“Young lady, the master is looking for you.”

Lily, who had been sitting almost lying down on the sofa after skipping dinner, opened her eyes at the maid’s words. But she didn’t answer and just stared silently at the maid.

“The master is looking for you, young lady.”

Thinking that Lily hadn’t heard, the maid announced again. Lily rolled her eyes to look at the bedroom door.

Given Fredrick’s personality, he should have burst through that door instead of sending a message through a maid that he wanted to meet. This behavior was unlike him, but it wasn’t strange or surprising. It wasn’t the first or second time Fredrick had done something odd.

She was only a little worried about what he was up to this time.

So she didn’t want to meet Fredrick, but unfortunately, that was impossible. If Lily said she didn’t want to meet, Fredrick would act according to his true nature. It was somewhat easier to just pretend to be fooled when he was acting like a gentleman. Lily swallowed a sigh inwardly and nodded.

“Tell him to come in.”

“Ah, the master said he’d like to meet in the lady’s dressing room.”

“The dressing room?”

Not my bedroom, nor his bedroom, not even the reception room, but the dressing room?

And my dressing room at that?

Lily’s brow furrowed more with each passing day at Fredrick’s unpredictable actions. As Lily remained still again, the maid urged her to go quickly. Reluctantly, Lily stood up and headed to the dressing room.

The dressing room was right next to Lily’s bedroom. It was a place she had rarely visited since the maids always brought her clothes. When she opened the door, the first thing she saw was gift boxes stacked high like a tower.

What’s all this?

It was too much to simply be that the maids were too lazy to clean up, as there was no dust, and the number was too great. It was strange that they were placed at the entrance too.

As Lily looked around the boxes in bewilderment, she turned her head when she sensed a presence. In the innermost part of the dressing room, in a space set aside for brief rests, Fredrick was sitting.

When their eyes met, he smiled, his eyes curving. When Herald smiled like that, he looked handsome, but whether it was because of Fredrick’s sharp glasses or because she knew his twisted nature, he looked more vile.

“Do you like them?”

“… What do you mean?”

“What else? I’m talking about the boxes you’re looking at right now.”

At those words, Lily blinked slowly and looked around at the boxes again. Seemingly impatient that she was just looking, Fredrick picked up the topmost box and held it out to Lily.

“Don’t just look, open it.”

“…”

Lily alternately looked at the box her husband was holding and her husband’s face, which still seemed to be smiling vilely, before asking.

“Is this because of what happened at the boutique earlier today?”

“It’s not entirely unrelated, but that’s not the main reason.”

“Then what?”

“The biggest reason is because we’re going to Count Stacy’s tomorrow. It’s proper etiquette to dress appropriately for the place and situation.”

Lily laughed softly at the ridiculousness of him saying such things now, when he had always said she was ill-mannered because she was a commoner and hadn’t received etiquette education.

Perhaps taking it as a positive response, Fredrick smiled faintly and placed the box in Lily’s arms. Then he opened the box himself to show her the shoes inside.

“What do you think?”

“They’re pretty.”

It was a purely objective assessment, without any of her thoughts or feelings involved. This time, perhaps sensing Lily’s feelings, Fredrick frowned and brought another box.

“How about this?”

“It’s pretty.”

“Then this?”

“That’s pretty too.”

Fredrick kept asking, but Lily’s response was the same from start to finish. As she kept repeating that they were pretty with a doll-like face devoid of any emotion, Fredrick finally seemed to reach the limit of his patience and threw a box.

With a loud crash, the tiara inside the box rolled across the floor with a clamorous sound. The impact must have been quite severe, as the sapphire embedded in the center of the tiara fell off.

“I don’t understand why.”

Fredrick asked, his face completely contorted, as if spitting out the words.

“Is it because I kissed Anette?”

So that woman’s name was Anette. As it wasn’t information Lily particularly wanted to know, she immediately erased it from her memory.

“That was the last time. She begged, saying she was getting married soon and wanted to kiss one last time, and I felt sorry for her because of our past, so I did it. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make unnecessary misunderstandings.”

“You don’t need to make excuses.”

As always.

Swallowing her last words, Lily calmly faced Fredrick’s distorted face. Fredrick exhaled deeply and ran his hand through his disheveled hair.

“Then why are you acting like this?”

“What do you mean? You asked if they were pretty, so I just answered that they were pretty. I don’t know what’s wrong with that.”

As Lily tilted her head as if she really didn’t understand, the wrinkles between Fredrick’s brows deepened. He didn’t like her words and actions.

