“Yes. Well… I’ve more or less been in relationships consistently since my school days.”

Unlike Logan, Jeremy did not command attention simply by being present. He came across as a diligent model student. However, thanks to his tall frame and gentle personality, he had always been popular. Maintaining the top spot throughout his four years at university only added to his appeal.

‘Though after joining Fraser Corporation, I barely had time to date.’

The role of the Duke of Fraser’s secretary came with a prestigious title and a generous salary. However, it left very little room for a personal life.

Recalling the girlfriend who had once broken up with him because he seemed to love the Duke more than her, Jeremy felt tears come to his eyes.

“How does one do it?”

Logan’s direct question startled him even more.

“Dating, you mean?”

Only after he had spoken did Jeremy realize how impertinent he might have sounded. He quickly cleared his throat and sat up straight.

“Ahem. Well, you could think of it as two people in love spending time together, creating memories, getting to know each other better, and learning how to adjust to each other.’

The Duke of Fraser — who seemed to have left a trail of broken hearts in his wake — had, surprisingly, hardly any experience of dating. Yes, he had once been engaged, but that arrangement had resembled a contract more than a relationship and had lacked genuine feeling. Even at school, before the engagement was arranged, Logan Fraser was known for decisively rejecting any woman who approached him. Vincent had often teased him about it, and Jeremy knew it well.

And now he was asking about dating.

Clearly, something was unfolding.

“Why are you asking about dating all of a sudden, Your Grace?”

“Isabella says we should try dating before marriage.”

As expected.

With a sinking feeling, Jeremy ventured cautiously.

“You didn’t… already ask Miss Isabella to marry you, did you?”

“I asked her when she’d like to hold the wedding.”

His uneasy premonitions were rarely wrong.

Jeremy had long suspected that Logan’s feelings for Isabella were anything but ordinary. It seemed the duke had finally made his move.

Across the entire Empire, scarcely a woman would refuse a marriage proposal from the Duke of Fraser.

However, if the woman was a commoner, the situation was entirely different.

Jeremy, being a commoner himself, experienced the divide between nobility and commoners daily. He could at least partially understand what might have compelled Isabella to hesitate.

Nevertheless, even if he explained it a hundred times, the duke would likely never fully grasp it.

So Jeremy chose a different approach.

“When it comes to dating, you must focus entirely on what women like. That’s the safest way to avoid problems later.”

He hesitated before asking carefully.

“You do know what a date is, don’t you?”

The Duke gave no immediate answer.

Jeremy had the distinct feeling that a long journey lay ahead.

It would be far more arduous than he had expected.

Logan fell into serious contemplation.

Even after Jeremy had finished his lengthy lecture on romance and left him alone in the study, the dating guide was still resting in his hand.

“If Miss Isabella suggested going on a date first, it could mean that she feels there hasn’t been enough excitement in your relationship so far. While the fireworks you watched together on the ship were romantic, she might not have considered it a proper date. That’s why the first official date matters.”

He paused, then added with deliberate emphasis: “The first date must—without exception—be an elegant dinner at a fine restaurant. It’s practically a rule. Please remember that. A fine restaurant.”

It was a nice restaurant.

Logan tapped his fingers lightly against the desk. The first place that came to mind was, of course, the restaurant inside the Fraser Hotel.

He felt most at ease dining there when out in the capital. Not only was it convenient and secure, it was also considered one of the finest establishments in the city in terms of service, atmosphere and cuisine.

No matter how he compared the other celebrated restaurants in the capital, he could not confidently say that any surpassed his own.

And yet—

He hesitated.

They had already dined there several times. Could it truly serve as the setting for their first official date?

Isabella was gentle and considerate; she would never express disappointment at going back to the same place.

But that thought alone was not enough to satisfy him.

‘Where should we go to make it a memory she can boast about for a lifetime?’

Women often discussed the first date among themselves. It was not just a private memory between two people; it was also a subject of comparison in drawing rooms.

Isabella must never have felt inferior to any other noblewoman.

‘She’s the woman who will bear my name.’

Lifting his chin slightly, Logan resumed his deliberation.

He would plan an unforgettable first date.

The very best.

***

Since boldly accepting Isabella’s invitation to go on a date with her, Logan had become curiously elusive.

Several days had passed since he asked if she had time, and he had been unusually quiet in the meantime. He hadn’t cut off contact entirely, but he wasn’t visiting as often as before.

‘Has he found dating troublesome?’

Perhaps the idea of dating a duke had always been unrealistic.

Many believed that, once a marriage had been arranged, there was no need for a slow and careful courtship.

For a nobleman like him, the concept of dating might have seemed foreign — or even superfluous.

