Unlike the somewhat heavy ending to the meal, tea time afterward resumed in a lighter atmosphere.

Once the dishes were cleared and tea and sweets were brought out, we all, without needing to say anything, stopped talking about the “monsters.”

The family needed some peace. Just a little—just enough of a break from it all.

“Let’s start having dinner together more often. Maybe every other day in the dining room. How does that sound? Darling, is that all right with you?”

Everyone nodded to Mother’s gentle voice.

To be honest, it felt like they were trying to create memories with someone who was about to leave—or trying to give that someone a few more to take with them. That thought weighed heavily on me. Still, I didn’t show it. I just idly played with my teacup.

The next day, the mansion was in a commotion. But it wasn’t a happy kind of excitement—it was the kind of bustle that came with work.