Mother’s health condition. Relationship with Herald. Father’s memorial.

…… Even reaching an agreement with Fredrick.

Lily thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep with so many things to worry about, but unexpectedly, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She even slept soundly until morning without waking up once.

Two years ago, when a fire broke out at the Benjamin estate, Lily lost her precious family members including her father, as well as her dreams and happiness, and had been suffering from severe insomnia.

Fortunately, her mother’s condition, which everyone unanimously said had no chance of survival, miraculously recovered and the insomnia subsided a little, but she still couldn’t get a good night’s sleep. Usually, she would sleep in short intervals of one to two hours, and even at the longest, she couldn’t sleep for more than three hours.

Of course, when physical limitations hit and she fell asleep as if she had passed out, she didn’t wake up in the middle of the night.

But today was not one of those cases. Rather, she thought she would have trouble sleeping because she had a lot of worries, so Lily tilted her head, finding it strange that she had a good night’s sleep.

It didn’t seem to be because this bed was softer and more comfortable than her own bed. The pillow and blanket also didn’t seem to have much to do with her sound sleep.

“They couldn’t have possibly put sleeping pills in the hot chocolate, right?”

Lily thought about the reason for a long time while changing clothes with the help of the maids, finding it so strange that she even had this absurd suspicion.

“Which dress would you prefer, young lady?”

Lily’s question shifted when the maids asked a question. They were each holding a blue and a pink dress. Lily didn’t like either of the dresses with lots of lace, but they seemed to match the taste of the owner of this bedroom. Even the pajamas Lily was wearing now were covered in lace.

Wait a minute, does that mean I used a bedroom that has an owner? Who is the owner? Which family does this mansion belong to? Seeing the maids calling Herald ‘young master’…… Could it possibly be something like a villa of the Maximilian dukedom?

It was strange for a villa to be in the city center, and on Royal White Street at that, but it was possible if it was the Maximilian dukedom. They had the strongest power on the continent after the imperial family. There were even stories that their accumulated wealth was greater than the imperial family’s.

“Excuse me, could you possibly tell me where this place is?”

Just last night, Lily was curious about where this place was, but not enough to want to ask, but now her thoughts had changed. When Lily asked, the maids looked at each other’s eyes for a moment and then answered at the same time.

“It would be better for you to ask the young master about that, young lady.”

They answered in exactly the same way, as if they had prepared the answer in advance knowing that Lily would ask, so Lily was a little puzzled but said she would do that.

“So which dress do you prefer, young lady?”

“They’re both pretty, but…… rather than that, is it alright for me to wear these clothes as I please? If they belong to someone, I think I should get permission……”

“The clothes don’t have a separate owner, young lady.”

The maid added in a small voice, “For now,” but fortunately or unfortunately, Lily did not hear those words.

The fact that the prepared clothes did not have a separate owner meant that they were clothes for guests. In other words, this bedroom was also for guests, but it was too large, splendid, and elegant for that. It was to the extent that it could be believed to be the bedroom of the lady of the house.

‘No way, that couldn’t be.’

Although he had confessed his feelings and they had confirmed each other’s hearts, they had not become anything else. Even if they were dating or engaged, Lily thought it was absurd to offer the lady’s bedroom and smiled, erasing the delusion that suddenly came to mind.

As Lily appeared to be agonizing, the maid holding the blue dress said,

“By the way, the young master likes the color blue.”

“Hey, saying that is cheating!”

When the maid holding the pink dress refuted, the maid holding the blue dress stuck out her tongue nastily.

A gentle smile spread across Lily’s lips as she watched the maids bickering. Although their first impression was somewhat blunt and businesslike, after talking with them, she could see that they were bright and cheerful girls.

“I’ll go with this one.”

Lily inwardly hoped that Emily, whom she was scheduled to interview today, would have this kind of personality, and chose the blue dress. It was not because it was Herald’s favorite color, but because it had relatively less lace and ribbons.

Not knowing that fact, the maid jumped for joy, saying she knew this would be chosen, and the maid who wasn’t chosen showed determination, saying that at least for the accessories, she would be the one chosen.

Thanks to the maids’ passionate enthusiasm, Lily became as radiant as a rose blooming in the morning dew. Color returned to her pale face, and her hair flowed with luster thanks to the persimmon oil that the maid persistently kept recommending.

When she put her nose to the bottle of oil, there was a strong scent of fresh apples, but when she actually applied it to her hair, the scent was not as strong as she thought. She had to bring her hair to her nose to faintly smell the scent.

