Chapter 27

Catherine recalled the contents of the letter she wrote yesterday.

‘It really felt like a business proposal. Well, it is a business proposal after all.’

It was a relationship formed for mutual benefit, not love.

Thinking of it as business made Catherine feel much more at ease.

“My ribbooooon!”

Catherine sighed lightly at Lillie’s loud voice.

“Where is it? My ribbon! Catherine, have you seen the box with my ribbons?”

There was no room for idle thoughts at Catherine House, especially while preparing for a banquet.

This morning was no different.

Catherine snapped out of her thoughts and turned towards Lillie, who was calling for her.

“Lillie, what’s that box in your hand? Unless my eyesight is terrible, it looks like the ribbon box.”

“Oh, you’re right!”

It’s always like this on the day of a banquet.

Especially when there were young ladies debuting in society for the first time.

“Catherine, does the pink ribbon suit me better, or the blue ribbon?”

It was Lillie again. Catherine sighed deeply.

‘Just because she’s been through several social seasons doesn’t mean she requires less attention.’

Lillie, the most experienced of the four gathered, was the main culprit of Catherine’s distraction.

“I think blue. Brooke! No, please. I beg you, put down the yellow fan today.”

Catherine turned away after looking at Brooke.

“Riena! That pearl! Yes, yes, the pearl surrounded by sapphires! Are you going to wear those earrings?”

While advising Riena, Catherine tied the blue ribbon around Lillie’s waist.

Her eyes still followed Brooke and Riena.

“You need to get ready too, Madam.”

Maid Yuri, who had found shoes for the forgetful Riena and Brooke, approached Catherine.

“I can just do it roughly, Yuri.”

“You’re going to be escorted by the Duke. By the Duke!”

Yuri clenched her fists, trembling as if she couldn’t believe Catherine’s words.

“Today is the Duke’s first official appearance in society. Do you understand?”

“Uh-huh.”

Hugo had made his first appearance in society a few years ago, before he married Catherine.

What Yuri meant was that it was his first official event as a Duke.

Despite Yuri’s fussing, Catherine was still busy looking for a fan that suited Lillie.

“Catherine! I’m ready, so you go now.”

“That’s right, Catherine! We’re ready.”

But Catherine was pushed out of the specially prepared dressing room.

Following Lillie, even Brooke urged Catherine to hurry and get ready.

In the end, Catherine was dragged by Yuri to the full-length mirror in the dressing room attached to her bedroom.

“I don’t want to look like I put too much effort in. And I don’t want to stand out.”

“You have a lot of wishes. But today, you’ll inevitably stand out.”

Catherine had decided to become Hugo’s fiancée for various reasons and was trying to persuade him, but she wanted to stay as quiet as possible.

Her goal was to stay by his side without drawing attention and then disappear.

That way, she wouldn’t leave a significant mark on Hugo’s life.

Romantic experiences might be a disadvantage for women, but they were neither a gain nor a loss for men.

But for a splendid Duke, it might be a disadvantage.

‘If he sees the engagement as just a romantic relationship.’

Since they had already married and divorced, it might become a joke… but he was a Duke, and splendid, so it would be advantageous.

Catherine tried to erase the worries that surfaced.

While Catherine was momentarily lost in thought, Yuri quickly brought out the dress and accessories Catherine would wear.

They were things Catherine cherished quite a bit.

“If you’re going to be noticed anyway, I intend to make you shine properly, Madam.”

Unlike Catherine, who wanted to have the presence of a wildflower, Yuri intended to show those who had looked down on Catherine for being a divorcee what she was truly capable of.

“Please, Yuri.”

Catherine sent a pleading look, asking to be dressed plainly and modestly, but it was no use.

“Shall we begin, Madam?”

Yuri’s hands moved busily.

And Catherine, properly dressed by Yuri’s determined hands, was as beautiful as anyone.

She was a single rose blooming in the desert.

***

While Catherine House was bustling with preparations, the situation next door was no different.

“Why are you dressing up so much, Your Grace?”

