Chapter 9

They washed their hands in water with floating flowers, then started with a subtly savory chestnut soup. Julia brought the food, little by little, just enough to eat.

Their meal was quiet. Ashton’s compliments to the chef were met with Sabina’s simple responses like ‘Cecile is skilled,’ but the mood wasn’t exactly relaxed. When Ashton looked at Sabina’s face while eating, he found himself tense.

Sabina was quietly watching his fingertips, not even trying to hide it.

It was obvious what that meant.

Sabina was checking whether Ashton’s nails were neatly trimmed, whether he made unpleasant noises by clinking cutlery, whether he used the proper utensils, whether he put his elbows on the table, and whether he chewed with his mouth open—one by one.

He didn’t mind being evaluated. After all, Ashton had claimed he was the right man for the job.

Sabina was just confirming whether he could live up to his words.

W

Ashton deliberately stood up later than Sabina. Julia bowed respectfully to him. He felt a strange sensation and looked quietly at Julia, then nodded in return.

He whistled lightly as he left the dining room. Sabina, already standing in the hallway, watched him silently.

“Just to warn you, don’t mess with the maids.”

Ashton hadn’t looked at Julia with any ill intent.

“It’s surprising you remind me of something so obvious. Have your exes messed with your staff?”

“To be honest, quite a few. Whenever I caught them, I fired both the man and the maid.”

Sabina gestured for him to follow.

“I don’t care much about losing men, but losing maids was a shame. It always put me in a bad mood. So don’t do it.”

Sabina stepped onto a stair, tapping the floor lightly with her cane. The stair slowly moved, carrying them to the upper floor. Ashton clicked his tongue.

“…Now I see why you don’t carpet the stairs.”

“This way.”

He didn’t even have time to admire how smoothly Sabina used household magic. She was already far ahead, urging him to hurry. Ashton quickened his steps.

They arrived at Sabina’s dressing room.

“I have somewhere to go tomorrow.”

“I see.”

“I won’t get a new outfit; I’ll wear what I have. You pick. Yes, it’s a test.”

The room was filled with hangers. Ashton clasped his hands behind his back, looked around, and sighed.

“This is a tough challenge.”

“I don’t usually judge men by their skills. This is the first time I’ve tried something like this.”

“That’s exactly my point. The rumors fooled me completely.”

“I was going to reject you, but you kept insisting I hire you. So I have the right to test whether your words are true. Enough complaining.”

Sabina sat lightly on a velvet chair. Ashton turned his back and rolled up his shirt sleeves. He grumbled, but still got to work obediently. Sabina impulsively blurted out something even more mischievous.

“You have fifteen minutes.”

“Excuse me?”

Ashton spun around at the absurdly short time limit. But Sabina just lowered her eyes and opened her pocket watch.

“Begin.”

There was no time left to complain.

Ashton spent about five minutes just staring at the clothes in all directions, hands on his hips.

It looked like he was doing nothing, but he wasn’t just standing idle.

Since Sabina said the D’Vialis maids were competent, the clothes were surely sorted by season. He ignored anything too heavy or shiny. That alone eliminated half.

Next was color. He hesitated. Should he pick something for a first date, or…

Ashton licked his dry lips and ran his hand through his hair, messing up his carefully styled hair. He chose with great care, recalling the items in his own wardrobe as he looked at Sabina’s. He couldn’t rule out the possibility that she might take him along.

“Five minutes left.”

Sabina watched Ashton’s struggle with leisurely calm.

Because of the time crunch, he didn’t have a chance to put on a charming expression under Sabina’s gaze. His brow was furrowed.

Sabina looked at his face and thought,

‘He’s attractive even under these conditions.’

It was a straightforward assessment, just like when she had looked at Ashton’s appearance earlier.

‘I don’t understand.’

He was the kind of man who could have any woman he wanted. Anyone could see that. He was cheerful, slyly likable, and had become wealthy at a young age—he must be talented in business. Even without the title of Sabina’s man, he would have no trouble finding clients.

Why, then, would such a man see an ad in the morning paper, come without hesitation, and act as if this position was something he desperately needed, enduring all this for what was, to him, a trivial salary?

It wasn’t as if Sabina had never met anyone like this before.

Reyes Brinita had also put in this kind of effort for Sabina.

‘Should I be wary of this man too?’

But when she recalled what happened in the parlor, she couldn’t help but feel tempted.

Just his presence alone made him Reyes Brinita’s natural enemy. He might truly help her keep Reyes at a distance.

‘If I hire this man, will I be able to control him?’

