At the sudden question, Adele froze. When she turned her head to look at him, Valentine was silently staring at her.

His usual facade of composure seemed to have peeled away, revealing a layer of vulnerability.

The exposed true self appeared parched without a hint of the usual composure.

When would she start loving him? Well, being close to Valentine did evoke a deep sense of relief and intimacy.

Like a fish cherishing the sea or a bird willingly embracing the wind. New affection rising from deep within her body naturally directed itself towards him.

She knew little about the affection between men and women, but could this be love?

Unlike the cautious Adele, he was always confident and unwavering.

For a being like him, who had lived eternally and endured, perhaps it was merely a pastime, but for her, it might be close to a lifetime.

Above all, pouring out such intimate and blind affection without reservation.

Even her parents couldn’t achieve it, and it was something even Greta begrudged.

How could she dare refuse Valentine? The man who effortlessly fulfilled what she had yearned for all her life.

Immediately.

Someone, it seemed like a whisper in her head.

Hug him right away. And tell him you love him.

The impulse was so intense that she almost got swept away without resistance.

In reality, unable to overcome the surging emotions, she took a step towards him.

Valentine was silently looking down at her with an unreadable expression.

He neither avoided her nor took a few steps forward to grab her.

“Valentine, I…”

Adele spoke with fervent courage.

But the next moment, what came to her mind was Greta’s scornful face.

‘Men are always the same. They act as if they can conquer the world, but once they have a woman, they turn colder than the northern wind.’

She hesitated for a moment. Greta’s voice grew louder.

‘So, young miss, you shouldn’t trust men. They know how to desire a woman, but they don’t know how to cherish and love. They’re a bunch of ignorant beings.’

Her heart, which had momentarily softened, hardened again. It felt like waking up from a vague dream. How could she have thought of giving everything to him even for a moment?

Sometimes, her own emotions felt unfamiliar. They seemed to swell up suddenly, like a snowball about to cause an avalanche.

Her feelings toward him were just as abrupt, growing excessively fast.

She still looked at Valentine, who was waiting for her response.

She tried to smile to dispel the awkward atmosphere, but it didn’t go well. She managed to open her dried-up lips.

“Well, maybe…”
“…….”

“Just a moment… If you wait…”

Even with the reluctantly squeezed-out response, Valentine burst into a wide smile.

“Yes, that’s a promise.”

“No, seriously, who tied the waistband like this?”

“Should we consider this unsalvageable?”

Adele blushed as she received Margaret’s astonishing gaze.

It felt unfair to receive such looks when she hadn’t committed the mistake herself, but Valentine had already left the room a while ago.

Margaret carefully tried to loosen the strap. “There’s really no way to fix this. We might have to cut it gently with scissors.”

“But won’t that be too noticeable?”

“With the dark color and the velvet material, it’ll be difficult to notice unless you look closely. If you tie the remaining straps well, having one less should be fine.”

Adele breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the dress she was supposed to wear today was prepared, she didn’t want to ignore Valentine’s gift.

“Don’t worry too much, Miss Vision.”

The maid who approached set down a tea tray on the nearby table.

“I’ll braid your hair nicely. It will cover everything. You’re not planning to go hunting personally today, are you?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Your hair is long, and the texture is good, so normally, you could just let it down. But since it’s a hunting party…”

The maid smiled as if to reassure her. Then she skillfully combed and braided Adele’s hair.

She swiftly intertwined the thick strands into delicate ribbons and curls.

The stray hairs near the ears were twisted with a heated iron into wavy patterns.

“Unbind it during dinner, and if you loosely tie it halfway, it will look lovely.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

The maid smiled happily and joined the other maids who were organizing the boxes.

Around noon, the servants had brought in Valentine’s gifts, neatly piled up.

There were handkerchiefs and gloves, and several pairs of shoes that perfectly fit Adele’s small feet.

Not to mention jewelry, beautiful dresses in various colors sparkled one after another.

As the maids opened each box, they showed Adele directly and carefully organized them.

‘I wonder how much money he spent…’

“His Majesty has generously provided a substantial amount of gold this time.”

If Adele’s expression seemed worried, Margaret cautiously defended Valentine.

News had already spread through the servants’ gossip that the Emperor, who had taken a hefty war indemnity from Valsair, had generously rewarded Duke Ansgar with a mountain of gold coins.