Madam Hannon walked alongside Clive as he left the guest palace. After walking in silence, Clive stopped at the main palace entrance, turned to look back toward the guest palace, and said to Madam Hannon:

“I did exactly what you suggested, but there was no reaction.”

“That level of response is sufficient. Didn’t she thank you?”

“She did.”

“Then that’s fine. Did you expect her to jump for joy?”

“Who would expect that?”

Clive replied nonchalantly. Eirene was an enigma to him. He understood that women generally enjoyed adornments. When he had initially planned to simply prepare jewels, Madam Hannon had advised against it. 

She told him that even with the same expenditure, thoughtful application would be more appreciated, so they changed the dresses, accessories, and even interior decorations. 

Though he had Madam Hannon’s help, Clive had secretly harbored expectations. He thought Eirene would smile brightly and express gratitude, but instead, her reaction was lukewarm, almost cold. 

The smile she forced in response to his words would have been better left unshown. As Clive headed toward his office inside the main palace, Madam Hannon sighed behind him.

“I think I made a mistake. I seem to have misjudged the young lady’s taste.”

“Her taste?”

“I prepared everything based on what Your Grace told me about her, but when I actually met her, it didn’t suit her at all. Fortunately, we prepared a variety of dresses.”

Clive understood what Madam Hannon meant.

“I imagined a cute flower blooming in spring, but the lady I met was more like a flower grown in winter snow.”

During his meetings with Aishe, he hadn’t seen her face clearly or conversed much, but her tone and word choice suggested she was someone raised with abundant love. 

Though she acted younger than her age, she was bright and cheerful. He had conveyed this impression to Madam Hannon without particular suspicion, so it wasn’t really her mistake. 

If anyone was at fault, it was Clive for not saying anything separately after meeting Eirene. Though truthfully, he had nothing to say. Suddenly, he let out a hollow laugh. 

The very idea of trying to determine whose fault it was that Eirene wasn’t pleased seemed ridiculous. 

The problem lay with her lack of reaction, not with Madam Hannon or himself. Even that wasn’t really a problem. More importantly, why was he fixating on such trivial matters?

“Enough.”

Wishing to stop thinking about it, Clive quickly entered his office. The door closed slowly but made a bang at the end. Madam Hannon, who had been staring intently at the doorknob, gradually broke into a smile. 

Whenever she heard about the Phineas family’s fiancée, she had sensed a certain dryness in Clive. She had assumed they were engaged because of a long-standing affection, but his cold manner of speaking suggested it was merely an arrangement between families. 

That’s why she was surprised when Clive announced he was inviting his fiancée to the Grand Duke’s residence. She was even more surprised when he said, “I want her to stay comfortably and be satisfied during her time here.” 

Finally, she was astounded when he casually remarked, “Women like jewels, don’t they? I wonder if she’d like it if I prepared some.” 

It was a positive change, but so sudden that she had her doubts. But her suspicions were unfounded. Having raised Clive since he was a baby, Madam Hannon could see the confusion in his heart. How long she had waited for this.

“Are you here to see His Grace?”

Ulik, who was holding a stack of documents against his chest with one hand, lowered his posture to face Madam Hannon.

“I was just about to leave.”

“Has something good happened? You look pleased.”

“Do I?”

Ulik nodded at Madam Hannon’s question.

“Good observation. Yes, I am in a good mood.”

“Why? I want to know too. Let me share in your happiness.”

“I’ll tell you later. You should go in now.”

After walking a few steps, Madam Hannon called out to Ulik.

“Ulik! Unlike me, His Grace is not in a good mood. Be careful.”

Ulik was about to call Madam Hannon back to ask why, but decided against it. Even if he knew the reason, he lacked the ability to improve Clive’s mood.

Dinner consisted mainly of smooth, easy-to-swallow dishes. The desserts in particular made Eirene’s eyes sparkle. 

When Clive had visited the Phineas mansion before, the food had been delicious, but today’s meal was of an even higher standard. 

Eirene, who rarely spoke first unless asked, took one bite and exclaimed, seemingly enchanted:

“What is this made of? It’s delicious!”

“Just a moment.”

Not knowing the dessert’s ingredients, Clive signaled to Madam Hannon. When the chef came out to explain, Eirene placed her hands on her knees and didn’t take her eyes off him. 

Occasionally she responded with “Ah, I see” or nodded her head in acknowledgment. Clive stared at Eirene. Though her expression barely changed, it was at least better than her reaction at the guest palace. 

Damn. He ranked lower than sweet food. But seeing Eirene’s subtly pleased face, that feeling quickly disappeared. At least she liked something. She really was a difficult woman.

After dinner, Clive accompanied Eirene to the guest palace and dismissed all the servants. The space, now occupied by just the two of them, filled with the jasmine scent rising from the tea.

“Aren’t you curious why I invited you?”

“I was, but I thought you called me because you needed my help with something.”

“Not immediately, but that’s correct. I called you to let you know what you’ll be doing. There are also documents to prepare.”

“Your Grace, excuse me for interrupting.”

Clive, who had been taking out a cigar, paused and focused on Eirene.

“I’d like you to speak to me more comfortably. I want people outside and my family to see us as a very intimate couple. You spoke to me casually when you thought I was Aishe.”

“If that’s what you want, I’ll do so.”

