The carriage, which had been slowing down, came to a complete stop in front of the dress shop.

“Larien, aren’t you getting off?”

Jade turned around to look at me as I remained still, about to get off first.

“Wait a moment.”

Before getting off, I took out the pendant I had brought with me. Thanks to this pendant, I had avoided a crisis when I met Sharlin at the main gate.

I shuddered at the thought of what problems might have arisen if we had met in my original form.

So it seemed better to wear the pendant outside to prepare for any unforeseen situations.

However, today it was particularly difficult to fasten the clasp of the pendant.

“Having trouble putting it on? Give it here.”

Jade, who had been watching, moved closer and sat behind me.

“I’ll do it.”

“Let me do it for you.”

Before I could stop him, he snatched the pendant away.

I felt strangely nervous with Jade right behind me.

He carefully gathered my hair, strand by strand, and moved it aside.

It was an uncharacteristically gentle touch. His cold hands felt cool against my skin.

“It’s faded already.”

He touched the marked spot, expressing disappointment.

There was a subtle sensuality in his voice.

“What are you doing, Your Excellency?”

Blanche, who had slightly raised herself, watched Jade curiously.

“…Stop looking at my fa-, I mean, stop staring.”

Jade, seemingly uncomfortable with Blanche’s gaze, was about to tell her to move her face away but quickly softened his words.

When we first met at the temple, he didn’t even care if Blanche fell.

I found it interesting how Jade had become particularly kind to Blanche at some point.

“It’s done, Larien.”

After putting on the pendant for me, he got out of the carriage first and helped Blanche down.

“Thank you, Your Excellency!”

Blanche clasped her hands over her stomach and smiled brightly.

“…Sure.”

Jade awkwardly turned his eyes away and held out his hand.

“Larien. I’ll help you down too.”

He suddenly pulled me as I was about to take his hand and get off.

As I was about to lose balance and fall, Jade caught me by the waist and supported me.

“Larien. I just saved you from falling. Aren’t you going to thank me?”

“You’re the one who pulled me in the first place.”

I removed Jade’s hand and entered the dress shop first with Blanche.

“Thank you for visiting Resta Dress Shop. Please let us know if you need anything.”

A neutral attitude, neither too friendly nor rude.

The madam, who had been giving a perfunctory greeting, deeply bowed upon seeing Jade following behind.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Marquis Rowe. Were these perhaps your companions?”

When he gave a small nod, the madam gestured with a notably different, gentle voice than before.

“We’re here to have a child’s dress made in the same design as Ayla’s.”

“I see! Then, we’ll need to take measurements. Please come this way.”

Throughout the measuring process, the madam touched Blanche very carefully.

“Young lady, are you uncomfortable anywhere? I apologize.”

“Ah, no…”

Blanche seemed uncomfortable with the madam’s excessively cautious touch, and I quietly whispered to Jade.

“Jade, what’s going on?”

“I bought the dress shop outright since it can’t be known until Ayla’s wedding takes place.”

I understood why the madam was acting that way when I heard that he had acquired the dress shop.

‘No wonder. She became so respectful as soon as she saw Jade.’

Jade looked at me quizzically as I paused.

“Larien? What’s wrong?”

“Just thinking how incredibly wealthy you are.”

The Boston earldom, which ran a merchant guild, was considered quite wealthy.

However, compared to Jade, who bought a dress shop just to prepare for a secret wedding…

It was far from that level.

“Do you want this dress shop? I’ll give it to you.”

“Are you serious, Jade? You’d really give it to me?”

“If you want it, it can be yours right now.”

The dress shop was located in the heart of the bustling district. If I were to receive this outright, it would more than make up for all the child support I hadn’t received until now.

Someone shouted asking why I wasn’t accepting it right away, but I quickly came to my senses.

“…No, thanks.”

I felt embarrassed for being tempted even for a brief moment.

“When will it be ready?”

Jade stopped smiling lightly and asked the madam who was recording Blanche’s measurements.

“I-I will finish the work and personally deliver it within next week.”

The madam hesitated before answering with difficulty.

‘Isn’t next week too rushed?’

It wasn’t a ready-made item, and to make a new one required quite a lot of time and focus.

‘It could be done if they work on it all day, but it would be tough.’

The answer of next week was probably due to being mindful of Jade.

“There’s still time until the wedding, so it doesn’t have to be that rushed.”

The madam, with a somewhat moved expression, repeatedly expressed her gratitude and saw us off to the outside of the dress shop.

“What’s this?”

Just as we were about to get back into the carriage, Blanche picked up a pamphlet that had fallen to the ground.

