Jacqueline, dressed in her outdoor attire, opened the front door and stepped out. A carriage was waiting for her. It bore the crest of the Preston family.

She boarded the carriage, accompanied by William’s send-off. The maids watching looked puzzled, but no one asked where she was going.

Seeing Jacqueline seated, William said, “Have a safe trip.” She responded with a graceful nod.

The carriage carrying Jacqueline immediately left the mansion. As it gradually picked up speed, she rested her arms on the windowsill and watched the passing scenery.

Closing her eyes, she felt the caress of the wind on her cheeks. A faint scent of oranges lingered in the air.

Suddenly, an old memory surfaced. Orange trees lined the private roads of the Somerset estate. Because of this, the scent of oranges always filled the air as the carriage approached the property.

It was only upon smelling that scent that she truly felt she had arrived home.

“I wonder if the new owners of the mansion will also like orange trees?”

Jacqueline softly sighed, recalling the elderly viscount couple to whom she had handed over the land and house deeds. They were genuinely delighted to have found a house perfect for their retirement.

The moment she handed them the keys to the mansion, she felt incredibly strange. Having someone else own the house she had lived in since birth evoked indescribable, peculiar emotions.

It felt like the ground she had rooted herself in was shaking, or as if a candy she had been eating was snatched away.

“It’s no longer my home. Don’t be attached.”

While Jacqueline was lost in thought, the carriage stopped in front of a high-end department store. At that moment, Windsor was alighting from another carriage that had arrived just before.

He walked towards Jacqueline’s carriage. Upon seeing Windsor, she naturally extended one hand. Windsor, who had been waiting with his hands behind his back for her to disembark, hesitated.

“Ah…”

A flustered sound escaped Jacqueline’s lips. In an instant, she felt gazes flying at her from all directions.

“Ahem.”

Windsor cleared his throat lightly, approached the carriage, and took her hand. Jacqueline, having narrowly avoided an embarrassing situation, breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Lord Preston.”

Jacqueline nodded gracefully, conscious of the surrounding gazes. Only after both her feet touched the ground did Windsor’s hand let go.

Thinking that the warmth through her glove was exceedingly hot, Jacqueline unknowingly clenched her fist.

Jacqueline and Windsor began walking side by side without any prompting. Though both looked straight ahead, they couldn’t ignore the whispers behind their backs.

“Oh my, who is that? Isn’t that Lord Preston? Who’s the lady beside him? It’s the first time I’ve seen Lord Preston with a lady.”

“It’s Lady Jacqueline Somerset.”

“Lady Jacqueline Somerset?”

“You know, the penniless lady.”

“Ah! The lady who became destitute overnight due to her father’s business failure? But why are the two of them…?”

“I heard Lady Somerset was hired as a governess at the Preston mansion, so it must be true. But why are they at the department store?”

“Could it be that the two of them…?”

Behind a lady whispering behind her fan, another lady approached. She deduced a fairly reasonable explanation.

“There’s a celebration for Benjamin Preston’s birthday in a week. Perhaps they’re here to buy a gift?”

“Ah, that could be it. Lord Preston is Benjamin’s uncle, and Lady Somerset is Benjamin’s governess.”

“If the two are courting, who would be at a disadvantage? Lord Preston, who has money but comes from a humble background. Or Lady Somerset, who is of noble birth but doesn’t have a penny to her name.”

“Well, it’s too close to call, isn’t it? But if it’s true, it would certainly be big news in society, hohoho.”

Jacqueline secretly smiled bitterly. And she straightened her back even more. Maintaining a composed appearance in such situations was something she was quite accustomed to.

She glanced at Windsor from the corner of her eye. Though he must have noticed the whispers directed at them, his expression remained unchanged.

“Are you alright?”

At the sudden question, Windsor raised one eyebrow. Realizing belatedly what she was asking, he nodded and said, “Ah.”

“If I had paid attention to such talk, I would probably be suffering from nervous exhaustion by now.”

“Indeed. That’s why my mother developed nervous exhaustion. Due to the swarm of reporters and people whose attitudes changed overnight. These days, I hear she can’t sleep at all without medication.”

Jacqueline replied in an nonchalant tone. Windsor’s gaze fixed on her cheek. It was an unusually perplexed look.

Jacqueline quietly pulled up the corners of her mouth. It was because she felt a gruff kindness.

“You don’t need to look at me like that.”

“…How am I looking at you?”

“With a pitying and admiring gaze?”

At those words, Windsor’s eyebrows twitched. Jacqueline looked ahead with a dignified expression and continued brazenly.

“Wasn’t it a gaze of looking at an admirable lady who overcame adversity?”

“It wasn’t.”

Windsor’s voice was so resolute that Jacqueline glanced at him with an embarrassed expression.

