I Taught You Carefully, So Why Are You Obsessed?

“This weekend?”

Ian set down his spoon and asked again at my sudden suggestion.

I curved my lips into a smooth smile and nodded confidently at him.

“Yes.”

Of course, if it’s Ian, he would undoubtedly refuse, but today I was prepared with about ten reasons that he couldn’t say no to.

With the Aria newsletter paying so much attention to us, wouldn’t it be a waste to stay quiet?

‘Let’s see if you can run away from this.’

While I was getting ready to quickly counter his refusal, Ian spoke up.

“Alright, let’s do that.”

“I’m sure it’ll be a bother, but didn’t you say you’d spend weekends with me? Plus, there was the season party last time… what?”

“I said alright.”

I stopped my rapid-fire words and stared blankly with my mouth open.

In contrast, Ian had a look on his face as if asking why I was looking at him like that.

‘What’s up with this? Why is he being so compliant?’

Isn’t he supposed to ask for reasons, or say he’ll consider it after checking his schedule, like when we went to the season party?

His sudden change in attitude left me more confused.

‘Is he really going to die soon?’

While I was busy with unnecessary thoughts, Ian continued to look at me intently.

Every time he blinked slowly, the morning sunlight streaming through the large windows made his blue-violet eyes glisten brilliantly.

And even now, his good looks were no joke.

“Is there a problem?”

“…No, it’s not really a problem.”

“Good. Let me know which day and time is suitable over the weekend, and I’ll keep it free.”

As if the conversation was over, he picked up his spoon again.

Still bewildered as I watched him, I said

“Um… I haven’t even told you the destination yet.”

“So?”

“What if I ask you to go somewhere strange?”

At my question, Ian nonchalantly took a bite of his sorbet.

“It doesn’t matter where.”

‘…Anywhere?’

It might sound quite sweet at first, but knowing Ian as well as I did, I understood.

This just meant he wasn’t too fond of the idea of going out in the first place, so the location didn’t matter much to him.
To prove that, Ian’s expression was as indifferent as could be.

‘Well… I guess that’s still progress.’

I didn’t know what he was planning, but either way, it wasn’t a bad sign for me.

If Ian acted this compliantly with Diana as he was with me now, the two of them would get closer much faster.

Nodding to myself, I started eating the half-melted sorbet.

Then, suddenly, I looked up and found myself taken aback again.

“…Hmm?”

Ian, who had already finished his meal, wasn’t getting up from his seat and was staring at me blankly.

‘What, what is it?’

If you’re done eating, then go.

“Is there… something you want to say?”

“No.”

He then closed his mouth again and just continued to look at me.

‘…No way.’

Is he waiting for me to finish eating?

After hesitating for a moment, I looked back and forth between the sorbet and Ian’s face before putting the last spoonful in my mouth and setting down the dessert spoon.

“……”

Then Ian adjusted his clothes and slowly stood up.

As he casually wiped his mouth, I screamed internally.

‘He really was waiting!’

By then, Ian had pushed in his chair and was once again looking at me blankly.

His blatant gaze brushed over my cheeks.

As I rolled my eyes slightly to meet his gaze, he gave a slight nod.

“Well then…”

“……”

“Have a good day, madam.”

With that, he turned and left the dining hall.

I watched his back as he walked away and found myself frozen in place, unable to move for a while.

❖ ❖ ❖

Time passed diligently, and soon the weekend arrived.

When I mentioned that I planned to go out to the bustling shopping district on Saturday morning, Ian readily responded with a simple “Alright.” The news that the Duke and I were going out together spread quickly throughout the entire mansion, causing the servants to buzz with excitement about their master and mistress.

Come to think of it, from the season party escort to a weekend outing in the bustling district, it seemed there wasn’t a more stimulating topic for them.

Early in the morning, Vivi, leading a group of maids, barged into my bedroom, smiling brightly as she led me to the dressing room.

“My lady, the weather is wonderful today, isn’t it?”

“You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Of course! Everyone is excited about the master and mistress!”

I feigned ignorance and asked while looking at a beaming Vivi.

“The servants?”

“Yes, everyone is so excited, wondering if you two are finally becoming a real couple.”

“You make it sound like we weren’t really a couple until now, Vivi.”

“Oh, I-I’m so sorry! That was a slip of the tongue…”

Seeing Vivi quickly turn pale and bow her head, I laughed lightly.

“I’m just teasing. It’s understandable.”

“M-My lady…”

“It’s good news to hear, so if you come across such talk, do let me know. As always, no one will be punished.”

At my generous attitude, Vivi nodded slightly.

“Y-Yes, I’ll do that.”

The reactions of the servants reflect the reactions of the social circles and the entire empire.

The reason for going out with Ian to the crowded shopping district, not waiting for the Empress’s birthday celebration in two months, was simple.

Publicity is proportional to exposure.

‘Everyone was skeptical about Ian’s appearance at the season party.’

When people are still in doubt, if Ian and I make an appearance in the bustling district, public opinion will shift more quickly. More importantly…

‘I’m curious how the Aria newsletter will react this time.’

No matter how much I think about it, I really want that newsletter.

In the world I was from, the 21st-century South Korea, there were so-called named influencers on SNS. Groups with common interests tend to follow the opinions of these named individuals, and when such trends converge, they form public opinion.
Incidentally, the named individuals in this novel’s fandom were all die-hard fans of Ian Cloud.

‘Just thinking about being cyberbullied by those guys still makes my blood boil…’

Anyway.

If you get on the wrong side of these named individuals, it becomes quite troublesome, but conversely, if you win over just one, swaying public opinion is easy.

In this era without SNS, the Aria newsletter is a named that holds a tight grip on public opinion and can stir the social circles with just one issue.

Isn’t that exactly what the Aria newsletter is?

‘If only I could find out the identity of the writer, I could probably win them over.’

However, there was too little information. The articles were written completely anonymously, and unlike other newspapers, they didn’t accept contributions.

‘Well, if I hang around enough, they’ll eventually give me something to work with.’

They say no tail can’t be caught in this world, right?

Of course, all this is secondary, and the most important thing in this outing is Ian’s education.

While I was lost in my shallow thoughts, Vivi and the maids finished dressing me up and stepped back.

I stood in front of the mirror, admiring the bright yellow dress, and asked,

“Vivi, I don’t recall seeing this dress before.”

“Oh, that! Madame Zed sent it yesterday as a special summer release!”

“Madame Zed did?”

How long has it been since I had my dress altered for the party, and she already has a new release? Isn’t she supposed to be working on the Princess’ dress these days?

“Yes, and she also asked me to tell you that you’re always her number one client.”

I couldn’t help but let out a small sigh at Vivi’s words.

‘I do like Madame Zed’s loyalty.’

In the later part of the story, when Madame Zed opens her heart to Diana, she stands by her firmly despite all the controversy.

This loyalty she shows me will soon be directed toward Diana.

‘Diana! While you’re not here, I’ll work hard to win them over, so you just walk the flowery path!’

Satisfied, I swayed the hem of my dress and smiled.

“I should head down now.”

“Yes, my lady! I’ll serve you with all my heart today as well!”

After getting ready, I headed downstairs. As I descended the stairs, I saw Ian waiting for me in the lobby, just like last time.

Sensing my presence, he turned around.

“My lady.”

“Have you been waiting long?”

Ian instinctively opened his mouth to respond but hesitated before shaking his head.

“…I just got here.”

He extended his hand to me.

“Shall we go?”

♧♧♧

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