“These are the maids who will be serving Lady Renee from now on.”
The next morning, Catherine came to see me with the new maids.
It wasn’t particularly surprising to see Erin among them—I already knew about it in advance.
But when I saw the familiar face standing next to Erin, I couldn’t help but call out her name.
“Cecile?”
“Oh my, does Lady Renee know this maid as well?”
It wasn’t Cecile who answered me—it was Amelia. I nodded and gave a brief explanation.
“Yes. Before she became Young Master Edwin’s nanny, we would occasionally run into each other… I suppose.”
We weren’t close, but we weren’t exactly strangers either.
I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should say that in front of Cecile, but she probably didn’t mind.
Come to think of it, Cecile was the only one who had given me clear advice about Raynan.
“Try to avoid catching the Duke’s attention as much as possible. He hates unnecessary trouble.”
She had even told me about the rumors spreading among the maids because I kept appearing in front of Raynan.
“Since you already know each other, I won’t bother with introductions. If anything makes you uncomfortable, please let me know anytime.”
As soon as Catherine finished speaking, Erin smiled brightly and responded politely.
“I will serve Lady Renee well so that she feels at ease.”
Cecile didn’t add anything special, just bowed her head in greeting. Both of them greeted me in their own way.
“Um… I’ll be in your care.”
Since their faces were familiar, the discomfort didn’t go away so easily. But it seemed like I was the only one feeling that way.
Erin and Cecile didn’t appear to be bothered at all.
“Lady Renee?”
“Yes?”
I had been absentmindedly responding to greetings when I heard Catherine’s voice calling me.
I answered instinctively and turned to her, only to find her looking at me with a strict expression.
“Do you remember what I told you before? I mentioned that there would come a time when you shouldn’t use honorifics with me.”
“Oh… right.”
“That time is now. You need to speak to me more casually.”
“Okay. I mean… yeah.”
“And also, you must not treat Erin like a friend, as you did in the past.”
“Yeah.”
Even though I was speaking casually while Catherine remained formal, it still felt like she was scolding me.
“Since your position has changed, you need to—”
Ah, so I was getting scolded.
My suspicion was confirmed when Amelia interrupted Catherine.
“Catherine.”
At the weight in Amelia’s voice, Catherine flinched slightly.
“Yes, Lady Amelia.”
“That’s not something for you to decide.”
“…I apologize.”
“The Duke wants Renee to be as comfortable as possible.”
“I understand.”
As the atmosphere turned cold in an instant, I shifted my gaze around nervously.
Come to think of it, shouldn’t I have been the one to say what Amelia just said?
Even if everything eventually returned to normal, I would still be in the position of Raynan’s fiancée for now, so I had to act accordingly.
It was something I hadn’t given much thought to before, but now it hit me all at once—how much I was lacking.
Even after Catherine left the room, the chilly mood lingered.
Normally, Erin would’ve lightened the atmosphere with some cheerful words, but even she remained quiet, just watching carefully.
I, too, stayed silent, suddenly anxious about whether I could handle everything from now on.
As if she could read my mind, Amelia smiled and reassured me.
“It’s okay, Renee. The Duke said that just being yourself is enough.”
“Will that really be okay?”
“Of course. If the Duke is fine with it, who would dare say otherwise?”
“Mm…”
“So don’t worry about unnecessary things. Just focus on being happy and comfortable—that’s what will help the Duke the most, alright?”
“Okay. Thank you, Amelia.”
“Oh, but you will be taking various lessons from now on.”
“Lessons?”
“Yes. You’ll learn about the history and traditions of the Loerian family, etiquette, social manners, and even arts and culture—”
“Amelia.”
“Yes?”
“Didn’t you just say I should be ‘happy and comfortable’?”
“I did. So, let’s happily and comfortably build up your education.”
For a moment, I thought Amelia and Raynan might actually be a perfect match.
Just imagining the two of them training the knights together…
A shiver ran down my spine.
Maybe I finally understood why Chase trembled whenever Amelia came up in conversation.
“Well, we’ll start with the most urgent lessons first. And then—”
“Let me mentally prepare myself and take it one step at a time.”
