It was customary to notify about party schedules at least a week in advance. That way, people could prepare to attend the party. The more formal the event, the earlier the schedule should be announced. So it was baffling when Fredrick said they had to attend a party hosted by the imperial family just four days from now.

“Yes, I will.”

But Lily calmly replied without showing her feelings. She knew it wasn’t his fault for telling her only now. Fredrick had also received the invitation suddenly, and the person who invited him was surely Count Stacy.

What was Count Stacy thinking when he invited me and Fredrick to the party?

Not being able to guess the count’s intentions made her uneasy. Having directly confirmed that cold-blooded blood flowed beneath his seemingly kind and benevolent exterior made it even more unsettling.

There were several other reasons she didn’t want to attend the party, but unfortunately, Lily had no right of refusal. It seemed Fredrick had already agreed to attend. Unless a natural disaster occurred or some part of her body broke, creating an unavoidable situation, she had to attend no matter what.

So Lily gave up thinking about the imperial party. The dress and accessories she would wear to the party would be prepared by Fredrick or Samantha anyway, and the servants would take care of her grooming.

There was nothing for her to do. She just had to sit still like a doll and do as they said.

After the notification that they had to attend the party hosted by the imperial family, no other conversation passed between Lily and Fredrick. A heavy silence fell, but Lily rather preferred it. She didn’t want to have a long conversation with her husband, who was less than a stranger to her.

It seemed Fredrick felt the same, as he got out of the carriage alone without saying anything like they had arrived or to get out, even after reaching the Benjamin viscounty residence.

Lily, who got out of the carriage with the coachman’s escort instead of her husband’s, wanted to quickly return to her bedroom to take off the heavy dress and rest, but another obstacle was waiting for her.

“What is all this!”

It was Samantha. In her hand was a receipt that an employee from Etua Boutique had brought while the son and daughter-in-law were away. Thinking it might be because they said they were going somewhere important today, Samantha checked the receipt without much thought but gaped at the amount.

“What, how can you spend so much money on clothes? Are you in your right mind? You don’t earn a single penny, living off the money my son earned, and you spend such a large sum like this? You’re determined to ruin this family, aren’t you!”

Samantha’s sharp voice rang out clearly. The servants had already fled, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire, leaving only Samantha and Lily in the corridor.

After Lady Baliman’s visit, Samantha, having received a great shock, had been mostly confined to her room. She was said to be so bedridden that she couldn’t even attend the breakfast she considered so important, but seeing her so energetic now, it must have been a fake illness.

“The hospital bills for your mother are already enough to break our backs, so what were you thinking spending such a large sum? Moreover, I hear you spilled tea on the expensive dress you bought? Where did you learn such ill-mannered behavior? Did your mother teach you that?”

Again, again, again, bringing up my mother?

Lily laughed as if in derision at Samantha’s unchanging attitude. Thinking it was a laugh directed at her, Samantha’s face turned bright red.

“Are you laughing at me now? You, who’s good for nothing, at me?”

As Samantha raised her hand high, a large shadow loomed over her head and grabbed that hand.

“That’s enough, Mother.”

It was Fredrick. Seeing her son’s face twisted with irritation, Samantha’s eyes widened before quickly furrowing as she asked in a nervous and shaky voice.

“Are you… taking that girl’s side? You, my son Fredrick?”

“I’m not taking sides.”

His voice was thick with irritation. Fredrick, who had been glaring at his pale-faced but still lively wife, continued.

“The person who bought clothes from Etua Boutique wasn’t my wife, but me. That’s why I’m stopping you. You shouldn’t be grabbing the wrong person, Mother.”

“…You bought the clothes?”

When Samantha asked again as if she couldn’t believe it, Fredrick nodded.

“Yes. I have to attend a banquet hosted by the imperial family with my wife in four days.”

At those words, Samantha’s face, which had been distorted with anger, smoothed out as if ironed. Her eyes sparkled like embedded stars, and her voice rose higher than ever, like a soprano singer.

“Oh my, my son is attending a party hosted by the imperial family?”

Fredrick had said ‘with my wife,’ but it seemed only ‘son alone’ had registered in Samantha’s mind. As Fredrick nodded again, Samantha patted his arm and laughed loudly.

“Oh my, when there’s such good news, you should tell your mother first, why did you keep it hidden until now? I’m disappointed.”

“I was so busy with work that I hardly had the chance. I’m sorry, Mother.”

