention back to the documents.
