“Lewin?”
At my words, Lewin, who had been cradled in my arms, lifted his head and met my gaze.
Whether it was because he slept well at his own home, or used good soap and fragrances while washing, or perhaps because of his clothes, his face looked soft, smooth, and peach-like in its beauty.
“Can I go too?”
Lewin’s eyes sparkled brightly. But before I could answer, Iba shook her head.
“No, you can’t. Young Master has horseback riding lessons today. The horseback riding he loves so much!”
“…Hooong…”
“Hartmann was so upset yesterday because he couldn’t ride with you. He’s probably waiting eagerly again today!”
At Iba’s words, Lewin’s expression turned serious. It seemed he was contemplating whether to join his brother and mother for meals or go see the horse he loved.
Seeing a chubby-cheeked child in such deep contemplation was utterly endearing.
I leaned forward and kissed Lewin on the forehead.
“You’re going to look so, so cool riding the horse! Once your mom finishes her meal, we’ll head straight to the riding arena. Can you go ahead and wait for us?”
As soon as I finished speaking, Iba leaned down and whispered something to Lewin.
Lewin nodded eagerly.
“Okay! Then I’ll go ahead and wait!”
He jumped off the bed, scampered over, and approached another maid near the door.
Lewin held the maid’s hand tightly and looked back at me.
“Come quickly!”
“All right,” I said warmly, waving my hand. Once the door closed, Iba approached me, her eyes sparkling as brightly as Lewin’s.
“Isn’t Young Master just the cutest? He’s like a living angel!”
She then murmured to herself, covering her mouth.
“Ah, angels are supposed to be alive, aren’t they…”
I couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Then I asked the question that had been on my mind.
“But what exactly did you just say to Lewin?”
“To him? Oh! I encouraged him that since you’re going to watch, he should practice first to show off his best side.”
Iba grinned as she said this.
“So, to make sure Young Master doesn’t have to wait too long, shall we quickly get ready and head out?”
With Iba and the maids’ help, I carefully brushed my hair multiple times and pinned it up. I then wore a soft, pale green dress with delicate flowing lines, though I had no idea where it had come from.
“Wow…”
Iba gasped, staring at me. Embarrassed, I clasped my hands behind me and spun around. She then placed white lace gloves on my hands.
“I didn’t expect there would be a dress like this in the Duke’s mansion.”
“This was a favorite dress of the late Duchess,” Iba explained.
“They must have maintained it well.”
The lace, delicately stitched into the gloves and the hem of the dress, showed no signs of wear. The silk gleamed, and the translucent color hadn’t faded at all.
“Yes. Dresses handed down as symbols of the Duchess were carefully preserved over the years. In fact, this dress was originally worn by the Duke’s grandmother eighty years ago. At the time, the famous designer Arduno, who no one could surpass, personally crafted it in praise of the Duchess’s beauty.”
“Oh…”
This was a story not mentioned in the novel, and as a commoner, I would never have heard of it. Even at the Academy, social gossip and high-society stories were exclusively the domain of noble students.
Iba continued while adjusting my dress.
“Even back then, all lace had to be made by hand. Magical tools could help with fitting, but fine work still had to be done manually. That’s why the smaller and more intricate the lace, the more valuable it was.”
She added that while adding gemstones could enhance its brilliance, it also made the dress heavier, making lace even more desirable.
“I see.”
The more Iba spoke, the more anxious I felt. What if the delicate lace snagged or tore? How could I ever compensate for that? Even if I worked my whole life, could I ever repay such a loss?
Unaware of my darkening expression, Iba guided me carefully toward the south garden, where the glass greenhouse awaited.
The south garden was in full bloom with red and pink poppies and cornflowers. At the sight of poppies, I instinctively shivered, recalling the drug distribution that Dorien had been involved in.
But on closer inspection, the flowers in full bloom weren’t real poppies.
I let out a sigh of relief.
However, Iba seemed to have misunderstood my reaction.
“Don’t be so worried. The glass greenhouse is one of the Duke’s favorite places. Inviting you here means he’s already opened his heart quite a bit to you.”
Though my sigh wasn’t for that reason, I smiled at Iba’s thoughtfulness.
