Serce ultimately gave up on expressing his feelings.

All he could do in front of her, who knew nothing, was soothe his aching heart by drinking.

As the strong liquor went down, a fiery warmth spread through him. The burning thirst that followed wasn’t entirely because of the alcohol.

“Have you ordered your wedding dress yet?”

Serce asked, popping a neatly cut piece of fruit into his mouth. The juices from the pulp spilled out between his teeth, but his mouth tasted bitter.

“Not yet.”

“Why not? It takes a long time to make one.”

“There isn’t much time left to have one made. I’m deciding whether to wear something ready-made or my previous dress. It will just be the two of us, after all.”

In truth, she leaned more toward wearing the dress from her first wedding.

Aneta recalled her most expensive dress, which had been kept in storage after being worn just once.

If the cost of a typical wedding dress was double that of an ordinary dress, the one Aneta had worn was four times that amount.

She couldn’t see the point in having a new dress made, only for it to meet the same fate.

“When’s the wedding?”

“In ten days.”

Perhaps spurred on by watching Chris and Vernon, Carlos wanted the wedding to be as soon as possible. Since there was much less to prepare than Chris’s wedding, Aneta willingly followed his wishes.

She counted the remaining tasks. At most, they could be tallied on one hand.

“Then leave your dress to me. I’ll make it for you.”

Serce’s suggestion seemed impulsive, but he did not intend to return it.

“In such a short time? No matter how talented you are, isn’t that impossible?”

“You’re underestimating me. That’s more than enough time. I can use my staff to help.”

“What about Étienne?”

“You know it’s closed more often than it’s open. It’ll be fine.”

Since the owner himself didn’t seem concerned, there was no point in dwelling on Étienne. Aneta pondered as she tapped the rim of her glass with her fingertip.

In this world, sewing machines existed, albeit somewhat outdated ones.

However, Serce and his people prided themselves on sewing every single stitch by hand. That was why Aneta found it difficult to accept his proposal so easily.

Of course, she was well aware of Serce’s exceptional skills. But no matter how talented he was, completing such a demanding task in such a short time would be far from easy.

Aneta eventually decided to decline.

But Serce was faster. Sensing her hesitation, he quickly cut her off.

“It’s my wish.”

“For me to wear your dress?”

“I have to say something like that for you to listen to me.”

Aneta let out a dry laugh. He wasn’t wrong.

“If we were still distant like before, maybe I wouldn’t care. But you’re my only friend, and you’re getting married. I can’t just sit back and do nothing. I just want to do what I can for you, so accept it while I offer. Opportunities like this don’t come twice.”

“Well, I think I preferred our old relationship. We weren’t close back then, but at least we didn’t avoid each other.”

It was admirable of him to come and congratulate her on her wedding, but that was a separate matter.

Aneta narrowed her eyes as she gazed at Serce.

“…That’s because—”

“That’s because?”

Following his hesitant words, Aneta mimicked him, her gaze sharp as if daring him to continue.
She had always assumed he had his reasons, but as human as she was, she had been hurt by his actions.

It was impossible to remain unaffected when someone you were once close to suddenly started avoiding you.

“I felt pathetic for not being able to protect you.”

When Serce mentioned the kidnapping incident, Aneta’s mind drifted back to the past.
When she drank the poisoned liquor and coughed up blood, Serce seemed to suffer as if he had drunk it.

While she endured physical pain back then, Serce must have been tormented by the helplessness of being unable to do anything for her.

“Are you seriously still feeling guilty about that?”

When Aneta asked, Serce silently nodded.

That wasn’t the only reason he had avoided her, but since he had resolved not to share his feelings, he didn’t intend to say anything further.

“Did you secretly cooperate with Erez Bauter without my knowledge?”

“Have I lost my mind? Why would I ever do something like that?”

Serce’s face twisted immediately, and some rather harsh words escaped his lips.
Despite his vehement denial, Aneta remained unfazed.

“If that’s not true, you do not need to feel guilty. The person who caused all this didn’t repent for their actions. They probably died cursing us. So why are you, who did nothing wrong, beating yourself up over it?”

From Aneta’s perspective, she couldn’t understand Serce. She took a sip from her glass to wet her throat before continuing.

“I have no intention of blaming you for not protecting me. If I followed that logic, then I’d also have to think that you and Chris were kidnapped because of me. Do you think that?”

“No. Never.”

Serce denied it immediately after Aneta finished speaking. She nodded as if she had expected his response.

“Then stop tormenting yourself over that incident. I’ll accept your offer gratefully.”

“…Alright.”

“And don’t avoid me anymore.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that promise.”

Only after receiving a definitive answer did Aneta relax her expression and feel at ease.