Lily knew this fact but didn’t show it. She had no intention of catering to her husband’s moods.

As Lily tilted her head as if she really didn’t understand, Fredrick’s brows furrowed even more.

But if she kept ignoring him, this damn situation wouldn’t end, so Lily continued speaking.

“If you’re doing this because you’re worried I won’t go to Count Stacy’s tomorrow, don’t worry. I’ll go with you.”

“…”

As if she had hit the nail on the head, the area under Fredrick’s eyes twitched. His face, which had been tangled with irritation and anger, relaxed.

Did he really think I wouldn’t go? It was laughable. Lily would have gone to Count Stacy’s mansion no matter what, even if she had been in a hair-pulling fight with Fredrick. This contract was important not just for Fredrick, but for her as well.

There was no way she wouldn’t go for the groundwork for her independence.

“I’ll wear something I already have. What you brought is pretty, but it’s not my style. It doesn’t suit me either.”

Lily kicked away the box at her feet and turned around. She felt a sharp gaze on her back, but she ignored it to the end and left the dressing room.

The next day, Fredrick sent a message through a maid to Lily saying he would come to pick her up around 2 PM. He also earnestly requested the maids to make her look like an elegant and modest lady, as they were going to an important place.

Having received special orders from the master of the mansion and their employer, the maids prepared to dress Lily according to Fredrick’s demands from early morning. Lily also cooperated willingly, knowing the importance of meeting Count Stacy, but before long, she clashed with the maids.

“Bring different clothes.”

The reason was that the clothes and accessories the maids brought were the ones Fredrick had gifted yesterday. Lily said she didn’t want them, but the maids, who had been ordered by Fredrick to prepare these specifically, didn’t back down.

“Young lady, you don’t seem to know, but this is the latest fashion trend.”

“That’s right! It’s a dress made by none other than Etuoie Boutique!”

Etuoie Boutique. The store Lily had visited with Fredrick yesterday.

It was also where his lover, whom he had kissed passionately, worked as a designer.

And yet they brought clothes from that boutique for her to wear. This time, she couldn’t even sneer at her husband’s actions that defied common sense. Lily suddenly wondered how Fredrick managed to please the haughty noble ladies.

Perhaps he was good in bed?

Seeing his consistent bedroom solicitations, it seemed possible.

“Young lady, we need to get you ready soon.”

Lily looked at the green dress the maid was holding. The dress was so beautiful that she could almost forget it was bought from that boutique.

That fact made Lily even more upset, and she picked up the teacup in front of her and splashed the tea onto the dress.

“Kyaaa!”

“Oh, no!”

The maids hurriedly tried to wipe off the tea stains on the dress, but it was futile. Not only was the beautiful dress ruined, but they had also failed to carry out Fredrick’s special orders. The maids looked crestfallen. In contrast, Lily smiled brightly as she put down the empty teacup.

“Now you can bring a different dress, right?”

In the end, Lily wore a dress she already owned and draped a shawl over her shoulders. With her hair up and light makeup, she had the air of the modest and elegant lady Fredrick had mentioned, but since she wasn’t wearing the dress in question, the maids were fidgeting anxiously.

The maids naturally thought Fredrick would be angry, but contrary to their expectations, he didn’t get mad.

“…”

He just looked Lily over with slightly annoyed eyes. Lily, with an innocent face as if she knew nothing, lightly grasped the fluttering hem of her dress and asked.

“If you don’t like it, should I change into something else?”

“… It’s fine. Let’s go.”

Lily took Fredrick’s reluctantly offered hand and got into the carriage.

It took about an hour by carriage from the Benjamin Viscount’s residence to Count Stacy’s mansion. They had left early anticipating traffic congestion, which turned out to be an excellent decision.

The streets were chaotic with carriages rushing from all directions, and more than half of them bore crests of unfamiliar families.

“Why are there so many unfamiliar families?”

When Lily muttered this to herself, Fredrick, who had been examining the contract across from her, looked out the window and said.

“In four days, there will be a title conferment ceremony for Herald Maximilian, the second son of Duke Maximilian, and a celebratory party hosted by the royal family. Nobles from all over are gathering in the capital to attend.”

“…”

It was an answer that satisfactorily resolved her curiosity, but at the same time, it was an unwanted answer. So Lily only glanced sideways at Fredrick without saying anything.

Displeased with Lily’s behavior, Fredrick narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at her for a moment, but soon went back to reading the contract without further comment.