25. Are You Doing This on Purpose?

Hmm?

Evelyn doubted her ears for a moment.

“What did you just say, Your Grace?”

“Dinner, shopping, a play, and so on. Nothing special, right? Do you really need to go on a date for such trivial things?”

“A date is precisely about meeting up to do those trivial things.”

“That’s exactly why you could do those trivial things with me, Lady Evelyn. Isn’t it a useful offer since it saves you from wasting time?”

‘Why on earth would I do that with you?’

The words nearly escaped her mouth, but Evelyn was a consummate professional.

No matter how annoyed she felt, there were still things one could and couldn’t say to an employer.

Suppressing her irritation, Evelyn turned her gaze toward Rashid.

He was leaning against the leather seat, staring at her intently.

He even wore a confident smile, as though proud of the offer he’d just made.

“Tea, shopping, theater. Whatever you want—I’ll accompany you. In the finest style, of course.”

For reasons unknown, Rashid repeated the suggestion.

‘Is he really that bored?’ Evelyn thought, glancing at how particularly well-dressed Rashid was today.

‘Just how bored do you have to be to mess with me like this?’

‘If it were anyone else making such a comment right now… I might even take it as a date invitation.’

But that couldn’t be it.

‘Even looking at your face makes me sick.’

Evelyn vividly remembered the cruel words Rashid had spat at the original Evelyn in the source material.

There was no way a man like that would genuinely ask her out.

“Lady Evelyn Berge.”

While Evelyn was lost in thought, Rashid spoke again.

She turned her head slightly and saw his beautiful eyes fixed on her.

A face like it had been carved from the finest marble, and those captivating eyes—at that moment, they were focused solely on Evelyn.

She always thought this: Duke Rashid Egenhart knew exactly how to weaponize his handsome face.

Evelyn barely managed to pull herself out from under the spell of that beautiful face.

“Respected Duke Egenhart, for your suggestion to even be considered, it must first meet a fundamental condition.”

“And that is?”

“Emotion.”

“…”

“More specifically, romantic feelings must be present for a date to take place. Therefore, such an act could never occur between Your Grace and myself.”

“Tch.”

Even before Evelyn finished speaking, Rashid clicked his tongue sharply.

Dissatisfaction flickered in his blue eyes.

“Besides, Your Grace has already chosen a date for today.”

“…”

“Oh, could it be Lady Elizabeth Hashirion?”

A name suddenly popped into Evelyn’s mind—Elizabeth, the only daughter of the Semahan Kingdom’s ambassador.

Now that she thought about it, Elizabeth had blonde hair.

And since the Semahan Kingdom was located in the archipelago region, most of its people had dark skin.

“You seem awfully invested in my personal life, Lady Evelyn.”

“Unfortunately, managing the consequences of Your Grace’s private life is part of my job.”

Evelyn smiled sweetly.

Rashid stared at his secretary’s face, then slowly moved his well-shaped lips.

“Are you doing this knowing?”

“Pardon?”

His voice was much lower than usual.

Puzzled, Evelyn looked at him, but Rashid didn’t respond.

Instead, he knit his brows deeply and turned his head away.

‘What is he implying that I know?’

Evelyn raised her shoulders slightly at Rashid’s unusual demeanor.

After that, silence fell over the carriage.

Clatter, clatter.

The four-wheeled carriage rumbled along the construction-riddled road.

Fearing she might lose her balance and fall again, Evelyn gripped the handle attached to the ceiling tightly.

Rashid remained gazing out the window, lost in thought.

Evelyn found herself unable to take her eyes off the stunning man staring at the passing scenery.

‘Right. You just need to keep your mouth shut. At least that way, I can enjoy the view.’

“…So who is it? This date partner you’re meeting today?”

“You’re really persistent.”

Irritated by her employer’s relentless questioning, Evelyn frowned again.

“I think it’s worse not to answer when someone’s gone this far to ask.”

“…”

“Or is it someone you can’t tell me about?”

Rashid’s sharp voice rang out, followed by a tense aura that surrounded his entire body.

But Evelyn, who had dealt with Rashid for years, knew exactly how to handle situations like this.

“It’s a secret★.”

With a playful tone, Evelyn’s answer caused Rashid’s expression to collapse.

“If you really want to know, Your Grace, then offer me a bonus.”

“Lady Evelyn…”

At Evelyn’s lighthearted tone, Rashid wore a thoroughly displeased expression.

‘When Rashid insists on something ridiculous, the best response is to treat him playfully.’

‘In short, the important thing is not to get dragged along by Rashid’s pace.’

They met when she was ten, and it had been fifteen years since.

Evelyn now had unwavering confidence that she would not be swayed by the beautiful Duke.

Ignoring the Duke, who was still frowning while looking at her, Evelyn addressed the coachman seated in the front.

“Peter, stop a bit further ahead at the Golden Lion statue intersection.”

