At Servant Raymond’s words, Ariel began to slowly climb the stairs.

Yesterday, her body was busy, but her mind was filled with thoughts of Kaius. No matter how she looked at it, it was her who was regretful, not him. So she had to sort out her feelings as quickly as possible. No, there was nothing to sort out – it was a simple matter.

When weighing the precious new life she had been given against what he wanted, it was clear which side carried more weight, and she had concluded that she needed to grant it.

However, while her head knew this, it would take time for her heart to accept it.

“Haah…”

“Lady Ariel, is it because of what happened downstairs? If so, I’ll go in with you. It was all my doing.”

Ariel’s tension eased a bit at the sight of Anna’s brave demeanor, ready to open the door right away.

“No. It’s not because of that. Anna. Wait here.”

Apologize for biting yesterday, request the bill, and ask for the key first, saying she’ll pay back the money as soon as possible.

After rehearsing once more what she needed to do at the door, Ariel knocked on the study door without hesitation. Kaius slowly rose from his seat, putting down the bill at the sound of her expected knock.

Unexpectedly, the face he encountered when he opened the door was brighter than he had anticipated.

As Kaius made way with a strange smile, Ariel lightly passed by him and sat down on the sofa. By the time she noticed the bill placed on the sofa, Kaius had closed the door and sat down across from her.

As Ariel was about to apologize, her gaze turned to his hand. She frowned involuntarily, remembering how hard she had bitten. Kaius, who was about to pour tea, chuckled at her expression.

“Are you dissatisfied that my fingers are fine?”

It took Ariel a moment to understand the meaning of those words. She had felt sorry, but he seemed to have misunderstood.

Well. The time that had passed was enough for him to become this sarcastic. Since arriving at the Duke’s mansion, she had been constantly clashing with him.

“No. That’s not it. I’m really sorry about yesterday. And I told Madam Bella to pretend she didn’t see it. I got her promise too.”

But I hope it won’t happen again in the future.

She wanted to say this too, but she swallowed those words quietly. This was a place to make a request now.

“As you can see, my fingers are fine, so that’s enough apology. More importantly, do you still feel the same about the greenhouse?”

Ariel’s eyes, which had been full of apology, changed instantly at the mention of the greenhouse.

“Can I take this?”

Ariel’s eyes widened as she checked the bill she had pulled towards herself.

How could the cost be this much…

The bill had an amount far exceeding her expectations. The items were listed in detail, looking flawless and perfect. Kaius leaned back on the sofa and crossed his arms leisurely, as if savoring Ariel’s surprised face.

It was going to happen according to his intentions anyway.

“If you change your mind even now, tell me. You can tear up that bill yourself.”

“No! I’ll pay it back. I’ll pay it back as soon as possible, so please give me the greenhouse key first. I’ll manage it from now on.”

Kaius slightly raised the corners of his lips in a smile and picked up the teapot without answering. After pouring the tea himself, he pushed the teacup towards Ariel.

“Drink.”

Wanting to receive the greenhouse key quickly, Ariel drank the tea in one gulp as soon as it had cooled enough. His mood didn’t seem too bad, so it felt like he might give in.

“The key… Can you give it now?”

Ariel’s eyes stared intently at him as she cautiously spoke. It was a gaze mixed with expectation and pleading. Kaius let out a chuckle at her attitude, so different from when she had coldly rejected his kindness before. Ariel’s cheeks flushed red in response.

How unable she was to hide her feelings.

Pouring another cup of tea, Kaius quietly gazed at her. He had intended to hand over the key, but he didn’t want to give it up easily. He didn’t mean to force anything like the day before, but he also didn’t want to move according to her wishes so easily.

Ariel, who had drunk the tea in one gulp again, decided to ask him once more. Her pride was hurt, but now that she had already become pitiful, she had to get the key by any means necessary.

“…Duke?”

He frowned slightly.

“Kaius.”

“Pardon?”

“Call me by my name.”

He now knew for certain.

That Ariel was a woman who stubbornly and frustratingly insisted only on things she didn’t want. And how much she wanted to receive the key now. Judging by her attitude over the past few days, if not for his request now, she might have called him Duke for an entire year.

Kaius, staring blankly at Ariel, moistened his lips with the teacup. As the tea touched them, his red lips became even more vivid.

“…Kaius.”

As his name was called between Ariel’s hesitant lips, Kaius’s hand holding the teacup involuntarily tightened. It was just a name, but the image of the woman obediently following his will was more satisfying than he had thought. Seeing the corners of his lips lift slightly, Ariel hurriedly added, as if this was her chance.

