Episode 6
Thursday. It had been exactly four days since Sasha Grayson had arrived in Lance Field.
Looking back over the past year or so, these four days had probably been the most peaceful and happy of all. At least, that was how it seemed to her.
On the first day she had arrived here, Sasha had returned to Major Wells’s residence after her meeting with Captain Pinscher and spent the evening chatting with his wife, Matilda.
On Tuesday, as she had promised Matilda the previous evening, they walked through the streets of Lance Field together, greeted the local notables, and had tea.
On Wednesday, she went on a modest picnic with the women Matilda was particularly close to.
They walked along dirt roads that were terribly crude compared to those in the capital, chatting as they went, climbed a hill, and ate their packed lunches there. Listening to the women’s bright laughter and chatter, she found herself immersed in the beautiful scenery of Lance Field.
Thursday—today—had been even freer. The captain had kindly informed her the day before that, due to extremely important and unavoidable circumstances, he would not be able to meet with her, so from the morning onward Sasha had once again taken Matilda’s introductions and wandered all over Lance Field.
She and Matilda walked along stone-paved alleys, entered a general store and idly looked at random items without any real purpose, then sat near the fountain and watched the neighborhood children and dogs at play.
It truly had been a peaceful and happy time. Not just in the past year—perhaps even looking back over the past ten years, she did not think she had ever spent days as comfortable as these last four.
Whenever she saw Captain Pinscher, who wore an expression as though someone were strangling him every time he looked at her, she did feel a little sorry, but, well, he had brought it on himself in the first place.
With that thought, Sasha enjoyed herself all the more freely.
Before she knew it, the sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon.
Evening. There was not much left of Thursday.
As Sasha returned to the residence with Matilda, she unconsciously let the smile that had been on her lips fade. Friday. Tomorrow, she would have to return to Dilton Manor.
“I told Jen to bake an apple pie in advance. It should be ready by now.”
Matilda, who was walking arm in arm with Sasha, spoke excitedly.
Soon the two of them walked down a small path strewn with stones and arrived at the major’s residence.
Matilda, who had been smiling the entire time, frowned the moment she opened the door and stepped inside.
“Good heavens. What on earth is that smell? Is Lewis drinking again?”
“Madam. The two gentlemen haven’t been back for very long.”
“……Two gentlemen?”
At Matilda’s sharp question, a young servant nearby, who had been about to enter the dining room, answered as though making an excuse on someone else’s behalf.
Sasha had already let go of Matilda’s arm and taken two steps back.
“I see. He drank outside, came home, and was about to drink again.”
Matilda muttered rather ominously and snatched the bottle of liquor from the servant’s hand.
“Go to the kitchen and help Jen.”
After issuing the one-sided order, Matilda flung open the door to the dining room, liquor bottle in hand.
Inside was somewhat disorderly.
Just as Matilda had guessed, Major Wells seemed to have already come home drunk from outside and was drinking here as well.
His face was flushed red with intoxication, and he was nodding off with a glass in hand. Even when he saw Matilda, he only blinked slowly.
“Good heavens. Lewis. Get up, right now.”
“……Wait, don’t do this in front of a guest, Tilda…….”
“What exactly are you doing, bringing a guest here on top of this?”
Sasha was still watching them from a good distance outside the door. At his wife’s urging, Major Wells staggered as if reluctantly trying to rise, only to slump back down again.
When Matilda let out an irritated sigh, the man who had been drinking with the major sprang to his feet.
He seemed to be in better control of his movements than the major, at least. But the moment he lifted the major by one arm as if to support him, the major groaned as though in pain.
Sasha, who had been looking elsewhere out of courtesy, naturally turned her gaze toward the noise.
Because of Isaac’s overwhelming height and his clumsy attempt at support, one of the major’s feet was dangling in midair.
“That’s enough, Captain. I’ll take my husband myself.”
“……Ah, yes.”
Looking somewhat sheepish, Isaac handed the major over to Matilda, who was much smaller than he was.
Bravely supporting her husband, Matilda first dragged him away from the table.
Then, belatedly, Matilda noticed Sasha.
“……Good heavens. I’ve shown you something disgraceful, Miss Grayson.”
