“Have you already finished preparing the bath?”

When Aneta entered the room, Chris hastily picked up the neatly folded clothes placed to the side.

“Not yet. The tub is big, so it takes time to fill. Sit down for now.”

Aneta motioned for Chris to sit and sat across from her herself. It was natural for Chris’s gaze to fall on the envelope she was holding.

“What’s that?”

“A gift for you.”

“You’ve already given me a gift. You’re giving me another one?”

Chris frowned, recalling the dowry items Aneta had given her as compensation for the kidnapping incident and as a wedding gift. They had chosen the items together, but Chris had no idea how much Aneta had spent.

Aneta had arranged everything in advance, as every price tag they came across had conveniently disappeared. Even so, Chris was certain that the amount was far from trivial.

Seeing Aneta’s wealth firsthand and realizing that such expenses meant little to her didn’t make it easier for her to accept.

“I feel guilty and burdened. I really can’t accept anything more, Aneta. What you’ve already done for me is more than enough.”

“Even if it feels burdensome, you can do nothing about it. Let me apologize in advance. The matter has already been taken care of entirely on my terms, and it’s far too late to undo it. You can’t refuse.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

“You’ve already received my gift. Long ago, without even realizing it.”

Aneta pushed the envelope toward Chris.

Chris, completely at a loss, stared at the envelope placed before her.

“Open it.”

Chris hesitated before picking up the envelope. As she pulled out the contents and read through them, her eyes widened in surprise, and she looked up at Aneta.

“This is…”

“Do you remember the day we met again through Vernon? This is the ledger related to the agreement we made then. Originally, there should have been a promissory note along with it, but…”

Aneta paused briefly, reaching out toward Chris. Taking the ledger from her hands wasn’t difficult. Before Chris could react, Aneta firmly gripped the ledger and tore it apart. The ripping paper echoed in the room, leaving Chris frozen in shock.

“The moment I received it from Vernon, I planned to do this.”

Even as she spoke, Aneta continued to tear the ledger into pieces. The shredded fragments were then stuffed back into the envelope.

“The money you repaid diligently, bit by bit, wasn’t touched. I saved it all. I always intended to return it to you but won’t return it without conditions.”

“You don’t have to return it. It might take some time, but I want to pay it off myself.”

“No, I will return it. I don’t feel right holding onto something that isn’t mine. So use that money to do what you’ve always wanted—the things you had to give up because you were focused on repaying your debt.”

Aneta said this was her condition when giving the money back.

“And just so we’re clear, I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Aneta, this is on a completely different level than anything you’ve given me before.”

“To me, it’s the same. This is about fulfilling the dreams you’ve always held—clearing your debt, standing on equal footing with the man you love, and providing a stable environment for the baron’s employees.”

Even after deciding to marry Vernon, Chris has likely been worried about her debt. Aneta understood that feeling and wanted to ease her burden. It was time to stop letting Chris suffer alone, unaware that the problem had already been solved.

“The things I gave you before were gifts for my subordinate, Chris Deven. But this is a gift for Chris Kainer, who is now part of my family. If this still doesn’t sit well with you, I can give you something else—like the sword of Ropsia in the annex.”

At the mention of the sword belonging to a legendary war hero, Chris’s face turned pale.

It was clear why Aneta had brought up an item of immeasurable value.

Aneta was willing to hand over the sword if Chris truly wanted it, but she knew Chris would never desire such a thing. And Aneta fully intended to take advantage of that fact.

“I could fetch it for you right now if you want it. Do you want it?”

“Of course not!”

Chris flailed her hands in a panic, eliciting a laugh from Aneta. It was a typical reaction from Chris, exactly as she had expected.

“That’s precisely why I want to care for you even more. I might not be a fairy godmother from a storybook who can cast spells for you, but I have the means to do at least this much. And I know you’re aware of that.”

“I know, but it just feels so overwhelming. How could I ever repay this kindness?”

“Repay it little by little throughout your life. Don’t quit your job just because you’re getting married. Keep working under me, rolling here and there. And spend time with me like this occasionally—that’s more than enough.”

Aneta had never once sought material repayment from Chris. As she expressed this sentiment openly, Chris’s eyes turned red with emotion.

“Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new chapter in your life. So leave behind any burdens and move forward—for your sake and for the sake of those who care about you.”

Aneta didn’t avoid Chris’s tearful gaze. Instead, she met it head-on with clarity and warmth.

“You’ll accept my gift, won’t you?”

As Aneta pressed for a definite answer, Chris couldn’t hold back the flood of emotions any longer.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Chris nodded, tears streaming down her face as she repeated the words. Aneta stood up and embraced her, holding her gently as her shoulders trembled with sobs.

“If you’re grateful to me, then live your life well. All I want is for someone as precious and dear as you to be happier than anyone else.”

