Eight days have already passed out of the ten days allowed. As the time to leave approached, Gideon became anxious. The great regret of leaving without winning Charlotte’s heart held him back.

It wasn’t that there had been no dates with Charlotte during the past time.

When forced to walk together in the garden due to Duke Baitness’s pressure, she stuck to short answers like yes, no, I don’t know.

The answers were similar when asking Duke Baitness.

There were only cryptic responses like yes, probably not, I’m not sure about that. It was a somewhat different reaction from the letter content saying he considered him like a blood brother.

But he decided to understand Duke Baitness, thinking that if someone asked about his own brother, his answers would follow a similar trajectory.

In the end, he was frustrated that it might end without obtaining even a little information about Charlotte or hints to develop the relationship.

“Well, a good method… Ah!”

Then the face that struck like lightning served as the key to the anxious journey.

“Wouldn’t Eveline know something? She’s a woman too and they’ve reconciled. She’ll be more helpful than the Duke. Eveline must know a lot.”

Not letting go of his last hope, Gideon immediately called a servant to find a suitable place to meet with Eveline, chose an appropriate time, and asked to have it delivered as is.

As it was his last chance, Gideon had no choice but to stake everything on Eveline.

***

Vivian, who was mending the hole in Theo’s dress, put down her needle at Charlotte’s lingering voice.

After the mansion’s owner changed, she couldn’t sell her embroidery for various reasons. So there was a lot of accumulated embroidery, but even if she sold it all, it would barely make a dent in the debt owed to the Duke.

Charlotte’s words painfully hit the mark.

Selling embroidery to pay off debt doesn’t make sense. But simply waiting for mother to return from Preston couldn’t be the solution either.

I need to earn money. I need money. But how? How does one earn money?

Following these questions, Maria’s voice, old enough that even hurt and disappointed feelings had dissolved, floated over her consciousness.

‘Noble young ladies in need of money sometimes make and sell embroidery. Why don’t you try making and selling embroidery too, young lady? Sell it to the villagers. With Mr. Evans’ help. That’s how you earn money to buy food.’

That cruel child, while sewing her only dress, taught how to earn money. The next day, Maria took all the remaining money and jewelry, and Vivian had to make and sell embroidery as the child advised.

Becoming more depressed by thoughts of Maria, Vivian ended up not even patching the dress. Like a misstep sinking into a swamp, she let out a calm and composed sigh as if merely waiting for death.

To such a Vivian came unexpected news.

The news that Baron Zimmerman requested a meeting was both understandable yet puzzling.

***

It was puzzling because she had never had a meaningful conversation with him during his stay at the mansion, and understandable because of Charlotte.

Charlotte had stabbed countless times with the worst and most painful words, but Vivian didn’t resent her. After her parents disappeared and even Maria left her side, it wasn’t the first time painful rumors had followed her like a shadow.

She believed Charlotte hadn’t apologized yet because the resentment from that day hadn’t been resolved. Moreover, facing an unwanted marriage, it was understandable for her to be sensitive.

After erasing the hatred, Vivian became worried about Charlotte’s future. Though she couldn’t say her situation was similar to Charlotte’s, choosing a marriage partner was the second most important thing in a woman’s life after having children.

For Vivian, who had barely made her debut in society, even knowing she was a nobleman on the path to ruin, black-hearted men who coveted the heiress’s vast inheritance reached out with crude hands.

Until then, she had even imagined meeting a man who would truly love her, like in a fairy tale, but when rumors spread that King Mayer coveted the only daughter of the Eveline family as his mistress, even the crows who had eyed her inheritance suddenly disappeared.

She regretted that choosing someone who coveted her inheritance might have been a relatively cleaner choice, but it was already too late.

“The reason I requested to see you separately, young lady, is…”

The start of the meeting at the pergola in the rear garden was good. What influenced the favorability towards the Baron was the modestly prepared tea table.

It was an ironic situation where the favorability towards the Baron had increased thanks to the terror Edwin had recently bestowed.

The Baron maintained a high level of etiquette and manners from the moment of the meeting. That made quite an impression, which was the reason for praising Edwin despite not wanting to say anything good about him.

“It’s almost time for me to leave, but I haven’t had a proper conversation with Miss Windler. So I thought Miss Eveline might be able to help, and took the liberty despite the rudeness.”

Moreover, recently, when an anecdote about the Duchess of Denison, who had risen to become the queen of high society, struggling to reserve a carriage was published even in tabloids, the Zimmerman carriage company reaped the benefits of publicity and gained even greater fame. Conversely, the Duchess of Denison couldn’t avoid looking foolish.

“You may not know, but Miss Windler and I are scheduled to marry by the Duke’s wishes. However, if Miss Windler insists on not marrying until the end, I don’t intend to marry.”

With wealth, social reputation, and noble status, plus carefully considering Charlotte’s opinion which he didn’t have to ask about, Baron Zimmerman could be called the best husband material.

“But I’ve fallen in love with Miss Windler and want to somehow win her heart.”

