The majestic building that Deborah looked up at with her head held high was Hales Department Store. It was a place that sold anything precious and trendy.

‘Not just anyone can enter there.’

Zen said to Deborah, who had an awkward smile on her face.

“I apologize for bringing you to such a busy place. If we had more time, I would have reserved a quiet boutique.”

‘Boutique? Why would you take me there?’

Deborah asked with furrowed brows.

“Are you perhaps thinking of buying a dress for Lady Blaise-”

“Why are you suddenly mentioning that woman’s name?”

As Zen abruptly cut her off, Deborah looked up at him standing beside her.

To her, who seemed to be asking with her eyes why he had brought her here, Zen replied.

“I told you earlier. I don’t know how to apologize with just words.”

He, filled with the cool winter fragrance, smiled a mischievous smile.

Deborah, keeping her gaze fixed on Zen, shook her head from side to side and said.

“If you’re thinking of buying something for me…”

As Deborah expressed her intention to refuse, Zen interrupted her again and answered.

“Didn’t I say I have something to teach you as well?”

“…What on earth could you teach me here?”

“Deborah.”

Zen called her name. It should have been Mrs. Johnson, but he used her first name.

Deborah made a bewildered expression, but Zen, undeterred, boldly said.

“In such situations, when making demands, you should ask for things like this, not conditions for complete strangers.”

Having said that, Zen took the lead as always. Deborah didn’t want to follow him in, but.

“Please come in.”

Zen, who turned to look at her, seemed unlikely to listen to her words. And she felt sorry for the doorman who kept holding the large door open, waiting for her to enter.

‘Sigh.’

Swallowing a sigh inwardly, Deborah eventually moved her feet. Just crossing one door, a different world from the outside unfolded.

The high ceiling was adorned with chandeliers emitting warm and brilliant light, and music was softly playing from somewhere.

Floral decorations that made one forget the cold season, somewhat strong perfume scents, and well-dressed customers filling this vast space with fine clothes.

‘I’m already feeling overwhelmed.’

Deborah groaned inwardly but didn’t voice her distress. After all, she wasn’t alone.

Zen, who was monopolizing the attention of many women beside Deborah, held his lean chin in thought, then soon said.

“Then, please follow me.”

The first place Zen took Deborah was where women’s clothing was sold.

Although ready-made clothes had become more common recently, the clothes at Hales Department Store, which only sold high-end items, were all custom-made.

In other words, there was no need, nor was it possible, to try them on right away. Instead, they had to do something that wasn’t necessary at ready-made clothing stores.

“If you must buy me something, one outfit is enough.”

Deborah said, her arms forcibly raised like a scarecrow. But Zen, sitting on the sofa looking at a catalog, didn’t answer.

Thinking Deborah might feel embarrassed at being ignored, the employee measuring Deborah’s size said.

“Oh my, how can you have such a nice figure? Being slim, any clothes would suit you. And this glossy black hair! It’s so elegant and beautiful.”

Judging by these compliments, it seemed this sales employee was thinking of Deborah’s black dress as just a simple dress.

If she had known it was mourning attire, she would have been shocked, wondering why a woman in mourning clothes came to get fitted for clothes.

‘I can’t explain this either.’

Deborah swallowed the words she wanted to say, fearing that Zen might hear strange rumors about buying clothes for a widow.

‘I’ll just let myself be misunderstood, I guess.’

While thinking this as Deborah was being measured, Zen, who had finished browsing the catalog, beckoned another employee. Then he whispered in her ear so Deborah couldn’t hear.

“First, all the new arrivals. And what clothes suitable for the current weather can be prepared the fastest?”

“With this design, we could send it to you by the day after tomorrow.”

“Then include this as well.”

As Deborah, who had finished being measured, approached and heard his words, opening her mouth, Zen spoke more quickly.

“No. Do you think my apology is that cheap? To end with just one outfit?”

After saying that, Zen received the paper with Deborah’s body measurements from the employee and thought she was too thin, even for being slim, as he stood up.

“Let’s go. This place only has everyday clothes, for other dresses…”

Deborah followed him diligently as he strode away.

“Mr. Baker.”

Whether he didn’t hear her desperate voice or deliberately ignored it again, in any case, Zen, without looking back, caught sight of a nice coat.

It was a warm wheat-colored coat. Rather than being purely bright, it had an elegant and calm hue, and its thick and cozy appearance matching the color seemed like it would suit Deborah well.

