A few days ago, someone from Duke Hillan’s household personally delivered a letter to Kisa.
Previously, Kisa had sent a letter to Seyard through her father, Count Vansfelt, congratulating him on his debut in high society.
Despite the sudden engagement announcement that followed, he hadn’t forgotten and properly replied to her letter.
The letter contained expressions of gratitude for her congratulations, his thoughts that high society wasn’t as easy as he had imagined, and what appeared to be a date request.
[Would you give me some of your time?]
Kisa gladly replied that she would.
And so, on the day of their first date, she was busy practicing her embroidery to gift Seyard a handkerchief with his initials.
In fact, this handkerchief, which she had bought quite some time ago from a handkerchief shop specifically to give to Seyard, still hadn’t reached its owner.
Though she had met Seyard twice since then, once she only learned of his visit after he had already arrived and didn’t even think of the handkerchief, and the other time, at the charity banquet, she hadn’t brought it because she didn’t expect to have a private moment with him.
This time, she was determined to give it to him. Preferably a handkerchief perfectly embroidered with his initials.
Seeing Kisa busily moving her hands again, her nanny teased:
“My, do you like the Duke that much?”
“…That’s not it.”
This wasn’t about love; she simply couldn’t, in good conscience, give him just an ordinary embroidery after all she had received from him.
But to her nanny’s ears, it sounded like the excuse of a woman smitten with her new fiancé.
“Ah, yes! Of course! Good luck with that!”
“It’s really not like that! Nanny! If you’re that free, could you organize that area?”
Somehow feeling flustered, Kisa pointed to her desk, which was occupied by numerous letters.
Letters from various people were jumbled together without any order.
“How could I refuse? I must follow orders.”
With her smile still intact, the nanny extended her hand over the desk.
Soon, under her deft touch, the piles of letters were being neatly organized.
Suddenly, the nanny exclaimed in surprise:
“My, why has Miss Melissa sent so many letters?”
“I know. Doesn’t her hand hurt?”
After their last meeting, Melissa had stopped sending letters and visiting for a while, as if she had no more business with Kisa.
However, once Seyard and Kisa’s engagement was announced, she changed her attitude dramatically and was trying persistently to contact Kisa. Despite Kisa not responding at all, she was quite tenacious.
It was truly characteristic of her.
In contrast, there was another person whose letters had completely stopped: Princess Arta.
She hadn’t contacted Kisa at all since the engagement announcement.
Even when Kisa sent a letter with casual greetings first, there was no reply.
The princess had always responded to letters, even when she had withdrawn from social activities in shock after her fiancé’s death…
Though she had been prepared for it, it was still disheartening to have grown distant from the princess with whom she had been quite close.
No, the situation had already occurred, so there was no use worrying about it.
Currently, she needed to focus most on the first date, which was now just two days away.
‘I’ll definitely embroider it perfectly.’
Kisa gripped her embroidery hoop and burned with determination.
****
Two days later, as Kisa greeted Seyard at the entrance of the mansion, she gulped.
“Um, Seyard…”
“What’s wrong?”
Behind Seyard, who tilted his head with a calm face, people were continuously moving large and small boxes.
“What is all this?”
“I prepared some modest gifts to commemorate our first date.”
Modest? Was that the right expression for this occasion?
Kisa bit her lip tightly.
There was no way she could give him her handkerchief now. Her truly modest handkerchief.
Kisa’s attention turned to the handkerchief neatly wrapped in her handbag.
Although she had done her best to complete the embroidery, it certainly wasn’t the work of a professional, and the value of the handkerchief wouldn’t change significantly just because the embroidery was well done.
In other words, the gift Kisa had prepared for him was just a slightly luxurious men’s handkerchief. Nothing more, nothing less.
‘Meanwhile, the gifts Seyard brought…’
Kisa looked with astonishment at the numerous boxes still being placed on the floor.
Seeing her expression, Seyard probably thought Kisa was anticipating the contents of the boxes, so he smiled gently and flicked his finger.
At that signal, Duke Hillan’s servants who had been carrying the boxes methodically opened some of the packages to show their contents.
From dresses and accessories to tea leaves, paintings, fans, music boxes, porcelain, clocks — the variety was truly impressive.
There were even desserts from a popular bakery in the capital that were so limited in number that they were said to be impossible to buy.
