Fortunately, Mandy had quick hands and knew her well, so the dressing didn’t take long.

She braided her hair into one plait with small artificial flowers inserted between the strands, and wore a lace dress with oval puff sleeves.

This gave off a pure yet elegant atmosphere, making her delicate features look even more mature.

At this level, she wouldn’t be overshadowed at all standing next to Carl.

She smiled satisfactorily and went downstairs. As she approached the reception room, she felt nervous for some reason.

‘Go on a date with me.’

Carl’s date proposal, which had been so plain yet made her heart flutter even more, came to mind.

Arriving in front of the reception room door, she didn’t knock immediately but cleared her throat once.

“Ahem.”

And carefully raised her hand.

Knock knock.

“Carl, I’m here.”

Even though she had deliberately announced her presence directly, there was no response from inside.

Finding it strange, she opened the door to find the reception room was completely empty.

“……?”

What, where did he go?

As she stood frozen holding the door handle in confusion, Paul approached her with quick steps from the end of the corridor.

“There you are, Miss. I apologize, I was a step late and made you take unnecessary steps.”

Paul, who bowed politely toward her, continued to report.

“Currently, Duke Celsior is sparring with Young Lord Dain in the training ground.”

“Huh? Why?”

She made a bewildered expression at the news that was not just sudden but completely out of the blue.

He said let’s go on a date with me, that he’d wait even if it took days.

The moment she narrowed her brow at the subtle sense of betrayal…..

“Young Lord Dain requested it after hearing about your date.”

Ugh, Dain!

She screamed silently at the truth Paul conveyed.

What kind of extreme behavior is this?!

She hurriedly headed to the training ground. From far away, she could see two tall figures clashing swords.

They’ve really gone crazy.

“Dain! Carl!”

She ran toward them in shock, calling out their names loudly.

Carl, glancing at her, sheathed his sword and slightly distanced himself from Dain.

She checked on him first.

“Carl, are you okay? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

“Of course I’m fine.”

Although his hair was slightly disheveled, fortunately Carl really did look okay.

Only after carefully checking to make sure he wasn’t hiding any injuries did she let out a sigh of relief.

“……Um, Shailyn. Anyone can see that I’m the one who fell, shouldn’t you be concerned about your brother first?”

Dain, sitting on the ground, protested with a hollow laugh at her behavior.

Apparently having lost the sparring match, his sword lay fallen on the ground, and his handsome face, wet with sweat, had turned sulky.

“I’m starting to feel a little hurt.”

Only then turning toward Dain, she made an awkward expression.

“Ah, sorry. Are you okay?”

“……Yeah.”

Dain, getting up holding her hand, answered with a face that still wasn’t fully appeased.

Of course, from his perspective, her attitude would have felt disappointing, but she was also angry at him for suddenly engaging in a dangerous surprise sparring match without prior preparation.

“Why did you suddenly challenge Carl to a sparring match? What if you got hurt?”

And we have to go on a date soon too!

At the sharp scolding, Dain narrowed his eyes and said wistfully.

“Shailyn…… he’s not at a level where he’d get hurt……”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Brother is really hurt……”

Dain’s eyes drooped. Having already lost the sparring match and then getting scolded by her on top of that, he seemed to have become dejected.

Feeling sorry again, she patted Dain’s shoulder.

Carl, quietly watching them, suddenly wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

“Anyway, since I won, I’ll be taking Shailyn out now.”

Then Dain’s gaze, instantly regaining its sharp light, glared at Carl’s hand resting on her shoulder.

Dain, his lips twitching, answered with a face that said he had much to say but wouldn’t.

“……Since gracefully accepting defeat is also a knight’s virtue, I understand.”

He bowed his head with a polite attitude befitting a knight.

“Have a good time.”

“It was an enjoyable sparring match, young lord.”

Carl, though also a duke, greeted Dain with proper courtesy.

“Let’s go, Shailyn.”

Carl naturally took her hand. Even though the texture of his large, calloused hand was certainly familiar, her heart strangely fluttered.

As she awkwardly fidgeted with her fingers, he silently grasped her hand more firmly.

The place Carl took her to was the largest opera theater in the capital.

