Chapter 15

Having received confirmation, Evelyn no longer hesitated and spoke.  

“Then, please take off your gloves and pat my head.”  

“…What?”  

“Oh, and please praise me for doing well too.”  

Evelyn thought it was a perfectly reasonable request, but Seth froze in place, staring blankly. Unable to stand it any longer, Evelyn poked the back of his hand. Seth flinched and asked,  

“Is that really what you want?”  

“Yes.”  

Evelyn alternated her gaze between his face and his gloves, urging him. After a long moment of hesitation, Seth removed his gloves. Then, he raised his hand but hesitated again. Feeling her patience run out, Evelyn grabbed his hand and placed it on her head.  

“Okay, come on. Pat, pat.”  

Once Seth confirmed that Evelyn wasn’t uncomfortable, he slowly began patting her head. A gentle and warm sensation emanated from his hand. It felt as though all the stress she had accumulated was melting away.  

Although Evelyn felt so relaxed she wanted to lie down completely, she couldn’t allow herself to be satisfied just yet. Forcing her heavy eyelids open, she said,  

“Praise me too.”  

“…You did well.”  

The lackluster compliment made her pout, but she quickly decided it didn’t matter. The way his hand patted her head felt so good. It wasn’t painful at all, yet it felt like a soothing massage.  

Lying face down on the cushion, Evelyn fully enjoyed the sensation. 

Ah, this feels amazing. I want to appoint Seth as my personal head-patting servant.  

“Eve.”  

“Hmm? Yes?”  

Immersed in the pleasant feeling, Evelyn barely responded.  

Then, all of a sudden, Seth’s hand stopped patting her head. 

What? Is it over already?  

Dissatisfied with how quickly her reward had ended, Evelyn raised her head in protest, only to find Seth staring at her. The moment their eyes met, a chill ran down her spine.  

‘Huh? What’s this?’  

Something about it was frightening. As Evelyn instinctively shrank back, Seth resumed moving his hand. The patting sensation and the emotions conveyed through it were the same as before. But Evelyn couldn’t completely relax.  

Seth called her name again.  

“Eve.”  

“Yes, yes?”  

“Shall we live together?”  

“…What?”  

Out of nowhere, Seth proposed living together.  

***

Freesia Palace.  

Once a royal hunting lodge, it was gifted to the Elmaier family to commemorate their great victory in the Battle of Freesia.  

Now the official residence of Duke Elmaier, the palace was in chaos.  

Word had come that the Duke was returning unexpectedly with his lover. Along with the announcement was an order to prepare the annex for her stay.  

The sudden news shocked everyone. The head maid, in particular, was on the verge of fainting.  

Though the annex had recently been refurbished under the Duke’s orders, it was far from perfect. It was utterly inadequate to host the future lady of the household. In the end, all hands were called upon to clean, decorate, and ready the annex.  

The grand entrance hall and the Great Hall were no exceptions. The staff worked themselves to exhaustion, rearranging the displayed artworks and wiping away every speck of dust.  

“There! Check it again. The second row is crooked!”  

“The flower blossoms are too small. Throw out all the flowers on this side and redecorate.”  

“Is the annex ready?”  

“Almost finished. We’re replacing the curtains because they don’t match the furniture.”  

“Go check immediately. Preparing the annex is the top priority.”  

Even the usually slow-moving chamberlain, deputy chamberlain, head steward, and head maid were rushing about.  

With the higher-ups so busy, the lower-ranked staff were practically flying around. Even the knights, who had been idling about, were gradually roped into helping.  

“So, is the future Madame coming today?”  

“Stop asking and carry this!”  

“Can’t you at least tell me that much?”  

At that moment, a grand bell rang out.  

Everyone froze and held their breath. The bell, rung from the tower above the main gate, signaled the return of the palace’s master. Unlike the east and west gates, the main gate was reserved exclusively for the Duke’s use.  

Moments later, a steward burst into the hall with a final confirmation.  

“The carriage has crossed the Great Bridge!”  

The Great Bridge spanned the lake in front of the palace. This meant there were only 15 minutes left until the guests arrived. The head maid clapped her hands to quiet the murmuring crowd and said,  

“Everyone, remain calm. Finish what you’re doing immediately, change into formal attire, and gather in front of the grand entrance.”  

The staff snapped out of their daze and hurried to carry out her orders. The chamberlain, who had stayed behind to inspect the hall, suddenly asked,  

“Which knights are currently in the palace? Is it the Black Lion Knights?”  

“The Black Lions are escorting the carriage. The knights currently in the palace are the Gold Lions.”  

The deputy chamberlain, Lambert, replied indifferently, causing the chamberlain’s face to turn pale.  

“Of all times, why does it have to be the Gold Lions? Where is their Commander? Tell him to leash those men if necessary!”  

“The Commander seems even more excited than the knights. He’s apparently preparing something to welcome the guests.”  

“What? Stop him immediately! If he scatters paper flowers again, I won’t let it slide!”  

“I tried to tell him, but he’s impossible to reason with.”  

