Chapter 64
64. Can’t Hide It
2022.04.10.
Arthur looked up at her in bewilderment from where he knelt.
So…
He had said he would be outside, but then vanished.
He hadn’t returned all night…
And that was why she had been so worried?
Arthur gazed at her, flustered.
Reina sniffled.
Even without certainty, Arthur instinctively clasped her hands together and replied.
“I’m sorry.”
“……”
Arthur swept a hand over his forehead, his face full of awkwardness, and said.
“I had no idea you would think that.”
Taylor was supposed to come, after all.
He had assumed she would be excited.
He never imagined she would be anxious over something like that…
But Taylor vanished from his mind in an instant.
She was crying because of him—nothing else mattered.
Arthur looked up at her, at a rare loss for what to do.
He kept holding her overlapped hands with one of his, refusing to let go.
“I’m sorry for leaving so suddenly yesterday. And for staying out without a word. The reason I had to leave in such a hurry…”
Arthur’s face showed he had no idea where to begin as he started to explain himself to her.
“There’s a friend named Dillon. To me, he’s a precious adjutant and comrade in arms… but he’s a disabled veteran.”
In his fluster, he blurted out the name of someone she wouldn’t know.
But at that name, Reina’s eyes widened.
Thinking her surprise came from hearing about the disability, Arthur continued.
“Then yesterday, during your meeting, word came that he had attempted suicide by poison. It was a shocking blow to all of us…”
“!”
Reina clapped a hand over her mouth in shock.
Arthur met her gaze steadily and went on.
“…I had no choice but to go. I’m sorry for leaving without explaining. To me, he’s an adjutant as dear as Tristan…”
And then Arthur hesitated, unsure how or where to even begin explaining just how precious a comrade he was.
But contrary to Arthur’s assumption, Reina already knew the name.
“Sir Dillon Osborn?”
Reina asked in astonishment.
“He attempted suicide?”
She had read every article related to Arthur and memorized them all.
That was why her heart sank.
She could well imagine what it meant for Dillon Osborn to attempt suicide amid their triumphant return.
“What do we do… what do we do? Is he safe?”
Reina stammered, more flustered than he was.
Dillon Osborn.
He was someone long forgotten, with no news for ages.
But Reina remembered everything.
The brutal torture and his sacrifice for his comrades.
The horrific aftereffects of that torture lingering in him.
And how vital he had been to the soldiers.
Reina’s eyes filled with dismay and guilt.
She felt terrible for even briefly resenting Arthur’s sudden disappearance.
Of course he had to go.
And now Arthur’s eyes widened.
“You… how do you know Dillon?”
Reina’s eyes rounded as if to say, How could I not know him?
“He’s the hero who saved 72 lives in the Battle of the Red Gorge. Even though it was a defeat…”
Arthur looked at her, a bit surprised.
How did she know?
And so precisely, too…
He had thought he would need to explain more, but she already knew it all.
After a brief silence, Arthur touched his face awkwardly.
“…Did all that reach Julius? It wasn’t even good news, and with supplies not coming, I figured no one ’outside’ was paying attention…”
Reina belatedly realized her mistake and froze, holding her breath.
It had made the papers because of the heavy casualties, but it wasn’t a story that had spread noisily through Julius or become famous.
Back when no one cared about Arthur,
It was just a tale that had stuck with her—the fierce, heroic exploits of knights who fought valiantly despite the loss…
Arthur rubbed his shoulder and muttered.
“…Military slang’s stuck in your mouth. ’Outside’ means the homeland territories beyond the battlefield and camps—army lingo.”
“……”
Even so, he didn’t piece together her unusual hobby from that alone.
Still, he asked.
“It’s an old story from a time when I wasn’t in the spotlight, so I figured no one would know. …You remember it well?”
Reina froze solid.
It felt like her passionate scrapbook-stalking of him was about to be exposed.
Her face flushed bright red.
Arthur scratched his eyebrow sheepishly.
“…Did you hear it at the mansion? Or in the gazette?”
Flustered, Reina opened and closed her mouth,
Hic.
“!”
Then the hiccups started.
Reina clapped a hand over her mouth in panic.
Her eyes met Arthur’s bewildered face.
“……”
Hic.
Hic.
The hiccups came one after another.
Reina’s face turned scarlet as she clamped her mouth shut.
“……!”
Hic.
But once started, the hiccups wouldn’t stop easily.
Reina pressed her chest desperately, her face like she wanted to die of embarrassment.
Hic.
“……”
Her face beet red, on the verge of bursting, she clenched her fist and thumped her chest in panic.
Arthur watched her embarrassed struggle quietly, then gently grasped her elbow to get her attention.
“Try taking a deep breath.”
“……”
Hic.
Reina, face flushed, looked at him and drew in a deep breath.
In the next moment, Arthur slipped a hand behind her neck, pulled her close, and lightly touched his forehead to hers.
“!”
Reina’s breath caught.
Their foreheads touched, their hair mingling between their faces.
Arthur looked into her eyes with his gray ones and murmured softly.
“…Stay still. Hold your breath.”
“……”
Reina couldn’t tear her gaze from his eyes.
“…This should stop it.”
Thump.
Thump.
Thump…
Her heart pounded wildly.
“……”
“……”
Pushed out of the bedroom, Kay and Lionel leaned silently against the door outside.
