She hadn’t even changed out of the form-fitting dress she had worn to the luncheon with Glishakov. The sight of her lying properly on the bed in her uncomfortable dress was quite amusing.

“Hahahaha.”

She remained motionless, seemingly indifferent.

After laughing for a while, he straightened his bent waist.

Medric wiped away the tears that had formed in the corners of his eyes from laughing so hard.

“You’re really amusing.”

“I don’t have an amusing personality.”

Eve, who had been lying straight and just listening to his laughter, immediately refuted his words.

“People can perceive things differently. I like your personality.”

‘How much have you even seen of me?’

The words rose to her throat momentarily, but she held them back.

She didn’t want to pour cold water on his kind perception of her.

Eve pulled the blanket up high, as if telling him not to talk to her.

“But are you really going to sleep like that? I can call someone to help you change comfortably.”

“It doesn’t matter what clothes I wear to sleep.”

“If you’re doing this because of me, I can change. I was planning to sleep on that sofa anyway.”

Eve opened her eyes slightly.

Looking at the sofa he pointed to, it seemed soft but appeared too short for him to lie on.

“How can you sleep on a sofa like that? I’ll sleep on the sofa instead.”

“No matter what, I’m not the kind of scoundrel who would make his wife sleep on the sofa on their wedding night.”

“Has today been officially designated as our wedding night?”

“That’s right. Others will think so too.”

Medric got up from the bed and pulled the bell cord near the table.

Someone must have been waiting nearby, as a knock was immediately heard.

Knock, knock.

“You called for me.”

Marie’s familiar voice was heard from outside the door.

“Come in and help the lady prepare for bed.”

“Yes.”

Eve was almost forcibly moved to the bathroom with Marie to change clothes and wash up.

***

Only after arriving in the bathroom did Eve let out a long sigh.

“Whew…”

Marie approached Eve again and helped her remove the evening dress that had been constricting her.

As Eve closed her eyes, she felt Marie’s careful hands.

The corset that had been tightly cinching her waist was also undone by Marie’s hands.

Surrendering to the gentle touch, Eve felt drowsy, as if she might fall asleep.

On days when her body was this tired, soaking in warm water always helped relieve her fatigue.

Standing before the bath water, kept warm by magic stones, she immersed her body from her toes to her legs, stomach, and chest.

Splash.

“It’s warm.”

As the nearly hot water enveloped her entire body, her fatigue melted away like snow.

Though she usually preferred to enjoy her baths alone, today was a special day, so she had asked Marie to attend to her bath as well.

“Sigh. After bathing, I’ll have to sleep in the same place as the Duke.”

As her tension eased, her true feelings slipped out.

“Do you dislike spending the night with the Duke, my lady?”

It seemed that the mansion’s servants, as Medric had said, also considered tonight to be the official wedding night.

“It’s not that I dislike it…”

Eve fumbled with her words, finding it difficult to answer.

She stared at the water rippling around her chest, then submerged herself up to her mouth. Exhaling underwater, bubbles rose to the surface.

Eve rarely showed her emotions openly to Marie. Yet now, she was revealing her discontent with the current situation. Even her protruding, pouting lips made it obvious.

Seeing Eve unable to answer, Marie let out a small laugh. Her hands were gentle as she wiped Eve’s arms with a wet cloth.

“You’ll handle it well, my lady, whatever it is.”

At these sincere words, Eve looked at Marie before shifting her gaze back to the rippling water.

“I have to do well. There’s no turning back now. I wish I could just faint for a few days and wake up later.”

“Don’t say such things, even as a joke.”

Swallowing the words “I’m serious,” Eve idly moved her hand across the water’s surface. Ripples followed her hand with each movement.

As Eve lifted her long, white legs out of the tub, Marie began wiping them with a wet cloth.

Eve stared at the flower petals floating in the bath, then touched one with her fingertip.

“What kind of flower is this?”

“It’s a type of herb that helps relieve fatigue and tension.”

Eve nodded lightly and gazed absently at the petals swaying with the water. A rich floral scent rose from the water.

“You added fragrance oil too.”

As she stirred her hand through the water, crossing the floating petals, a rich aroma tickled her nose.

“If the scent bothers you, I can change it to something else.”

“No. I like the fragrance.”

She was just thinking how strange it would feel to meet Medric with this scent emanating from her entire body.

Would he think she was expecting or preparing for their wedding night?

‘Though he probably wouldn’t think that way at all.’

Eve submerged herself deeper into the steaming water.

