When Radilt’s expression darkened, the staff asked with concern. Radilt slowly shook her head.

“No. Really…… it’s perfect. I barely recognize myself.”

“Then, Mrs. Brill, I’ll escort you to the first-floor reception room. We’ve contacted Sir Duston, so he should arrive soon.”

With each step, the dress swayed like a dream. A hazy dream that at first glance seemed pleasant but, when turned inside out, was closer to a nightmare.

Several other guests were seated in the reception room. Radilt clasped her hands together, feeling curious gazes directed at her.

“Really, that Sir Pendlore Duston?”

“What a surprise.”

The whispers inevitably pierced her ears in the quiet reception room. Radilt sat in an extremely uncomfortable seat, trying to appear composed.

‘……Should I say I want to stop now?’

Though her heart yearned for it, that man didn’t seem likely to leave her alone. Even without any particular retaliation, simply withdrawing the donation and blaming it on Radilt’s rudeness. How would Lady Iolet Rizan react?

Lady Rizan appeared generous, but for the sake of the Plumen Party’s reputation, she would at minimum ban Radilt’s entry and reclaim the remaining preparation money.

A pittance that could barely buy a strip of this dress. Just the possibility of losing that pittance made Radilt shrink.

‘There was never any choice from the beginning.’

Until the very end, probably.

Radilt took a deep breath. With no escape hole, she might as well be at ease. Dark thoughts would only constrict her own heart.

While taking several deep breaths, the reception room door opened. Two blue-gray eyes that appeared commanding wherever they stood looked at Radilt.

Their gaze landed on her. To use a metaphor, it felt like an arrow sharply shot toward prey.

Radilt slowly rose. A chilling sensation that started from the top of her head, flowed down to her eyes, then slid coldly along her cheeks and nape.

Radilt’s hand unconsciously pulled at the shawl covering her shoulders. Despite being thoroughly covered, she felt the illusion of exposing her bare skin.

Silence.

Pendlore silently appraised Radilt with his eyes. Radilt felt momentarily disappointed by his attitude and then became confused by her own reaction.

‘……I have no reason to expect anything, what am I doing?’

Foolishly. Had she thought she would hear a word of admiration because she was dressed up like this? Had she thought some pleasant words might flow from those rigid lips?

“Mrs. Radilt Brill.”

With long strides befitting his tall height, Pendlore approached Radilt. With a surprisingly gentle smile, he lightly took her smooth white hand without a single ring mark and kissed it.

“A beauty I dare not even attempt to praise with my clumsy words.”

“……You flatter me.”

Her heart only grew colder at the belated praise. Knowing it was merely for show made it all the more so.

Amid the pouring gazes, Radilt smiled naturally. She put all her effort into acting the part of a happy woman with a perfect man by her side, her lips trembling slightly.

“Shall we go then?”

Following Pendlore’s guidance into the carriage, Radilt’s expression immediately sank heavily. A long sigh escaped naturally.

“You’ve barely become presentable, yet your expression is too dark.”

“Is there a need to pretend when no one is watching?”

“Yet here I am, looking only at you.”

The man, crossing one long leg over the other and swinging it slightly, leaned his upper body toward Radilt with feigned concentration and spoke shamelessly. Radilt looked at Pendlore with astonished eyes.

“……If we were real lovers, I would have smiled even more brightly for you in this place where we’re alone.”

“I shall be faithful to you, madam.”

Pendlore straightened his back that had been bent toward Radilt and wore a cheerful expression.

“I’m pleased that my casually chosen partner exceeds my expectations. So, why not make demands like a contract lover should?”

“This is already enough.”

The boxes that Lady Fond’s staff had loaded onto the back of the carriage. The spare dresses and accessories inside would obviously be given to Radilt.

Under the pretext that she needed to look suitable for the man before her.

And if he didn’t ask for them back after the contract ended in three months, she could sell everything to pay the remaining balance on her sister-in-law’s dress. Any leftover money would go toward household expenses.

That was enough. She didn’t want more and had no desire to be greedy.

“You’re modest.”

“I have no desires, so I hope you won’t demand too much either, Sir Duston.”

The corners of Pendlore’s lips rose slightly at her firm statement that she would do no more than the minimum necessary to be recognized as lovers by others.

