A distinguished guest was on the way.

The servants at Count Everett’s estate had been preparing for days under the direction of the housekeeper, and became increasingly busy as the moment of arrival drew near. Dust was carefully wiped from the chandeliers and the bronze statues were polished until they shone. Footsteps echoed through the mansion as the servants hurried back and forth, filling the house with restless anticipation.

“Just who is coming that we have to line up even the patterns on the vases?”

“Are you seriously asking that? It’s Fraser—House Fraser, the ducal family!”

“Still, how important does this guest have to be for us to be in such an uproar a whole week in advance? As you know, I haven’t been here long. I came from the Dowager Countess’s residence, where no outside news ever reaches.”

Before heading out to greet the Duke, the maids gathered around the mirror, chatting animatedly as they styled their hair and smoothed down their uniforms.

The duke, who was engaged to the count’s daughter, was paying his first visit since the engagement was announced.

Given that he had skipped the engagement ceremony, sending only a brief card and an engagement ring by messenger, such elaborate preparations might have seemed excessive — but there was a reason for them.

“Even so, we’re citizens of the Empire. It’s unbelievable to say you’ve never heard of Fraser! He’s the Empire’s greatest tycoon — they say he can even silence a crying child with money! There are even rumors that he holds bonds connected to the imperial family!”

A maid exclaimed dramatically.

“Logan Fraser!”

The only son of the Frasers, he was born with everything he could possibly desire. Not only was he a young duke, but he also rose to become one of the Empire’s greatest tycoons at an early age thanks to his exceptional business acumen.

As immense as his fortune was, he was equally famous for his exacting tastes. Satisfying him was no easy feat, and some noble families considered it the height of honor if he chose to build a hotel on their land.

“Really? Is the young lady’s fiancé, the one we’ve only heard rumors about, really that remarkable? What kind of fortune was she born with?”

“She wasn’t born with it. She earned it. She’s the duke’s savior. You know, the arson incident at the Fraser estate? It was Lady Amelia who pulled the duke out of the flames. In gratitude, the Duchess promised to grant her whatever she wished, and she wished for marriage.”

Without Lady Amelia, the duke wouldn’t be a tycoon today — he wouldn’t even be breathing the fresh air of Rosedale.

“There’s a burn scar on the young lady’s left shoulder. It’s a mark of honor she earned while saving the duke. A noble lady was left with a scar on her body — she deserves at least that much in return.”

“My goodness, that’s incredible.”

“I thought that, since they got engaged and then there was no news for so long, the wedding might never happen. But now that he’s come all the way to Rosedale today, doesn’t that mean the wedding will be held soon?”

When the freckle-faced maid spoke, sighs tinged with envy rippled through the room. As servants, they would never dare covet a nobleman, but they could not help feeling envious. Setting aside all the prestige surrounding him, the Duke of Fraser was renowned above all else for his strikingly handsome appearance.

“I heard from a maid who used to work at the ducal estate that she’d never seen a man more handsome than the duke in her entire life.”

“They said just looking at him made going to work enjoyable—that seeing his face alone was enough to make them happy.”

“It’s almost time for the carriage to arrive. Enough gossip—everyone, hurry to the lobby!”

Acting as stand-in for the head butler, who had gone to the station to greet the guests, the head maid clapped her hands sharply to urge them on.

At the resounding applause, the maids, who had been chatting idly, cast one last glance at the mirror and hurried out. Excited footsteps and bright voices mingled together in anticipation of finally seeing the Duke of Fraser, whom they had only heard rumors about until now.

“Fraser….”

Then, from behind the small room where the maids had gathered—

— a woman who had been crouching on the servants-only staircase slowly rose to her feet.

She wore the same uniform as the maids heading out to welcome the duke, but she could not join them. The head maid had warned her not to appear — she must not present anything unsightly to His Grace. For the time being, she was confined to the storage rooms.

Nevertheless, she wanted to see him.

He was the extraordinary man that everyone spoke of.

‘If I only look from afar, it should be fine.’

As she moved towards a rarely used part of the mansion, her footsteps were swallowed by the carpet. Not even the servants used this passageway anymore.

Although she had not been forbidden to see him, the head maid had warned her not to draw the duke’s attention. She had always been easy to overlook; unless she made a deliberate sound, no one would notice her.

Soon, word spread that the duke’s carriage had arrived and the lobby stirred all at once.

As if on cue, everyone straightened their backs and lifted their chins. Through the wide-open doors, a man stepped down from the carriage.

Golden strands of hair fluttered in the gentle breeze. Dressed in a navy suit that complemented his blonde hair perfectly, he extended his hand towards his fiancée with effortless grace.

“Careful.”

Her slender, gloved fingers came to rest on his hand like a feather. Accepting his escort, the beautiful lady stepped down from the carriage — Amelia Everett, beloved princess of House Everett.

“Thank you for coming such a long way. We sincerely welcome you to House Everett, Duke of Fraser.”

“It has been a while. Even after all this time, the count’s estate seems unchanged.”

The duke responded lightly to the greeting of the white-haired head butler. His voice was as warm as gentle sunlight and drew everyone’s attention.

“Haha, indeed. There is nothing more beautiful than a well-maintained old estate. We strive to preserve its classical character in accordance with the Dowager Countess’s firm belief that one must never neglect the past.”

“Classical,”

“Even though the exterior looks old, the estate was renovated not long ago, so the interior is spotless. I begged Mother to get rid of the outdated floral wallpaper and replace it with the pastel tones that are popular in the capital these days.”

At that moment, Amelia, who had wrapped her arms around the duke, joined the conversation, pressing close. Although she was tall, she still had to tilt her head far back to meet the man towering over her, and she could not seem to look away.

“I also heard that the hotel you recently renovated was decorated in pastel tones. Even though we haven’t seen each other in so long, it seems the Duke and I are of one mind!”

Without nodding or shaking his head, the Duke of Fraser gently disengaged her arms from his.

The movement was so smooth and courteous that no one noticed the subtle change in the atmosphere. Instead, everyone was far too busy craning their necks, eager to catch a closer glimpse of the duke’s face.

When Logan offered the servants a brief greeting, they all began announcing their names at once. Repeating each name with a smile, the duke appeared even more gracious and radiant than the rumors had suggested.

‘He’s handsome. So handsome it takes your breath away, even from a distance.’

Peering at him through a gap no wider than the eye of a needle, the woman hiding there pressed a hand to her pounding chest; she was no different from the others. She could not give her name, yet in that moment she felt the same fluttering emotion as everyone else.

She should have returned to her place by now, but her feet were rooted to the floor.

Like a spectator watching a play, she gazed at a man living in a completely different world. In that instant, his blue eyes, which had been scanning the estate, fixed on the narrow opening.

More precisely, they found the pair of eyes hidden behind it.