“Alright.”
I sighed and rubbed my forehead, and Amelia just laughed.
Honestly, part of me wanted to beg for more time, arguing that no one knew what would happen a year from now.
But since we weren’t alone, I had to swallow my words.
Feeling exhausted already, I slumped onto the sofa.
“Would you like me to bring you some water?”
“No, I’m fine.”
As soon as the tension eased, Erin approached eagerly. I shook my head and turned to Erin and Cecile.
“Are you both really okay with this? It might be uncomfortable.”
“I’m perfectly fine! I’m just so grateful for the opportunity.”
Erin beamed as she spoke.
Since this was something Erin had wanted, that made sense. But what about Cecile?
“I’m fine. There’s nothing to be uncomfortable about.”
Cecile’s expression remained calm as she answered.
I figured that if she had been uncomfortable, she would’ve refused from the start.
“Well, if you both say so, that’s a relief.”
It seemed like I was the only one who needed to adjust.
Just as I thought things had finally settled, a knock sounded at the door, and then Raynan entered the room.
“Renee.”
“Your Grace.”
I stood up and approached him.
Raynan gave me a faint smile and wrapped his arm around my waist.
“I heard you’re getting new maids starting today, so I came to check. How is it?”
“Oh, well… since we already knew each other, it’s…”
“I’m Erin, Your Grace.”
Suddenly, Erin stepped up beside me and cut off my hesitant words.
She cast a polite yet meaningful glance at Raynan, but he didn’t even look at her.
Seeing that, Erin quickly added,
“I may be lacking, but I will do my best to serve Lady Renee.”
At those words, Raynan’s gaze briefly flickered toward Erin. As if she had been waiting for it, she smiled, her eyes curving.
But his attention didn’t linger. He looked past her and turned to Amelia.
“I don’t need anything lacking, Amelia.”
“Understood.”
Raynan’s cold words made Erin look flustered, as if she wanted to say something. But before she could, Amelia pulled her back.
“I see. It could be comfortable, or it could be uncomfortable. If it’s uncomfortable, let me know anytime.”
I had been too distracted by Erin to fully understand what Raynan was saying for a moment.
But I quickly realized—he was responding to the words I had left unfinished.
“Yes.”
At my answer, he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
I had gotten somewhat used to these gestures, but having them happen in front of others still made me a little embarrassed.
“You always get shy in the strangest moments.”
Raynan smirked, as if he knew exactly why I was acting this way. Then, as if to tease me further, he kissed my forehead again.
“Shall we have dinner together tonight?”
“Dinner?”
“Yes. Edwin will join us too.”
“Alright. I had something I wanted to ask you anyway.”
“Oh? Now I’m curious. But I suppose I’ll wait until dinner. Amelia, make the preparations.”
“Leave it to me. I’ll make sure everything is perfectly suited for the occasion.”
Perfectly suited for the occasion? I stared at Amelia, dumbfounded.
She, on the other hand, looked full of enthusiasm as she gazed at Raynan.
“You should be looking at me.”
Raynan lifted his hand and cupped my cheek, guiding my gaze back to him.
I had grown somewhat accustomed to all these public displays of affection, but this was still difficult.
Meeting his warm, affectionate gaze.
It was clearly just part of the contract he had proposed. But somehow, it always felt too real.
“I’ll be looking forward to seeing you all dressed up.”
Even though he sounded like he was about to leave, he simply stroked my cheek, making no move to step away.
As I stood there staring blankly up at him, his eyes curved slightly. Then, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
His lips only lingered for a moment before pulling away, but his warmth remained on my skin for much longer.
Even after he left, I stood there absentmindedly, holding my cheek.
It was Amelia’s voice that finally pulled me out of my daze.
“We don’t have time for this. Let’s get moving.”
“Amelia, I haven’t even had breakfast yet. The Duke invited me for dinner, remember?”
“What are you talking about? This is an important meal.”
An important meal? Dinner with Raynan?
Did we really need to start preparing from the morning?
As I stood there, stunned, Amelia simply smiled and said,
“I’ll personally assist you with your bath today.”
