“Oh my, are you sure?”
“Huh? Uh, yeah, it’s fine, but…”
I had been worried she might take it the wrong way, but Erin’s reaction was completely unexpected.
She smiled brightly, her joy unmistakable.
“You can take everything in this wardrobe. They’re all dresses I’ve never worn.”
Hearing my half-hearted explanation, Erin stared at the dresses as if mesmerized.
Then, all of a sudden, she spun around.
Her abrupt movement made me instinctively take a step back.
But she stepped closer instead, grabbing my hands.
“Really?”
“Honestly, I should be the one asking… Are you really okay with this?”
There were a lot of meanings behind that question.
First, was she truly fine accepting clothes that, regardless of whether I wore them or not, were still technically mine?
And second… was she really okay with these ridiculously extravagant dresses?
I had no idea which meaning Erin picked up on, but her answer was firm.
“Of course! This is amazing!”
…Really?
“This?”
For a brief moment, I panicked, wondering if I had accidentally spoken my thoughts out loud again.
Fortunately, the voice belonged to Cecile, not me.
Relieved to find someone who shared my sentiment, I turned to her.
She was standing behind Erin, peeking over her shoulder at the dresses.
Noticing my gaze, Cecile met my eyes.
Without thinking, I asked,
“Do you want any of them…?”
“These?”
The meaning behind her words was clear.
Why would she want such embarrassing things?
“…Right. That was a pointless question.”
Cecile, looking relieved, turned her attention back to the wardrobe—only to immediately grimace and turn away.
“Then… I can really take all of them?” Erin asked, excitement in her voice.
“Yeah, as long as you’re okay with it.”
“Thank you so much!”
She clasped my hands tightly, practically glowing with excitement.
Did she really like these dresses?
Was Erin’s taste just… everything extravagant, regardless of whether it matched or not?
“It’s a bit much, no matter how you look at it.”
“Huh?”
“Uh? Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself. I’m glad you like them.”
Well, it wasn’t my place to judge other people’s tastes.
I had no reason to dwell on it.
“I’ll pick them up later in the evening, then.”
“No, take them now. That way, you can organize them and look through them properly. You can come back by dinner.”
“Are you sure…?”
“It’s fine. Amelia will be here soon anyway, so just go ahead.”
If Amelia was coming, that meant more shopping.
And honestly, shopping was less chaotic when Erin wasn’t around.
She only made things more overwhelming.
Erin hesitated briefly before smiling softly and lowering her head.
“Then, I’ll gratefully accept.”
“Good. Cecile, can you help her?”
“Even if Lady Amelia is here, I’d still prefer to stay with you.”
Cecile calmly stated her stance.
I leaned in close and whispered to her.
“Next up is jewelry shopping.”
Cecile’s expression momentarily twisted in displeasure.
Then, she met my eyes and asked directly,
“I appreciate the thought, but will you really be okay? Alone?”
“It’s not like you were going to be the one picking things out. No need for both of us to suffer. Just be warned—it might be heavy.”
“I’d rather carry something heavy than deal with that. Thank you.”
With that, Cecile easily lifted the heavy dresses and walked out of the room, her steps light.
I watched her leave with envy.
Before the door even fully closed, Amelia entered with a cheerful expression.
“I’m here! Should I bring them in now?”
“Give me a moment. I need to mentally prepare myself.”
“Understood. I’ll wait until you finish your tea.”
Amelia flashed a bright smile before stepping out again.
I collapsed onto the sofa.
I needed to know—when would this endless shopping spree finally end?
I had asked Amelia before, but her answer was always the same.
“We’re almost done. Just a little more!”
In moments like this, I really thought Amelia and Raynan were a perfect match.
“Still… the real problem is that I keep falling for it.”
I hugged a cushion to my chest.
I’d ask again later, just in case.
The only comforting thought was that today’s last task was jewelry shopping.
At least the day would finally end after that.
****
I watched as the last of the people who had filled the room trickled out.
Only then did I collapse onto the sofa.
“Lady Renee?”
Amelia, having just returned from seeing them off, called out to me.
“I can’t move. Today’s schedule is over, right?”
Even with my eyes closed, the flashes of glittering jewelry still lingered in my vision.
A single gemstone could be beautiful on its own, but when too many were gathered together, they just blurred into a dazzling mess.
I didn’t even remember what I had chosen, but it didn’t really matter. Everything they brought had been exquisite.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was that my mind and body desperately needed rest.
“Just a little more of your time, please.”
“No. I can’t. Save me.”
I turned my head away, unwilling to meet Amelia’s gaze—I knew I’d weaken if I did.
At my childish whining, Amelia only chuckled.