Her wish to date before marriage had never been straightforward. But to Isabella, dating — two people in love taking time to build memories together — mattered deeply.

This was even more important to her now that her memories had returned.

As a child, she had often listened to her parents reminiscing about their courtship. She could still see the way their faces softened with happiness when they spoke of those days.

At the time, she had been too young to fully understand what they were saying. Yet she had learned one thing: the small, seemingly insignificant memories formed during that time never truly faded, no matter how many years passed.

The stolen glances they shared while avoiding the notice of the mistress. The first café they visited after receiving permission to go out together. The long walks hand in hand beneath the quiet moonlight.

They said that it was these small memories that sustained a marriage through its inevitable hardships.

But perhaps, for a duke already burdened by endless responsibilities, such things might feel like a luxury — or even a burden.

Just as regret began to creep into her heart, making her wonder if she had asked for too much, someone came to see her.

“May we come in for a moment, my lady?”

The door swung wide open the moment Isabella gave her permission. Well-dressed men entered one by one, each carrying a box wrapped carefully in ribbon.

They placed the boxes on the table, the sofa and even the carpet until they were covered.

“What… is all this?”

Isabella stared at the growing pile in bewilderment, then finally asked, “What is this?” The salon employee who had been directing the men turned towards her, folding his hands politely.

“Ah, forgive me. I should have introduced myself first. Our boutique started life as a small salon founded by the Empire’s leading fashion designer, Erickson Vane.”

“No, I mean… what are all these boxes?”

“They are gifts from His Grace, the Duke of Fraser.”

Maintaining her professional smile, the employee opened the top box.

Inside was a silk dress with a soft, luminous sheen.

As more boxes were opened, dresses in a variety of colors, from pale to deep hues, were revealed, each with its own unique design. There were also shoes crafted to match each gown, as well as jewelry delicately fashioned by master artisans.

“His Grace said that since he did not know which style you would prefer, we were to show you every dress currently in our collection.”

Seeing Isabella’s stunned expression, the employee added.

“We’ve brought the catalog as well. If none of these suit your taste, you may place a custom order.”

Isabella gazed at the room full of dresses.

It was as if an entire boutique had been moved into her suite.

She was lost for words.

With such exquisite gowns on display, choosing just one would be difficult, but it would be impossible not to like any of them.

After examining them one by one, Isabella gently lifted a pale, sky-blue silk dress.

It wasn’t heavily adorned with jewels, which made it less overwhelming, yet the shimmering fabric caught the light beautifully.

“I’ll choose this one.”

At her choice, the employee nodded politely.

“Then we’ll move the rest to the dressing room.”

At once, the men waiting behind began carrying the boxes from the floor into the dressing room.

“W–Wait a moment. I said I would choose only one.”

Isabella hurriedly stopped them.

The salon employee answered without the slightest hint of fluster.

“His Grace has already made the payment, so there is no need for you to feel burdened.”

“All of them?”

“Yes. As I mentioned, he said that if these are insufficient, you may place additional orders at any time.”

It was no wonder that the employee’s smile never faltered.

Stunned by the duke’s reckless spending, Isabella was lost for words. She had no occasion that required such an elaborate gown — one would have been more than enough.

In fact, even this single dress felt excessive.

“Is there perhaps any possibility of a refund…?”

“All of the garments are one-of-a-kind designs within the Empire. Refunds are unfortunately not possible.”

Although she spoke cautiously, her reply was firm.

What if she had disliked them? How could he buy everything without having the option to return it?

While Isabella stood there looking troubled, the salon staff efficiently arranged the dresses. The dressing room, which had been empty just a moment ago, soon became filled with gowns and matching shoes.

“My lady, would you sit before the mirror? We will assist you with your preparations.”

A stylist who had come with the staff gently guided Isabella to the vanity.

“We’ll begin with your hair.”

A white cloth was draped over Isabella’s shoulders while the stylist loosened her neatly tied hair. With deft fingers, she ran her hands through the strands, measuring which style would suit her best, before shaping it with practiced ease.

“Please close your eyes slightly.”

While her hair was being styled, her makeup was carefully applied.

It was only once the final adjustments had been made to her perfectly fitted dress that Isabella was finally able to escape the circle of attendants.

“You look truly beautiful. His Grace will surely be captivated at first sight.”

Hearing the stylist’s words, Isabella slowly lifted her head to look at her reflection.

She had previously been dressed up for a masquerade ball by one of Joshua’s university friends. But the difference a professional made was clear.

“…I suppose so.”

Seeing the unfamiliar yet undeniably beautiful woman in the full-length mirror, Isabella smiled shyly.

For the first time, she found herself quietly looking forward to dinner with the Duke.