As she stopped the thoughts swirling in her head, her languid body relaxed completely.

Entrusting herself to Marie’s care, she closed her eyes and sank into the depths of sleep.

***

She opened her eyes to the bright sunlight illuminating the room.

‘When did I fall asleep?’

With vision still blurry from sleep, she looked around.

Judging by the light streaming through the window, it was morning.

She remembered Marie attending to her bath last night until she fell asleep.

Medric’s words about not neglecting their wedding night came back to her, but what could she do? Her body lacked energy and she kept falling asleep.

Eve felt secretly relieved that she had legitimately avoided the wedding night.

She rustled as she sat up. When the blanket that had been covering her entire body fell to her waist, Eve was too shocked to close her mouth.

“Goodness. What is this clothing?”

She saw herself wearing a silk slip she had never seen before in her life.

The peach-colored slip was not only a strange color but also so thin it revealed the contours of her body.

‘Marie must have dressed me in this…?’

Eve picked up the edge of the provocative slip with her hand.

The intention behind dressing her in such clothing seemed suspicious.

‘Marie… Even so, this is a bit…’

Having never worn such an embarrassing outfit before, she turned her body this way and that to examine the garment.

Then suddenly, a dizzying thought crossed her mind.

“Wait.”

Surely no one had seen her like this?

Eve’s face gradually turned pale.

What had just crossed her mind must not have happened.

First, let’s retrace her memories. She definitely fell asleep in the bathtub yesterday.

‘Then who brought me here?’

Now Eve’s face turned from pale to purple.

The thought that someone had seen her in this provocative outfit while moving her made her feel like dying of embarrassment.

She placed her hands on her face and tried to control her emotions and thoughts.

‘It’s okay. As long as he didn’t see me.’

She thought everything would be fine as long as Medric hadn’t seen her, but this very thought was dangerous.

The only people who could enter the Duchess’s room were the maids and Medric.

Even the knights who had access to the mansion were only allowed up to the front of Eve’s room, and could not enter unless there was a dangerous situation.

She felt the blood draining from her nails.

“No, that can’t be. He couldn’t have been the one to move me.”

Eve desperately denied reality as she removed the blanket that had fallen to her stomach and placed her feet on the floor below the bed.

She put on the robe placed beside her, carefully covering her strange attire, and pulled the bell cord.

Shortly after, Marie entered the room.

“You called, my lady?”

“Yes, thank you. By the way, did you choose this outfit, Marie?”

“Yes! Since the Laurent Fashion House didn’t make any indoor clothing for you, I ordered from another atelier and selected this. I wanted to ask your preference, but you fell asleep, so I couldn’t. Do you like it?”

Eve couldn’t even scold Marie.

How could she reprimand someone who had chosen it for her benefit?

Seeing Marie’s brightly smiling face made it even more impossible.

Eve took a small breath and said:

“…Thank you. It’s not my style, but… you must have put a lot of thought into it.”

“Yes! Of course. Next time, I’ll choose something more to your taste! This time I couldn’t ask you, so I selected it after careful consideration. After all, it was your wedding night with the Duke.”

When the “wedding night” was naturally mentioned, Eve inhaled sharply.

Even her intention to tell Marie to refrain from such clothing in the future vanished completely.

She didn’t know if he had been in the room last night, or if he had been there, when he had left in the morning. Having slept until morning without even greeting Medric, she had no defense if he reproached her later.

On one hand, she was relieved it had passed safely, but on the other, she felt guilty for not properly observing the “customs of a married couple.”

Eve squeezed her eyes shut.

But there was something more urgent she needed to find out.

Eve opened her eyes wide and asked:

“…Who brought me here from the bathroom?”

Hoping desperately it wasn’t him.

Hoping he hadn’t seen her bathed in fragrant oils, flower-adorned, and wearing this outfit.

“Of course it was…”

Just as Eve was focusing on Marie’s lips, there was a knock at the door.

“My lady, it’s Hans.”

“…Come in.”

Reluctantly, she would have to hear the rest of Marie’s answer after Hans’s visit.

The door opened, revealing Hans and a large object that filled the doorway.

“The Duke asked me to deliver a message.”

Hans took out a card from his jacket’s inner pocket.

“Ahem.”

Hans read the contents of the card in a voice louder than usual, as if wanting everyone inside and outside the room to hear.

“I wish I could gift you a garden rather than a bouquet, but following custom, I send this bouquet first. I promise a greater gift next time.”