“No, no. Of course you’re busy with business. I can understand that much.”

It was a mother-son relationship that anyone could see was affectionate and close. There was no place for Lily in that relationship. Of course, Lily, who didn’t want to get involved anyway, turned around without even saying goodbye.

Entering her bedroom directly, Lily took off the shawl draped over her shoulders. She wanted to take off the rest by herself, but sadly, it was a structure that couldn’t be removed without a maid’s help.

Lily was about to pull the bell cord but stopped. She wanted to be alone right now. There was also something she needed to check by herself.

Sitting on the sofa, Lily took out the envelope hidden in the pocket inside her skirt. The letter was slightly crumpled from being hastily hidden.

Seeing it made her heart feel crumpled too, so Lily carefully smoothed it out with her hands and used a paper knife to carefully open the envelope. On the luxurious stationery, there was just one line written.

It was a letter without formality or courtesy. The hastily scrawled handwriting might seem somewhat insincere, but not to Lily’s eyes. Rather, it looked as if the man had written the letter in a hurry, eager to see her soon. The fact that it said to meet the very next day made it feel even more so.

“What foolish thoughts.”

There was a limit to making assumptions; this much was a disease. As Lily read and reread the single sentence written on the stationery, she checked the envelope. It was to confirm the address to send a reply.

Dillon Oppenheimer, above that name was the address of an upscale inn in the capital.

“Staying at an inn rather than a mansion?”

Why? The Oppenheimer family should have a mansion in the capital too.

Lily was curious but had no intention of asking him. Everyone had their own circumstances. It would be rude to ask before the other person spoke first.

More importantly, it seemed she should write a reply, but what should she send?

Should she set a specific time to meet?

Or should she firmly draw the line, saying sorry but their relationship ends here?

As she was looking down at the stationery, pondering, the door opened without a knock. Lily startled and hid the letter under the sofa cushion. The rude visitor narrowed his eyes at that sight.

“What are you hiding?”

“…Do I have to tell you?”

Lily asked in an even colder and chillier voice, trying to hide her startled feelings. On the other hand, her hand hidden under the cushion along with the letter trembled. What if Fredrick tried to check the letter? Her mouth dried up with rising worry, but fortunately, that didn’t happen.

“I’ll apologize on behalf of my mother.”

Fredrick’s words and actions were as unpredictable as a bouncing ball, but the basic foundation was ignoring her. Even when Lily suffered unjust treatment, Fredrick just scolded her to endure it, to not cause unnecessary discord.

But an apology? Like apologizing for colluding with the designer before, and his actions before that. As Fredrick kept doing things he didn’t usually do, Lily blurted out a question.

“Are you sick somewhere?”

Could he really be suffering from a terminal illness and that’s why he’s acting like this?

When Lily asked as if she was genuinely curious, Fredrick chuckled.

“I’m not sick anywhere. Even if I were, I would definitely attend the imperial party, so don’t worry.”

Lily had never worried, and not attending that party would actually be better for her. There was the unsettling thought of what Count Stacy might be thinking, but there was something even more worrying than that.

It was meeting the nobles. She feared meeting the nobles who would create non-existent stories, attach all sorts of bad nicknames to her, and use them as gossip material. It was also terrifying to pretend to smile as if nothing was wrong among them.

‘Should I jump out the window?’

If a leg or something broke, then she wouldn’t have to attend the party.

Such a thought suddenly occurred to her, but fortunately or unfortunately, Lily lacked the courage to carry out that thought.

“You can wear that dress you didn’t wear today to the party. I’ve prepared all the matching accessories too, so there’s nothing else you need to prepare.”

So he’s determined to make her wear that dress after all. As Lily looked at him with an incredulous expression, Fredrick added.

“It’s not a dress designed by Annette, so you can put aside unnecessary worries.”

The unpleasant name she had erased from her memory resurfaced. Lily was about to argue that wasn’t the issue, but she didn’t. Even if she told him, he wouldn’t understand anyway.

“This time, don’t make any unnecessary resistance and prepare properly. If you don’t want to be disgraced at the imperial party.”

Fredrick left after leaving that warning. Lily, who had been glaring at the spot where he had been, took out the letter she had hidden under the cushion with trembling hands.

The hastily scrawled sentence burned into her eyes. It was just one sentence, an ordinary question of no great significance, but looking at it made her feel good yet sad at the same time, and Lily hugged the cushion tightly.