“Haa…”

Hailey let out a deep sigh, hiding behind the beech tree at the back of the garden. The tree, so old its lifespan couldn’t be guessed, was thick enough that it would take four grown men with outstretched arms to encircle it.

It easily concealed her small frame.

“I’m exhausted…”

Hailey stretched out her legs and collapsed, worn out after being hounded by Mastis all day.

“Up until now, I didn’t care how Miss Hailey behaved, but now that you’re the Duke’s fiancée, I’ll have to start nagging.”

‘Wait—then what were all those past naggings about?’

At Mastis’s declaration of war, Hailey went pale as a sheet.

But she gave her no time to freeze in place.

From how to walk, how to greet guests, how to speak formally, how to prepare for a banquet—a tedious lecture followed.

Then came the demand for refined hobbies: flower arranging, music, art, horseback riding. One by one, private tutors began to appear.

A rather absurd scene unfolded—private tutors being assigned their own private tutors. It was luxurious treatment, but also suffocating.

Hailey had barely escaped from Madam Mastis’s grasp with the excuse of going to the bathroom, and now she was hiding behind the beech tree out of her sight.

If she got caught, she’d surely have to endure a full round of nagging, but right now she desperately needed a moment to breathe.

“Slacking off again, are we?”

“!”

Startled by the sudden voice, Hailey gasped sharply. With a shocked expression, she quickly looked up.

Tayton was standing over her with a crooked smile, a cane in one hand.

This was bad. Of all people, she’d been caught slacking off by her employer. No excuse would justify it, yet she couldn’t just say nothing either.

With a flustered expression, Hailey’s eyes darted as she scrambled for an excuse in her head. Just as she was about to open her mouth—

“Miss Hailey! Miss Hailey, where are you?!”

Madam Mastis’s voice came ringing through the air, calling for her. It was even getting closer.

“Ugh!”

Grimacing, Hailey quickly reached out her arm. She grabbed the duke’s hand and pulled him close to her.

Thrown off balance, Tayton toppled over her. Their bodies were pressed so close together, not even a sheet of paper could slip between them.

“……”

With one hand propped against the ground, Tayton narrowed his eyes and stared at Hailey’s face right before him. Her pale green eyes quivered, her nose was neatly shaped, her cheeks were flushed, and her lips were tinted pink.

Just as his lips began to move—

“Shh!”

Glancing nervously beyond the tree, Hailey raised her finger to her lips as if to tell him to stay quiet. Tayton gazed intently at her face with an unreadable expression.

Then slowly, his gaze dropped to his wrist. More precisely, to Hailey’s white hand, still clutching it tightly.

“Miss Hailey!”

“Eep!”

Hailey hastily ducked her head behind the tree. And then, their eyes met.

Only then did she realize just how close they were. So close, they could feel each other’s breath tickling their skin.

“……”

Hailey didn’t dare breathe. Just as his breath touched her cheek, she feared hers might caress his.

Gulp. She instinctively swallowed hard. The sound rang out like thunder. Her face flushed with embarrassment.

Her trembling eyes dropped to the ground. The weight of his body pressing down made her ears slowly burn red.

Suddenly, Tayton’s gaze deepened. His silver eyes seemed tinged with gray, and her pale green ones shimmered.

“Miss Hailey! I’m warning you—come out nicely!”

Madam Mastis’s voice passed right behind her.

But for some reason, it sounded strangely distant. As if an invisible wall had sealed the two of them off from the world, her voice echoed dully.

Eventually, the sound of Mastis’s footsteps faded. Once her voice was no longer heard—

“Haah…”

Hailey let out the breath she’d been holding and released the duke’s hand. With a sheepish look, she muttered an excuse.

“I just didn’t want Marty to find my hideout. If a hideout is discovered, it’s no longer a hideout, right?”

Tayton said nothing. He simply stared down at his wrist, which still ached dully. It felt as though it had been seared by a branding iron.

“Oh, but I guess it’s already not a hideout anymore since the Duke found it, huh? Hahaha.”

Awkwardly laughing, Hailey stood up. Her embarrassed gaze didn’t meet his—it lingered just over his shoulder.

“I should go now. If I’m any later, it won’t just be nagging I’ll get.”

She stepped out from beneath the tree’s shadow. The gentle afternoon sunlight poured over her head.

