Reflection
“—I may have lost my composure for a moment.”
After speaking in that agitated tone for what felt like ages, Siana finally calmed down and murmured this, as if releasing a long-held breath.
Violet, hearing her, replied in a voice as steady and composed as ever.
“Just a moment?”
“Ugh, quiet! Anyway, earlier I went on and on about how grateful I am to Lux-kun, but… I also have regrets. Deep ones.”
“Regrets…?”
“There’s no way Lux-kun could ever do anything wrong, and yet I let my emotions get the better of me. I directed my anger at him… It was shameful. So shameful I made him bow his head to me.”
The reason Siana had let her emotions explode was, of course, because she believed Lux had brought another woman into his private chambers.
He’d gone against her request that morning—she’d asked him not to invite any women to the mansion. And yet he’d brought someone, someone other than her, into his room. Even if students were an exception, when a nobleman invites a woman into his quarters, it’s hard not to see deeper implications.
And layered atop that was Siana’s affection for Lux, her fierce longing to keep him from touching—or being touched by—another woman, and all of it boiled over, spilling out as fury.
“It’s disgraceful. I should have been angry at Florence, not Lux-kun… That woman clearly schemed to use the intimacy of being alone in his room to get closer to him.”
“…Whether or not she succeeded, I can’t say. But judging by Rodwell-sama’s demeanor, I doubt she made any significant progress.”
“True… Just the idea of another woman being in Lux-kun’s room makes me physically ill. Still, even so, acting within another noble house is a delicate matter. It won’t be easy.”
“Exactly. Which is why, going forward, what we need to watch out for isn’t Florence-sama visiting Rodwell-sama’s room.”
“But Lux-kun visiting Florence’s mansion. Right?”
Violet nodded at Siana’s words.
“Precisely.”
“If Lux-kun ends up going to that woman’s place alone, there’s no telling what she might pull.”
“…Rodwell-sama is unaware of how deep certain shadows run, and because he doesn’t see them, he has no defense against them. It’s up to us to guard those blind spots.”
“I know… Whatever happens, we have to make sure Lux-kun doesn’t go to her mansion. If it even looks like he’s been invited, I’ll tell him to turn it down. No—I hate to think it, but it’s entirely possible she’s already asked him.”
“Either way, it would be best to confirm it directly.”
“You’re right. And after that—”
“Siana, looks like it’s dinner time. Let’s head down to the dining hall together.”
Just as Siana began to speak again, a knock came at her door, and from the other side, Lux’s voice drifted in.
Hearing him, Siana jumped to her feet and called out in a fluster.
“Y-Yes, Master! I’ll be right there!”
Then, turning to Violet, she whispered quickly.
“You stay here and wait.”
“As you wish.”
—Later, Siana and Lux finished their meal together. And just as they’d promised that morning, they went to Lux’s room to talk as evening fell.
Lux’s Side
As Siana and I chatted in my room, the conversation gradually mellowed—and then, wearing a serious look, she spoke.
“Master, there’s something I’d like to ask you. May I?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Do you have any plans to visit Florence-sama’s mansion in the near future?”
“Yeah, I do. I’ve actually been invited to visit Florence-san’s place.”
I told her the truth, and Siana gave a small nod before following up.
“I see… And who extended the invitation?”
“Florence-san did. We were talking about interior decor and such, and from there, she invited me to come see her mansion as well.”
Hearing that, Siana paused—just for a moment—then spoke, as if choosing her words carefully.
“When you go to Florence-san’s place, would it be all right if I came with you?”
Come along… Ah, maybe she’s curious about Florence-san’s interiors too.
“Sure, that’s fine. I’ll check with Florence-san just to be sure, but I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”
“Thank you so much!”
Siana beamed as she said it, her voice bright with joy.
After that, we kept talking and laughing together until the hour grew late. When it was finally time, Siana left my room for the night.
…She always gives her all, day in and day out. I really should plan something to surprise her.
Just thinking about what kind of surprise it could be made me smile—and with those thoughts swirling in my head, I drifted off to sleep.
Siana’s Side
Returning to her own room, Siana immediately addressed Violet, who had been waiting inside.
“…That woman’s already invited Lux-kun to her mansion.”
“I see… She moves quickly, doesn’t she?”
“She does. But it’s fine—he said I could go with him, so there’s no issue there. What matters now is our plan for the Royal Exchange. We need to figure out how I can strengthen my bond with Lux-kun during that time.”
“Understood.”
The two of them began laying the groundwork for their strategy—to draw Lux closer to Siana during the upcoming Royal Exchange—and one week later,
The curtain rose on the gathering… and with it, a fierce battle for love began.