The employee’s expression brightened.

The employee brought out other clothes with a delighted face.

“How about this style? It’s a dress with frills on the chest and hem that perfectly suits a lovely image, creating a lively and vibrant look.”

The light yellow dress was undeniably cute at a glance. Dietrich nodded, seemingly more satisfied with it than the previous one.

Is he going to ask me to try this on?

But I haven’t said I’m buying clothes here yet.

At that moment, he tilted his face towards me. The silver-gray hair slightly visible under the cloak shimmered.

“Don’t worry, I’m buying it for you.”

It was a soft voice, but I heard it clearly. I looked at him with slightly widened eyes.

Suddenly, Dietrich seemed so cool.

Even if I was called materialistic, I could honestly say it.

Oh my, a man who readily buys clothes for me at such an expensive store.

Anyone in my situation would fall head over heels for him.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you. But why?”

I was thankful, but I was also curious.

I was genuinely happy that he was buying me pretty and expensive clothes, but I wondered about his intentions.

He looked a little flustered for a moment, then spoke confidently.

“Think of it as a reward for adapting well so far. Even if you don’t say it, I know you’ve been making an effort.”

Ah, if that’s the case, I could fully understand.

I had survived on my own with resilience. If he was buying it to praise that, it might be shameless, but I could accept it.

“Okay. If that’s the reason, I’ll take it.”

He grinned. He seemed to like my answer.

“So, what do you think about that dress?”

When he asked about the dress, I tilted my head.

There was no doubt that the dress was incredibly cute and lovely. Didn’t Dietrich also really like it?

I thought he would naturally tell me to try on that dress. However, Dietrich was observing my thoughts.

I quietly looked at the dress. The yellow dress had a lively and vibrant feel, but it was a bit too flashy.

“It’s pretty, but it seems a little too bold.”

At that, he shook his head at the employee and said,

“Please show us something else.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the employee started rummaging through the hangers and picking out other clothes.

He whispered softly in my ear.

“Buy what you want to wear. If you like it, that means I like it too.”

I was touched by his thoughtfulness, having initially thought I should just wear whatever he gave me since he was buying it.

When I sat on the couch he guided me to, he seemed like an arrogant nobleman accustomed to being treated well.

I spoke to him sincerely.

“That’s sweet of you.”

He stared at my face intently. Then he raised his eyebrows slyly.

“First time hearing that.”

Of course. This side of him was new to me too.

Maybe that’s why. Today, Dietrich felt even more novel to me.

Even though he was wearing a cloak, somehow I felt like I could guess what expression he was making.

He would probably turn his head away and pretend to be distracted, thinking he heard something embarrassing.

A smile formed on my lips at the thought.

It was his habit to get flustered and avoid eye contact when complimented.

So much so that he ran away immediately after being praised before.

Remembering the compliment-and-run incident from last time, I burst into laughter.

Fortunately, before he could ask why I was laughing, the employee came back with another dress.

This time, the dress she brought was a light green dress that resembled the color of my eyes.

The off-shoulder style dress had frills on the half-sleeves and a ribbon on the back of the waist, giving off both a lovely and calm feeling.

The employee also confidently said it was her favorite among the clothes she had picked.

“This is a new arrival from our dress salon. I wanted to recommend it because I think it would go perfectly with the young lady’s eye color.”

Dietrich alternated his gaze between the dress and my face, nodding in agreement.

“What do you think?”

What do I think?

It was so pretty. So much that I couldn’t recall any other dress I had seen before.

I was already excited to receive my first dress as a gift, and seeing a dress I liked made me feel like my mood could soar through the ceiling and into the sky.

I hadn’t answered yet, but Dietrich seemed to have already sensed my feelings.

He slowly snapped his fingers. Then the employee swiftly approached me.

“Would you like to come this way and try it on? I’ll also check the size for you.”

“Yes, thank you.”

I got up from my seat and followed the employee to the fitting room. Surprisingly, the dress fit me perfectly as if it was tailored for my body.

When the fitting room door opened, he lifted his head from where he was sitting on the couch, leaning back and looking at the floor.

“Does it look okay?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he stared at me for a long time.

Then suddenly, he stood up from his seat.

“We’ll take this one.”

The employee beamed and headed to the counter. He paid for it on the spot.

It was a gesture without a moment’s hesitation.

“Let’s go with you wearing it.”

“Then should I pack up all the clothes you came in?”

“Please do so.”

While the employee neatly folded the maid uniform and put it in a bag, I went to his side and whispered.

