Cordelia let out a languid sigh.

The people here likely couldn’t truly grasp how deeply she’d been shunned in her hometown. If she ever went back, would they throw stones at her? But since she couldn’t very well whine about it, she simply offered a polite smile in response.

“Thank you, Miss Caroline. Well then, I’ll ask for your help again next time.”

“Yes. But ma’am, there’s one more thing I’d like to mention.”

“What is it?”

Caroline hesitated for a moment, but since she had already brought it up, she decided to follow through.
This field—related to the brain—still held many uncertainties, and she herself wasn’t a specialist, so she couldn’t say anything for sure…

“But if the memory has become blurry due to the medication, there’s a high chance there’s a reason for that. That your brain is deliberately trying to block it out because you don’t want to remember.”

“Because I don’t want to remember?”

“Yes. And those kinds of memories can return with even the smallest of triggers, so if you ever need help, please don’t hesitate to call me.”

“All right. I’ll be careful.”

To think she might have purposely forgotten a dear acquaintance from her hometown…

But just as Cordelia stepped out of the lounge and reached the central staircase leading to the lobby level, she heard a man’s voice—one that sounded vaguely familiar.

“Ma’am? Aren’t you Mrs. Duquesne?”

“…Ah.”

Because it was a man, she nearly recoiled in alarm, but the gentle yet courteous tone eased her wariness, and she turned around.

The man, dressed neatly in a pale bluish-gray lounge suit, was the same one she had met at the party last time. His eyes, visible behind his oval-shaped glasses, shone softly with a hint of shyness. Cordelia relaxed her guard and returned his smile.

“Mr. Joshua. Hello. It’s nice to see you here.”

“The feeling is mutual, ma’am. I must apologize again for the other night at the party.”

“Oh, no need to apologize. But, may I ask—what brings you to the department store?”

It wasn’t common for unmarried men to visit the department store alone. This was a place more favored by women, and men typically only came to escort their companions.

Joshua rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, clearly a bit embarrassed.

“Well, actually, I came to pick out a birthday present for my younger sister. I don’t know much about these things, so I thought it best to get some advice from the staff.”

“You’re a very kind brother.”

“Thank you… She just says that anything from Iridescent would be nice, but that honestly makes it harder.”

“Is that so? If she’s staying with you on Millionaire Row, Mr Reginald, then…”

If women lived here in the East, they would chat endlessly about the latest trends every day. Therefore, a vague request such as ‘anything is fine’ would actually be unusual.

Joshua shook his head and smiled brightly.

“Well, actually, my sister is currently out west. That’s probably why she misses anything from around here so much.”

“Oh my, out west?”

“Yes, she’s involved in overseeing migration policies in Quercus, in the western region.”

“My goodness.”

A small sparkle appeared in Cordelia’s violet eyes.

The New Continent was vast, and even though it was part of the same federation, the difference in lifestyle between the East and the West was considerable. And it was rare for a woman to settle in the West—especially since she hadn’t heard any mention of his sister getting married.

The decision didn’t take long. Cordelia smiled gracefully, like a charming and well-bred lady.

“Mr. Joshua, if you don’t mind, would you like me to help you choose a gift?”

***

“Please, Lucas…!”

What on earth was a grown man doing begging and whining on such a beautiful May day? Lucas let out a quiet chuckle as he looked down at Langdon Wyatt, who was struggling to keep his balance.

After banning him from the clubhouse, where their group often met, Lucas had expected this kind of thing. Sure enough, Langdon had been waiting for him, ready to latch onto his trouser leg like a pathetic dog.

“Oh, Langdon. Why are you crawling on the floor?”

“Our family, the company—you, you—!”

“Oh, right. Wyatt Transport officially shut down today.”

Lucas spread his arms wide and offered a bright, affable smile. It was with that same charm that he won people over—only to deal out despair or make their skin crawl with his polished deceit. And today, he smiled like a devil, bringing ruin with that same smile.

“There are people who can manage it far better. Why keep leaving it in your family’s hands?”

“Please, give it back! I’ll do better—just this once, please—!”

“Why? It must have been exhausting grovelling to a bastard like me all this time.”

Lucas’s companions cleared their throats quietly or averted their eyes from Langdon. Some of them had even spoken ill of Lucas behind Langdon’s back, but they weren’t going to help him today.

Lucas let out a chilling laugh as he stared down at the pale Langdon.

“It must’ve been tough spending time with me. So I did you a favour and freed you up, so your family can rest easy together.”

“Please… no, please—!”

“I’m offering you a chance to stop bowing your head and live comfortably, yet here you are, begging.”

Whack!

A sharply pointed dark brown oxford shoe struck Langdon’s side with precision.

“Urgh!”

“Don’t you ever shove that wretched face in front of me again and ruin my day.”

“Hngh…! Lu-Lucas…”

“Otherwise, I’ll throw you into Hell’s Realm myself. With my own hands.”

Surprisingly, the area inhabited by the poorest people in the East was located just across a large park from Millionaire Row, the district where the wealthy lived. It was as if the line between heaven and hell were paper-thin.

Langdon, well aware of the area’s infamy, turned pale at Lucas’s threat. In the end, with his face streaked with tears and dirt, he had no choice but to stagger away, clutching his side as he limped off to create some distance between himself and the group.

Lucas, too, turned away from the clubhouse. His companions tried to stop him; they were taken aback, but his mood had plummeted beyond what billiards or alcohol could salvage.

As he headed toward where his chauffeur Hendrick was waiting, Lucas irritably swept his bangs back. Of all people, it had to be Langdon groveling at his feet—bringing to mind that pointless argument with Cordelia the other day.

Sigh…

That woman had openly admitted that she had married him for his money. It was no secret — everyone knew it — and it had seemed like a very practical choice at the time. In fact, it was proof of how thoroughly Lucas had crushed the Hastings family.

So why did her words infuriate him so deeply? He had toyed with Cordelia, too, so it should have been equal. Tit for tat.

But his heart just wouldn’t play along. He didn’t even want to see her face at their obligatory formal meals anymore.

‘There’s no way we can go back to how things were.’

In any case, he was growing tired of pretending to be a good husband. Allowing the cold war to continue was exhausting in its own right, though.

By the time he arrived back at the estate, he had made up his mind: their relationship needed adjusting slightly. Perhaps he could take her to the restaurant she had enjoyed.

But while the butler came to greet him, there was no sign of Cordelia anywhere on the estate.

“Where is the lady of the house?”

“She has gone out to Iridescent Department Store.”

“Escort?”

“She mentioned she was only placing an order and did not take a maid with her this time.”

Lucas narrowed his eyes.

Since Iridescent prided itself on the highest level of service, many noblewomen didn’t bother bringing their maids—sometimes even competing over which in-house manager would be assigned to them.

Still, in this situation, what was that woman scheming behind his back?

‘She’s definitely planning something.’

But Cordelia was a woman who had been raised in a greenhouse — sheltered and delicate. She had never achieved anything through her own strength.

She would show a flicker of interest, seeming as though she might achieve more, but ultimately she would always hand it over to him.

‘Not that I didn’t benefit the most from it.’

Still, it was a little shameful to think he had once been so infatuated with a woman like that.

The butler, seeing Lucas remain silent, cautiously spoke up.

“Sir? Shall I prepare the carriage to the department store?”

“Yes. I’ll head there myself.”

Although he didn’t think she was planning anything major, it was still better to maintain the appearance of a happy marriage in public for the time being.

Offering her a suitable gift to broker a truce wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.