“It’s time to wake up… Oh, my lady.”

As always, Jessie, who came to wake up Irene, found her sitting by the bed and smiled.

“You woke up on your own today. Well done.”

Irene scratched her cheek, feeling a bit embarrassed by the praise that seemed fit for a child.

“My eyes just opened early today.”

“That means you slept well. Will you wash up right away?”

“Yes.”

Since she was supposed to have breakfast with Kalos starting today, there was no time to dawdle.

Irene quickly washed up and sat in front of the dressing table.

Jessie asked while drying her wet hair.

“Will you choose your own clothes today as well?”

“Hmm, well…”

Choosing clothes was difficult but more fun than expected, so she wanted to do it again.

But she hesitated, remembering Kalos’s lukewarm reaction to the outfit she had carefully chosen yesterday.

“You showed excellent taste in choosing clothes yesterday, and you matched accessories well too. Why don’t you try picking again today, my lady?”

The flattering praise that naturally boosted her confidence swayed her wavering heart.

Alright. Let’s try just one more time.

“Then I’ll choose for myself today as well.”

“I’ll bring them right away, please wait a moment.”

Jessie brought a long rack full of dresses and an accessory box, as if she had been waiting for this.

“…”

Now that I’m actually choosing, I don’t know what to wear.

Every dress was beautiful and fancy, as Jessie had selected them from the numerous clothes in the dressing room, thinking they were suitable.

They were all to Irene’s taste as well.

“…”

Right, they’re all to my taste.

Not to the Grand Duke Esper’s taste.

Could that be why Kalos’s reaction was so lukewarm?

Thinking this might be the case, Irene cautiously asked Jessie.

“By any chance, do you know what style of clothes His Grace the Grand Duke likes?”

“The master?”

Jessie asked back, a bit surprised by the sudden question.

Then, with a meaningful smile as if she understood something, she continued while stroking her chin.

“Hmm, well. The master’s preferred style of clothes… Come to think of it, I’ve served the master for over a hundred years, but I’ve never heard anything about that.”

“What? A hundred years?”

“…”

Realizing her slip of tongue belatedly, Jessie felt regretful.

But thinking it was better to act confident in this situation to prevent Irene from harboring strange doubts, she continued with a casual smile.

“I didn’t mean a literal hundred years, just emphasizing that I’ve served the master for a very long time.”

“Ah, I see.”

Irene accepted this without further suspicion.

It was possible because she never thought Jessie might not be an ordinary person.

And what mattered now wasn’t the hundred years, but that even Jessie didn’t know Kalos’s preferences.

“You really don’t know anything?”

When Irene asked just in case, Jessie nodded.

“The master rarely talks about personal matters…”

I see.

“Ah, Dewey might know something. Should I go ask him?”

“Oh, no! There’s no need for that!”

While Dewey, who served Kalos most closely, was indeed likely to know his preferences.

Irene strongly declined, fearing that if she asked Dewey, Kalos might hear about her attempt to learn his tastes.

“But why are you suddenly asking about the master’s preferences? Did he say something strange about the clothes you chose yesterday?”

Irene answered hesitantly.

“No. He did say they were pretty… but he seemed indifferent. How should I put it… it felt like he was answering reluctantly.”

“Ah.”

Finally understanding the issue, Jessie smiled.

“If that’s the case, you don’t need to worry. The master must have meant what he said sincerely.”

He was sincere with that reaction?

Irene, unable to comprehend Jessie’s words at all, looked at her quizzically.

Jessie added, barely suppressing her laughter that was about to burst out.

“As I mentioned earlier, the master rarely talks about personal matters. He also rarely expresses emotions. Rarely? It’s fair to say he almost never does.”

That’s true. Irene inwardly agreed with Jessie’s words.

“But if the master said it was pretty, that must be his sincere opinion, so you don’t need to worry at all.”

“Is that so…”

Seeing Jessie insist like this, it seemed believable.

But having seen it with her own eyes, Irene couldn’t readily believe it and trailed off.

As if seeing through her thoughts, Jessie added.

“If it continues to bother you, don’t suffer in silence. Ask the master directly.”

The golden eyes wavered slightly.

“Ask His Grace the Grand Duke… directly?”

“Yes. Then you’ll know my words are true, and your worries will disappear, so make sure to ask.”

“…”

While asking directly would certainly be the surest way, as Jessie suggested…

How could I ask such a thing outright?

Just thinking about it made Irene feel shy and embarrassed, so she kept her mouth firmly shut.

*

Time had steadily passed while they were talking about various things.

Fearing she might end up making the Grand Duke Esper wait if this continued, Irene hurriedly got ready.

Irene usually had breakfast in her bedroom, but not when eating with Kalos.

She vaguely thought they would probably eat in the dining room like for dinner.

Irene’s eyes widened in surprise when Jessie started walking towards Kalos’s bedroom instead of the dining room.