The Baron rubbed his sweaty palms on his thighs under the table.

“Is there anything Miss Windler likes or preferences, or things that could capture her heart?”

There was no malice in his pure and earnest eyes. As trust increased with his honest and upright gaze, Vivian hoped Charlotte would marry this man.

But she was stumped from the first question. Although it seemed she had clashed with Charlotte for quite some time, if not a long time, Vivian also didn’t know Charlotte’s preferences or likes.

Is there no way? After pondering, Vivian made a big decision and opened her mouth.

“Could you give me a little time?”

Vivian put determination in her eyes.

“I don’t know much about Miss Windler either. But I want to help you, Baron. It’s hard to coldly turn away someone so earnest. So I’ll help you express your feelings to Miss Windler before you leave tomorrow.”

Vivian smiled reassuringly at him. Soon, a bright smile spread across the Baron’s face as well.

“If you would do that, I’d be more than grateful. I won’t forget this kindness.”

At the end of the cordial conversation, the sound of footsteps approaching from afar drew both their gazes across the long corridor. The first thing that filled Vivian’s vision was a man stretching his long legs comfortably as he walked through the rising heat haze.

Vivian’s lips stiffened only when she reached the blue eyes of the man who had tucked a mask into his side and held a fencing sword in his other hand.

Upon confirming his face, the curve of her emotions plummeted sharply.

He said he fences with Mr. Royce at this time.

She blamed her forgetfulness for not remembering that fact.

“I apologize, Your Grace. I didn’t properly check Your Grace’s schedule. I was having an in-depth conversation with Miss Eveline. We’ll move right away.”

Vivian also stood up, following the voice that was respectful to Edwin. Being polite wasn’t difficult. The fact that it was something that had to be done even if uncomfortable was something that often followed her in Preston as well.

“It’s fine. Please continue.”

Edwin’s eyes turned to Vivian as he smiled coolly. Edwin’s head tilted crookedly as he looked down at the stained dress.

“That’s a pretty dress.”

Vivian looked down at her own dress in dismay. Calling the beige dress pretty, whose stains wouldn’t come out no matter how much it was washed, was undoubtedly mockery.

“…Thank you.”

The fact that she hadn’t been able to meet those blue eyes once since encountering Edwin felt uneasy yet provided a slight pleasure. It was the maximum rebellion she could offer him.

“Then continue your conversation. We’ll focus on sword practice. And Miss Eveline.”

Edwin’s call that she had hoped wouldn’t come down was inevitably directed at Vivian.

“Miss Eveline, stay. Even after the conversation is over.”

“…Why?”

Her raised eyes brushed past Edwin’s blue ones. Her questioning voice clearly conveyed her intention to refuse.

“I have something to say.”

But such intentions passed by indifferently, as if of no interest at all. The two men headed towards the end of the rear garden, and Baron Zimmerman sat down. Vivian, snapping out of her momentary daze, also took a seat.

Gideon turned his head to look at Edwin and Royce behind him. The sports of strong and young men were always full of vitality.

“Life is so unfair, isn’t it? It’s amazing and frustrating that there exist people who lack nothing. Of course, it must have been difficult for Your Grace to get here, but sometimes even with the same effort, the results can be different.”

Gideon captured Edwin warming up with eyes full of admiration and a bit of envy. After exhaling a thin breath filled with regret and lingering attachment, he withdrew his persistent gaze and turned his eyes to reality.

But this time, Vivian’s mind was preoccupied with something. Only, he couldn’t identify what it was.

Her dazed eyes were just staring at the pattern on the tablecloth, making Gideon wonder if there was something else there that he couldn’t see, so he also looked down at the pattern.

But convinced that it was just a dizzying pattern, he shook his head.

“Miss?”

“Um.”

Vivian, who had gone on a picnic outside the universe following the pattern, opened her mouth. Yet her gray eyes still seemed dreamy, as if not having returned to reality.

“How does one earn money?”

Though her tone was solemn, it wasn’t a question befitting a noble young lady, so he wondered if it was a joke or some kind of test.

“I don’t know anything about money, so I want to earn money but don’t know how. But I thought someone like you, Baron, would know how even someone like me could earn money.”

The reason he was convinced it wasn’t a test was because of the sincere look in her eyes filled with determination and her desperate voice.

Someone who had started from the bottom and made it this far should be able to recognize the look in the eyes of someone who wants money, even with their eyes closed.

“How much do you want to earn?”

“…Why do you ask?”

“Because my answer will differ depending on the target amount.”

A solemn weight permeated his neat smile. The voice, opposite to when discussing Charlotte, raised trustworthiness, and Vivian, seeing it as evidence of responding to her desperation, moistened her dry lips.

Her gray eyes glanced from the simple table to the man cutting through the air effortlessly. With his exceptionally tall height immediately drawing attention, he was clearly distinguishable even with a mask on.

“30,000 mori.”

The amount of money that finally leapt out of her mouth and took clear shape made the time spent diligently embroidering meaningless. It felt like being hit in the head again by a stone thrown by Charlotte.