***

Aneta walked into Lennox’s office, heading straight for the sofa and sinking into it. Leaning weakly against the backrest, she looked utterly drained from dealing with the people who swarmed her wherever she went.

Everyone seemed to rush to offer their congratulations. Though she kept her responses brief, she still tried to acknowledge each one.

Whether their congratulations were heartfelt or simply empty words meant to stay in her good graces, she couldn’t afford to ignore them.

Of course, there were a few faces she was genuinely happy to see.

From Tereza, who delivered a letter from her husband Lyle to Duke Clorin, Duke Hetchen, and finally, Louise, whom she hadn’t seen in ages.

Among these cherished acquaintances, she was most delighted to see Louise. Louise hasn’t changed since the last time Aneta saw her except for her hair, which is now cut even shorter.

Louise’s posting at the Duke of Baltimor’s estate, specifically at the training grounds, had kept them from meeting. But that would no longer be the case. After Aneta remarried, they would see each other often.

‘I never imagined things would turn out like this when I suggested Louise join as a retainer.’

She hadn’t expected to acquire such a valuable talent in this way.

Aneta chuckled softly to herself as she recalled something Louise had once said.

“The Duke has really turned into a lovestruck fool this time,” Louise said.

According to her, Carlos was busier than ever, even more so than when he had been preparing their shared office. His face was perpetually lit up with a joyful smile.

“Not only has he become excessively generous, but he’s also been humming tunes wherever he goes. I’ve seen it so often lately that my dreams have become restless.”

Naturally, Louise’s blunt remark, which was so characteristic of her, was something Aneta thought best kept secret from Carlos.

‘But aren’t they still technically newlyweds?’

Should being remarried to the same person count as newlyweds? As she mulled this over, a knock came at the door.

‘Who could it be? I wasn’t expecting anyone.’

It couldn’t be Carlos—he would have opened the door right after knocking. Aneta raised her voice, hoping the visitor wasn’t just there to offer more congratulations.

“Come in.”

After granting permission, she turned her head toward the door while remaining seated. Through the opening door came Chris and Vernon, the real newlyweds.

“We’re here!”

“Aren’t you two supposed to be back tomorrow?”

Though their faces were a welcome sight, their arrival was also unexpected. Aneta looked back and forth between the two with surprise. In the meantime, Vernon guided Chris to a seat across from her.

“We moved our plans up by a day. How could we not when certain people announced their wedding while we were away?”

Vernon shrugged, saying the news had spread even to their honeymoon destination.

“You two were so adamant about how we didn’t give people enough time, and now look at you, rushing to tie the knot in the blink of an eye!”

“You’re comparing apples to oranges. We’re getting remarried; you had a first marriage. It’s a completely different situation. Plus, since we’re not inviting anyone, there’s not much to prepare.”

“What was the big rush? Huh? Couldn’t wait to live under the same roof, just like me?”

Although Aneta answered firmly, Vernon wasn’t deterred. He grinned mischievously, amused to have found something to tease her about. She shook her head in resignation.

Rodion was right—Vernon really needed to grow up a little.

Still, marriage hadn’t changed Vernon much; he remained the same as ever. He continued to toss out a few more remarks, earning a deep sigh from Aneta.

“Enough, Vernon. We didn’t come here to tease Aneta,” Chris interjected, finally stepping in to stop him.

She then carefully placed one of the items she was carrying in front of Aneta.

“What’s this? Did you bring me a souvenir or something?”

Looking at Vernon exasperatedly, Aneta silently turned her gaze to the box before her, tilting her head in curiosity.

“You once told me to do something I’ve always wanted,” Chris began.

“This is the result of that.”

“This?”

Aneta’s eyes silently demanded an explanation.

“The thing I’ve wanted to do most was to give you a gift. I’ve been saving money little by little for it, and now, thanks to you, I’ve finally made that wish come true.”

Noticing Aneta’s stunned and speechless look, Chris asked softly, “You’ll accept my gift, won’t you?”

“You wouldn’t believe how much effort she put into picking this out,” Vernon said, clearly worried Aneta might refuse.

“She spent the whole day running around, wearing herself out. I even held back my jealousy, so please accept it for her sake.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll gladly accept it.”

But their worries were unfounded. Aneta smiled warmly and graciously accepted Chris’s thoughtful gesture.

Knowing Aneta’s nature—she rarely accepted gifts despite being generous herself—Chris and Vernon had anticipated needing to persuade her. Her immediate acceptance caught them off guard.

Only for a moment, though. Chris quickly clasped her hands together, trying to steady herself from the joyful excitement, and spoke with a heartfelt tremor.

“I’ll return your words: You are as precious and cherished as the blessings bestowed upon me. I sincerely wish for your happiness.”