While a faintly sharp silence flowed, the carriage came to a stop. Pendlore got out of the carriage before the servant could open the door and extended his hand to his lover.

Like a man desperate with concern for his beloved.

Trying hard to smooth her brow that naturally wanted to furrow at this pretentious behavior, Radilt looked around.

‘……This is.’

Beyond the neatly paved road stood a brightly lit five-story building. A dedicated server who had received notice and come out in advance approached the two and greeted them.

“Welcome, Sir Pendlore Duston. We welcome you to our Dianan Fre. Pleased to meet you, madam. I am Sloan Wingble, the server assigned to you both today. Please feel free to call me Ron.”

“Ah…… I’m Radilt Brill.”

“It’s an honor to serve you, Mrs. Brill.”

A dedicated server? Since they were having dinner, was that magnificent building a restaurant? Radilt walked forward, looking straight ahead with forced stiffness in her neck that naturally wanted to look around.

“I’ll guide you to the special room on the fifth floor.”

Fifth floor……!

Radilt flinched her toes in bewilderment at the server’s words. The new shoes were beautiful but not very comfortable for her unaccustomed feet. The dress was also heavy and cumbersome, yet she had to climb five floors of stairs.

Worried about making a mistake, what appeared before her was not stairs but a small room with a long bench on one side.

‘……What is this?’

When the two entered the small room, the server closed the door. Just when she was wondering what this situation was about….

Clunk!

“……!”

The entire room shook slightly and began to move. Radilt let out a silent scream and tightly grabbed Pendlore’s arm. The blue-gray eyes glanced down at the woman clinging to him. Even seeing her pale face filled with fear, he observed without a word of explanation, his expressionless face revealing nothing of his thoughts.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry for startling you.”

Instead, the server kindly spoke up.

“Our restaurant operates an elevator for our guests’ comfort. It pulls this entire small room up to the fifth floor.”

“The room…… to the fifth floor?”

“Yes. We secure safety locks every half floor, so while the speed is a bit slow, it’s not dangerous. Of course, it’s much faster than walking up.”

“I, I see. That’s really impressive.”

Though she had often seen pulleys used to raise and lower cargo, to move people along with a room like this inside a building…. The rich really do all sorts of things, Radilt muttered inwardly when her eyes caught her own hand tightly gripping Pendlore’s arm, wrinkling his clothes.

‘Ah……!’

Radilt quickly withdrew her hand and turned her gaze to the side pretending nothing had happened. The back of her neck felt slightly hot.

Meanwhile, the elevator arrived at the fifth floor. When the server pulled back the thick curtains, a table by a large window overlooking the night view appeared.

Large vases overflowing with flowers on both sides of the window emitted subtle fragrances, and glass birds sparkled in gold frames on the ceiling. The decorations on the chairs facing each other across the snow-white table were so delicate. They could be believed to be works of art in themselves.

Radilt sat down in the chair the server pulled out for her, almost holding her breath. Her gaze became fixed on the night view spread before her. Beyond the window, countless streetlights stretched endlessly. In the distance, the moonlit waves of the flowing river shimmered faintly.

‘……It’s truly beautiful.’

Who knew this city she inhabited contained such sparkle? The streets looked like the night sky, fully laden with starlight, had gently settled down. It reminded her of the brilliant starry sky of her rural hometown that she hadn’t seen again since coming to the capital.

Radilt stared at that strange yet familiar scenery, entranced.

For this moment at least, she forgot about the suffocatingly awkward situation and the man she painfully disliked sitting across from her. A soft smile naturally spread across Radilt’s lips.

But the dreamlike moment was brief.

“So you can make such a face too.”

The blunt voice roughly pulled Radilt back to reality. Radilt stiffened like a frightened bird, then tore her gaze from the night view to look at the man across from her.

The glass birds in the cage made a faint jingling sound. The revolving lights cast pale spots on the man’s face. Still a face like a sculpture, difficult to read.

“The night view is very beautiful.”

Radilt calmly opened her mouth. Don’t give unnecessary reactions. You’re a woman invited to dinner by her lover. Nothing more, nothing less needed. Carefully, with mundane normalcy, while being cautious in case someone might be listening despite the thick curtains.