Tayton remained seated where he was, staring intently at Hailey bathed in sunlight. Where he sat was still deep in shadow.

The dark shade under the tree and the white sunlight over the green grass—only a few steps apart. And yet, it felt like they stood in different worlds.

Just then, Hailey slowly turned her back. Her round green eyes blinked as she tilted her head curiously.

“Aren’t you coming, Your Grace?”

Tayton said nothing. He seemed overly quiet, but he didn’t know what to say.

Hailey blinked and quietly waited for him. Finally, Tayton stood up—as if waking from a long spell.

Without a word, he passed by Hailey, who stood there awkwardly. Only then did she begin walking again.

Tayton and Hailey walked side by side. The warm afternoon sun shone down evenly upon them both.

***

“What’s going on?”

Hailey asked the maids who had their heads huddled together in whispers. At the sound of her voice, they gasped in fright.

But once they saw her face, they sighed in relief.

“Oh, it’s just you, Miss? You startled us.”

Hailey furrowed her brow faintly as she looked at Anna clutching her chest. In this house, things often happened without her knowing.

“What on earth is going on?”

“Well…”

Jessie hesitated with a troubled expression, unable to speak. Then Anna abruptly stepped in.

“We were running an errand for Madam Mastis in the village just now, and people were whispering all over the place! I got curious and eavesdropped, and it turns out—they found the body of a young woman on Central Street.”

“What? Could it be…?”

At Hailey’s wary question, Anna nodded with a grim expression.

“There hasn’t been any official statement from the police yet, but rumors are going around that she’s the latest victim in the serial murders.”

Ah.

Hailey stood there blankly, her face devoid of expression. The maids, sensing their chance, began chattering in frightened voices.

“I’m too scared to go outside anymore.”

“These days, once the sun goes down, young women don’t even step out of their homes.”

“They say the corpse was so gruesome that the old woman who found it is still out of her mind.”

“Enough!”

Jessie burst out. Then she looked at Hailey’s face with concern.

Only then did the maids remember that Hailey was the one who had discovered the second victim—and had fainted several times because of it. They quickly shut their mouths.

“Are you all right, Miss Hailey?”

Anna asked cautiously. Hailey, snapping out of it, forced a small smile and replied, “Yeah.”

“I’ll just get some fresh air.”

Jessie couldn’t take her eyes off Hailey’s retreating figure as she staggered away. One of the maids nudged Jessie in the ribs and whispered with a jealous tone:

“You’re lucky, Jessie.”

“What do you mean?”

Jessie turned to look at her. With a pout, the maid glanced between Jessie and Anna.

“You and Anna are close to Miss Hailey, so your futures are guaranteed, aren’t they? Who would’ve imagined Miss Hailey would become the duke’s fiancée?”

“That’s true. I bet the first thing Miss Hailey will do after getting engaged to the Duke is kick Catherine out.”

The maids snickered gleefully. Anna crossed her arms with a smug expression.

“Exactly. She should’ve acted properly from the start like I did. You get back what you give.”

“What? The one who was kind to Miss Hailey from the beginning was Jessie. You begged in tears not to serve the Duke and ended up owing a favor.”

“What?! What do you even know?!”

“Kyaa-ha-ha!”

Leaving the maids’ laughter behind, Hailey stepped out the front door. The gentle sunlight was gone. Clouds hung low, casting a gloomier atmosphere than usual. Even the green lawn seemed to have lost its color.

But just inhaling the cool air made her feel a bit better. Hailey walked slowly, letting her gaze wander. The grass and trees that seemed to grow a little each day somehow remained the same height.

“Bill must have six bodies. Either that or he’s a workaholic. When does he even sleep?”

He drove the duke’s carriage, maintained it, and even tended the estate gardens. There simply couldn’t be enough time.

Suddenly, she found herself wondering how much Bill earned per week. She guessed it must be more than a mere governess earned.

“People really need to learn a trade.”

As she wandered aimlessly, she spotted a small figure loitering near the front gate. It was Eddie. He must have come to collect her letters.

Hailey walked toward him with a delighted expression.

“Miss Hailey!”

Eddie, who was tucking a letter into his bag, spotted her and quickly removed his shabby cap in greeting. Peter gave her a nod of recognition.

Hailey stopped walking when she noticed the bundle of newspapers sticking out of Eddie’s bag. The expression on her face slowly disappeared.

“Is that the newspaper with the murder story?”