“You’re much calmer than I thought you would be. I thought you’d snap at me as soon as you saw me.”

“…Why would I be angry at you? You even brought me a gift like this.”

“Then, can I visit you often from now on?”

“……”

Violet remained silent. Roen didn’t insist either, as if he didn’t want a definite answer.

“The tea is more bitter than I thought, too. If you were like how you were before, you would’ve already had the maid’s hands cut off by now—the one who made this tea.”

“…I don’t give out such cruel commands.”

“You truly have changed. As expected, was it because of the lake?”

“……”

Violet deeply regretted coming here. She should have just ignored Roen, went back up to her room and tucked herself right into bed.

It’s taking too much time to just make this guy leave.

“You’ve changed this much, so… I wonder why.”

“……”

“That child returned to the main mansion while crying buckets. And she was hugging her sketchbook that’s drenched entirely in tea.”

Violet lowered her gaze to Roen’s body. She felt another headache coming on, and so she took a sip of tea before matching Roen’s gaze once more. The bitterness of the tea calmed her down a little.

As she was thinking of a way to get rid of this person—

“M-Milady!”

Mary burst into the drawing room in a hurry.

“H-His Grace the Duke has arriv, hiccup!”

Yet another bomb was dropped.

A new visitor had come. And it wasn’t just anyone—it was her father, the duke.

Roen seemed shocked as well, but it was too late. Violet was still trying to calculate whether it would be better to remove one landmine first before the bigger bomb would arrive, or if she should just let them detonate together. In the end, she quit doing that.

“Can you lead him here?”

Fine. Since they’re going to detonate anyway, why not make them detonate together? Violet concluded merrily.

It’s clear as day that Roen visited this place while disregarding the duke’s order.

“You mentioned that His Grace’s order was made only verbally, so I guess you don’t have to keep it, right?”

“Did I say that?”

“Yes. I heard you loud and clear when you said that. Mary, lead His Grace here.”

Seeing Roen unable to escape, Violet smiled brightly. It took a lot of courage to interrupt the lady and the young master’s conversation, and just that made Mary’s face go pale. She soon scuttled out of the drawing room, frantic.

She was not well versed in the proper etiquette, however the young maid did her best to attend to the duke.

As he entered the room, the duke’s eyes widened as he saw his daughter and his son, conversing with each other here despite it being in complete violation of his order.

.

.

.

Thus, the present situation came to be.

Even after seeing Roen here, the duke did not rebuke him much.

It was only now that the stillness between these three Everetts subsided.

“I see you have a visitor.”

“…Because Brother said that it’s fine.”

“……”

Violet made up an excuse that Roen never said. Guilty as he was, Roen couldn’t say anything to refute her anyway.

“…How have you been,” the duke stoically asked.

“I’ve been quite alright, thanks to you.”

“Seeing the state of your clothes, you seem to enjoy painting.”

“Nothing for me to be proud of.”

The conversation between brother and sister brought down the atmosphere so heavily, but the conversation between the father and daughter was even more stifling. Even so, Violet calmly replied to the duke like that, referring only to her artwork when the duke pointed out her dress.

“But you look a little uncomfortable. I’ll tell someone to send more comfortable clothes for you.”

“…Thank you.”

Roen, too, came to visit with a dress to give as a present, though one that was extravagant. His smile slipped ever so slightly. Unlike Roen, the duke was completely taking into consideration what should be convenient for Violet.

“…It seems like I interrupted your conversation arbitrarily.”

“It’s alright, Father,” Violet replied.

“It also has been a long time since we’ve had dinner together, hasn’t it?” Roen asked.

But instead of answering Roen’s question, the duke only drank tea. It was sure to taste bitter and overall terrible, and yet raised not even a single brow.

“Aileen visited, too.”

“…Yes.”

“Hm.”

When the duke pondered like so, the two siblings took that chance to breathe in. Even as the duke was in front of his own children, he did not let go of the lid on his emotions, evermore maintaining his sharp composure.

“Right, now that I think about it, you were never assigned an escort knight.”

“…That is the case, yes.”

Violet reflected on herself as well. There were surely a lot of people here and there who held grudges towards her. And ever since she was confined to this remote corner of the ducal residence and as her privileges as a ducal lady had decreased, it’s impossible to know when or where she’d next be attacked.

“I shall have this resolved as well. I will have escort knights sent here tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

“……”

Roen held his breath.

This was a warning to both Aileen and Roen, who dared overlook the duke’s order. Do not go to the annex again.

Violet responded calmly, nevertheless.

Her safety wouldn’t be an issue. Regardless of whether someone would send an assassin her way because of a grudge, she didn’t really care. She gave up on thinking about hypothetical concerns.

All Violet needed was rest and serenity. She’d rather not exhaust herself by thinking about such grueling imaginary scenarios.

“You do seem to enjoy painting quite a bit… I’d like to take a look at your work if possible.”

“It’s not good enough as I’m still inexperienced.”

“No one’s good at anything after having just started. I won’t impose perfection on you.”

“…Alright then.”

Amidst the arid mood, this heavy, muddy conversation took place. Indeed, where ever could they find someone who was perfect right from the start?

As Violet briefly recalled the past, she stopped the corners of her lips from tugging up to form a bitter smile.

Violet asked Roen as well, only acting upon common courtesy.

“…Would you like to come as well, Brother?”

“I’d love to, if you’ll allow me.”

He should be well aware that she’s uncomfortable around him, yet he wouldn’t take the hint, hah.

Violet was filled with the urge to hit that snake Roen squarely in the face, even just once.