“Delicious steak, tea good for insomnia, and fragrance. These are things you can enjoy in the future when the greenhouse is normalized.”

The appearance of watching his mood until just now was nowhere to be seen.

“I’ve been curious, how did you know I have insomnia?”

From the past…

“That… I hired someone for money. If it’s unpleasant, I’m sorry. But I didn’t do it with bad intentions. I just wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help you.”

“You said you respected me, it seems you were sincere.”

“Th-that’s right!”

She nodded her head vigorously as she earnestly explained.

“I respect you. Sincerely.”

Now her eyes shone brightly as she looked at him. Kaius laughed softly, impressed by her effort.

“So… the key, definitely today.”

Kaius, having decided to give the key now, slowly rose from the sofa. He was relaxed, knowing she wouldn’t be able to pay back the money anyway. As he placed the key he had taken from the desk drawer on her hand, clear joy filled her bright eyes.

“I’ll pay back the money as soon as possible. Thank you.”

Kaius became genuinely curious about how she would act when she couldn’t pay back the money.

Ariel’s face was very bright.

It was because she had resolved what she had aimed for without much trouble. Ariel, heading to her bedroom with a happy face, took out her safe deposit certificate and seal and handed them to Anna.

“Anna, go to the Tris safe right now and withdraw some money for me.”

“Why do you need money so suddenly?”

Ariel, holding the bill in one hand and the key in the other, held out the hand with the bill towards Anna.

“So as not to receive the greenhouse for free.”

Anna, unable to hide her disappointed expression, slowly took the bill. She had hoped that Lady Ariel, who tried to shoulder most things alone, would lean on the Duke a little. The Duke that Anna had observed seemed capable of accepting that sufficiently.

Not affectionate, but faithful to his role.

That’s how the Duke appeared to Anna. When she heard that he had built the greenhouse in advance, how happy she had been.

For an arranged marriage, that was already something.

It had been a moment when she felt relieved, thinking that the start of their relationship was better than expected. But the fact that she had already received a bill meant that the matter had not ended well.

“Anna? And…”

Just in case, Ariel made one more request.

“If possible, please make sure to get it.”

While Anna was gone, Ariel had the servants move the plants to the greenhouse. It was around the time Ariel was sending all the servants who had offered to help plant out of the greenhouse. Kaius, lighting a cigar, leaned against the study window and watched the scene. While the lower part of the greenhouse glass was opaque, the upper part was transparent, and from the third-floor study window, the inside was clearly visible.

“Such stubbornness.”

Kaius’s eyes were calm as he watched Ariel bustling about alone, as if she had some secret.

Digging holes with a trowel, planting plants, packing soil.

She was patiently carrying out each of these tedious tasks that servants would normally do. As Kaius’s chuckle mixed with the thin smoke from his cigar, there was a knock at the door.

Kaius’s eyes were a bit cold as he turned his gaze from the window.

“I’ve handled it as you instructed, Your Excellency.”

Kaius raised one eyebrow and tapped off his cigar ash at Lemon’s quiet report.

“As Your Excellency predicted, Miss Anna came to the safe and I confirmed that she returned empty-handed.”

Smoke flowed out between Kaius’s lips again as he tilted his chin slightly.

“But is it really necessary to go this far?”

Lemon, unable to hold back, finally asked.

Why, you ask? Well.

There was no particular reason. He had given her the bill because she wanted it, but he had no intention of letting Ariel insult him.

But he intended to let her try her best. And when she became unable to pay, she would politely accept what he gave. That would be enough.

“What about Duke Beloas?”

Lemon wanted to ask more, but he backed off at that point. If he had intended to answer, he would have done so already.

“As you suspected, he bought a mansion in Tris.”

Duke Beloas’s behavior was quite unusual. Judging by Ariel’s words and actions, they seemed to be merely work-related, but looking at Duke Beloas, their relationship seemed to be more than ordinary.

“Keep watching.”

“I’ve already taken care of that as well.”

Kaius tilted his chin once more, stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, and began to examine the dessert candidates that had come up from Kaldenbach. By the time he finished reviewing the documents, the western sky was turning red. As he stood up to go for a walk, his gaze unconsciously turned to the greenhouse again.

His gaze, about to turn away because Ariel was not visible, stopped in its tracks.

A woman with bright silver hair was slowly walking around inside.

Ha. Kaius’s eyes gradually narrowed as he looked at the scene, and a chuckle escaped his lips.