“Is it okay? Wasn’t it expensive?”

“It wasn’t expensive at all, so don’t worry about it. I can spend more than you can imagine without any problem. More importantly, do you like that dress?”

“Well… I’m not sure because you didn’t answer? You said it was fine but paid for it without a word.”

“That’s because it’s pretty.”

“I like it… What?”

I almost overlooked his casual remark because it was said so naturally.

When I looked up at him in surprise, Dietrich took the bag with a very calm face.

Then he held my hand again.

“It’s crowded outside, so you might get lost. It’s better to hold hands while walking.”

I knew his words weren’t wrong. He must be saying it because it would be troublesome if he lost me on the street.

But right now, all his words sounded as sweet as if they were coated in chocolate to my ears.

Oh my, crazy!

Get a grip, Heidi.

If you get carried away by Dietrich like this, it will open the door to hardship.

I tried to think of something else to hold onto my reason.

Robert! Right, what could Robert be doing now?

He’s probably learning to cook while being nagged by the head chef, right?

What about Marie? Is Marie also enjoying the summer festival with her younger siblings today?

I hoped to meet them here, but seeing how crowded it was, it seemed difficult.

“Heidi. Is there anywhere you wanted to go?”

However, the softly asked question instantly froze all the thoughts I had been having. To the point where my efforts became futile.

“I was going to go to the accessory shop.”

“Okay, then let’s go there.”

Is it me who’s strange, or is Dietrich being more affectionate than usual?

My mind was hazy even while walking to the accessory shop. I was anxious that he might hear my heartbeat while holding hands.

But he seemed unfazed.

Unlike me, his palms didn’t sweat from nervousness, and his voice didn’t tremble.

Somehow, I felt disappointed. Dietrich probably wouldn’t feel the heart-pounding excitement like I did.

I thought I wasn’t expecting it, but my heart seemed to differ.

I was engulfed in a miserable feeling.

‘I must have finally gone crazy.’

That had to be it. Feeling both excitement and disappointment towards Dietrich at the same time. And I wasn’t a fool.

I knew exactly what these emotions meant.

What Robert had said before was right. I was afraid to fully face my own feelings.

I didn’t want to deal with the misery and despair I would feel the moment I acknowledged these feelings for Dietrich.

‘For now, not yet.’

So I decided to push these emotions far away for a while.

After walking a little uphill on a cobblestone path outside the dress salon, a street lined with various types of stalls and stores on both sides appeared.

Persuading Dietrich, who wanted to go to a high-end jewelry store, I led him to a stall displaying cute accessories.

That stall stood out the most even from a distance.

I liked it even more because it didn’t look too expensive.

“I told you I’ll buy you real jewelry instead of these.”

“It’s fine. I like these imitation jewels too, so it won’t be burdensome.”

“…Okay. Well, if you like it.”

He seemed displeased, but in the end, he was led by my hand to look at the accessories laid out on the stall.

The imitation jewels were all shining like real gems.

“Dietrich, look at this! Isn’t it so pretty with its sparkling?”

I showed him a ring with a red imitation jewel, smiling brightly.

At that, he paused while reaching for another accessory. Then he stared intently at the ring I was holding.

“I like it. I think it would be perfect to put in this brooch!”

I slightly opened the brooch and smiled with satisfaction at the perfect size that matched the ring.

“I’ll take these!”

“Heh, the young lady has a good eye. Even though this jewel is fake, it’s elegant and pretty. The luster will last long too.”

“You’re right. It’s so bright and beautiful, I want to keep it.”

“My, you even speak prettily! Then what about this? This necklace chain is newly released, and it looks very sophisticated!”

I hadn’t thought about the necklace chain.

I smiled awkwardly, about to refuse, but then raised my eyebrows slightly, lost in thought. Come to think of it, I rarely had occasions to wear a brooch.

In the first place, I didn’t even have clothes suitable for attaching a brooch.

After pondering for a moment, I nodded and accepted the necklace chain.

“Then can you connect this necklace chain to the brooch?”

“Oh, of course! I’ll do it right away.”

The lady connected the brooch to the necklace chain and handed it to me. With the chain attached, it really looked like a necklace.

It seemed more convenient to carry around.

I put on the necklace with a bright smile.

“It’s perfect!”

I observed Dietrich, who was silent.

I thought he would object, saying it was subpar.

Somehow, he didn’t say a word.

Even when I happily paid for the accessory I liked and came out, Dietrich was lost in thought about something.