The drawing room smelled exactly as it had during my last visit.
It was a blend of high-quality floral arrangements and polished wood, with the faint, lingering sweetness of incense. It felt as if the chaos of that night had been a mere illusion, the room having completely returned to its pristine state.
As I sank into the sofa, the soft cushions enveloped my body. Kaya sat beside me, while Lucia and Cecily sat opposite us.
"Now then, regarding the matter I contacted you about... is Mr. Gordon unavailable?"
Several cups were lined up atop the meticulously polished low table. Sebastian had just finished serving them with practiced, effortless efficiency.
"Yes, Master Haijima," the butler replied, his posture perfect and his voice calm. "The Master has departed on another matter today. In his stead, he has requested that Lady Lucia hear what you have to say."
"I see."
I gave a short nod and lifted my cup. The aroma of a dark roast drifted past my nose—a deep bitterness with a hint of acidity on the finish. Not bad at all.
I had coffee. In front of Kaya sat a glass of fresh orange juice. For Cecily and Lucia, rose-colored black tea sent thin wisps of steam into the air. Beside each cup sat a small plate of cookies, still radiating a faint, oven-fresh warmth.
Sebastian stepped back quietly to stand behind Lucia. There wasn't a single opening in his movements; it seemed the injuries he sustained during the previous raid had left no lasting mark on him.
"Well then," Lucia said, straightening her back and offering a polite smile. "Since my father has entrusted this to me, I shall be the one listening today. I truly hope I can be of some assistance."
I nodded and shifted my gaze toward Cecily. Her complexion was much better than the last time we met, and she seemed to have put on some healthy weight. It appeared she was adapting well to her new existence in a natural body.
"I wished to offer my greetings and my thanks once more," Cecily said with a modest smile. "I haven't had the chance to meet you properly since the incident the other day..."
Her smile was somewhat fleeting, yet it possessed a certain resilient brightness. A soft, peach-colored flush colored her cheeks.
"The same goes for me," Lucia added. "One moment I was there, and the next I was staring at a white hospital ceiling... I was very nearly trapped in a never-ending nightmare."
She shrugged her shoulders with a touch of self-deprecating humor, drawing a small laugh from Cecily.
"I heard the general details from Roselia-san. Knowing the mastermind who used us might still be out there... honestly, it’s a little frightening."
She stared fixedly at the surface of her tea. Her eyes were likely reflecting the events of that night—the "afterglow of terror" that refused to fade. The memory of confronting her own form probably still played on a loop in the back of her mind.
However, the atmosphere shifted entirely in the next heartbeat.
"More importantly," Cecily said, her voice turning a fraction brighter. "This person—Kaya-san, was it? I heard she was your 'former partner'... but she seems quite young, doesn't she?"
Still, their sense of distance feels strangely intimate...
Lucia nodded silently at Cecily’s observation. The sisters were looking at us with decidedly suspicious eyes. I stifled a bitter grimace, glancing toward the mental asides they seemed to be projecting.
Kaya, who had been munching on a cookie, tilted her head to the side with her mouth full.
"My body looks like this, but I'm actually a bit older than him," she said. Then, taking the straw into her mouth, she added one more thing. "Oh, and for the record, I'm a woman."
...Hey. Did you really need to say that right now?
"H-Huh?! T-Then... you mean... that kind of relationship?!"
No way, does he have a preference for—well, I’ve heard such people exist, but...
Lucia’s voice hit a high pitch. Her cheeks turned crimson in the blink of an eye. Cecily froze for a second before visibly struggling to stifle a burst of laughter.
—Stop it. Don't invite such unnecessary misunderstandings.
Kaya let out a playful giggle, sipping her juice through the straw. "It’s been a while since we reunited. Since I got this body, there’s been 'none of that' yet, you know?"
...Hey. Watch your phrasing.
"Wha—!?" "My goodness...!"
The sisters cried out in unison. Lucia recoiled into the sofa cushions, while Cecily pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide. Setting Cecily aside, I wondered if Lucia was really going to be okay, being that sheltered.
Watching the two of them, Sebastian narrowed his eyes from his position in the rear.
"Lady Lucia has been devoted to the family business since her youth; she simply hasn't had the time for associations with gentlemen," the butler noted, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief produced from thin air. His timing was so perfect it was as if he had read my mind.
"Wait... Sebastian!"
Lucia whipped around to glare at him, but the butler acted as if he were talking about the weather.
"The Master and I have frequently discussed that it is quite nearly time for her to settle down."
"With Father, too!?" Lucia’s mouth hung open, moving like a goldfish gasping for air.
Sebastian continued nonchalantly. "Given the recent incident, members of other houses of equal standing have been observing the situation quite closely. We are currently searching for a suitable match... wondering if a fine partner might be found somewhere nearby."
His eyes glinted from behind the handkerchief as he shifted his gaze toward me.
Hey. What’s with that look?
Lucia looked back and forth between me and the butler, her face flushing a deep, burning red. Shaking her head frantically, she lost all semblance of the dignified daughter of a massive conglomerate.
"N-No! I...!"
Cecily watched the display and laughed merrily. "I wouldn't mind if I were the one to settle down before you, Big Sister." She directed a meaningful, mischievous smile my way.
...Seriously, I didn't come here to talk about matchmaking.
I let out a soft sigh, and Sebastian finally stifled his own amusement.
"Oh, my apologies. It seems I, Sebastian, have accidentally rained on the young ladies' parade." He tucked the handkerchief back into his breast pocket. His low, rhythmic chuckling echoed through the drawing room.
—Good grief, what a shrewd old man.
Lucia was still in a state of minor collapse, her hands waving about in confusion. Cecily looked genuinely pleased to see her sister so flustered. As for Kaya, she was back to stuffing her face with cookies, looking entirely unconcerned.
Enough. Time to get back on track.
"...Let's get to the main subject."
As I dropped my tone, the air in the room instantly tightened.
"The reason I’m here today involves the incident from the other night—and something that might be connected to it."
At those words, Sebastian’s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly. The black-haired maid standing in the shadows straightened her posture for a fleeting second. Caution returned to Lucia and Cecily’s expressions. The memory of the raid was clearly still vivid for everyone present.
The laughter of a moment ago vanished as if it had never existed.
The only thing moving was the thin line of steam rising from the tea. The way it swayed over the cups felt like a dark omen of the story I was about to tell.