*Last night, what on earth was that…?*
Erica, recalling the events from last night, sighed while resting her chin on her hand.
Could it have been a dream? That thought kept creeping in.
It was so extraordinarily *unreal.*
Emilia had summoned her, and while waiting in the room, she found Schlus and Emilia engaging in *that kind of thing* separated by a *barrier…*
“Lichtenburg.”
“….”
What on earth were they thinking?
Actually, she had a rough idea of what they might have been thinking.
They probably wanted to flaunt their relationship while pretending it was all about Erica gaining knowledge in that area.
It was obvious.
Emilia didn’t seem like she wanted to hide it either.
“Lichtenburg. This is the second time I’ve called you.”
“….”
After that, Erica couldn’t catch a wink of sleep.
Every time she tried to close her eyes, that *raw scene* she had witnessed kept flashing before her, chasing away any sleep.
Even when she occasionally regained her composure, Emilia’s *gaze* directed toward her lingered unyieldingly in her mind.
Erica, having lost herself and mechanically replaying the video in her head all day long, finally thought—
“If I call you for the third time, I’ll make it clear I’ll kick you out. Lichtenb—…”
“Ah, a! Yes! Professor!”
Instinctively sensing *killing intent,* she jumped up and responded.
Rushing to tidy her messy hair, she turned only to find Professor Ludwig with his typically *grim face.*
“Submit your thesis.”
“Y-Yes? But the deadline is next week…”
“Hadn’t you already finished writing it?”
“Well, that’s true…”
“Hand it over. I’ll mark it and return it.”
“Ah. Yes.”
“And… wash yourself a bit. Get some sleep too. Go back home and rest properly. I’ll give you 48 hours.”
“Understood…”
Ludwig, snatching the thesis from her, gave Erica a *side glare.*
Her unwashed hair, dark circles hanging down to her cheeks, and the trembling ends of her eyes, devoid of life, were all too obvious.
It seemed she could push herself another 24 hours, but it was clear that wouldn’t last long.
Ludwig clicked his tongue and turned away.
Even if he granted her a 48-hour vacation, he knew Erica would be back in under 24 hours.
“A. What a mess.”
In the dressing room, having removed her white gown and staring into the mirror, Erica couldn’t help but sigh.
Her face was a complete disaster.
Seeing the red marks from her glasses, she felt a wave of tears welling up.
“First, let’s sleep!”
Dressed in casual clothes, Erica banged the cabinet shut and declared loudly.
Though her stomach was growling, she didn’t feel like eating.
She decided to crash onto her bed first and think about the rest after waking up.
With a singular thought of wanting to collapse at home, Erica grinned stupidly as she stumbled along.
Inside the carriage heading toward Lichtenburg Mansion, she nearly dozed off, but the construction noises ongoing nearby prevented her from falling into a deep sleep.
“They’re really tearing everything down…”
“Yes, Miss. They say the entire Old Town is set for redevelopment starting from Zone 1.”
“Didn’t ask.”
“Yes…”
The entire Old Town was in chaos.
She heard that with the sudden development of new materials and advancements in construction techniques, the Old Town was chosen for trial constructions of new buildings.
They claimed the Old Town would soon be more refined and cleaner than the New Town, and the economic center would move there…
“All just a bunch of hot air.”
Even if construction technology advanced, how much could it change?
Construction is a field that has developed slowly enough to still use buildings hundreds of years old.
No matter how much Schlus contributed, a significant leap in development was unlikely.
Erica scoffed at the construction site, which looked strange with metal rods sticking out where buildings used to be.
“I can sleep… Finally, finally… I can sleep…”
Leaving behind the worried gazes of the servants, Erica trudged toward her room.
Her mother was either out of the mansion or busy, as she was nowhere to be seen.
The parlor seemed slightly noisy, but she thought nothing of it, assuming the cleaning maids were chatting.
Her vision was already narrowing, and her eyes were about to close entirely.
Finally reaching her bedroom, Erica undressed and collapsed on her bed, losing consciousness instantly.
.
.
.
“Hmm. Ugh. Uhh…”
Erica slowly opened her eyes, feeling her whole body stiff and sore.
She was still tired, but her eyelids felt much lighter.
A *grumble* sounded from her stomach.
Clutching her belly, Erica struggled to sit up.
She clearly needed to eat first.
The dining area had lights on, indicating a meal was being prepared.
As Erica shuffled down the corridor, scratching her neck, she muttered,
“Mother. I’m starving to death. Food…”
“Hmm. Looks like you’re awake?”
“….”
An entirely unexpected figure sat at the table.
Erica froze at the *deadly vacant gaze* directed her way.