The moment their eyes met, Matilda spoke with a reddening face.
“Not at all, madam. I’ll go upstairs.”
“……Oh, but you haven’t even had dinner yet……. I’ll just get my husband lying down and come back. Please wait here for a moment.”
Isaac, listening to their conversation, still stood there awkwardly.
Matilda then cast a look at Isaac as well.
“……Captain, you sit and wait too. I have a great many things I want to ask you…….”
Leaving only those chilling words behind, Matilda continued supporting her husband and left the dining room.
As a result, Sasha and Isaac were left alone in that awkward situation, standing far apart from each other.
It was truly an awkward and uncomfortable moment. Since Matilda had even closed the dining room door as she left, the silence of the enclosed space felt all the more oppressive.
Having no other choice, Isaac sat back down. He could feel the woman standing near the door—Sasha Grayson—staring fixedly at him.
Pretending not to notice, he tossed back the rest of the liquor in the glass on the table.
“Did your matchmaking date go well?”
He nearly spat it back out the instant he drank.
No, he had already half-spat it out as Isaac’s blue eyes shot toward her.
‘Now he’s openly glaring at me.’
Whether he did or not, Sasha only muttered to herself without much feeling.
Her legs ached from having walked for so long, and since the mistress of this house had told her to “wait here,” Sasha had very few options.
She strode toward the dining table and took up an awkward position standing across from him.
On the chair lay the coat the major had taken off.
Instead of moving it, she swept a dry gaze over the fruit that had been set out as a snack with the liquor.
“Would I be sitting here like this if it had gone well?”
Soon, a defensive answer slipped from Isaac. Sasha picked up a grape and was about to put it in her mouth when she looked at him. Only then did the man’s state come into view.
‘I’ve never seen a man who looked so bad in a dress shirt.’
Sasha somehow managed to keep the thought to herself. Anyone could see he looked as though he had been forcibly dressed in someone else’s clothes. In other words, compared to the day of her own party…….
“What are you looking at?”
“Your clothes are quite splendid.”
Since the clothes themselves were truly excellent, she answered smoothly without batting an eye.
The man was drunk, and because of that, he was displaying his hostility far more openly than before. Yes. Hostility. Beyond mere discomfort and awkwardness, that was clear hostility.
The reason was obvious. He was acting that way because he was embarrassed. The man knew all too well that those clothes did not suit him—in fact, that they made him look ridiculous.
“Why don’t you just laugh at me outright?”
“I’m not laughing. Of course, ……they are a little ill-suited to you, but you made an effort, didn’t you? Anyone can see you tried to be proper, so why would I laugh at that?”
“…….”
Without answering, the man turned his head and gulped down the rest of his liquor.
Sasha turned her gaze, which had been politely directed elsewhere, and glanced at him again. Through the undone buttons, she could clearly see his chest rising and falling, and his Adam’s apple bobbing.
“In my opinion.”
Without realizing it, she leaned toward Isaac as she spoke.
“A shirt that buttons all the way up to the neck would be better. Like that military shirt you wore on Monday.”
“…….”
“Rather than awkwardly wearing a tuxedo, that would suit you better. You have broad shoulders and you’re tall, Captain, so even if you only put on a coat…….”
Her words, which had been pouring out with a seriousness bordering on inquiry as she unconsciously examined the man’s exposed collarbone and shoulders, came to a halt.
“……Back…… away.”
She found herself staring straight into the man’s blue eyes, which anyone could see were badly shaken.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Sasha quickly apologized and dropped into the chair with an audible thump. She felt the major’s crumpled coat beneath her hips.
Letting out a low sigh, she pinched one of her thighs. It was an old habit.
Only when the stinging pain surged in did her mind seem to clear. Sasha looked across the table with eyes much calmer than before.
“…….”
And there she faced the sight of the man looking not just terribly shaken, but anxious. Isaac was gripping his glass tightly, red all the way down to his neck. Even the ears beside his face were red. At the sight of the man growing far too flustered, Sasha instead felt awkward.
“……I’m sorry.”
Because I’ve never seen a man with a body as good as yours.
She could not say that aloud like some blatant pervert, so she simply decided to apologize again.