“You’re really lacking in stamina. We should start training you. That’s one of my specialties, you know. Just leave it to me.”
“Even if I were physically strong, there’s no avoiding mental exhaustion.”
“That’s true. At least you picked up dancing incredibly quickly.”
“Oh, that.”
“The instructor couldn’t stop praising your talent.”
“Well, everyone has something they’re good at.”
Apparently, I had an unexpected talent for dancing.
I had no idea.
It had felt awkward at first—both the music and the steps—but I improved faster than I could have imagined.
What was supposed to be weeks of lessons had ended much earlier than planned.
Which was a huge relief.
If not, I would have had to go through dance practice on top of all this exhaustion.
“I can’t tell you how glad I am. I actually have a skill! And I discovered it now, of all times.”
“Lady Renee, you have plenty of strengths and talents.”
I had forgotten I was avoiding her gaze, and I peeked up at Amelia.
“You doubt me again. I never say things I don’t mean.”
Amelia always spoke kindly, always offering encouragement.
I appreciated it, but I couldn’t help being skeptical.
Still, she didn’t seem to mind my suspicion at all.
“In any case, I’m happy that you’re struggling less—but the Grand Duke seems a bit disappointed.”
I immediately sat up.
“Disappointed? Why? I mastered dance lessons!”
“Who knows?”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Of course not. You did wonderfully.”
“Then why?”
I couldn’t understand it at all.
Had I messed something up without realizing it?
While I was panicking, Amelia simply smiled in amusement.
“Enough teasing. Did I really do something wrong?”
“No, not at all. He just seemed to have wanted to teach you himself—like with horseback riding.”
“Oh. Thank God.”
My relief was genuine, and Amelia found it highly entertaining.
“Seriously. If I stepped on his foot even once—”
The thought alone sent a chill down my spine.
I knew he wouldn’t get angry, but I really didn’t want to find myself in such an uncomfortable situation.
“Anyway, it seems like he was quite disappointed.”
“Because he couldn’t teach me?”
“Exactly.”
I imagined that scenario for a moment—then immediately shook my head.
Dancing might not have been as physically demanding as horseback riding, but somehow, I felt like Raynan would have made it that way.
“Don’t react too strongly. The Grand Duke just wants to… hmm, how should I put it?”
“Encourage her,” a deep voice answered.
Raynan had appeared without a sound.
Unlike me, who had nearly jumped in surprise, Amelia simply turned to him and greeted him politely.
Raynan strode toward us, and behind him was Roman—looking thoroughly exhausted.
“Lady Renee. It’s been a while.”
“Uh… Roman.”
I had gotten used to speaking informally with most people, but with Roman, it was still difficult.
He, on the other hand, had no hesitation in adjusting his behavior toward me.
It must have just been part of the job for him.
Which meant that his tired expression wasn’t because of me.
Still, for it to be this noticeable… had Raynan been overworking him?
From what I had observed, both Raynan and Roman seemed to take on an insane amount of tasks every single day.
“What are you thinking about?”
I had been lost in thought, and before I knew it, Raynan was already standing beside me.
I had missed the chance to stand up, and he sat down right next to me.
I belatedly tried to get up, but Raynan took my hand.
“There’s no need to stand every time.”
“Thank you… but, what do you mean by ‘encouragement’?”
“It was my way of showing consideration for you. I even told you to rest.”
“This is part of our deal, Grand Duke.”
I answered absentmindedly.
The moment I said it, Raynan’s grip on my hand loosened.
“Grand Duke?”
His smile was still there, but something had changed.
His expression, like his hand, seemed to lose some of its usual strength.
“This is our agreement, after all,” I added quickly.
Maybe ‘deal’ had sounded too impersonal?
But even after I rephrased it, Raynan just stared at me, unmoving.
Something about his reaction felt… unfamiliar.
I blinked at him, confused.
Then, all at once, his lips curled into a wry smile, and he sank back into the sofa.
“Yes, of course. I was so disappointed to lose the chance to encourage you—considering how much effort you’ve put into fulfilling our agreement.”
“Disappointed? You were?”
“Of course. I thought long and hard about how to repay you for all your efforts.”
“Uh-huh.”
He was back to his usual self, speaking in that casual, teasing tone.
There wasn’t a dramatic difference, but I still felt a bit off-balance from his sudden change.
“Instead, I found another way to encourage you.”
“You really don’t have to.”
“How could I not? Besides, since your dance lessons ended earlier than expected, you could even consider it a reward.”
“Well, thank you for the thought.”
“Just for the thought? I couldn’t possibly leave it at that.”
Raynan rested his arm on the back of the sofa, leaning in slightly as he asked,
“Can you spare some time tonight?”