They watched the performance alone together while dining in the VIP seats he had reserved.

This kind of cultural activity was something she hadn’t enjoyed much even in the original world, so she felt very happy.

After the play ended, they took a walk in a nearby park.

Though it was a season gradually heading toward winter, the sunlight was still warm and the breeze was cool, making it perfect for walking.

Carl watched her humming softly and casually asked.

“The opera wasn’t bad, right?”

“Yeah, it was fun!”

She rattled off her impressions with complete sincerity.

Then Carl’s lips, which had been stiffly tense as if nervous, relaxed loosely.

“I heard it’s a play that lovers often watch.”

He added nonchalantly, as if conveying information.

“We’re not lovers yet, but since we’re prospects, I deliberately chose it.”

She flinched for a moment, then soon made a playful expression and looked up at him.

“What’s with the confidence? What if I reject your confession?”

“To prevent that from happening, I’m seducing you like this before hearing an answer.”

Breaking her expectation that he would naturally show an embarrassed reaction, Carl responded more shamelessly than she had imagined.

My former bondservant has really gone crazy.

Suddenly feeling heat rise to her face, she bowed her head deeply.

Carl, naturally stopping walking, gently cupped her cheek.

“Look here.”

“……I’m looking.”

Honestly, she was too embarrassed to look at his face right now, but she mustered courage and looked at Carl.

The face positioned under his fine black hair was really straight and handsome.

If you looked like this, you’d be full just looking in the mirror without eating……

As she thought this, Carl, staring intently at her, slightly lowered his head and suddenly asked.

“How is it.”

How are your eyes?

“Pretty.”

The clear, transparent gem-like lustrous red glow was exactly like rubies.

The finest quality rubies at that.

At the praise that flowed out naturally as if enchanted, Carl made a flustered face.

“……You think gray hair is pretty?”

“Huh……?”

Suddenly what gray hair in this atmosphere?

She also panicked and blinked, then soon realized.

“Ah, ah, you meant look at your hair?”

He wasn’t asking how his eyes were. He wanted her to look at the gray hair on his head.

Seeing her flustered reaction, Carl, who realized the misunderstanding, chuckled.

“Then what were you looking at when you said it was pretty?”

“Th, then why are you asking me to look at your gray hair?”

What, do you want me to pluck it?!

Carl hesitated to answer for a moment, then turned his head to the side and said.

“I wondered if it looked somewhat blond.”

“Huh?”

If black hair gets gray, it’s just white hair, what blond?

To her who couldn’t understand what context this was, he quietly explained.

“You like blond hair. You said you’d marry a handsome blond man.”

“……Ah.”

Only then did she understand Carl’s intention. Since she liked blond hair, he was appealing that his gray hair was also somewhat similar.

‘Really…… how cute.’

He was so cute that she couldn’t control her twitching lips.

“Puhup.”

In the end, she couldn’t hold back and let out a laugh. Then Carl, his ears turning bright red, covered his face with one hand and warned.

“Don’t laugh.”

“Keuhup.”

“I told you not to laugh.”

“How can I not laugh when you’re so cute?”

Now she could clearly see even his neck turning red.

After giggling for a while, she cleared her throat with a cough and casually said.

“I actually don’t like blond hair that much.”

“……Then?”

Carl, unable to lift his head as if he was about to dig a tunnel into the ground, slyly showed expectation.

She put her hands behind her back and answered while hiding her shyness as much as possible.

“I like black hair like yours better. It’s neat and cool.”

“Your taste isn’t completely lacking.”

“Isn’t your expression change too extreme, Your Grace? Your lips might tear.”

When she poked him with her elbow teasingly, Carl replied calmly without changing his expression at all.

“Of course, the woman I like is saying she likes a part of my body.”

“……It sounds a bit strange when you say ‘part of my body’?”

“Hair is also part of the body.”

“That’s not the important thing.”

When she laughed in disbelief, he also smiled following her.

After finishing the walk, Carl took her back to the ducal residence.

“I had fun today.”

“Then that’s good. I’ll plan another different date and come find you next time.”

“Get home safely.”

As she waved her hand gently in greeting, he suddenly took her hand.

Smooch.

And kissed the back of it.

“……!”