She wore flimsy underwear-like sleepwear that hung off one shoulder, with unkempt hair and a completely bare face.
Erica’s cheeks instantly flushed red as she pictured her disheveled appearance without even needing to look in a mirror.
“Ah. Ah. Uwaa.”
“Come sit. I just started eating—”
“Uwaaaaah!”
Erica covered her face with her hands and screamed as she bolted.
It was too embarrassing.
Regardless of their engagement, she felt mortified thinking she had shown Schlus her unkempt state, known only to the mansion’s servants and her mother.
Erica, now fully awake, rushed straight to the bathroom and looked into the mirror.
“Showing this face to Schlus…! No, but I’m still pretty. I’m pretty…”
Of course, even looking like this, she seemed somewhat alluring, and Erica kept adjusting her angles and striking poses in the mirror.
Then she made her mind up.
It was a version of herself she had to show Schlus one day.
Glancing over at her vanity with a sigh, she turned her head.
Washing her face with warm water and having a maid wash her hair, Erica put on thin loungewear and stepped back out of her room.
Now realizing her outfit wasn’t too different from the underwear she showed Schlus earlier, she thought about changing again but clenched her fist with a sigh.
What’s there to be embarrassed about being in my house, dressed as I want?
Walking confidently, she barged through the door, exclaiming,
“Ah, you haven’t finished eating yet?!”
“Well, I was waiting.”
“U-uh…”
As soon as Erica met Schlus’s gaze, she stammered again like a *broken record.*
That *gaze* intertwined with the raw scene she witnessed earlier in the morning began to overlap.
The *expression* he wore while embracing Emilia, relishing in the changing emotions and gradually softening voice…
She had to forget it, but Schlus wasn’t the least bit aware, and she realized she had to erase it from her memory.
“What are you doing? Not going to eat?”
“I-I’m going to eat…”
But that wasn’t easy.
Erica, unable to just sit there dumbstruck, struggled to avoid Schlus’s gaze as she timidly approached the table.
Collapsing into her seat, a piping hot dish was served beside her.
“Shall I warm it up for you, Mr. Schlus?”
“No, it’s fine. Erica. Ready to eat?”
“Yeah…”
The plate in front of Schlus looked cold.
She realized that during her washing up and getting ready, he must have left it untouched, as both the food and tableware were still pristine.
Erica felt a brief sense of guilt, forgetting that Schlus could survive without eating, and slowly picked up her fork.
“So, what brings you here?”
“I was invited for a meal.”
“Hmm.”
Did her mother extend the invitation?
Erica pondered casually, but—
‘Why would Mother do that?!’
Being absent from the mansion, Erica found it utterly perplexing why her mother would summon Schlus for a meal, just the two of them.
And then there was another strange point.
Where had her mother gone after inviting Schlus?
“But what about Mother?”
“She stepped out.”
“Eh? Why?”
“She’s done with her conversation with my lady, and now it’s just you and me left to talk.”
“Hmm. What kind of talk?”
“About Julia. There’s something you need to know. Something I’ve kept hidden from you…”
“Ah. Ahh.”
As Erica listened, harboring subtle expectations, she suddenly felt all her strength seep away.
So it was about Julia…
A painful wound she had managed to forget briefly resurfaced, stabbing at her heart.
With a bitter smile, Erica picked at the poorly-tasting food in front of her.
Despite all this, oddly enough, she was quite hungry.
“Hmph. What have you been hiding until now?”
“It seems like a long story.”
“I’ll listen slowly.”
Erica, managing a smile, felt a tightness inside her chest.
Things were beginning to clarify a bit.
Having skin-to-skin contact with other women, yet finding him unable to touch her… She began to understand the reasons why.
Every time Schlus looked at her, she no longer doubted the *ominous feeling* lurking behind his gaze.
It was certainly guilt.
Whenever he looked at her, it was as if he was reminded of Julia and couldn’t dare to touch her.
This was the conclusion Erica arrived at.
“When is Mother coming back?”
“She won’t return today. She’ll probably come back tomorrow.”
“Is she busy?”
“No. I asked her to leave the mansion for a bit.”
“Why on earth…?”
“I’m planning to stay over at your place tonight. Is that okay?”
“Of course, it’s…”
Thud.
Erica’s hand, which was naturally moving her fork, froze.
Spending the night here, alone with Schlus in a mansion empties…
If it were the past, she might have assumed they’d spend the evening chatting and she’d let him sleep in the guest room.
But every time she looked into Schlus’s eyes, that *sticky scene* from the morning vividly replayed, making her dizzy. Now she understood what Schlus’s words implied.