At a glance, it was evident that these weren’t just expensive items but gifts carefully selected with consideration.
However, the more she examined them, the heavier Kisa’s heart became.
Especially when she discovered that handkerchiefs were included among them, her feelings reached their peak.
On the white cloth, a golden-feathered canary sitting on a branch was intricately embroidered, stitch by stitch.
The depiction of the leaves on the branch and the bird’s fine feathers clearly showed a master’s skill.
Without question, it was far superior to Kisa’s work, to the point where comparison would be embarrassing.
Compared to this golden canary, the initials she had embroidered were no better than a child’s scribble.
“Kisa?”
At that moment, Seyard, noticing that something was off with Kisa, carefully addressed her.
“Do you not like them?”
“Ah, no!”
Hearing his voice that somehow sounded a bit dejected, Kisa hurriedly waved her hands.
“I like them, of course. They’re all wonderful gifts.”
“But your expression doesn’t look good.”
“Ah, that’s because I feel sorry.”
“Sorry?”
“I’ve already received so much, I’m not sure if I should accept more. And I…”
Kisa hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“Unlike Seyard, I couldn’t prepare anything. I’m sorry.”
No matter how many times she reconsidered, she couldn’t present her plain handkerchief as a gift right after receiving such magnificent presents, so Kisa unknowingly told a lie.
Unaware of Kisa’s true feelings, Seyard cleared his previously clouded expression and smiled gently.
“There’s no need to be sorry. I prepared these because I wanted to, without even telling you.”
“Still…”
“If it truly bothers you, why not consider it as a token of gratitude for accommodating my unreasonable request before?”
“What unreasonable request?”
“The sudden engagement announcement I made at the charity banquet. You graciously agreed.”
“Ah, that’s fine. I was surprised, but… actually, my heart was racing. Like I was playing a mischievous prank.”
For Kisa, who had always lived by following strict rules under her father’s guidance, it was one of the biggest deviations in her life.
Even now, if she closed her eyes, she felt like she could still feel her rapidly beating heart from that moment.
“I’m fine with it too. So, please don’t worry about the gifts.”
After saying this, Seyard, with a mischievous face, winked with just his left eye.
“Moreover, having advertised to everyone that I’m so blindly in love, wouldn’t it be strange to visit my fiancée empty-handed on our first date?”
It meant that to some extent, there was also a purpose of showing off to others.
It wasn’t exactly a lie, but feeling Seyard’s intention to alleviate her burden, Kisa nodded.
“Then I’ll gladly accept. Thank you sincerely for the gifts, Seyard.”
“You’re welcome. I couldn’t ask for more if they bring you even a little joy.”
“But there’s so much that if we examined each one in detail, the sun would set.”
“That would be inconvenient. Let’s postpone the detailed examination and head out for now, shall we?”
Looking at him extending his arm to escort her, Kisa inwardly vowed.
For Seyard, who was doing so much for her, she would do her best to make today’s date the best time possible.
Even though her heart was heavy because of the gift in her handbag that she couldn’t deliver in the end…
She couldn’t disappoint someone who had given her far more than she had received from Daniel over the past decade, and most importantly, gifts that were prepared with genuine care.
The large carriage with Duke Hillan’s emblem naturally attracted attention.
Even passers-by hurriedly walking along the street lined with upscale shops slowed their steps to look at the parked carriage once they recognized the ducal emblem.
Under their intense interest, the couple who alighted from the carriage were the very individuals who had been the talk of various newspapers in the Kingdom of Sorbi recently.
The new Duke of Hillan and his fiancée, Kisa Vansfelt.
A man who had to be exiled to the monastery due to his ominous birth, and a woman who took another man’s hand just days after breaking off her engagement with her former fiancé.
It was only natural that the gazes directed at the two weren’t entirely kind.
However, there was a truth that even those who gossiped about them couldn’t deny: the two made an incredibly well-matched pair.
While bystanders momentarily lost themselves admiring their figures, which seemed to have stepped out of a masterpiece painting, the couple gracefully entered a building.
It was a restaurant famous for its breathtaking views from above.
The moment she entered the restaurant, Kisa involuntarily drew in a breath.
For an instant, she felt as if the atmosphere inside had changed.
‘It was like this outside too, but here as well…’
Guests who recognized their presence all turned their attention to the couple, their eyes gleaming.
These were the gazes they would have to endure countless times in the future.
