2. The Viscount Wants to Go to the Villa

Two seasons passed.

There was a major incident in the capital throughout the winter. By royal decree, the Metropolitan Police Department was fully mobilized to round up a group of criminals who were blackmailing women by exploiting or fabricating their weaknesses. Among those arrested were promising young members of the upper class, causing a huge uproar in the capital.

Normally, when a young man of such high status is involved, the issue is often swept under the rug. But this time was different. The Prime Minister personally took charge, and regardless of status, position, or even settlements with the victims, all were severely punished. Many received prison sentences of several years, and quite a few were exiled to the ends of the earth, shocking the citizens of the capital.

“Hey, do you think one of the victims was someone important? Maybe a princess or something…”

“Shh. No way.”

Some high-ranking noblewomen unfairly became the subject of gossip, but overall, the public welcomed the crackdown.

However, it had little to do with the leisurely city of Verdain or with Lily. Had any of her relatives been involved, she might have been worried, but fortunately, even her distant cousins weren’t that malicious. Lily read the newspapers and letters from her relatives in the capital with interest but soon forgot about it.

The only unusual event recently was receiving a letter from Baron Everard after several years. It contained an apology for not raising his son well, which Lily found rather belated. What did Baron Everard have to apologize to her for now?

However, unlike Greer, Baron Everard was a respectable and good person, so Lily sent a polite reply expressing her gratitude and declining his apology.

She also noticed that one of the maids flinched and seemed scared whenever she saw her, but she attributed it to the maid’s own mistakes and chose to overlook it kindly.

Aside from these minor events, her days were filled with inspiration during the day and passion during the night.

Lily placed her finished drawing down and headed to the window while waiting for the ink to dry. Many had noticed this new habit of hers, but Lily herself was unaware.

Breck was nowhere to be seen, likely busy with work. The transition from spring to summer was a busy time for gardeners.

“That concludes part two. Will you take a break for a while?”

“Yes.”

Lily stretched in response to Anna’s words. The past few months had flown by joyfully, but a break was still a break.

“How about a trip for a change?”

“A trip? Resting is the best.”

“Resting somewhere other than home can be enjoyable too. Summer is approaching; why not visit the beach?”

“Well, I’m not much of a swimmer…”

“But you have a quiet villa by the sea.”

“Oh.”

Lily’s eyes lit up at that. The villa wasn’t in a popular vacation spot and was rarely visited. While it was by the sea, the beach wasn’t particularly beautiful, and the villa itself wasn’t luxurious. But its great advantage was its seclusion—there were no people around.

“I think it would be perfect for a peaceful retreat. Just take one or two reliable and hardworking servants.”

Anna winked as she spoke. Indeed, that was the most important part. The villa was small enough to be managed by one or two servants, so taking just one would suffice.

“Oh, but wouldn’t it look strange if I went there alone?”

Lily’s face flushed. Anna, the only one privy to Lily’s relationship with Breck, found it amusing.

‘Who doesn’t know she has a lover?’

But saying that would surely startle the timid lady. So, Anna smiled kindly and said,

“What’s wrong with going for a quiet rest alone? It’s hot, and you never take many people with you anyway. The real issue is finding an excuse to take the gardener along.”

Lily’s cheeks turned bright red. She mumbled, “I didn’t mean it like that…” but Anna pretended not to hear. Honestly, it was a bit frustrating to see her mumbling instead of taking the obvious hint.

The butler, being perceptive, responded immediately when Lily hesitantly mentioned, “I’m thinking of going on a vacation…”

“Breck can drive the carriage.”

“Huh?”

Lily was taken aback. She hadn’t even broached the subject yet and was only testing the waters with the butler. She hadn’t expected him to mention Breck first.

“And the coachman?”

“He mentioned his wife was ill and asked for a few days off. They have young children, you know. You must have forgotten.”

It wasn’t that Lily had forgotten; the story was half-made-up. The coachman’s wife was slightly ill, but he hadn’t asked for time off. However, Lily responded enthusiastically, as if she heard good news.

“Right, I must have forgotten.”

“Breck can drive the carriage and handle various chores and cleaning. If you don’t take a cook, I’ll find someone from the nearby village to come for a few hours in the morning or afternoon.”

“Alright.”

Lily tried to sound nonchalant. Everything seemed to be going too smoothly.

Seeing her flushed face, the butler smiled slightly as he left. He had suspected from the beginning that Breck was Lily’s lover. It was obvious from seeing her standing by the window and occasionally exchanging glances with him. In hindsight, it was clear why she had hired Breck.

‘He does have a good body.’

Though a gardener wasn’t the most suitable lover for a noble lady, as long as he didn’t overstep, he wasn’t a bad choice. Compared to what other nobles did, it wasn’t excessive.

“This is a good thing, a very good thing.”

The butler, who had served Lily since she was a young girl, wished for her to be happy and joyful, regardless of her partner.

The butler thought Lily would simply give Breck the order, but Lily didn’t see it that way. Though Breck was an employee, she didn’t consider him beneath her.

So she was a bit nervous, fearing Breck might get angry at the decision made without consulting him. But Breck had no such thoughts when he heard it from the butler.

“A trip sounds nice.”

He even smiled. Though he was tired of wandering, this was just a day-and-a-half carriage ride to the villa. And since the butler had arranged everything, no one else was coming along. It was practically a honeymoon.

‘It’s not about the place but the person.’

While Breck was coming to this realization, Cohen, oblivious, said,

“I heard his wife was a bit ill, but it’s not like he can’t drive the lady.”

“A day and a half there, and a day and a half back, that’s three days.”

“He’s not currently taking care of her full-time. Shifting his work because someone else can drive is unfair. I’ll talk to the butler right now…”

“I’ll be doing various chores while we’re there, so driving the carriage is convenient.”

When Breck pointed this out, Cohen’s eyes widened.

“True, you do know how to handle many tasks. Still, it’s just you going with her…”

“Someone else will be working there.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Won’t it be hard for you to work alone while I’m gone?”

“Look at you, getting cocky after learning a few things. I’ve managed alone for 20 years.”

Cohen playfully swung his fist, and Breck laughed, pretending to dodge.

**

And so, one man set out with one woman in a carriage.

As soon as they left the city and the traffic thinned, Breck stopped the carriage and knocked on the door. Lily’s nervous voice answered from inside.

“Y-yes?”

Given how much they’d been intimate, one would think she’d be used to it, but she was still shy unless they were in bed. Well, ideals and reality are different, and not everyone can realize their romantic fantasies.

But Breck wasn’t a shy person, so he opened the door without hesitation. Lily, startled, covered her face with the hat she was fidgeting with and looked at him. Seeing her blushing forehead, Breck sometimes wanted to crack open her pretty little head to see what was inside. What was she thinking to be so embarrassed?

“Would you like to come out and sit? The weather is nice.”

“On the coachman’s seat?”

Lily felt foolish for asking. Of course, he meant the coachman’s seat, and she had brought the straw hat for that very reason.

Breck smiled and offered his hand. He was a gentleman in every sense.