“Welcome, Marquis Adenauer. We’ve been expecting you.”

The next morning, as she had informed Vernon, Aneta visited the Viscount Kainer’s residence.

Although the current head of the family had maternal ties to this household, the previous lady of the house, Liliette, had distanced herself from her family, so this was only Aneta’s second visit.

Until just a year ago, the two families had no interaction whatsoever. But at some point, the relationship between the heads of the two families had turned amicable.

The progress had taken place out of sight, so the servants were confused, though none showed it outwardly.

“I will show you where Lady Chris is. Please follow me.”
“Alright.”

The butler of Viscount Kainer’s house respectfully guided Aneta through the mansion.

As she followed, Aneta recalled memories from her childhood.

When she first visited the Kainer residence, Elena was the person by her side. Back then, Elena had personally visited Liliette to deliver something, and Aneta, holding her mother’s hand, saw Liliette for the first time in the drawing room.

Flames are said to take on a bluer hue when they burn hotter. Liliette’s eyes were like blue flames. The quiet yet burning desire within them instantly captivated Aneta’s gaze.

Perhaps because of the intensity of that memory, Aneta always felt tense whenever she thought of Liliette.

‘Will I see her again at Vernon’s wedding?’

The butler’s voice interrupted Aneta’s thoughts, announcing their arrival.

Looking at the door opening before her, she wiped away the vivid image of Liliette’s eyes from her mind.

The moment the door opened, Chris was standing there without even taking a seat, who had returned to the Kainer mansion after the kidnapping incident.

“You’ve come, Lady Aneta.”

The moment their eyes met, the nervousness Chris had been displaying disappeared.

With a bright smile, Chris welcomed Aneta. She looked like a puppy eagerly waiting for its owner, and Aneta couldn’t help but smile.

Without wasting time, Aneta dove into the main topic. She shared her conversation with Vernon, and Chris, who had only heard a brief explanation from him, showed a changing expression as she listened.

“So, starting today, I’ll be helping with the preparations for your wedding.”

“Did Viscount Vernon really say that?”

“Why? Are you embarrassed?”

Aneta, while setting down her teacup, teasingly asked. Chris, her face flushed red, nodded in response.

“You’re in the best phase.”

“Lady Aneta, so are you.”

“Yes, we are. Though it’s a roundabout way, we’ve finally arrived.”

The journey to this point was not without its challenges, but it had shaped their relationship into what it is now. Aneta let go of any regret, knowing they had more days ahead of them together.

“I’ve heard you can’t leave the preparations entirely to the servants.”

“I heard from Vernon that you’ve been looking into various things. I have a hunch that you, like Vernon, want to get married as soon as possible.”

“Preparing for a wedding will be harder than you think. While the servants will handle most of the legwork, you and Vernon will ultimately make the final decisions about everything.”

Aneta thought that her contractual marriage preparations were much simpler. Since neither party had any feelings for the other, they only needed to prepare enough not to dishonor each other’s names.

Her wedding to Carlos was handled in that manner. There was no emotional exchange, and since it was a business arrangement, neither put in more effort than necessary.

Rather than care, they poured money into it. At the time, value mattered more than feelings.

But these two in front of her were different.

“You’re marrying someone you love, after all. I figured you’d want to pay extra attention to things, so I agreed to help at Vernon’s request.”

“I’m grateful for the help, but are you sure it’s okay? You must be busy, and I’m worried about overexerting yourself because of us.”

“I’ll have some free time, so don’t worry. Besides, Vernon will probably be busier than I am.”

Aneta had already submitted all the paperwork she needed for the year, so she didn’t even need to go to the palace for a while. On the other hand, Vernon wasn’t as fortunate, being under Russell’s direct command.

All the paperwork had gone his way, so he was likely about to enter the depths of paperwork hell. Preparing for a wedding on top of that seemed reckless, but what could she say? They were that fond of each other.

“Oh, and I did tell Vernon that in return for helping, I’d be keeping you with me the night before the wedding, but you can say no if you don’t want to. Even if you decline, I’ll still help.”

“I can’t pass up the chance to stay at the Adenauer estate for a night. I’d love that. But what do you plan to do?”

“Nothing special. We could spend some time together before the wedding. Now that we’ve covered everything, shall we head out?”

As Aneta finished speaking, she stood up. When Chris, startled by her sudden movement, looked at her, Aneta gestured toward the door with her eyes.

