I Taught You Carefully, So Why Are You Obsessed?

The Mary Marquess family had already secured a stronghold in one of the main street’s large dress shops. And yet, they had reached out to us.

‘Since it’s the Marquess’s daughter and not the Marquess herself who made the inquiry, this isn’t an official move from the family.’

Was Lady Mary sixteen this year?

Young ladies around that age are particularly sensitive to trends, so she was likely influenced by her peers.

It seemed that the Princess’s movements had become quite the hot topic among the younger noblewomen.

‘I thought there’d be no chance to build a connection with the Marquess family after siding with Countess Olsen last time…’

But it seemed there was an opportunity to forge a not-so-bad relationship with them after all.

The Mary Marquess family might be loyalists to the Emperor, but they were part of a passive, moderate faction, tending towards neutrality.

‘It might be worth speaking with them at the upcoming birthday celebration.’

Satisfied, I nodded and focused on getting my measurements taken.

But the peace didn’t last long.

Madame Zed, who was taking my measurements, suddenly gasped, her eyes widening in shock.

“Your Grace! Why have you lost so much weight? Your measurements are almost half of what they were last time!”

“Hm? Really?”

“You were already slim! How much stress have you been under for your measurements to decrease by half? If you lose too much weight, the clothes won’t fit well at all!”

She was making a huge fuss as if the sky had fallen.

I had indeed been going through a rough time lately—was that why I’d lost weight?

“This won’t do. For the time being, you need to focus on eating well and resting properly.”

Unlike me, who remained indifferent, Madame Zed’s expression grew serious as she meticulously examined my body, her brow furrowed in deep concern.

“You’re too thin right now, and I’ll have to adjust all your measurements by half. But at this rate, by the time of the Princess’s birthday, the dress might end up being too small. It would be best to take new measurements in a week. By then, I expect you to recover some of your weight!”

“…Is it really that bad?”

Madame Zed’s face crumpled with worry.

“Of course it is! I was worried when you mentioned being unwell, but I didn’t expect you to have lost so much weight. I’ll take your measurements for now, but we’ll have to hold off on making the dress. I’ll visit the duchy next week to remeasure you.”

Her rapid-fire speech made it clear she wasn’t going to budge.

Oh no, this was a problem.

I had come all the way here to escape Ian, expecting the measuring and fabric selection to take at least three hours. But now, it looked like I’d be heading home in less than two.

I glanced around and gave her an awkward smile.

“Um, could we perhaps just finish everything today?”

“No, we cannot! As your personal seamstress, I cannot allow this to stand!”

Madame Zed’s eyes sparkled with determination.

She was resolute.

I let out a sigh of defeat.

‘Of course, this is Madame Zed, after all.’

She was someone who held unyielding principles when it came to clothes and her clients.

As soon as I remembered that, I knew I wouldn’t win this argument. Raising my hands in surrender, I backed down.

“…Alright, I’ll see you next week then.”

“Yes, and please make sure to take care of yourself until then!”

To think I would be getting nagged at by Madame Zed of all people.

Sighing in resignation, I left the fitting room, looking dejected after barely ten minutes.

Vivi, waiting outside, widened her eyes in surprise.

“My lady, what happened?”

“It seems it’s impossible to have the dress made today. We’ll have to take the measurements again next time.”

“Did Madame Zed say that?”

Vivi examined me closely, nodding in agreement with a thoughtful hum.

“Well, you have lost quite a bit of weight after being sick for a few days.”

I sighed deeply and glanced at the clock hanging in the shop.

“So, Vivi, do you know of any place where we can pass the time?”

❖ ❖ ❖

Vivi led me to a dessert café about a ten-minute walk away.

Once we arrived, her eyes lit up with excitement.

“The strawberry mousse cake here is amazing! On weekends or evenings, there’s usually a long line, but it looks like it’s not too crowded right now.”

As Vivi said, although it wasn’t packed to the point of having to wait in line, the café was still quite busy despite the early afternoon.

Vivi went off to place the order, and I was led by a server to a scenic spot on the terrace.

I had just begun sipping the iced tea that had been served ahead of the cake when I heard a familiar voice.

“Your Grace, the Duchess?”

Turning my head, I was surprised to see an unexpected figure standing before me.

“Duke Hayden Roger?”

“It’s good to see you here,”

Duke Roger said with a bright smile, bowing his head slightly.

He was holding a boxed dessert, likely having just come from the counter.

“What brings you here?”

“Ah, Lady Helaise—Countess Olsen—is quite fond of the desserts from this place.”

“Ah, how is the Countess? I haven’t had a chance to check in on her since then.”

“She’s doing much better now, thank you.”

Duke Roger replied with a charming smile, but his expression soon shifted, his brows furrowing as he cautiously asked,

“But more importantly, Your Grace, are you alright? I was thinking of sending you a letter….”