John peeked into Hugo’s dressing room, his face full of mischief.

Hugo pushed his face away with a large hand and focused on choosing his clothes.

“Ugh, you have terrible habits. You know that?”

“What use is it to have good habits with a man?”

Hugo replied gruffly and held out a dark blue vest and a navy vest to John.

“Which one?”

“I’d go with the one on the right.”

Though he had just tried to chase him out, Hugo changed his mind and sought John’s help. John didn’t ignore him.

Several times, Hugo, after much deliberation, entrusted the choice to John, and he made excellent decisions.

Finally, Hugo even adjusted his hair himself.

“Wow, you look completely different from how you do on the battlefield.”

John genuinely admired him. Ignoring John’s repeated compliments, Hugo checked his outfit in the mirror.

“Did you contact Catherine?”

“No, she contacted me. Catherine reached out herself.”

Hugo’s lips curved upward.

“Catherine?”

John’s eyes widened in surprise.

Knowing Catherine’s past and present, John had concluded that she had no interest in Hugo.

Despite the urgency of the situation, she had flatly refused Hugo’s request for help.

Hugo had been delighted after sending Catherine away, thinking it was great that she had agreed to an engagement, but if she had liked him, she would have agreed to marry him right away, John thought.

So when Hugo mentioned yesterday that he had received a letter from Catherine requesting an escort, John was shocked.

In his view, former Lady Catherine was someone who hated doing anything she was told to do.

Take her marriage, for instance.

She demanded a divorce only three days after being forced into marriage by her parents.

She was a woman suited to this era but had made things difficult for Hugo, so John couldn’t give her high marks.

“Is it that surprising that Catherine asked me to escort her?”

“Yes, it is surprising.”

“Then should I tell you something even more surprising?”

“Wait, let me calm down first.”

“Calm down after you hear it; you’ll be surprised again anyway. Do you think I only received an escort request?”

“What, what is it?”

John asked, clutching his chest.

“She asked me to get engaged again.”

This was truly unexpected. John’s eyes widened so much they seemed about to pop out.

“John, what do you think?”

Hugo asked with a sly smile.

“About what?”

“Doesn’t it seem like Catherine has feelings for me?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I remember. A few years ago, after meeting Catherine at a ball, you clearly said she was staring at you intently. You were sure she had feelings for you.”

Hugo nodded.

“Well, what happened next? You said she smiled shyly at your proposal and that things were going well. Didn’t you say she was your destiny?”

“And it did go well.”

“Yes, you did get married. But the result was…”

John clamped his mouth shut. Hugo’s expression had twisted.

He still struggled whenever their brief marriage and subsequent divorce were mentioned.

“Your Grace, you’ve been on the battlefield so much that you can’t catch those signals from women, you know, those subtle signals! So don’t get ahead of yourself. You’ll get hurt.”

“Do you want me to tear your mouth today?”

Hugo said coldly, and John mimicked locking his mouth with a zipper. Hugo clicked his tongue and looked at himself in the mirror.

He looked great, even to himself.

It was all the result of effort.

Hugo had gathered famous designers before coming to the capital and had new clothes made, and he had taken lessons on how to dress.

Not only that, but he had also bathed in milk last night.

It was embarrassing, but he was willing to endure the shame if it could hold Catherine’s attention even for a moment.

Fortunately, Catherine seemed to like his face quite a bit.

His efforts had to pay off today. Hugo’s hands busily tied his cravat.

“Are you ready?”

Just as Hugo was finishing his preparations, Roek arrived.

“How do I look, Roek?”

At Hugo’s question, a rare smile appeared on Roek’s usually stern face.

That smile alone told Hugo that his attire today was excellent.

“If you’re going to confess, I think today is the right day, Your Grace.”

Roek said as he carefully inspected the folds of Hugo’s jacket.

“It’s about time you conveyed your feelings, Your Grace.”

Hugo spoke in a bitter but firm tone.

“There will be no confession.”

The bulging muscle beside his lips, which appeared when he was being stubborn, was unmistakably visible.