“You must have an appointment there, Lady Evelyn.”

At the friendly question from the coachman, Evelyn simply nodded.

And then—

“Pfft.”

Suddenly, a burst of laughter escaped from Rashid.

Has he gone mad? Finally?

Startled, Evelyn turned her head and met the blue eyes tinged with amusement.

“I finally figured out who your date is, Lady Evelyn.”

“Ugh.”

As Rashid spoke with a confident smile, Evelyn frowned.

“Four years younger, senior year at the academy, and brown hair.”

“……”

“Send my regards to Lady Jemina, dear Lady Evelyn.”

When Rashid mentioned his own younger sister’s name, Evelyn couldn’t help but pout.

Golden Lion statue intersection.

Near the always-crowded crossroads stood the grand building of the Imperial Academy.

Evelyn was scheduled to meet her younger sister, who lived in the academy dorms, and go see a play together.

“You realized it later than I expected.”

Despite her pointed remark, Rashid seemed pleased, smiling with satisfaction that he had figured out her date.

“Are you that happy about it?”

“Of course.”

“Well then, please tell me who your date is today, Rashid.”

It wasn’t personal interest, of course.

But as Rashid’s secretary, Evelyn had the duty to be informed about her employer’s potential new romantic interest.

So as she sent a look urging him to spill the name, Rashid curved his lips into a grin.

“Secret.”

‘So petty. And childish!’

Evelyn shouted internally at her employer, who had returned her earlier words right back at her.

Meanwhile, the carriage arrived at the Golden Lion intersection.

“Lady Evelyn, we’ve arrived.”

As soon as the coachman finished his report, Evelyn swiftly opened the door and got out of the carriage.

But then something came to mind. She turned back and extended her hand toward Rashid.

“Oh, right. The handkerchief I lent you this morning—please return it.”

The handkerchief she had lent him after he smashed the ink bottle suddenly came to her mind.

But instead of returning it, Rashid just stared at her outstretched palm.

Then…

“Regrettably, I threw it away.”

At his shameless words, wrinkles formed between Evelyn’s brows.

“What?! You threw away the handkerchief I lent you?”

It was old and worn, yes, but it held sentimental value.

Though the barony’s finances weren’t great, Evelyn was the type who cherished and used things for a long time.

“You’re scolding your employer over a tattered handkerchief?”

“!”

“I pay you a pretty high salary, and with that money, you could buy hundreds of handkerchiefs, as far as I know.”

As Rashid lowered his eyes and criticized her, Evelyn was momentarily speechless.

“Hah, seriously. You haven’t changed at all since we were kids!”

Evelyn snapped and slammed the carriage door shut. Without even a goodbye, she marched off toward the intersection, prompting Rashid to murmur softly after her.

“Have a nice date, Lady Evelyn.”

A smile he couldn’t hide lingered on Rashid’s face.

“So then, where to now, my Lord Duke?”

To the coachman’s question, Rashid quietly replied,

“To the company.”

“Didn’t you say you had a date today?”

Rashid did not answer the coachman’s surprised question.

Instead, he leaned back into his seat leisurely and clasped his hands neatly.

His handsome lips remained closed in silence.

Knowing the Duke’s tendency to become quiet when neither Evelyn nor Adelio—those within his inner circle—were present, the coachman asked nothing further and set the carriage in motion.

***

“Seriously, he’s just the same as ever.”

As she walked along the neat paving stones, Evelyn grumbled endlessly.

“Petty, pathetic, and persistent.”

Rashid hadn’t changed a bit from the mischievous brat who used to annoy her in the daycare when they were young.

“What good is it if his body grew? His brain stayed the same.”

Suddenly, the incident from last time came to Evelyn’s mind.

As she recalled Rashid’s muscular body, which moved in sync with every breath, her face quickly turned red.

“Y-Yeah. Physically, he grew very well. But so what? His behavior is still childish.”

He threw away someone’s precious handkerchief without permission, interfered with a date—

“Well, it wasn’t a real date anyway, but still.”

Evelyn huffed and continued walking.

“This won’t do. I have to escape, no matter what.”

To do that, she needed something drastic to dramatically improve her current situation.

“Something like a jackpot opportunity.”

Evelyn suddenly stopped in her tracks and looked up at a building made of brown brick.

On the signboard below, the name of the office was written in elegant script.

<Dr. Pilgram’s Stock Office>

***

Restaurant Le Blanc was currently the most popular spot in the capital.

As Duke Rashid Egenhart entered the famed restaurant, all eyes turned toward him.

“Oh my, the Duke himself is here!”

“Who could he be here with?”

Rashid confidently strode through the elegantly decorated restaurant hall, styled with white and gold accents. He came to a stop at a table by the window.

His companion had already arrived and was waiting for him.

“Sorry I’m late.”

Rashid smiled gracefully as he looked into the bright golden hair of the person waiting.