He fidgeted nervously, glancing me over like a worried puppy.

“So you’ve heard, I take it.”

“There isn’t anyone in the capital who hasn’t. I’ve been quite concerned as well.”

“No need to worry. If I weren’t well, I wouldn’t be out and about like this, would I?”

I answered calmly and shifted my gaze from Duke Roger, scanning the surroundings instead. More than anything, I was cautious about whether anyone was watching us. After being featured in the newsletter once, I couldn’t help but be wary of being seen talking with him alone again.

Things were finally starting to work in my favor; I couldn’t afford to mess it up now.

Thankfully, this spot was a little isolated and focused on the view, so no one seemed to be paying attention to us.

“I’m glad to see you like this. Honestly, after the last article in the newsletter, I thought you would avoid me,”

Roger’s voice suddenly broke through my thoughts, catching me off guard.

“Well…”

It was true that I was still being cautious.

But at least it wouldn’t be a big headline in Aria’s newsletter this time.

That much was a relief, considering the newsletter’s current writer was essentially my pigeon now.

I glanced briefly at the ruby ring Kyle had given me on my left index finger and answered with composure.

“There’s no reason to avoid a chance encounter. It seems most of the misunderstandings from the last newsletter have been cleared up.”

To be frank, if Kyle hadn’t been swayed by money and gotten that encounter published in the first place, the meeting with Duke Roger wouldn’t have blown up as it did.

It could have ended as just a casual lunch between two acquaintances.

Though, of course, Roger had been quite overly kind, smiling like I was some delicate wildflower.

Lost in my thoughts, I was brought back to reality when Roger apologized with a somber expression.

“And about last time… I’m truly sorry. I was too eager to win Your Grace’s favor.”

“Next time, let’s meet with the Grand Duke present. It’ll clear up any misunderstandings.”

At my suggestion, he hesitated for a moment before softening his sharp green eyes and smiling warmly.

“Yes, if that’s alright with you, I’d like that. I never wanted to grow distant from you, Your Grace.”

I watched him with curiosity.

‘Why is he being so proactive about getting close? Is there a reason for all this effort?’

Just as I began to feel something was off, his eyes slowly lowered, then lifted back up to meet mine, his face striking as ever.

“In any case, I’m glad to see you healthy. When I heard about your sudden injury during your vacation, I was terribly worried.”

“Was it really something to worry about?”

“Of course. It concerns a friend.”

He placed an odd emphasis on the word ‘friend,’ as if to remind me of our conversation during our previous meeting.

I smirked slightly.

“Well, thank you for your concern.”

Duke Roger stared at me for a moment before adding,

“I heard the culprits were dealt with on the spot.”

“I owe my life to the Grand Duke. It seems, though, that the masterminds haven’t been caught yet.”

“There was a high-ranking circle mage involved. It won’t be easy to track them down. It must have been dangerous; I’m glad you’re safe.”

“…The newsletter didn’t mention anything about mages, though.”

Roger raised his hands in a gesture of apology.

“Please don’t misunderstand. I hear things. His Majesty even gathered the nobles and issued a subtle warning about the incident.”

“Hmm, I see.”

I nodded slowly, understanding.

‘He’s been paying quite a bit of attention to me lately.’

‘Is this why Ian warned me to be cautious?’

I realized that keeping a reasonable distance from Duke Roger, regardless of his character, wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“His Majesty said that once the culprits are found, they will be severely punished. It seems everyone’s on edge because of that. I haven’t seen him so angry in a long time.”

It seemed the atmosphere in the imperial circle was more tense than I had anticipated.

No wonder, since this was Ian’s first family trip since inheriting the Grand Duke’s title.

The fact that someone had ruined that must have deeply angered the Emperor.

Duke Roger’s usual gentle expression shifted slightly as he added,

“His Majesty has always been particularly sensitive when it comes to matters involving the Grand Duke. He’s been that way since childhood. He’s always been very kind.”

His tone was strangely thoughtful, but before I could dwell on it, Duke Roger smiled brightly.

“Anyway, I’m just relieved that both of you are safe.”

“Indeed.”

Roger then stood and courteously kissed the back of my hand.

“I would love to stay longer, but I have a prior engagement with Countess Olsen. I should be going now.”

“Ah, of course. I hope I haven’t kept you from your plans.”

“Not at all. It was a pleasure to see you.”

He stepped back, taking a moment to smile warmly.

“I suppose I’ll see you at the Princess’s birthday celebration. May I look forward to it?”

“Yes, we’ll meet soon enough.”

With my cheerful reply, Duke Roger grinned and walked away.

Propping my chin on my hand, I watched his retreating figure, then took another sip of tea.

❖ ❖ ❖

Time passed, and the day of the Princess’s birthday celebration finally arrived.

“My lady!!!”

The Grand Duke’s residence was in an uproar from early morning.

 

♧♧♧

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