“No, I……”

When she was about to refuse, Evan smiled more brightly.

“I believe Miss Somerset is aware that the status of the middle class has risen considerably these days.”

Jacqueline once again made a surprised expression at his skillful interruption. There was still much she didn’t know about Evan.

“Yes.”

“They aspire to aristocratic society. They want to become part of it, while simultaneously fearing integration into it.”

“Are you perhaps talking about the complex etiquette of aristocratic society?”

At those words, Evan’s eyes sparkled brightly. It seemed his fondness for her had increased once again.

Jacqueline belatedly pulled back her upper body with an “Oops,” but Evan’s goodwill didn’t diminish at all. He leaned forward as much as Jacqueline had retreated.

Thanks to this, the distance between the two remained the same as before.

“That’s exactly it. So we plan to publish a book teaching aristocratic etiquette, targeting the middle class.”

“Ah……”

Jacqueline blinked her eyes with a blank expression, as if caught off guard. It was something she had never thought of before. But it was certainly an intriguing idea.

“They want to enter aristocratic society. But the reality is they can’t easily attempt it because of the complex etiquette. They know better than anyone that clumsy manners learned secondhand will only lead to embarrassment.”

“I recently read an article about the exponential increase in middle-class attendance at social gatherings. It said wealthy businessmen are being invited to aristocratic parties, or even hosting their own gatherings.”

“That’s precisely it. What’s needed then is aristocratic etiquette. For both men and women. This book will target their desires.”

“So you’re asking me to write this book.”

Evan pulled up the corners of his mouth. A confident smile spread across his face.

“I dare say, this book will surely be a success. A book systematically organizing the complex etiquette of the aristocracy – people won’t be able to resist buying it. It’s a business item that will satisfy the vanity of the middle class. If the book succeeds, Miss Somerset will be able to earn a considerable sum.”

It was an enticing proposal. Her former self would have nodded without hesitation.

But Jacqueline, having been through thick and thin, didn’t fall for it easily. High risk, high return. Actions with great rewards usually came with proportional risks.

She narrowed her eyes and stared intensely at Evan.

“But at that moment, I’ll become a public enemy in aristocratic society. Think about why the etiquette of the aristocracy became unnecessarily complex and cumbersome. They have no desire to share their culture with others. To them, I’ll be nothing but a traitor.”

“Hmm……”

Evan let out a perplexed groan. He looked at a loss for words, like someone who had been pointed out something he had never considered before.

Meanwhile, Jacqueline’s voice grew a bit sharper.

“Or is that why? Did you think a ‘penniless lady’ with nothing to lose would be the perfect candidate because no one else would do it?”

“No, that’s not it!”

Evan waved his hands with a flustered expression. But Jacqueline’s sharp gaze didn’t waver.

“I just wanted this to be helpful for Miss Somerset…. I also thought it would be nice if I could see Miss Somerset more often under the pretext of the book.”

Jacqueline’s eyes softened at his confession that fully revealed his ulterior motives. There was no doubt that it was sincere.

Thinking about it carefully, Evan’s proposal wasn’t bad. No, it was rather beneficial for her. As he said, if the book succeeded, she could earn quite a lot of money.

Moreover, it wasn’t a difficult task for Jacqueline. It wasn’t much different from what she was currently teaching Windsor. It was just formalizing the nagging she always did.

Jacqueline, having finished her thoughts, looked at Evan with sparkling eyes.

“Would it be alright if the author’s name was a pseudonym?”

“!”

At those words, Evan slapped his knee. The vitality quickly returned to his eyes that had been gloomy.

“That’s it! Why didn’t I think of that? Good. Let’s do that.”

“But then you might become a public enemy, Mr. Knox. Just for publishing such a book. You might even be pressured to reveal who the author is.”

Despite her threat, Evan smiled gently with his usual face.

“Thank you for your concern, Miss Somerset. But every business has its risks. And this much is already within the expected range. There won’t be any problems.”

Jacqueline stared blankly at his confident face. As if discovering another side of him, with surprised and unfamiliar eyes.

Apart from not being able to accept his goodwill, Evan was a trustworthy person. The epitome of a faithful and courteous gentleman. It didn’t seem like he would betray her.

Eventually, Jacqueline nodded.

“Alright. Let’s do that then. When can we write the contract? I prefer something in writing over a verbal agreement.”

Jacqueline answered like that, smiling brightly. Seeing this, Evan narrowed his eyes. As if dazzled, just like the day he first danced with her.

***

Roman narrowed his eyes and stared at Windsor. His suspicious gaze clung to his face for a long time.

The carriage shook and rattled, but Roman’s gaze didn’t waver at all. Unable to bear it any longer, he abruptly opened his mouth.