For some reason, Lily was disappointed by that part and kept touching her hair even after Herald came to find her.

Herald, who was sitting in a wingback chair reading a newspaper and waiting for breakfast to be prepared, asked,

“Are you not satisfied with your hairstyle?”

At that question, the maids who were setting the table simultaneously looked at Lily without hesitation. Lily was flustered by their fierce spirit, as if they were about to bring a comb and hair ornaments right away, and waved her hands.

“Oh, that’s not it. I applied apple blossom oil to my hair, but it doesn’t seem to smell as much as I thought.”

“What kind of oil did you apply?”

“That’s……”

Feeling embarrassed to say it for some reason, Lily hesitated for a moment before answering.

“It’s apple blossom scent.”

“I see.”

Despite saying it was a scent he liked, Herald nodded his head indifferently. Seeing that, Lily felt a bit deflated and let go of the hair she had been touching.

“Perhaps it’s because the scent from your body is apple blossom, so you’re used to it.”

At the added words, Lily blinked her eyes slowly. The maids who were setting the tableware and plates also stopped what they were doing for a moment and exchanged glances.

“I… smell like apple blossoms?”

“You didn’t know?”

When Lily nodded her head, Herald smiled, loosely lifting the corners of his lips.

“Your body gives off a fresh and crisp apple scent, like a fruit that has just born.”

…… Could it be that the reason Herald has been seeking out the scent of apple blossoms lately is because of me?

Lily wanted to ask, but couldn’t bring herself to do so because she didn’t know how to react if he said yes. It was also a problem if he answered no.

“……”

Seeing her cheeks flushed red up to the corners of her eyes, Herald’s eyes narrowed. It was because he remembered kissing her last night. At the same time, he felt a terrible thirst, so he emptied his glass of water in one gulp. The maid quickly refilled the glass, and he emptied that too, but the burning thirst in his throat hardly subsided.

After a simple breakfast was over, Herald said that if she wanted, she could stay here a little longer. He was worried about what would happen when she returned to the Benjamin estate and met Fredrick. Well aware of that fact, Lily said with a smile,

“I appreciate the offer, but I have an appointment this morning. So I should get going now.”

At those words, Herald recalled the fact that Lily was supposed to meet Emily this morning. Why today of all days? He wanted Lily to bring in a dedicated maid as soon as possible, but now he clicked his tongue inwardly, finding it unpleasant.

“Then come whenever you want to. This is my mansion, so you can come as you please without worrying about others.”

His mansion? Could it be……

“Is this the Braden estate?”

When Lily asked with a bit of surprise, Herald laughed.

“Then what did you think it was? You don’t think I borrowed another family’s mansion, do you?”

“It’s not that, but…… I never thought it would be the Braden estate.”

Come to think of it, she had heard in passing that the emperor bestowed a mansion along with the title of Count. Why didn’t she think of that? Lily blamed her dull mind and asked,

“Then did you possibly decorate this mansion?”

“No. My mother decorated it. I have neither the interest nor the talent for this sort of thing. So my mother is managing it on my behalf.”

That meant that the clothes Lily was wearing now and the clothes prepared in that room were all to the taste of the Duchess of Maximilian. Lily recalled the figure of the Duchess she had seen for a brief moment from afar. She looked young and beautiful, belying the fact that she was over 50, and had a dignity befitting the title of Duchess.

But to think she would have such girlish tastes. It was a bit surprising. Is this why they say you shouldn’t judge a person by their appearance?

‘That goes for this man too.’

Lily glanced at Herald out of the corner of her eye. He also seemed like he would be cold and blunt just by his appearance, but in fact, he was a man sweeter than chocolate and softer than whipped cream. He was also very considerate.

Even now, he told her that she could come here anytime, worried that she, who had a big fight with Fredrick, might wander around with nowhere to go. Lily was grateful for that thought, but on the other hand, it was bitter because it meant that Herald knew that much about her dark circumstances.

Seeing Lily’s slightly darkened expression, Herald asked cautiously,

“Perhaps you didn’t like the interior of the mansion?”

“How could that be?”

Lily answered with a bright smile as if she had never been that way.

“Everything was excellent. As expected, the Duchess’s eye for things seems to be amazing.”

Although the Duchess’s clothing tastes didn’t match Lily’s, the mansion’s interior was so incredible that applause and exclamations of admiration came out spontaneously.

“But it seems a bit unique to put a statue in the garden.”

“…… A statue?”

“Yes. There was a human-shaped statue in the garden…… Isn’t that right?”