“I can bathe on my own, you know.”
“What do you mean? This isn’t like usual. Now, let’s choose a bath fragrance first.”
Amelia looked at me with an eager expression.
Meanwhile, my face twisted into despair.
I hadn’t realized this would turn into such a big deal.
****
And so, my entire day was consumed by preparations for dinner.
The only saving grace was that they didn’t make me skip any meals.
The three of them spent ages debating which dress would be best. Then, they moved on to discussing the right hairstyle and accessories to match.
“It was worth all the effort.”
The person staring back at me in the mirror looked nothing like my usual self.
Intricate braids were adorned with delicate, sparkling hairpieces. Subtle makeup enhanced my features without being overwhelming.
The most elegant dress I owned balanced everything perfectly.
As I stared at my reflection in a daze, I noticed the expressions of the three women looking at me.
Amelia smiled in satisfaction, while Cecile’s face held a quiet sense of accomplishment.
But Erin… Erin was watching me with sharp eyes.
The moment our gazes met, she quickly curved her eyes into a bright smile.
“You look absolutely stunning.”
“Really?”
At Erin’s words, Amelia even clapped her hands in agreement.
“Erin and Cecile both have quick hands and great taste. That’ll be a big help for the future—there will be plenty of occasions where we’ll need to dress up.”
“You haven’t attended many events like this, have you? We’ll have to make sure you stand out beautifully.”
“You’re right. I suppose I should start getting used to it.”
I responded to Erin’s comment without much thought. But this time, she didn’t bother hiding her reaction.
Her lips pressed tightly together, and she looked like she was holding back frustration.
Why?
Why would the idea of me getting used to it upset her?
“Well, you are going to be the Duchess soon. You should get used to it.”
Erin smiled, but her clenched teeth made her words sound anything but genuine.
“Erin?”
Something about her emotions felt off.
I erased my own expression and stared at her.
For a moment, she held my gaze. Then, she abruptly looked away and walked over to grab a necklace.
“I’ll do it.”
Amelia, who had been observing Erin closely, took the necklace from her.
“Looks like we’re right on time. Shall we go?”
Amelia fastened the necklace around my neck and helped me up.
“You two don’t need to come. I’ll be with her.”
At Amelia’s words, Erin and Cecile, who had been about to follow, stopped in place.
“…Understood.”
Once we were finally alone, I let out a deep sigh.
“Do we really need to go this far? It’s just dinner.”
“Of course.”
“Well, if Amelia says so, I suppose that’s how it is… But Erin seems really uncomfortable with this situation.”
“She’d be uncomfortable no matter what. She clearly doesn’t like the fact that you’re by the Duke’s side.”
“Really?”
I thought back, trying to recall if Erin had ever given me a reason to believe that.
That didn’t seem right.
Even if she had misunderstood things, she had been the one to share information so that I could get closer to Raynan…
“We’re here. Shall we go in?”
Lost in thought, I barely noticed Amelia opening the door.
A warm glow spilled out from the dining room as I stepped inside.
It was decorated like a small banquet hall.
The candlelight caught the glittering crystal ornaments, creating a mesmerizing effect.
Raynan and Edwin, who had been seated, both rose to their feet as they saw me.
They, too, looked different from usual.
Dressed in formal attire, the two of them radiated elegance and nobility.
I slowly walked forward, feeling the weight of the atmosphere.
When I reached Raynan, he pulled out a chair for me, and I sat down. Only then did the two of them take their seats as well.
Looking around, I finally understood why Amelia had insisted on such elaborate preparations.
Roman and Amelia stood behind us, while the servants attending the meal were fewer than usual.
The serious mood left me feeling a little overwhelmed at first.
But as the dinner progressed, the atmosphere gradually softened.
Conversations flowed, lighthearted jokes were exchanged, and laughter filled the room.
By the time the main course was finished, I had completely relaxed.
Just as we were waiting for dessert, Raynan suddenly stood up.
He walked over to me, lowered himself to my eye level, and spoke with a serious expression.
“I can’t imagine a life without you.”