Lambert shrugged. The chamberlain, exasperated, grabbed his cane and ran outside.  

But before he could stop the Gold Lion Knights’ antics, the carriage arrived.  

“The carriage is here. Quickly, this way.”  

At the head maid’s urging, the chamberlain reluctantly took his place.  

Soon, the carriage, surrounded by knights, came into view. Tension flickered across everyone’s faces.  

“Hold formation and stop!”  

The carriage came to a precise halt in front of the grand entrance. Maurice, the Duke’s adjutant, personally opened the carriage door.  

“Have we arrived?”  

A chirping voice emerged from the carriage, and everyone’s ears perked up.  

The Duke was the first to step out. After planting his feet on the ground, he extended his hand toward the carriage.  

Then, the awaited guest appeared. A young lady, wearing an oversized coat, took the Duke’s hand and lightly hopped out of the carriage.  

She had the rumored pink hair and red eyes. Her skin was so pale it seemed she had never seen sunlight in her life.  

But contrary to the rumors, she wasn’t a seductive and arrogant beauty. Instead, she looked like a soft, fluffy young lady. The oversized coat she wore made her appear even smaller.  

In the stunned silence, Lambert muttered under his breath,  

“That coat… isn’t that His Grace’s ceremonial uniform?”  

The chamberlain quickly jabbed Lambert in the ribs, but it was too late. Everyone had already heard. Realizing the implications, the staff quickly straightened their postures and held their breath.  

A young lady wearing the Duke’s ceremonial uniform.  

It was a blatant warning. She bore the Duke’s symbol, so no one should dare to look at her or speak of her.  

‘His Grace is making his stance clear from the start.’  

Lambert smirked inwardly.  

The young lady, who had just stepped out of the carriage, was busy looking around curiously. The Duke, standing beside her, followed her every movement, staying close as if he couldn’t bear to let her stray too far.  

‘He’s surprisingly possessive, isn’t he?’  

Lambert found it amusing until he noticed the Duke’s cold gaze fixed on him. Startled, Lambert quickly raised his hands in surrender and lowered his head. Only then did the icy stare relent.  

‘So, he doesn’t want anyone showing interest in her, whether it’s out of malice or goodwill.’  

But not everyone was as perceptive as Lambert.  

Bwaaaang!

A sudden horn blast made the young lady jump in surprise.  

The Duke’s eyes instantly sharpened as he turned toward the source of the noise. The culprits were the Gold Lion Knights, waving their golden lion banners.  

Excited by their master’s attention, the knights began playing their instruments with all their might. The screeching fiddles, off-key lutes, and pounding drums created a cacophony.  

The horrendous noise made everyone grimace.  

Leading the chaos was the knights’ Commander, tossing paper flowers into the air.  

“Oh, dear God.”  

The chamberlain squeezed his eyes shut, unable to watch any longer. Lambert wanted to do the same but couldn’t, as the foolish Commander was his cousin.  

The Commander, apparently unsatisfied with just throwing flowers, leaped into the air, spun around, and landed on one knee before the young lady. With a bashful smile, he offered her a paper rose.  

“Damn it.”  

Lambert cursed under his breath. He could already imagine the disastrous outcomes: the young lady feeling insulted and throwing a fit, fainting on the spot, or slapping the Commander across the face.  

But instead of recoiling in horror, the young lady beamed and accepted the flower.  

“Thank you for welcoming me.”  

Her smile was as bright as the sun. The previously tense atmosphere softened as people felt a strange warmth.  

‘An angel?’  

‘She must be a saint.’  

Some were so moved they discreetly made the sign of the cross.  

Of course, the most touched person was the Gold Lion Knights’ Commander. Having faced rejection countless times before, this was the first time he’d received such a positive reaction.  

Overwhelmed, he let out a triumphant roar and leaped into the air. The other knights, equally elated, resumed their dreadful performance.  

Lambert felt an overwhelming urge to grab the chamberlain’s cane and beat them all senseless.  

“Maurice.”  

Cutting through the noise, the Duke’s voice rang out. It was so filled with anger that even the foolish knights stopped playing.  

Lambert braced himself for the inevitable reckoning, but before the Duke could act, a small hand reached out and tugged on his arm.  

The Duke paused and turned to see the young lady placing the paper flower behind her ear. She cupped her hands under her chin like a flower and smiled brightly.  

“Ta-da!”  

“….”  

“How do I look? Cute?”  

The Duke stared at her in silence. Slowly, the icy anger in his eyes melted away. With a gaze full of affection, he replied,  

“Very pretty.”  

“Hehe.”  

The young lady giggled shyly and began walking as if nothing had happened. Naturally, the Duke followed closely behind her.  

Lambert, having witnessed the scene, was genuinely impressed.  

‘She’s got nerves of steel.’  

Anyone else would have frozen in terror before the Duke’s wrath. But not only did she remain calm, she defused the situation effortlessly. Her courage was truly admirable.  

‘Regardless, I owe her my life. Thank you, young lady.’  

Lambert cast a respectful glance at Evelyn, who had unintentionally earned the goodwill of many as she entered the Duke’s household.