Are we really eating breakfast in his bedroom?

“Why are we going this way?”

Irene asked Jessie who was walking ahead, wanting to confirm if her thoughts were correct.

Jessie turned back to look at her quizzically.

“Of course, to have breakfast. You were supposed to start having breakfast with the master from today, weren’t you?”

Irene’s voice trembled, even more flustered by the overly confident attitude.

“Bu-but if we go this way, we’ll reach His Grace the Grand Duke’s bedroom, won’t we?”

“Ah.”

Finally realizing why Irene was acting this way, Jessie let out a small laugh.

“There are several rooms on the 4th floor besides the master’s bedroom and your bedroom, my lady. We’re heading to one of those rooms.”

In other words, I misunderstood.

Irene’s cheeks flushed red, embarrassed that she had panicked without knowing this.

How can she be so innocent and lovable?

Jessie’s eyes curved prettily, seeing a demeanor quite different from the human women she had met so far.

“Shall we continue then, my lady?”

*

It’s been a while since I’ve had breakfast.

The lords of the underworld could go without food for days without any problem.

Kalos didn’t know the pleasure of eating, so he rarely ate unless someone around him prepared meals.

Even when they did prepare meals, he often didn’t eat if he was busy or found it bothersome.

But since Irene came, he had been having dinner regularly.

He thought that alone was unlike him, but now he was even having breakfast.

“It can’t be helped.”

It was all to open Irene’s heart.

Since he had directly confirmed that flowers bloomed on the flower branch tattoo, he had no choice but to do it even if it was troublesome and bothersome.

Kalos left his bedroom in casual attire and headed straight for the meeting place.

Irene must have already arrived, as Jessie was standing in front of the door.

Seeing Kalos, Jessie bowed deeply and greeted him.

“Good morning, master.”

Kalos nodded in response.

As he was about to enter, Jessie hurriedly spoke.

“I have something to say for a moment, master. It’s about the young lady.”

About Irene?

As Kalos turned back, Jessie whispered in a voice so low that only he could hear.

“If the young lady asks how her outfit looks today, please sincerely compliment her, saying it’s pretty.”

“What are you talking about?”

Kalos asked back, bewildered by the strange request.

Jessie sighed softly and added an explanation.

“Yesterday at dinner, the young lady chose her own clothes and dressed up nicely, wanting to look good for you, master. But she was very discouraged because your reaction wasn’t very enthusiastic.”

“…”

So her dressing up prettily yesterday wasn’t for Abel, but to look good for me.

A strange light flickered in the purple eyes gazing at the firmly closed door.

Jessie continued.

“So this time, please tell her she’s pretty so she won’t be disappointed.”

Kalos turned back to Jessie again.

“I told her she was pretty yesterday too.”

“Of course you did. The problem is that to the young lady, it seemed like you were complimenting her reluctantly. She didn’t feel your sincerity.”

Kalos furrowed his brow slightly.

“How fussy.”

From what I can see, it’s not that the young lady is fussy, but that there’s a problem with how you express emotions, master.

Jessie swallowed the words she couldn’t say and pleaded earnestly.

“This time, please don’t speak in such a monotone like before, but compliment her with a bright smile, saying she’s pretty. It would be even better if you add other flowery words.”

Compliments. It was a word not very familiar to Kalos.

The compliments he knew were limited to things like ‘good job’ or ‘well done’, so he didn’t know what flowery words to add.

“It’s all to open the young lady’s heart, so please grant my request.”

But since it was for opening Irene’s heart, Kalos reluctantly nodded.

*

Irene, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa waiting for Kalos to arrive, stood up immediately when he entered and greeted him politely.

“Good morning, Your Grace.”

“…”

Perhaps because of what Jessie had told him.

Kalos looked Irene over from head to toe as soon as he saw her.

She had chosen her own clothes and accessories again today, and her sense was quite good.

Of course, even with good sense, it’s useless if the clothes don’t suit the wearer, but fortunately that didn’t apply to Irene.

Come to think of it, I thought she was quite pretty when I first saw her.

Even in shabby clothes, her beauty couldn’t be completely hidden.

Jessie had told him to sincerely compliment Irene when he saw her.

It was actually ‘if she asks’, not ‘when you see her’.

But Kalos had focused too much on complimenting Irene so she wouldn’t feel neglected, and forgot that part.

“You look pretty today.”

But he didn’t forget to compliment sincerely, and if possible, with a bright smile.

“You’re really pretty.”

Maybe because of that.

Or because it was the compliment she had so wanted to hear.

Despite it being a very abrupt and strange action, Irene didn’t think of it that way at all.

She simply accepted Kalos’s compliment with pure joy, a smile as fresh as a white pear blossom blooming on her face.

“Thank you.”

“…”

Kalos had thought this embarrassing and ridiculous act was unnecessary, even if it was to open Irene’s heart.

But after seeing her smile, he changed his mind and thought he had done well.