“About Jenia’s meal..”

“I have informed the kitchen staff to bring her meal separately.”

“Thank you very much, Sir Betrand.” Knowing that Jenia will be able to have her meal without any problems, Amber smiled brightly.

Dennis was surprised at Amber’s smile. He had a hunch when he saw Amber laying Jenia into bed, but it seemed like Amber was truly earnest in supporting Jenia however she could.

‘Perhaps, if it’s this person..’ Dennis fell into a deep thought as he looked at Amber.

“Sir Betrand? Where should I go for my meal?”

“It has been prepared in the dining room,” Dennis broke out of his trance at Amber’s question and faithfully answered her.

Amber checked Jenia’s state once more before following Dennis.

“Um, excuse me but..” Walking down the hallway, Amber suddenly had a thought and cautiously started to ask. “It’s not like I have to eat with Bella, right?”

“Please don’t worry.”

As soon as Amber asked her question, Dennis shook his head. “Miss Bella had asked for her meal to be delivered to her room separately.”

Amber noticed that Dennis didn’t call Bella ‘Mistress’, but simply ‘Miss Bella’.[1]

‘Perhaps she doesn’t have a good relationship with the knights.’ Amber tried to remember what the relationship between Bella and the knights was in her previous life, but she couldn’t recall anything in particular. As subjugation battles took place one after the other, the knights spent most of their time away from the castle.

‘In any case, it’s a relief I don’t have to eat with Bella.’ Amber let out a sigh of relief.

But her feeling of relief disappeared as soon as she stepped inside of the dining room. It was because the person whose visage she detested more than Bella was in the dining room.

“.. Madam?” Kalix also looked surprised as if he didn’t expect Amber to appear.

He was just about to sit down at the table after entering the dining room. When he saw Amber, he froze in place, unable to do anything but stare with his hand on the chair.

Amber was just as flabbergasted as Kalix. They had pretty much just had a war of words back in the study and she hadn’t expected to see him again so soon.

‘I didn’t think we’d be having a meal together right after arguing like that.’ As Amber still held grudges against Kalix, she couldn’t help the stiffened expression on her face.

Amber had thought that Kalix would have a meal with the knights after his meeting. After all, that was what he did in her previous life.

Her gaze became even colder when she remembered how she would eat alone in the dining hall every time he had a meeting.

Kalix, on the other hand, was frozen like a statue as he stared at nothing in the air.

A chilly silence descended on the room. The chefs and servants responsible for preparing the meal stood in the corner as they studied the expressions on Amber and Kalix’s faces, trying to discern the situation. As the Duke and his wife hadn’t sat down, they couldn’t move from their positions.

Finally, again, Amber spoke up first. “Please have a seat, Your Excellency.”

Amber stepped towards the table with the most relaxed expression she could muster, but Kalix still didn’t move an inch.

She let out a small sigh and pulled out a chair herself. At that moment, Kalix’s body visibly flinched.

“.. Your Excellency?”

Amber turned her gaze towards Kalix with a curious expression at the sight of him acting so strangely. Kalix looked back and forth between Amber and her chosen seat with an extremely anxious expression.

“Why are you staring like that?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

At Kalix’s stiff answer, Amber nodded as she thought it truly wasn’t anything significant and took her seat.