“I’ll chat with the butler while you prepare to go out.”

“Right now, all of a sudden?”

“If we want to stick to the schedule, we must take care of things while we have the time. Don’t rush; just get ready at your own pace.”

“Oh, alright. Please wait just a moment.”

Chris blinked in bewilderment but soon let out a small gasp. She quickly walked away, while Aneta searched for the person who had guided her to the mansion.

***

About ten days later, while preparing for the wedding with Aneta’s help, Chris came to one realization.

“I don’t think anyone should go through a wedding twice.”

Chris tried to forget that she hadn’t even finished half of what needed to be done.

She sighed in exasperation toward Aneta as she slumped back onto the sofa. She would have headed straight for the bed if they were at the mansion, but this was the best she could do right now.

“Chris, you’re not thinking of having a second wedding without me?”

It wasn’t Aneta who responded to Chris’s exhausted comment. Vernon, who had come with Carlos to see the two women as soon as his paperwork was done, stared at Chris with a look of complete abandonment.

“Of course not. It’s just a saying. Don’t misunderstand.”

As Chris waved her hands in denial, Carlos, who had also reacted to her words, quietly watched Aneta for her reaction.

Aneta could see exactly what Carlos was worried about. How could she not, when his face was full of anxiety? Aneta spoke calmly as if nothing was wrong.

“These days, getting married twice isn’t even a big deal.”

Carlos’s face brightened with hope at her nonchalant comment as she flipped through the catalog on the table.

Vernon clicked his tongue at him, but Aneta’s next words immediately wiped away the relief he had just gained.

“So, if you ever feel like it’s just not working, throw the divorce papers at him and leave. I can take care of at least one of you.”

“Aneta, what are you saying to our Chris right now?!”

“You don’t need to react like that, Vernon. All you have to do is behave in a way that ensures nothing like that happens. Or are you unsure of yourself?”

Aneta placed the catalog she had been looking at on her lap and glanced at Vernon. Tilting her head teasingly, her question made Vernon jump in protest.

“Why wouldn’t I be sure? I’ll make sure Chris is happy, no matter what!”

“Yeah, I know. I trust you. Now, go over there with Chris and pick out your wedding outfits.”

Motioning for the still-flustered Vernon to calm down, Aneta pointed to the neatly lined up racks of outfits, indicating they were ready. Vernon’s face, now red from his previous outburst, led the equally embarrassed Chris away.

The two of them, now browsing through the wedding attire, appeared quite excited, despite having just been exhausted moments before.

The original plan was to have their outfits tailored at Etienne, a shop run by Serce, but for some reason, Chris and Vernon had changed their minds and chose this place instead.
Aneta had naturally gone along with their decision, and seeing them satisfied, she was relieved.

Now, there was just one person left. Having successfully distracted Vernon, Aneta returned her gaze to the catalog and casually asked, “Why are you staring like that, Carlos?”

“I thought it’d be nice if you and I got a suit and dress made here too.”

“This place specializes in formal wedding attire, so if we want clothes for ourselves, we’d have to go somewhere else.”

Aneta knew exactly what Carlos was getting at, but she feigned ignorance.

“If you want to, we could swing by Etienne later.”

“No, no need for that, Aneta. Let’s help those two today. That way, you won’t have to overwork yourself.”

When she casually mentioned Etienne as an alternative, Carlos quickly shifted his stance. His jealousy toward his friend Serce remained unchanged.

‘He’s adorable, pretending like he doesn’t care when he does.’

Aneta barely stifled a laugh at Carlos’s insincere words.

“Alright then, let’s come back and get our outfits made later.”

Unaware of Aneta’s thoughts, Carlos hid his disappointment as best as he could.

Aneta, pretending not to notice how much she adored her partner, flipped through the catalog even faster.

It wasn’t long before something caught her eye. Pausing, she stole a glance at Carlos sitting beside her.

Carlos watched Chris and Vernon pick out their outfits, his face expressionless, but his eyes were filled with envy.

To others, his expression might seem no different from usual, but it looked achingly pitiful to Aneta.

‘It seems I’ve finally fallen completely for him,’ she thought.

Without denying the feeling, Aneta took his hand, which rested quietly on his lap. Startled by the sudden gesture, Carlos turned to look at her.
But whether or not Carlos’s surprised gaze was fixed on her, Aneta laced her fingers with his.

‘Just wait a little longer,’ she whispered silently to herself, words he couldn’t hear.