•?••? ? ?••?•

Botri held his mouth shut, fearing his tongue would be cut off.

“Behave yourself from now on. I’ll be watching you, no matter where you are.”

With a sincere warning from Ray, Botri was now almost in tears. Ray stood up and let go of him.

Even though he was free from Ray’s grasp, Botri was too scared to stand up straight.

“Take him out of the palace.”

The knights who had finished escorting Iva hurriedly took Botri out.

“I wonder if they talked about the marriage proposal when they met there.”

Ray who was now alone, imagined the moment when Claude and Iva had met as Botri had described it.

What kind of gaze and conversation did they have? He felt guilty for being resentful that Claude knew a side of Iva that he didn’t.

He couldn’t afford to have such emotions towards a member of the royal family.

“Let’s not be impatient. I said I’ll wait.”

Ray acted as if he wasn’t impatient in front of Iva, but he was ultimately afraid that she would choose Claude instead of him.

Left alone in the hall, he remembered Iva, whom he had held in his arms for a long time.

* * *

Knock knock.

“Lady Iva Blanche?”

“Uh, huh? Yes?”

Iva, who had been lost in thought, snapped out of it at the voice of the palace coachmen who had come to escort her.

“We’ve arrived at your residence. I called several times, but there was no answer.”

“Is that so? Haha, I must have been very tired.”

As she got off the carriage, Jane, who had been waiting for her, approached her.

“Miss, the party ended late… Oh my! What happened to your hair?”

Jane hurriedly assessed the messy state of Iva’s hair, which she had carefully arranged.

“How much did you drink?! Huh? I don’t smell alcohol though?”

“I didn’t drink much.”

“Then who did you fight with?”

“…It was something like that.”

“What?! What exactly happened?!”

Iva remained calm despite Jane’s worried fussing as she examined her body.

“It’s okay. It’s been taken care of.”

“Taken care of? Did you hit them?”

“I’ll tell you the details later. I’m just really tired today. I want to take a bath.”

“I’ll prepare it right away.”

Iva, who was always energetic, was unusually calm, and Jane did as she was told without saying much.

While waiting for the bathwater to be prepared in the bedroom, Iva remained lost in thought.

So much had happened today. 

Julian had suddenly appeared as a princess, and she still didn’t know if the ‘Make Bridget laugh’ plan had succeeded or not.

And in the midst of it all, Botri’s outrageous behavior and Ray’s confession. It all hit her at once, and her head throbbed.

‘Don’t you already know who I like’

‘Iva Blanche.’

‘It’s you. The one I sincerely like.’

When Ray’s sincere confession came to mind again, her heart became even more troubled.

“Why confess when I’m trying to distance myself from you? And why so sincerely?”

Ray had never spoken so sincerely in her three lifetimes, so she didn’t know how to respond.

She was more used to being ignored and pushed away. 

“I asked for time to think, but there’s only one answer I can give.”

She had to reject his confession. She thought she should have left before he even had the chance to confess.

It was unsettling to keep getting tangled up like this, and she had no expectations that accepting Ray’s confession would lead to a happily ever after with Ray.

She wasn’t a fool, and she had already been let down twice, so she didn’t dare to have any expectations.

“Miss, the bathwater is ready.”

“Okay.”

Iva led her tired body towards the bathtub in the mansion. It was a bathtub big enough for five people to bathe in at once.

To lift Iva’s spirits, Jane had even sprinkled rose petals, which she knew Iva liked, on top.

“Miss, shall I wash your body for you…?”

“Jane, I want to be alone today.”

“I understand. Please call me when you’re finished with your bath.”

“Okay.”

Iva, alone, submerged herself in the water up to her chin. Her eyes closed involuntarily at the appropriate temperature.

Splash.

‘I, I don’t know it myself, but for a moment, Lady Iva was so lovely.’

As the moment when Ray had kissed her forehead came to mind, it felt like she was still being held in his arms and her head and back were being stroked.

Iva raised her wet hand to her forehead and washed her back and hair.

It had been the most frustrating day of her three lifetimes.

•?••? ? ?••?•