“What is that?”

Roman’s eyes turned to Windsor’s hand. Something about the size of a palm was clutched in his hand.

The problem was that it was a neatly wrapped gift. Even the wrapping paper was pink. The color least suited to Windsor in the world.

“It’s nothing.”

“That’s not nothing, is it? Marquis, do you perhaps have a young lady you’re meeting without my knowledge?”

“Nonsense.”

“No, so what exactly is that?”

Windsor put the gift in his pocket with an annoyed expression. However, Roman’s suspicious gaze didn’t waver. This time, his eyes were fixed on Windsor’s pocket.

Windsor turned his head towards the window as if trying to avoid his nagging. And naturally changed the subject.

“Look for another lawyer.”

“Yes.”

The lawyer they met today didn’t meet Windsor’s expectations. The lawyer with two distinct parts in his hair trembled like an aspen leaf in front of Marquis Preston.

He was so nervous that he couldn’t say a proper word until Windsor got up from his seat.

—I, I graduated from the law department of the Royal University… with exc, exc, excellent grades…

Windsor frowned and clicked his tongue as he recalled him. Finally, a complaint spilled out.

“How can he argue in court when he stutters like that?”

“Yes.”

Roman let out a long sigh. It was a mistake to have Windsor meet him without verification after being introduced as a lawyer not influenced by the King.

With an embarrassed expression, he added as if making an excuse.

“After obtaining information that he followed an elite course, I verified his school and grades, but it was my mistake not to have a conversation with him beforehand due to haste. I’ll be careful not to let this happen again…”

“Stop for a moment.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes.”

At Windsor’s order, Roman stopped mid-sentence and hurriedly knocked on the carriage wall. The slowly moving carriage soon came to a stop.

Windsor’s gaze turned to the window. Noticing that he was staring intently at one spot, Roman turned his head as well.

Then his eyes widened. A familiar woman was visible in the cafe window bathed in the late spring sunlight.

“That young lady is……”

It was Jacqueline Somerset. She was sitting face to face with some young man. They both burst into laughter at the same time.

“A handsome couple.”

Roman, who had muttered unconsciously, quietly closed his mouth. It was because Windsor’s mood had turned chilly. The air changed sharply, as if seeing him just before a naval departure.

Gulp.

Roman swallowed dry saliva without realizing it. Windsor exuded exactly this atmosphere in the battle that earned him the nickname ‘Demon of the Black Fleet’.

An air so sharp it seemed it would cut if touched.

Why?

Roman, who had been frowning, belatedly realized the reason. He lowered his voice with a meaningful expression.

“I’ll find out who that young man is. Whether he’s one of the King’s people or not. It’s about time for His Majesty to approach the new tutor.”

“Never mind.”

“……Pardon?”

For a moment, Roman’s eyes widened. Windsor turned his head back into the carriage. No expression could be found on his coldly hardened face.

“Evan Knox.”

“……”

“That’s the man’s name.”

Roman quickly searched his mind. But nothing came up. Although the surname ‘Knox’ felt unsettling, ‘Evan Knox’ didn’t match any data he had.

“Who is that?”

Roman finally returned the question. But Windsor didn’t give any answer. Just as Roman’s expression was about to turn puzzled, he opened his mouth as if to cut off the follow-up question.

“Let’s depart.”

Roman shrugged at the cold air drifting in the carriage, then nodded. He turned his head to the driver’s window and instructed to depart.

The stopped carriage slowly began to move.

Evan Knox.

Windsor quietly repeated that name. A man who was the opposite of him. A cool, bright smile without a trace of shadow clung to him like an illusion.

And Jacqueline’s face, smiling brightly as she faced him.

—A handsome couple.

His words were right. If the Earl of Somerset hadn’t gone bankrupt, the two would probably be married by now.

Married.

“……”

Windsor unconsciously clenched his fist. He didn’t know why. It was just because an unpleasant feeling was creeping around his feet like a thick fog. Damp and sticky.

He threw his gaze out the window again. The late spring’s bright sunlight was coloring the streets.

Amidst that, Jacqueline’s face came to mind. The face that smiled as brightly as the spring sunlight as she faced Evan.

She smiled with all her might not only at Windsor but also at Evan. Suddenly, his stomach twisted. A hot lump surged up.

“Roman Miller.”

“Yes, Marquis.”

“Investigate Miss Somerset more thoroughly.”

“More thoroughly… you say?”

Roman asked in an uncharacteristically cautious tone. It was because Windsor’s expression, instructing to investigate Jacqueline Somerset rather than Evan Knox, was ominous.

His eyes were cold and sharp enough to slaughter an enemy with just a glance.