They were both thinking the same thing,
But neither opened their mouths.
“……”
“……”
—She’s my wife. Don’t touch her. Conversation only, as permitted.
After a long silence, Lionel broke it first.
“…What Sir Kay mentioned before… I think we really need to consider it.”
“……”
He added quietly.
“That ‘worst-case scenario’ you spoke of.”
Kay didn’t reply.
But it was clear he was thinking the same.
“……”
Lionel hesitated briefly, touched his forehead, looked down at his toes, and spoke again.
“…Just to confirm.”
“……”
Kay and Lionel’s eyes met.
“…Is ’officially recognized as his wife’ really the worst case?”
Meaning, shouldn’t they brace for something even more serious?
“……”
Kay didn’t answer.
Instead, he let out a short sigh and said.
“…Sir Lionel. Have someone do one thing for me.”
“Yes.”
“There was a spare bed in Sir Arthur’s study, as I recall.”
“…?”
Lionel gave a puzzled look at the sudden, unexpected remark.
“A bed?”
Kay nodded.
“Yes. Have it removed from the study and placed in their bridal chamber.”
“…? A spare bed… in the bridal chamber?”
Kay composed his expressionless face and said.
“…I have a feeling it might be needed. Could be my hasty guess, but…”
He paused briefly before continuing.
“His Excellency must have endured a lot until now. Put it in there for them, at least. Not now—sometime after tomorrow, depending on the situation.”
Then Kay quietly held the documents he had tucked under his arm.
It was Taylor’s medical log, which Arthur had ordered reviewed.
“…I’ll handle this order first.”
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on Taylor’s door.
Taylor, who had been leaning against it hesitantly, hurriedly composed himself and stood.
“…Yes!”
When he opened the door,
One of the knights who had guarded Reina earlier stood there.
Of the dirty blond and silver hair, it was the ash-silver one wearing a monocle.
“……”
Kay extended a hand politely for a handshake.
“Pardon the intrusion, Mr. Taylor Lorenson. Sorry to come so suddenly.”
While Taylor’s gaze went to the offered hand, Kay briefly scanned him—just enough not to be rude.
Taylor extended his hand a bit dazedly and shook.
“…Taylor is fine. And you are…?”
“Kay Ford. Just Kay. Sorry about earlier.”
Kay’s demeanor was courteous.
“……”
Since he was one of Reina’s guards, Taylor treated Kay politely and cautiously too.
“No, no. Sir Kay. If anything, I was the rude one.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
With that, Kay lifted Taylor’s medical log slightly to show him.
Signaling his purpose.
“……”
Taylor recalled Arthur’s order for him to review the log.
“Could we speak for a moment?”
Taylor looked at the log in his hand.
“……”
Taylor opened the door wider and stepped back.
“…Would you like to come in?”
“If that’s all right. Thank you.”
Kay smiled faintly.
The rooms where Taylor stayed in Julius Mansion consisted of two bedrooms, a parlor, living room, medicine storage, compounding room, study-cum-office, bathroom, and dining area.
For Taylor Lorenson and Alvin Lorenson.
It was a special independent space for the two doctors, unlike a mere employee’s quarters.
Taylor led Kay to the parlor table inside.
Kay sat.
“I’ll bring some tea.”
“No, that’s fine.”
Kay smiled and placed the medical log on the table.
“We have to go over this, so it might be a bother.”
“……”
Nodding as if he understood, Taylor sat as well.
Taylor interlaced his fingers calmly and looked at Kay.
“…Have you reviewed it?”
There was no reason to hesitate.
It was the real medical log.
He hadn’t left any suspicious messages for Reina.
He had fully expected it to be inspected,
And had only hoped the records about his grandmother would reassure her.
Kay smiled, eyes downcast, and took out a pen.
“Yes. I skimmed it. Very diligent and trustworthy.”
He set the pen hand down on the paper.
“Looked good.”
【Impressive.】
Taylor held his breath.
Kay began writing on the paper.
Content utterly different from his spoken words.
“Don’t be nervous.”
【You care deeply for Reina Astalin.】
“No suspicious content stood out,”
【But she’s not your lover.】
“But before a formal review, I have a few things to confirm.”
【You want to help her. Right?】
The ink began to fade.
Kay was using a pen filled with alcohol.
Exactly like what Taylor had done to Reina earlier.
Taylor clenched his fist.
He was caught.
How?
It had been from an unseen angle…
“……”
But what was this man doing to him now?
Kay kept moving his hand over Taylor’s log as he continued speaking.
“Where is the patient?”
Taylor’s mind sharpened; he tensed up.
Was he investigating Reina?
Dreadful suspicion flooded him at once.
Grandma, are you safe?
“……”
Taylor raised his gaze calmly and glared at Kay.
“…May I hear the reason for asking first?”
But Kay didn’t even look at him, calmly tapping the log with his pen. Tok tok.
When Taylor’s eyes dropped to the paper he indicated, the alcohol-written words jumped out.
【I care deeply for Sir Arthur.】
【I think we have a story to share—for the sake of each other’s precious people.】
Taylor’s eyes widened.
“That patient. We’re trying to protect her.”
【There might be listeners, so don’t say it out loud.】
Taylor looked up at Kay.
Kay continued speaking.
While steadily writing as he met his gaze.
“Separate from the marquis household.”
【I want to negotiate with you.】
