Not long after Deborah left, Cedric and Todd arrived.

“Oh. I forgot to tell someone to light the fireplace.”

“You’ve never had a talent for butler work.”

“Just because I made one mistake…”

Soon a maid came in and lit the fire. Once the three were alone, Todd summarized what had happened on this business trip.

‘Things are progressing smoothly.’

Cedric nodded and thought about what was to come. The tasks ahead were more delicate than before. They required all the gears to mesh perfectly, so to speak.

The three reviewed documents and exchanged opinions until dawn. Once they had wrapped up the work that needed to be checked today, Todd stood up.

“Then I’ll be going first.”

“Alright. Don’t come until I call for you, and get some rest.”

Todd nodded and left.

“He said he would, but he probably won’t rest.”

Zen replied with a bitter smile.

“I suppose not.”

Cedric laughed softly as he tidied up, then suddenly lifted his head and said:

“Ah. Come to think of it, you met the Marquis Delta’s grandson earlier?”

“Yes.”

“What did you talk about?”

Zen pursed his lips and said:

“He seemed to want to test my abilities, asked a few canned questions, then invited me to the Chelsea Club.”

“You’ve finally been invited. I can already imagine how excited the members who’ve been whispering about you will be to see you.”

Only the core founders of the Chelsea Club could formally invite someone, and aside from Belus, the other three couldn’t invite a bourgeois foreigner due to their pride.

So Cedric was certain they had been waiting for Belus, who didn’t stand on such ceremony, to approach Zen. And he was right.

“Excited? They’ll be shocked.”

“Shock is evidence of excitement.”

Cedric said with a bright smile. Zen frowned and turned his eyes to the documents. As Cedric was about to tactfully leave, a question suddenly occurred to him.

“Ah. Master. About Deborah.”

“…”

Zen’s hand, which had been neatly arranging the documents, stopped abruptly. The papers that had been in perfect order just moments ago began to crumple. Cedric realized his mistake, but he had to ask this. For Zen’s sake.

“Do you think she knows?”

Zen’s handsome face contorted terribly.

“What would she know?”

Cedric looked fondly at Zen’s face, which remained handsome even when scrunched up, and said:

“About your relationship with Lady Blaise.”

“Of course she knows. Is that even worth mentioning?”

“No, I mean…”

Cedric waved his hand and then grabbed his chin. After pondering for a moment, he slowly opened his lips.

“Like you’re in an arranged marriage-”

“I told you it’s not an arranged marriage.”

At Zen’s voice, which sounded like he might throw a punch any moment, Cedric nodded leisurely.

“Ah, yes. Then a strategic engagement?”

Zen wasn’t happy with that either, but he only expressed his dissatisfaction with a sigh for the sake of conversation.

“Anyway, Deborah must know about that kind of relationship. But her attitude today was very strange.”

“In what way?”

“As soon as you arrived, she rushed over to protect Lady Blaise.”

It was as if Deborah knew that Zen was the kind of person who could be cold to Dia, that he was a cold-blooded man who wouldn’t care about Dia at all.

“It was like she knew you were the type to use up Lady Blaise and then discard her immediately.”

Despite Cedric’s rude words, Zen didn’t make excuses. He knew he was more than capable of such behavior.

Zen quietly recalled the time when Deborah had presented those conditions. When he read them, he had briefly entertained the absurd thought that Deborah might know Dia.

After all, it’s not easy to think of others to that extent. And in the end, Zen found a plausible answer to this question. Deborah was…

“That’s just the kind of person she is.”

“Pardon?”

“The type who sacrifices herself for the weak.”

“How could she have known Dia Blaise was weak without meeting her?”

At Cedric’s question, Zen let out a small sigh.

“It’s simple.”

Madam Saint must have spoken ill of Zen. ‘That cold-blooded man! He’s so inconsiderate!’ And then she must have sympathized deeply with the poor young lady who was to marry him.

Deborah was clearly influenced by that. And as she actually spent time with Zen, she must have felt that he wasn’t such a kind person.

“How did Dia Blaise behave when she arrived?”

“She was very cautious.”

“Yes. I thought she would be.”

Seeing Dia like that, Deborah must have become even more concerned about her. So Deborah’s actions today, running to protect Dia by grabbing her skirt, weren’t that extraordinary. It was just typical of her.

“So don’t make a fuss over nothing.”