“What kind of fur is this coat made of?”

Zen asked without taking his eyes off the coat. The employee, who had been preparing to respond from the moment his gaze fell on the coat, answered quickly.

“You have excellent taste. This is from across the sea-”

It was then.

“Mr. Baker!”

Deborah called him in a somewhat excited voice and grabbed the sleeve of his coat.

His large upper body was helplessly pulled down towards her. The employee also looked at the two with surprised eyes.

Deborah knew too. That she had acted in an unladylike manner.

Zen, while acting more arrogantly than anyone else, disliked others being disrespectful to him. He might now finally glare at Deborah with his brightly shining eyes and angrily ask, ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

However, despite this, Deborah had to stop him.

“Just in case you’ve forgotten, I’m a widow, you know?”

Deborah whispered into Zen’s ear, who had tilted his large body towards her like a broken tree.

Having said all she needed to say, Deborah released her grip without hesitation. Zen’s coat was not only good-looking but also excellent to the touch. But now was not the time to admire the quality of the coat he was wearing.

“…I know.”

Zen straightened his back and answered slowly, frowning. Seeing his white face turn red, Deborah thought he was quite displeased.

“I’m sorry for suddenly pulling you.”

Deborah apologized first and continued in a careful tone.

“But you must also know that I can’t wear these kinds of clothes.”

Zen, turning his head forward, answered.

“Forget the apology, I’m buying this too.”

Deborah’s smiling face froze.

“Have you forgotten how cold Dover gets after living in the countryside for a few years? It’s going to get even colder.”

Deborah knew too. The capital, Dover, was especially cold and had an exceptionally long winter. The reason Gracian had the nickname of a country that prospered in winter was due to Dover’s weather.

“But I don’t have many occasions to go out. The coat I have at Madam Saint’s house should be enough to get through the winter.”

“You’ll freeze to death in the time it takes to bring that coat.”

Deborah felt frustrated.

‘Then I just won’t go outside during that time.’

He hadn’t even mentioned any outdoor work.

‘Oh my…’

It seemed her stubborn employer had no intention of changing his mind. Deborah decided to take a step back and made another suggestion.

“If you must buy it for me, would it be alright to ask for black?”

“Are you going to dress so gloomily all the time?”

Zen asked, looking at Deborah. His still crumpled face showed irritation and some other emotion mixed in.

Deborah couldn’t figure out what that other emotion was. She could only guess that it was different from the irritation.

“But I…”

As Deborah tried to repeat the same words again, Zen let out a deep sigh and said.

“I know your situation. But what’s your job?”

Deborah, with her lips tightly closed, thought about the answer for a moment.

Deborah is someone who dresses and takes care of Dia.

‘Not someone who gets dressed up and taken care of.’

However, just as jewelers dress flashily, or at least neatly, perhaps she too should dress appropriately for her job.

Dia is someone who cares a lot about her surroundings, so she might unnecessarily worry about a woman in mourning clothes.

“I understand what you mean.”

Although Deborah agreed with Zen’s intention, she couldn’t hide her troubled expression.

Seeing Deborah’s gloomy appearance, Zen was about to blurt out the greedy words pooled in his mouth, but he clenched his fist and swallowed them.

Telling her to ‘Forget your dead husband and live, at least while doing this job’ would only earn her contempt.

He didn’t know how close Deborah and that dead man were, but even if they weren’t close, they were a damn married couple, so he couldn’t dare tell her to forget.

At that moment, the employee who had been observing the atmosphere subtly interjected.

“Hehe, the gentleman has excellent taste. You wouldn’t believe how many customers are eyeing this coat. It’s hard to find such warm, golden-tinged fur.”

Deborah couldn’t understand the employee’s friendly attitude towards them at all.

She probably hadn’t heard the content of their conversation since they spoke quietly, but the atmosphere wasn’t right for interruption.

Then the employee clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling, and said to Deborah.

“Miss, you’re so lucky!”

At the employee’s attitude, an unbelievable scenario crossed Deborah’s mind.

‘No, it can’t be. Surely not that misunderstanding.’

As Deborah’s eyes trembled slightly, the employee delivered the finishing blow.

“To have such a handsome fiancé with excellent taste!”

As expected, the employee had misunderstood the relationship between Deborah and Zen. So she had just discreetly intervened, thinking they had had a lovers’ quarrel.