The interior of the Hyde Mansion was just as clean and luxurious as its exterior.

It seemed to reflect the personality of its owner.

In addition to luxurious-looking paintings and sculptures, there were also portraits of family members.

One depicted a lady with a young Mary sitting on her lap, alongside a dignified-looking noble gentleman.

‘So those are Mary’s parents.’

Mary's mother had similarly languid eyes like hers, but her lips were slightly curved, giving her a soft and gentle appearance.

As for her father... he looked stern, just as I had been told.

He had the demeanor of a hearty man who had experienced all sorts of trials and tribulations, fitting for a renowned magician in the kingdom.

At first glance, he seemed to resemble the face Mary showed when she was protecting me.

"Albus, where is Father?"

"The Master is still sleeping. I will inform him when he wakes."

"Then I will wait in my room."

"…And your guest?"

The seasoned-looking butler, called Albus, glanced at me briefly.

It seemed he was asking Mary where to lead me.

"Ken is my guest. We will wait in my room together."

"…Understood."

Albus hesitated for a moment at Mary's assertive response, then bowed and stepped back.

‘It makes sense since I'm a stranger...’

Even in an ordinary home, if an unfamiliar young man were to be alone in the daughter’s room, it would raise concerns.

All the more so in a prestigious family like the Hyde.

Under normal circumstances, I doubt such permission would be granted so easily.

However, with the head of the family critically ill, no one would likely oppose Mary’s wishes.

━Creak.

I followed Mary past the bowing servants and entered a room on the second floor.

'So this is Mary's room.'

The interior was exceptionally tidy.

Of course, I'd never been in another young lady's room before.

It was unusually tidy.

"...Is this the room you've used since childhood?"

"Yes, I've been here ever since I was born."

Mary showed me the room, looking a bit shy.

Normally, visiting a room filled with memories of a girl I liked would have excited me, causing me to look around with interest.

Instead, I felt my heart grow cold.

Mary's room didn't have any signs of those kinds of memories.

That's why it was unusually tidy.

'It's like looking at a hotel room...'

For a girl who's grown up in the same room, you'd expect more personal and cute things.

Even Raphne's Tower had dolls and novels decorating it.

But Mary's room had none of that.

All it contained were boring-looking thick books and a large bed.

And a table and chairs to accommodate guests.

It didn't feel like a girl's room at all.

"Ah, please sit down... Should I ask them to bring us some tea?"

"No, that's okay."

"Heh, being in the room I've been in since childhood with Ken feels strange."

"Ha ha..."

While Mary might feel that way,

I found it challenging to share similar feelings, as it felt more like being in a photo studio with her.

"Do you not have any toys you used to play with as a child? Or fairy tales you liked?"

"No, I didn't have such things..."

"Then, what did you usually do in your room?"

"Um... until I went to the Academy, I mostly focused on Etiquette Education and basic studies."

"I see..."

I wanted to hear about the things that brought her joy.

It seemed like such stories wouldn't come out easily. I started to understand how she had grown up. I wondered if other young ladies grew up receiving similar education in such environments.

Thinking of Raphne, whose hobby was reading romance novels, it became clear that Mary's situation was indeed unique. After all, the Martinez clan is as prestigious as Hyde.

"Oh, but I did enjoy drawing when I was little," Mary suddenly remembered and stood up, heading somewhere. She pulled out an old box from a shelf. Inside the box were a bunch of faded paper bundles. On those papers were sketches that were surprisingly high-quality for a child's drawings.

"Wow... How old were you when you drew these?"

"I think until I was about seven. It's a bit embarrassing..."

Mary, seeming to reminisce, took out her childhood sketches one by one.

'Thank goodness, at least she had some hobbies.' With that thought, I let out a sigh of relief and finally managed to relax my tense expression.

"This one, I drew a rabbit I saw during a stroll. It had just woken out of hibernation and was so cute."

"Wow, you were really good at drawing even when you were little."

"You're embarrassing me with so much praise..."

It wasn't flattery; I genuinely thought she drew very well. Even if you didn't know a child had drawn it, the sketch was lively and of high quality.

"Are there more? What about other drawings?"

"Let's see..."

As Mary checked each paper, her face held a faint smile, seemingly lost in memories of the moments she used to draw.

"…Ah."

Mary's hand, which had been moving, suddenly stopped.

She held a piece of paper.

On it, a man and woman sitting at a table, drinking tea, were drawn.

They had the same faces as the couple in the portrait that hung in the mansion earlier.

They were Mary's parents.

Mary's gaze halted on that paper, silently staring at the drawing.

The faint smile that had appeared on her face was gone.

"I'm so sorry. Your father is unwell, and here I am, making things worse…"

I suddenly realized that this wasn't the right time to be reminiscing about memories and hastily apologized.

I had been taken aback by the somber atmosphere of the room.

I wanted to find some of Mary's joyful childhood memories.

It was my selfish desire.

Considering her current situation, I should have been more careful.

"No, actually, thanks to you, Ken, I've been able to regain my composure. It's a relief."

"Mary…"

"Really. If I had come alone, I would have been more confused and anxious. So, there's no need to apologize."

Mary looked at me and smiled gently.

But seeing her hand tremble slightly as she held the paper, I couldn't smile back.

I just placed my hand on her shoulder and drew closer to her.

And Mary laid her hand over mine.

"My mother passed away when I was very young. This is the drawing I made just before that... so I was just looking at it for a moment.”

I couldn't respond to her explanation.

A mother parted with in childhood.

And now, her father's condition is critical.

I'm not entirely sure what kind of person Mary's father is.

But it must be a tough situation to accept.

So all I could do was share warmth by her side for a while.

No words of comfort could change how she felt.

I was simply holding her hand to ensure she didn't feel alone.

And after a short passage of time.

━Knock, knock.

"Miss, the Master is looking for you."

Albus, who had greeted us earlier, came into the room to inform us that Mary's father had woken up.

"Ken, let's go together."

"What? Me too? But maybe you should go alone first…”

"No, please come with me."

Mary shook her head firmly with a determined face.

Even though it's been a long time since she last greeted her father, I wondered if it was right for me to intrude.

Yet, Mary's determination was unwavering.

So I followed her with a tense heart.

Albus, who was guiding us, seemed to anticipate this, and naturally led the way.

Knock, knock.

"Master, Miss Mary and her friend have come together."

"...Alright."

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