When Lysith asked again, Eve brushed it off. After persistently questioning her, Lysith finally got an answer.

“The dress you had tailored about three months ago…”

Three months ago? Lysith furrowed her brows, trying to recall. Three months ago was before her divorce and moving into this mansion. She must have been feeling down from Dietrich’s cold treatment or doing embroidery as usual…

“Oh.”

Recalling an unpleasant memory, Lysith grimaced and downed the remaining tea in one gulp. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Penchev, who had been standing like a statue, flinch in surprise.

She understood why Eve had been reluctant to mention it. That dress…

“It was the dress I had tailored to look good for Dietrich, wasn’t it?”

It was a dress she had tailored for a ball she was supposed to attend with him. However, in the end, Lysith couldn’t go, and the Grand Duke attended the ball alone. Naturally, the dress never saw the light of day.

Though it was someone else’s memory, it felt like a dark chapter in her own history. She sighed deeply.

“Then I’ll just wear that.”

“What?! But…”

“Has His Highness the Grand Duke ever seen it?”

Eve didn’t answer, but it was obvious even without hearing it. He wouldn’t remember a dress worn by a wife he had no interest in, and he probably never saw it in the first place. It was a foregone conclusion.

“He hasn’t seen it, right? Then it’s settled.”

Eve reluctantly nodded and left the room quietly to check the dress. This left only Penchev and Lysith in the room.

An awkward silence, characteristic of people who hadn’t known each other long, enveloped them. Feeling pressured to say something, Lysith finally spoke up.

“So, can I ask how you came to apply for the butler position?”

“…It’s not an interesting story, so I’m reluctant to share it.”

Though he was polite, it was clear he didn’t want to talk about it. She couldn’t tell if he was shy or putting up a wall, but she thought it better to talk about herself than say nothing at all, so she spoke again.

“Alright. Well… um. Because of my reputation, I had no choice but to hire people that way. I didn’t think anyone would come.”

“……”

“There will be a lot of talk about my ex-husband. Like Eve, everyone here likes me. So, they might hold some hostility.”

“I see.”

“Yes.”

She took a sip of the freshly poured hot tea, letting it roll in her mouth before swallowing it.

She thought that if he got used to her story, the wall he had put up might come down a bit.

As she drank the remaining tea, Penchev, who had been giving short answers or remaining silent, asked her a question for the first time.

“Do you still love him?”

“……”

What did he mean by that? Was he already trying to gauge the other male protagonists? It couldn’t be. Was he simply curious? The question was sudden and suspicious, making her ponder its intent.

“Well, he’s not someone worth loving foolishly even after being divorced. I think it’s quite impressive that I endured it for a year.”

“I see.”

Despite the curiosity his question aroused, his response was short and without lingering sentiment.

In truth, the story of the former Grand Duke couple that had spread through the social circles was mostly abridged. Nobles outside couldn’t know what happened inside the Grand Duke’s residence, and the servants loyal to the Grand Duke wouldn’t spread such information.

If Penchev knew anything, it would likely be the abridged version.

But the servants in this mansion were different. There were those like Eve, who had served her since she was at the Gronevelt Dukedom and followed her to the Grand Duke’s residence, and a few who had left the Grand Duke’s residence to serve her.

In other words, they knew all the embarrassing and dark chapters of her past.

Normally, she might have sighed, but not this time. With her passive effect, and after hearing various things from the servants in this mansion, she felt that breaking down his wariness wouldn’t take long. She had a good feeling about it.

Penchev, who couldn’t understand why she suddenly seemed in a good mood, quickly returned to his butler duties and elegantly poured more tea.

The sound of tea pouring into the cup quietly filled the space. His posture was so perfect that it made her doubt he was truly a fallen noble. Even for her, who followed the body’s memory for etiquette, it seemed impossible.

Though she wanted to ask and talk more, she felt it might backfire. Lysith quietly sipped the tea he poured and picked up a suitable book to read.

‘A romance between a master and a butler… It might seem like an insubordination issue, so they might not be too keen on it.’

During the interview, he had said he learned properly but had never actually worked. Given his relatively young age, the most decisive reason, she thought, was his eyes.

In this mansion, she was the only one who didn’t feel discomfort or fear looking into his eyes.

According to Eve, she initially felt that way, but it got better over time. It seemed the same for the other maids.

Well, if adapting wasn’t difficult, that was fortunate.

If it had been hard for him to adapt as a butler, progressing in their relationship would have felt quite challenging.

Fortunately, all the maids in this mansion were her people. There was no need to bring in new ones or replace them. It was as if the mansion had been prepared for her after she possessed Lysith.

It might seem like self-glorification, but considering the suspicious aspects of the ‘original Lysith,’ it felt a bit unsettling to just brush it off.

Though it was frustrating that there was little she could know or do in the current situation, she decided not to overly concern herself, as she was ultimately a person who would leave this world.

With that thought, she finished the remaining tea in her cup and ended the tea time. Receiving a bookmark with intricate gold leaf designs, she placed it in the book she had been reading and looked at Penchev, who was tidying up the table.

Sensing her gaze, he lowered his head slightly and asked,

“Is there anything you wish to order?”

“No. …But will you continue not lifting your head?”

“Apologies, it’s a habit. If you wish…”

“If you’re not comfortable, it’s fine, but at least when we’re talking, I’d like you to lift your head. Is that difficult?”

Rolling his eyes downward, he seemed to ponder her question before slowly raising his head and kneeling on one knee to look up at her.

As if he couldn’t dare look down on his master. It was a classic gesture of submission.

“Okay. I may not know exactly what you’re afraid of, but I think I have an idea.”

“……”

“But I’m not like that, am I? How am I looking at you now?”

She stared directly into his eyes as he knelt before her. As expected, she felt no negative emotions.

If anything, thanks to the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window behind her, his gray eyes shone silver, making them look even more mysterious.

Time, which had stretched like taffy, had returned to its normal pace. Still gazing into his eyes, she listened as he slowly opened his mouth.

“…You’re beautiful.”

“…What?”

“Oh, no. No, I mean… Ah.”

Wondering if she had heard correctly, Lysith decided to calm her flustered butler.

“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you well. What did you say?”

Though she had heard him, she pretended not to, maintaining a calm expression.

“You are the first person to look at me… with such eyes.”

“Such eyes?”

“Eyes without fear. …If you wish, may I have the honor of making eye contact with you?”

For reasons unknown, his wall seemed to have crumbled faster than expected. Thinking it would be nice to see his favorability, Lysith nodded and smiled.

“Of course.”

And in response to her smile, Penchev, who had maintained a stoic expression, allowed a very faint smile to appear.

* * *

“A handsome man’s smile…”

Finally, the day of the founding anniversary, which she had been waiting for, had arrived. Though some time had passed since then, the memory of his smile occasionally lingered in her mind.

After waking their weak master in the morning, the maids hurriedly bathed, massaged, and groomed her, and now, they were diligently applying makeup to Lysith’s still dazed face.

Both the previous and current Lysith disliked heavy makeup, so it was kept light. But the maids, looking like generals preparing for battle, put great effort into it.

“Take it easy…”

“We can’t, Miss!”

Lysith, of course, knew why they were doing this.

The ball held in celebration of the founding anniversary lasted about a week at the imperial palace. Most of the capital’s nobles attended, including the Grand Duke.

Today was the first day, and high-ranking nobles usually only showed up on the first day and skipped the rest. In other words, there was a 100% chance the Grand Duke would attend today, causing this commotion.

‘Whether I dress beautifully or like a mess, that man won’t look at me…’

This was a misunderstanding on Lysith’s part.