Inside the Silvermoon Pavilion's lobby, a crystal chandelier cast a soft glow, and a faint scent of lavender lingered in the air.
Wendy stood a short distance from the entrance, her gaze fixed on that blue-clad figure's back. She froze on the spot as though struck by a paralysis spell.
The disastrous scene of "catching them in the act" last time flashed through her mind.
As someone who had witnessed that entire encounter, Wendy had certainly been left with a deep impression of Vivian.
Even so, she did not look down on Vivian in the slightest.
After all, Lady Ellie had always stayed by the Bishop's side, so she naturally had the right to question Vivian.
But what about her?
She was also an interloper now. That alone put her in the wrong, and on top of that, she had secretly slipped out behind Lady Ellie's back this time.
That left her feeling ashamed even in front of Vivian.
"Our sincerest apologies, honored guest. An unexpected addition to today's schedule has delayed all our guests' appointments slightly. Please wait in the lounge for a little while-"
Halfway through her explanation, the attendant guiding her suddenly realized that Wendy was not looking at her at all. She paused, then asked tentatively:
"...Miss? Is something wrong? Is there something else you need?"
Wendy abruptly snapped out of her daze and hastily waved a hand, still distracted. "No, it's nothing. I heard what you said. That's fine."
She paused, then quickly removed the round-framed glasses from her nose and tucked them into her clothes. Next, she reached up to undo her ponytail, letting her dark golden hair fall loosely over her shoulders.
Wendy recalled that although she had looked like this at the café last time, she had sat silently in a corner