Her clothes grew damp from Chris’s unrelenting tears, but Aneta didn’t mind. She simply patted her back, offering comfort.

She didn’t tell Chris to stop crying. Forcing her to hold it in wouldn’t do any good—it was better to let her release all the pent-up emotions she’d been carrying.

Even as Chris sobbed, she instinctively suppressed the sound, a habit she had developed over time. Watching her, Aneta saw yet another reflection of herself.

“I didn’t think we’d even share this similarity,” Aneta thought.

At an age when even standing on her own would have been difficult, Chris had been forced to shoulder everything. Aneta could fully understand how heavy that burden must have been.

What brought her comfort, however, was the knowledge that both she and Chris had people by their sides who would extend a hand whenever they faltered, giving them the strength to rise again.

With those people around, true happiness seemed within reach now. Holding Chris tightly in her arms, Aneta believed as much.

Chris stopped crying several minutes later. Though her trembling subsided, she still couldn’t lift her head.

“Are you embarrassed?”

Aneta knew exactly what that hesitation meant. She asked with a light, teasing tone, prompting Chris to bury her face deeper into her shoulder instead of answering.

But before long, Chris had to pull away from Aneta. There was a knock at the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Isabel, My Lady.”

Aneta glanced at Chris, who had stepped back from her. Though the signs of her tears were still evident, Isabel wouldn’t mind seeing her like this. Catching Aneta’s questioning gaze, Chris nodded without hesitation.

“You may come in, Isabel,” Aneta called out.

When Isabel entered, she was momentarily taken aback by the sight of the bride-to-be, her eyes swollen red from crying. However, she didn’t let it show. A glance at Chris’s tear-streaked cheeks, Aneta’s damp shoulder, and the familiar envelope on the table were enough for Isabel to grasp the situation.

“The bath preparations are complete. Shall I escort you to the grand bath now?” Isabel spoke with ease, pretending not to notice anything.

“Alright. Let’s go, Chris.”

Since they’d have to wake up at dawn tomorrow to begin the wedding preparations, this was the best time to bathe before bed.

Aneta rose from her seat first, extending her hand.

“Yes.”

Chris took the offered hand and stood up. She was smiling now, as though she had never shed any tears.

Aneta and Chris headed straight to the grand bath. After changing out of their clothes and putting on robes, they stepped inside and were greeted by a different scene than before.

Four lion statues stood at the center of the massive bath, constantly pouring hot water. Steam swirled and danced above them, wafting like a graceful ballet.

Feeling the warm moisture brush against her exposed skin, Aneta approached the bath. The pure white basin emitted a fragrant aroma from the scented oils mingling with the steam.

The two women rinsed their bodies before stepping into the bath together. Even though they wore robes that wouldn’t turn transparent when wet, the atmosphere felt slightly awkward.

Chris held an ice pack to her eyes, which Isabel had discreetly handed her earlier. The humid heat melted the ice quickly as the pack dropped to one side.

“When you wake up tomorrow, it won’t be your face but your eyes that are swollen,” Aneta teased.

“Please don’t make fun of me, Lady Aneta.”

Chris groaned, likely regretting her earlier outburst of tears like a child. Then, as if something had suddenly come to mind, she exclaimed.

“Oh, that’s right! You said you had something to tell me about Vernon, right?”

“Who told you that?”

Removing the pack from her eyes, Chris asked, and Aneta chuckled.

“He did. He said he was worried about what you might tell me about him.”

“Really? To my face, he was all, ‘Chris has the right to know what kind of person I am’, acting like it was no big deal. It looks like he’s feeling uneasy after all.”

Aneta mimicked Vernon’s tone as she recalled his words. She thought it was rather endearing how he acted at times like this.

Of course, revealing such thoughts to Vernon was strictly off-limits—he’d never let her hear the end of it.

“I’m looking forward to it. I might learn something new about him that I didn’t know before,” Chris said, her tone bright with curiosity.

“I don’t think I’ll live up to your expectations. I only said that to tease Vernon,” Aneta admitted with a smile.

“Did you? That’s a bit disappointing.”

“I don’t know much about Vernon, honestly. My aunt, who raised me, couldn’t stand the sight of my father, and we ended up absorbing her feelings. So, until you came under my care, Vernon and I barely spoke to each other. You probably know him better than I do.”

It was inevitable, given they were relatives in name only. Aneta shrugged, causing ripples to spread across the water’s surface.

“The only things I could tell you about are from the previous generation or about Rodion. I’d be happy to share if you want to hear about that.”

After all, Chris would hear about the family’s internal affairs from the steward of the Kainer household after the wedding anyway. Hearing it from multiple perspectives, however, could only help.

Besides, Aneta could provide more detailed information than the steward, whose ability to speak on certain topics would be limited.