Windsor moved without hesitation, as if familiar with the department store. However, Jacqueline could bet her entire fortune that this was his first visit. After all, there was only the women’s clothing section in the direction he was heading.

“Lord Preston, it’s not that way. We’re going to the second floor.”

Windsor paused his steps and looked at her. Then he turned around nonchalantly. Jacqueline maintained a prim expression while suppressing her laughter.

Upon reaching the second floor, Windsor unconsciously frowned. The place was filled with stores for children. From children’s clothes to infant shoes and hats, toys, and even small-sized tableware.

Judging by his personality, it was likely he had never been to such a place in his life. Jacqueline, who had already decided on their destination, started walking first.

Windsor followed her slowly. Somehow, his steps were reluctant, like a child being dragged to school by their mother’s hand.

“…”

The place Jacqueline entered was the largest toy store in the capital. Windsor’s feet came to an abrupt halt at the entrance. He stared blankly at the store bustling with ladies, gentlemen, and children.

A little girl holding a maid’s hand passed by, clutching a doll in her other hand. A gentleman with a stylishly trimmed mustache wore a serious expression in front of a pile of teddy bears.

A boy about Benjamin’s age was lying on the floor, crying, while a woman who appeared to be his mother shook her head with a stern look.

It was as if he was standing at the gates of hell, unable to easily step forward.

“Come on, Lord Preston.”

Jacqueline urged him on. Windsor followed her as if he had no choice. Looking around halfheartedly, he finally voiced his skepticism.

“Are you really sure there’s a gift for Benjamin here?”

“At least it’s a better gift than a history book of the kingdom.”

Those who noticed the two parted like the receding tide on both sides. Windsor and Jacqueline conversed as they walked through the space.

“The meeting of two hot potatoes is helpful at times like this. It’s quiet around us in this chaos, isn’t it?”

“This is a gift I chose after careful consideration. As I said before, the kingdom’s history book is a must-read for any child entering boarding school.”

“That’s a very fine reason. As I also said before, that’s not the gift Benjamin wants, but the gift you want, Lord Preston.”

“Then does Lady Somerset know exactly what Benjamin wants? Just by looking? Isn’t that what Lady Somerset wants, not Benjamin?”

At that moment, Jacqueline stopped walking. She faced Windsor with confident eyes. Then she spread her hands wide.

“I guarantee Benjamin will like this more than the kingdom’s history book.”

Windsor’s gaze followed the tips of her fingers. A slight wrinkle formed between his brows. He turned his head back to Jacqueline.

As if to confirm if this was really right.

Jacqueline nodded with a face full of certainty. Her smile was triumphant. Windsor’s eyes moved once again to behind her.

The wrinkle between his brows deepened a little more.

However, before he could reply, Jacqueline was already calling a clerk. She instructed in a noble and refined tone.

“I’ll take one of these. I’d like it gift-wrapped, please.”

“Yes, my lady. An excellent choice. This is a toy handcrafted by an artisan, with only ten made, and this is the last one. I’ll wrap it for you right away.”

“Thank you.”

Having already moved to the counter, she turned to look at Windsor. As if to say, why aren’t you paying quickly?

Finally, Windsor slowly moved. He took off his gloves, placed them on the counter, and took out his checkbook.

Jacqueline watched the clerk’s hands wrapping with sparkling eyes, as if it were her own gift.

“Thank you.”

The clerk who received the check handed the wrapped gift to Jacqueline. Looking at the large box, she turned her gaze to Windsor.

Her eyes spoke more than her mouth. Sometimes they scolded him, sometimes they got angry at him, and very rarely, they praised him.

And now.

“Give it here.”

“Yes, Lord Preston. Here it is.”

The clerk, having confirmed the name on the check, handed over the gift with a respectful attitude. Windsor, regretting not bringing Roman along, held the yellow-wrapped gift in one hand.

It felt like gazes were piercing from all directions, but perhaps it was just his imagination. He stepped forward, looking straight ahead.

“Oh?”

Jacqueline, noticing the gloves left lonely on the counter, grabbed them and hurried after Windsor.

“You left your gloves.”

Windsor raised one eyebrow at the black leather gloves suddenly thrust before his eyes. He took the gloves and held them in his other hand as he walked.

“That’s unexpected.”

At the abrupt comment, Windsor gave her a questioning look. Jacqueline, her head half-turned, spoke while looking at a newly displayed dress.

“It’s surprising that Lord Preston, who is usually so precise, would lose something. Glasses, cane, gloves. What’s next?”

“I simply don’t pay attention to things that aren’t particularly important to me.”

“Not important?”

Only then did Jacqueline turn her head towards him. Her eyes, which had been scanning the new products until just now, now held Windsor’s expressionless face.

Glasses, cane, and gloves were symbols of a gentleman. If these weren’t important, what was?

“It’s not as if I’d die without those things.”