The original Sabina had died because of her arrogance in thinking she could control others.

And in this life, after meeting so many men, Sabina had learned that trustworthy men were rare.

Maybe, as Mitchel had said, her insincerity in relationships was why she kept meeting such men… Still, Sabina couldn’t give up such an effective method.

Ashton, who had been pondering between two outfits with his back to Sabina, finally approached her holding a hanger.

“I’ve chosen.”

Sabina looked at the outfit he brought.

Since it was summer, she’d expected him to pick something bright and floral, but he hadn’t. He’d chosen a muted violet dress in the latest silhouette. Sabina had satin shoes and pearl earrings that matched it perfectly.

Ashton had draped a white organdy shawl over the hanger. Sabina fiddled with the shawl for no reason. It was a truly safe combination, with nothing to make her stand out…

Which made it perfect.

The place Sabina had to go tomorrow was somewhere she shouldn’t stand out.

She looked up at Ashton.

He wore a strange smile.

‘This man puts effort into me.’

Sabina blinked.

‘Just like Reyes Brinita did…’

Suspicion grew.

“Do you know where I’m going tomorrow?”

Sabina threw out the question like a joke, but…

For a moment, Ashton Bryant’s expression seemed to tense. Sabina’s face stiffened as well.

But in the next instant, he burst out laughing, bent over to meet Sabina’s gaze.

His laughter instantly turned her wary suspicion into something foolish.

“Ahaha. How would I know that? You haven’t told me.”

Sabina stared at him with a gaze like a nail hammered in place.

His hair, mussed from all his deliberation, cast a shadow over his forehead. He straightened, rolled down his sleeves, and buttoned his cuffs. With a playful smile, he lifted the sleeve of the dress, as if dancing with the clothes.

He winked.

“Did I pick so well you think I read your mind?”

Sabina blinked slowly.

“…I thought you’d pick something flashy, but you chose something plain.”

“If I’d had more time or if you’d told me to choose by my own taste, the result would have been different, probably.”

Ashton smiled down at Sabina. She lowered her gaze, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

Saying it out loud, she realized her suspicion was a bit crude. She turned her head and brushed her cheek.

‘Maybe I’ve gotten too sensitive.’

Reyes Brinita made it hard for her to take people’s actions at face value. She always suspected there was some hidden agenda.

No matter how much someone tried to prove their innocence, it was the same. Reyes had done that too. So even the act of trying to prove innocence felt suspicious.

Sabina closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Right, this man was just a businessman from Retona. He wanted to make money, so he came to her. That was all. Why would he plot anything after seeing her only once? Unless he was a madman like Reyes Brinita…

She’d met many men, and they were all various shades of crude, but only Reyes Brinita had reached that level.

Sabina lifted her eyelids just enough to look at Ashton.

She wouldn’t trust this man completely…

She managed to speak.

“Yeah. You’re right. I like the outfit. I have satin shoes and pearl earrings that go with it.”

“I have a tie in the same color as this dress. Shall we dress up a bit tomorrow?”

“…Why are you assuming you’re coming along? You’re not hired yet.”

At Sabina’s words, Ashton slumped his shoulders.

“Ah, come on. After all this, can’t you just hire me?”

“We’ll see tomorrow.”

Sabina’s responses, which had previously been fully engaged and spirited, became short. She spoke while avoiding Ashton’s eyes.

“As you said, I like the outfit. Hang it separately. And… you can go for today. Come pick me up tomorrow.”

She meant to take Ashton with her to where she was going tomorrow.

Ashton didn’t try to meet Sabina’s gaze. In a cool, gentle voice from beyond her sight, he asked,

“So you haven’t decided if I’m hired yet?”

Sabina stroked the beak of her Albatross cane with her thumb as she answered.

“Yeah.”

“Can I look forward to it?”

Her reply took a little more time. Sabina bowed her head.

“…Yeah.”

Love had long since been cut out of her heart. If she didn’t love, there would be no problem. The original Sabina ruined her life because of love.

Sabina left Ashton in the dressing room and turned away first. For once, feeling she’d gone too far with her thoughts, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

She didn’t look back, afraid he’d notice.

She should have looked back.

If she had, she’d have seen how cold Ashton’s expression was when he wasn’t smiling.

‘Ha, really. That was close.’

Of course, Ashton knew exactly where Sabina was going tomorrow.

He knew Sabina well. She didn’t remember him, but they had met before.

And he had a goal he wanted to achieve by getting close to Sabina.

It was a goal he absolutely didn’t want Sabina to discover.