Clive immediately lowered his speech. It wasn’t a difficult request, so there was no reason to refuse. He cut the cap off the cigar and put it in his mouth, then took out documents from an envelope on the table. 

It was a confidentiality agreement. He didn’t completely trust Eirene. There were still questionable points, and even if everything she said was true, people’s hearts could change at any time. 

He pushed the agreement toward her and was about to light his cigar, but instead put it back in its case. Someone who had lived in a basement for so long wouldn’t appreciate the strong smoke.

“What is this?”

“An agreement. Verbal promises are dangerous, aren’t they?”

“Isn’t leaving a paper trail dangerous too?”

“I’m choosing the less dangerous option. You’re more dangerous than documents.”

Despite his blunt statement that he couldn’t fully trust her, Eirene didn’t show much reaction. Her eyes scanned the contents. Though there were quite shocking details, such as needing to extract information from the Phineas family, her expression remained unchanged.

“There are three things I want to know. The extent of the Phineas family’s wealth, how they earn such income, and where the money is spent. That’s all you need to tell me. Can you do it?”

Though he stated it simply, it was by no means an easy task. Financial information was the most important aspect of any family, especially for the secretive Phineas family.

“It might take some time, but I’ll try.”

“Are you confident?”

“Even if I’m not, I have to do it.”

“You can write what you want in that blank space.”

“I should write three things too, I suppose.”

“That works. Oh, I’m already pretending to love you, so you only need to write two more things.”

Eirene stared at the agreement. She picked up the pen to organize her thoughts and write, but soon put it down again. The blank space in the agreement where Eirene’s writing should go remained unfilled.

“May I fill this in later? I need more time to think.”

“Go ahead.”

“Thank you for your accommodation.”

After the agreement was placed in the envelope, silence fell. Eirene seemed to have already adapted to being alone with him, as she could tolerate the awkwardness quite well. Clive’s gaze was still burdensome, but not suffocating. 

That was probably because they both knew each other’s identity and purpose. Still, not being completely comfortable, she hoped Clive would leave. 

She had already had one cup of tea while eating dessert, but the cup in front of her remained full, and it seemed he would stay until it was empty, so she decided to finish it quickly. 

Eirene emptied her cup, but Clive showed no intention of leaving. His gentle smile, completely mismatched with his gaze, became increasingly uncomfortable. 

There was no choice. She would have to directly ask him to leave.

“Your Grace.”

“I wish you would stop calling me ‘Your Grace.'”

“What should I call you then?”

“My name. Isn’t ‘Your Grace’ too formal for lovers?”

“Yes. I’ll do that. Your Grace.”

“Starting from this moment, change it.”

“Yes. Clive.”

Clive nodded with satisfaction and rose from his seat, prompting Eirene to stand as well.

“You must be tired. Rest.”

“You too, Clive.”

Following him out to see him off, Eirene noticed the cigar case on the table, quickly picked it up, and handed it to him.

“Here. Take this with you.”

“Ah, I forgot,” he said, grasping the end of the case. Eirene carefully added:

“I have a favor to ask.”

“Go on.”

“It’s about that.”

Eirene gestured toward the case with her eyes.

“I don’t like that smell.”

In short, she was asking him not to smoke cigars in front of her.

“Have I ever smoked this in front of you?”

“No, you haven’t. It’s just that when you’re near me, I can smell it.”

“Are you telling me not to smoke at all?”

“No. How could I dare ask you to give up something you enjoy? I’m just asking if you could refrain, just for a moment, when I’m around?”

“I’ll do that.”

Clap. 

Clive roughly pulled the case from Eirene’s hand, his face hardening. She had made a polite request, but he seemed offended.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For making such a request.”

“It’s not a request to be sorry about.”

Clive left the guest palace. The maid who had been waiting at the door entered, while Ulik followed Clive as he headed toward the main palace. 

They had barely taken a few steps when the sound of the door closing reached them, causing Clive to turn around sharply and glare. Knowing how strong cigar smoke could be, Clive remembered never smoking in front of Eirene. 

The same was true earlier. Her request wasn’t unreasonable. But the smell? The smell was natural since he smoked cigars frequently. He had never dreamed that someone might find the scent unpleasant. 

Most women who had been close to him said they liked the cigar smell, calling it wild. Hadn’t Aishe said the same?

“Ulik. Do I smell?”

“Smell, sir?”

“Do I smell or not? Just answer that.”

“I can’t tell, sir.”

“Right. There’s no smell.”

Clive’s voice was subdued, but it conveyed slight anger, slight excitement, and slight embarrassment. Ulik’s eyes moved rapidly from side to side. He tried to figure out why Clive was suddenly asking about smell, but nothing came to mind.

“Who told Your Grace that you smell?”

“Nobody. Who would dare?”

Clive’s pace was faster than usual. He entered the main palace in an instant and urgently sought out Madam Hannon, causing her to hurry away from her work.

“You called for me? What’s the matter?”

“Prepare perfume for me tomorrow.”

Madam Hannon repeated the unprecedented request:

“Perfume?”

“The finest, with the best fragrance.”

“For Your Grace to use?”

“Yes.”

Climbing toward his office, Clive suddenly stopped still, seemingly remembering something, then continued up. 

Madam Hannon, who had been watching Clive disappear at the top of the stairs, gave Ulik a look asking what had happened, but he merely shrugged his shoulders.