Among the rooms at Yunoya Inn, the Camellia Room they were guided to was particularly special.
Located in the farthest corner of the second floor, it was separated from the neighboring rooms by a small distance, ensuring privacy. It was an elegant, tea-ceremony-style room, said to have been prepared for nobility in the past.
The moment the door opened, the faint scent of cypress wood tickled her nose. Sunlight filtered through the paper screens, softly enveloping the entire room. The guest room was about eight tatami mats in size, with a scroll of pale-colored camellias hanging in the alcove.
By the window stood a low tea table and two deep-seated chairs designed for sinking comfortably into. Opening the window revealed a breathtaking view unique to Yunoya Inn, built into the mountainside—the small town below stretching out, and beyond it, the silver sea shimmering under the sunlight. The breeze flowed freely, making it a popular room where guests could enjoy nature’s beauty through the seasons.
“…This is a fine inn.”
Keiichiro murmured absently, his gaze fixed outside the window.
“Thank you.”
Hina bowed deeply. If only things could stay like this—nothing more than the relationship between a guest and an employee. She couldn’t help but wish for it.
Steadying herself, she explained the meal times, the location of the hot springs, and the medicinal properties of the baths—a flawless, polite response following proper etiquette. Surely, as a guest, that was all he expected from her.
“Then, if you’ll excuse me…”
Just as she stood to leave the room—
“Hina.”
Her name stopped her in her tracks. She could feel Keiichiro’s gaze piercing through her back.
“…I looked for you.”
Her heart lurched at those words.
She couldn’t find a response. In an instant, the weight of everything from the past came rushing back. Running away, disappearing without a word—none of it could be undone now.
“……”
Silent, she kept her head lowered, waiting for his next words.
“I never imagined you’d be in a place like this. Is this land connected to you somehow?”
His tone was gentle—neither accusatory nor angry. That only tightened the knot in her chest.
“…The Okami-san here… was a friend of my late mother.”
Hina answered carefully, keeping her voice from trembling.
“I see.”
Keiichiro said nothing more, simply nodding quietly. He wasn’t pressing her. Yet, the shame of having run away kept her from lifting her head.
“B-But… why are you here, sir?”
She nearly called him Master but quickly corrected herself.
They were no longer master and servant of that household. He wasn’t the “Master” anymore—just a guest.
And she was just an employee. She had to maintain that line.
“To find you.”
A single sentence made her heart pound like a rapid drumbeat.
But Keiichiro averted his gaze and smiled faintly.
“…Truthfully, meeting you again was a coincidence. I was halfway to giving up.”
His profile as he stood by the window seemed weary, yet tinged with nostalgia.
Behind his glasses, faint shadows lingered under his eyes. But his gaze remained as strong and direct as ever.
A long-forgotten ache slowly spread through Hina’s chest.
“I came here to recuperate. After the medicine you left ran out, the pain in my wounds returned.”
At those words, Hina thought to herself, Ah, of course.
The ointment she had entrusted to the head maid, Yamane, had been the last of its kind. It wouldn’t have lasted even two months.
“…My apologies. It seems my mother secretly copied your medicinal notes.”
Hina’s head jerked up in surprise at the unexpected admission.
“We tried recreating that ointment at Saotome Pharmaceuticals, but for some reason, it had no effect. I realized then—that medicine can only be made by you.”
Words that should have made her happy. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to rejoice.
That medicine was special—something her parents had left her. Even if the recipe was followed exactly, the final step existed only in Hina’s mind, ensuring no one else could replicate its effects.
“Still, the pain and the relentless workload wore me down. The doctor ordered me to rest. I plan to stay here for about two months.”
“Two… months?”
She couldn’t help but repeat it in disbelief.
She had just steeled herself to treat him as nothing more than a guest. Two months was far longer than she had anticipated. But she wasn’t in a position to refuse.
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
At his calm question, Hina forced a smile.
“No… Thank you for your patronage.”
She bowed deeply again. Inside, her emotions churned like turbulent waves, but she refused to let it show.
Suppressing her unease, she turned to leave.
But the moment she tried to step away—Keiichiro caught her wrist.