“Isn’t it a problem that Deborah seems to think you’re a strange person?”

Cedric said, lowering the ends of his eyebrows. Zen opened his heavy lips.

“When everything is resolved, we can sort it out slowly then.”

On that day when he no longer had to worry about Madam Saint influencing Deborah, he would explain everything. He would compensate Dia so that Deborah wouldn’t worry about her anymore.

After sorting out all the situations like that, he would try to be loved. So for now, succeeding in revenge was the priority.

[This is the timeline separator]

Early the next morning, Zen sought out Dia. As soon as Dia, standing pale-faced in front of the desk in the study, began to stammer, “I’m, I’m sorry…”, Zen spoke.

“No need for apologies.”

“…”

“You were probably forced to come here under pressure from the Countess anyway.”

Dia’s large eyes rippled like a lake reflecting the morning sky on a windy day.

“Dia Blaise.”

Zen called her name. Dia recalled when Zen had first come looking for her. He had called her like this then too, but his voice, no, his eyes were different.

“First, let me tell you this. Everything I’m saying to you now is a secret. You must not tell anyone, not your family, not anyone. Do you understand?”

Despite feeling pressured by Zen’s forceful attitude, Dia nodded. She had no room for refusal or questions.

Zen wasn’t entirely satisfied with Dia’s reluctant attitude, but he decided to open his heavy lips.

“We will not get married. Not now, not ever.”

Dia’s eyes widened quietly. She didn’t want to marry Zen. But her family did.

“When Mr. Glass came before, he told me the wedding was canceled, not that we wouldn’t get married. He clearly said I would come here for bridal lessons… and that I would participate in social activities.”

Todd had handed over a check from the Chris Bank as if to guarantee this. And shortly after cashing the money, the Countess enjoyed a brief moment of joy before quickly becoming angry that Zen was trying to use Dia as a fiancée without even holding an engagement ceremony.

[Even at this moment, he might be selling the Blaise name in front of the nobles! We’re still living in this cold house, and he thinks he can get away with just giving us a few pennies…]

After her fiery outburst, she eventually sent Dia here. She didn’t even pack her belongings properly, saying that rich bourgeois would buy her better things.

Zen sighed and said:

“Now that you’ve come to this mansion, you’ll have to be seen by my side in social circles.”

It was unavoidable since Madam Saint would be watching.

“But I’ll try to minimize such occasions, and I have no intention of marrying you.”

“Then, what about me, I mean, us…”

Understanding the meaning behind her trembling voice, Zen replied:

“I’m not going to use you and then discard you. As always, I’ll pay my dues.”

Zen handed over a document. Dia received it with trembling hands, but whether due to nervousness or unfamiliarity with the words written there, she struggled to read what it said.

“These are the things I will gift you after our pretend relationship ends.”

Zen spoke in a monotone voice, as if reciting the weather, about mansions and sums of money large enough to buy ten such mansions.

“I’ll also help you find a new husband candidate in the future. I think that should be enough compensation for my use of you.”

“This is too sudden, I don’t understand…”

“Simply put, I’m saying I’ll do my best to ensure you suffer no losses because of me.”

“…”

Whether because the amount of money was too frightening or because everything Zen was saying was shocking, she stood there with a surprised face, unable to say anything. Zen spoke to her:

“It won’t be long. One year. I’ll finish everything within a year, so please, I’m asking for your cooperation.”

“…”

“Please act as if we’re going to marry according to our original contract, while taking bridal lessons as Todd, I mean Glass, told you. And you must not let anyone know about this until I say it’s over.”

Dia’s eyes wavered, but she didn’t avoid Zen’s serious gaze.

“Not even a blade of grass under your feet should know this fact. If you can do that, I will never forget the favor you’ve done for me.”

Dia couldn’t understand at all. When they first met and he proposed marriage, Zen had been confident. But now, asking for something much smaller, why was he so desperate?

‘Why is he using the word “favor”?’

Dia couldn’t understand anything, but she nodded.

As Dia opened the door, she saw Deborah waiting for her outside.

“Ah…”

Deborah slightly bowed her head to greet Zen. Then she immediately fixed her gaze on Dia. The door closed naturally, and the sound of their footsteps slowly faded away.

Left alone in his office again, Zen tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling. It felt like one issue he had been concerned about was resolved, but he didn’t feel particularly good about it.