“Thanks. By the way, is it really that special a place?”
“Yes. The late Duke always had lunch there with his family when he was in a good mood. Young Master Lewin may not remember it well, but it holds fond memories for the Duke.”
Hearing that, I could easily imagine Dorien sitting alone at the table in the greenhouse, reminiscing about his family.
Sitting there, waiting for me.
I regretted not coming sooner. I walked carefully, mindful not to tear the lace on my dress against the branches, which slowed my pace.
By the time I reached the greenhouse, my hair and back were already soaked with sweat.
“You’ve been waiting, haven’t you?”
Guided by the maid and Iba, I sat across from Dorien.
“Not at all,” he said with a smile. I blinked, unsure if I had seen correctly.
Although not as radiant as when he smiled at Lewin, it was warmer and gentler than when I first met him.
As I stared blankly at him, he shook a golden bell placed on the mahogany table.
Immediately, a maid appeared, pulling a trolley. She placed plates from the top of the trolley in front of Dorien.
It was the appetizer marking the start of the formal meal. When the maid lifted the glass cover, I saw a shallow serving of soup.
Dorien smiled, a little embarrassed.
“I heard you like seafood.”
The soup looked similar to the crab soup I had in my previous life. Seeing the shredded crustacean meat stirred mixed feelings in me.
Seafood…
Being inland, we rarely had seafood. I only sought it out occasionally.
“It’s lobster.”
When I focused on the soup, Dorien spoke with a voice that seemed faintly proud.
Right. When else would I get to eat this? I never even tasted it in my past life, so I should enjoy it here.
I scooped up some soup with my spoon. I was grateful I had learned table manners at the Academy.
Though I had never used them outside of lessons, it was true what they said: knowledge comes in handy eventually.
I brought the spoon to my mouth.
And for the first time in a while, I could recall memories from my past life.
“You seem to like it,” Dorien said.
“Yes, the chef is quite skilled.”
I wiped my mouth with a napkin, trying to hide my flushed cheeks. I felt embarrassed for showing my enthusiasm for the food.
Dorien, however, looked satisfied.
The course meal consisted entirely of seafood dishes. Despite the high cost of seafood, none of the dishes skimped on ingredients.
I couldn’t believe it. Even in my past life, it was hard to eat so lavishly.
Moreover, this was a world based on a setting between medieval and early modern times. Though magical tools allowed fresh seafood in the capital, the cost could be as high as gold for certain kinds of seafood.
After all, seafood was the only ingredient transported using warp magic!
So I usually only managed to buy the cheapest ones when I had spare funds.
Once I carefully set down my napkin again, the maid brought tea and desserts.
The tea had a light orange hue.
“This is…”
“It’s tea imported from the Eastern Continent. They say it comes from a region with many crows where dragons were said to have once slept. A specialty of that area,” Dorien explained.
I recognized the tea immediately. Any café worker should know some varieties of tea.
This was unmistakably oolong tea.
I took a sip. The aroma filled my mouth instantly, refreshing me.
“I prepared this tea with flowers I thought you’d like,” Dorien said, lifting his own cup. Although oolong tea is famous for its floral notes, it wasn’t actually a flower tea.
I smiled faintly at his awkward attempt. He must have paid dearly for it.
Obtaining such high-grade tea from the little-known Eastern Continent, along with all the seafood, showed how attentive he had been since my abduction.
And he was so clumsy. Such a person is perfect for being taken advantage of.
I put down my teacup and studied Dorien carefully. His calm black hair and red eyes no longer felt ominous.
Someone who could admit a misunderstanding without stubbornness, apologize sincerely, tailor his actions to someone else’s tastes, and feel joy from small things…
And yet, someone only twenty years old shouldering so much.
I could not accept that Dorien was the hidden antagonist in the original story.
The man in front of me didn’t even look like a potential villain.
Could I watch passively as someone like him was betrayed, lost loved ones, suffered immense pain, and ultimately met ruin?
Though I was initially drawn in by the food, I couldn’t remain rational as I kept meeting Dorien’s sparkling gaze.
I decided then that I would reveal my secret to him.