“Come to the Ice Festival at Haver Square. Many ice sculptures are on display…”

Blanche read aloud the phrase about the sculptures being exhibited, written on the pamphlet.

‘Right. The Ice Festival at Haver Square was held around this time.’

The Ice Festival, which Jade and I often visited when we were young, was piled up only with pleasant memories.

“Mommy, Shu Shu wants to see this!”

Haver Square was not far from here.

I hesitated as the sky was already getting dark.

“Blanche. Let’s go see the festival when it’s daylight.”

“But Shu Shu wants to see it now…”

Blanche seemed to have been looking forward to the Ice Festival and shrank back, looking dejected.

“If she wants to see it that badly, we could go for a short while.”

Jade, who had been watching this, readily suggested.

“Really? Wow, Your Excellency is the best!”

Jade said it was fine, and it was difficult to say no to the excited Blanche.

When we moved to Haver Square, the entrance was already crowded with many people.

“Mommy, the sculptures are so big that Shu Shu can’t see them all!”

Massive sculptures made solidly of ice were on display.

“Sugar-coated, sweet and delicious fruit skewers for sale!”

“Try our freshly roasted chicken!”

The neatly arranged shops emitting delicious smells were just like in the old days.

“It! Smells! So! Good!”

Blanche swallowed her saliva, wiggling her nose.

“Blanche, is there anything you want to eat?”

“Fruit skewers!”

I moved towards the fruit skewer stand with Blanche.

“One, please.”

“Here you go! That’ll be two copper coins.”

As I heard the price and was about to pay, Jade handed a gold coin to the shop owner.

“Th-this is enough to buy all the fruit skewers in our shop. And, um, it’s difficult to give change for a gold coin…”

“Tip.”

At that short syllable, the troubled shop owner’s face brightened.

“Thank you! Would you like a few more?”

“No, it’s fine.”

I wasn’t particularly hungry either, and Jade didn’t really like sweet things.

The owner, looking a bit disappointed, chose the largest fruit skewer and gave it to Blanche.

“It’s so yummy!”

Watching Blanche happily eating her fruit skewer, the shop owner said,

“You must be very happy to have such a cute daughter, mother and father.”

“There seems to be a misunderstanding…”

The shop owner, not hearing my words, continued his praise uninterrupted.

“Of course, your daughter is also blessed to have such caring parents! Well then, have a great time, haha!”

It felt awkward to keep denying, so I left the shop with an uncomfortable smile.

‘Daughter, mother, father…’

I rolled the terms the shop owner had used over and over in my mouth.

They weren’t incorrect terms. Blanche was Jade’s daughter, and we were indeed Blanche’s parents.

‘We must have looked like a happy family enjoying the festival together.’

Of course, the bitterness lingered, knowing that it would be difficult to become the harmonious family those terms suggested.

“Mommy, do you want some?”

“Blanche, you eat a lot.”

“Aww, but it’s so delicious… Then, how about you, Your Excellency?”

I was sure Jade would refuse. The sugar-coated fruit skewer smelled sweet from afar, and he despised sweet things.

“Blanche, His Excellency won’t-”

Jade bent down and took a bite of the fruit skewer in Blanche’s hand.

“It’s sweet.”

Jade frowned as he chewed the fruit.

“Your Excellency, you don’t like sweet things? Then why did you eat it?”

“Because you offered it to me.”

“Hehe, do you want some more?”

“…No.”

Blanche, who was puzzled at first, now enjoyed teasing Jade.

I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

Jade was fastidious and never ate food sold on the street.

‘Mm, ice cream eaten at the Ice Festival in winter is indeed the best. It feels like my body and tongue are about to freeze.’

‘Larien. Aren’t you cold?’

‘What are you talking about! Ice cream is meant to be eaten when it’s cold. Jade, you should have some too.’

‘No thanks. Street food isn’t very hygienic. How do you know what it’s made of? You should only eat a little and throw the rest away.’

When I bought ice cream at this Ice Festival, Jade had grimaced, saying the hygiene was poor.

‘He didn’t even refuse and ate it right away…’

The once unchanging Jade was changing because of Blanche.

I wonder if this is a good thing. We can’t be together forever, so we’ll have to part ways someday.

“Your Excellency. Shu Shu is hungry. Please buy me ice cream!”

Blanche, who had received a gold coin from Jade, ran to the ice cream stand.

“You always ate ice cream for dessert too, and she’s just the same.”

Jade smiled as he watched Blanche swallowing her saliva while standing in the long line.