Evelyn approached the maid and placed a hand on her knee.

The maid squeezed her eyes shut.

“Eek! I-I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said anything!”

“Open your eyes.”

“B-But I’m scared to look at your face without the veil, my lady!”

‘She may be a coward, but she certainly doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind.’

“What’s your name?”

The maid, Alpi, was secretly startled.

In all the time she had served Evelyn, this was the first time her mistress had ever asked her name.

“M-My name is Alpi!”

“Alpi, looking at my face isn’t going to curse you. Look at me.”

“But…”

“If even my own maid refuses to look at me, how am I supposed to feel at home in this mansion?”

Alpi’s resolve gradually weakened as she listened.

“My lady…”

‘Then again, if something terrible were going to happen, it would have happened yesterday.’

Unable to resist Evelyn’s urging, Alpi cautiously opened her eyes.

Standing directly before her, Evelyn gave her a smile as sweet as honey.

“See? You’re perfectly fine.”

Completely unaware that Evelyn was merely trying to make her easier to manage, Alpi stared as though mesmerized into the vivid green eyes before her.

‘So the rumors about scars beneath her veil really were false.’

She had been too startled to look properly yesterday, but up close, her mistress possessed a beauty that could have brought even an angel to tears.

She was already this lovely. What would she look like when she became an adult?

She would surely grow into a woman as mysterious and dazzling as a masterpiece, beautiful enough to make people’s knees buckle.

Just then, Evelyn tossed her brilliant platinum-blonde hair and laughed brightly.

“Now help me change into a dress.”

“Y-Yes!”

Evelyn gave the newly obedient Alpi a calculating smile.

If she was beautiful enough to charm even another woman, then the game was already won.

Evelyn dreamed of the day she would finally come of age and travel abroad, where she could date all the handsome men she wanted.

“Are you all right, my lady? Your face looks rather red.”

“Ahem! I’m fine. I’m going to give you some new rules that will apply from now on. Memorize them.”

“Y-Yes!”

Alpi hurriedly pulled a notebook from her pocket.

Evelyn found her sudden eagerness quite satisfying.

‘Perhaps I should have shown her my face sooner.’

“First, I will not wear a veil while I’m inside this room. So stop acting surprised.”

“Yes, my lady!”

“Second, don’t argue with anything I say. You’ll be in serious trouble if you interfere with my plans.”

“That might be, ”

“Ah-ah. Third, you must keep everything you see and hear while you’re with me strictly confidential. If you follow these rules, I’ll double your current salary.”

“…Pardon?”

Alpi’s eyes widened.

She barely earned seven yorks a month.

Ten gleaming silver york coins were enough to cover one month’s living expenses for a commoner family of four.

Considering that, her salary was not bad. But because she had to pay for her sick younger sibling’s medicine, she was hardly well-off.

And Evelyn was offering to double it?

She was already thrilled to receive three yorks for each secret errand she ran.

Alpi swallowed hard.

“Then…you’re saying you’ll pay me one märchen and four yorks?”

“Yes. Twice what you earn now.”

Alpi’s face brightened.

Even the haughty head maid earned only one märchen a month. This was an enormous sum by comparison.

The moment she finished calculating, Alpi approached Evelyn with shining eyes.

Servant of the Evil God or not, she could no longer even see the mark of Simon.

“My lady, what are you waiting for? You need to get dressed! Let’s go and buy every famous confection we can find!”

Evelyn laughed inwardly at Alpi’s excitement.

‘Nothing motivates an employee quite like a raise.’

“One more thing before that. Bring me some romance novels.”

Alpi looked troubled by the unexpected request.

“I do have a few that I read, but their contents are a little…”

“The more scandalous, the better. Hurry!”

Overwhelmed by Evelyn’s forcefulness, Alpi hiccupped.

She rushed back to her room and returned with several romance novels.

Evelyn quickly skimmed through them, then assumed a smug expression as though she had figured everything out.

‘Romance novels follow the same patterns in every era.’

Forbidden love, elopement, and climbing the social ladder through marriage, the books contained a healthy mixture of all three.

Evelyn slipped into a dress that gracefully embraced her figure, then selected a matching mesh veil.

Anyone would think she was dressed for a funeral, but what did it matter? As long as no one had actually died, it was fine.

Evelyn strode confidently out of her room.

‘Now that I understand what the women here want, it’s time to start preparing my business.’

If she could, she would transform the entire nation of Lagria into a kingdom of romance.

Becoming an outrageously wealthy duke’s daughter was far preferable to dying as a villainess.

***

The city streets were crowded with people.

As House Chantalis’s magnificent carriage, decorated with molten amber, passed through the city, fear appeared on the faces of the onlookers.

“Look over there!”

“Don’t tell me that belongs to that House Chantalis…”

The carriage stopped directly in front of Lola, a renowned dessert shop favored by wealthy nobles.

When Lola’s manager saw House Chantalis’s carriage through the window, he swallowed hard.

‘So the day has finally come.’

It had been five years since Lola first opened in the capital. During that time, he had dealt with every kind of nightmare customer imaginable.

House Chantalis, however, was in an entirely different league.

He vowed that whoever emerged from that carriage, he would scatter salt behind them the moment they left his shop.

If necessary, he was even prepared to refuse them entry and risk being charged with disrespecting a noble.

At last, the carriage door opened, revealing a smooth, pale instep.

The hem of a black velvet dress fluttered in the winter wind, and the manager drew in a sharp breath.

Black shoes. A black dress. A black veil.

And platinum-blonde hair identical to Duke Chantalis’s.

Evelyn Joelle Chantalis had come in person.

It was the worst possible outcome.

While the manager stood frozen, Evelyn and Alpi quietly entered the shop.

Evelyn could not hide her disappointment when she saw the unexpectedly meager selection of sweets.

All the display counters offered were ordinary butter cookies and fresh cream cakes.

The cakes were decorated with fresh flowers and looked impressive, but they did not look particularly appetizing.

“That’s it? This is all you have?”

The manager flinched.

Her words struck a nerve.

‘What does she mean, “This is all”?’

Lola offered the greatest variety of desserts not only in the capital but throughout all of Lagria.

Forgetting all about curses, the manager walked over to Evelyn and put on his professional smile.

“Welcome, my lady. May I help you with anything?”

Evelyn quickly assessed the manager from head to toe.

‘He looks incredibly fussy. People like him become exhausted if you meet their attitude head-on.’

She gave him the warmest smile she could manage.

“Of course. Would you please help me?”

The manager accidentally met the round green eyes visible through Evelyn’s veil.

Contrary to the rumors, exquisitely beautiful features could be glimpsed beneath the mesh.

Without realizing it, the manager felt something inside him begin to melt.

It was an emotion he had never once relaxed in front of a customer throughout his twenty-year career.

His wariness.

“O-Of course, my lady.”

‘And what is that fragrance?’

Even the rare spices imported directly from the East did not possess such a mysterious scent.

“Is there a particular dessert you’re looking for?”

“Not exactly. I was simply wondering if you carried anything besides what’s on display.”

Evelyn gently rested a hand against her cheek.

The manager gazed at her with the pleasure of someone admiring a beautiful woman in a painting, then forcibly composed himself.

‘She is still a servant of the Evil God. Get a grip.’

“For example, what kind of cookies did you have in mind?”

“Perhaps something topped with fresh fruit, or filled with jam… Something a little more elaborate.”

The manager had worked in many shops over the years, but he had never heard of cookies or cakes like the ones she described.

Besides, what sort of peculiar combination was fruit and cake?

Noticing his complete confusion, Evelyn held a hand out toward Alpi.

“Alpi, may I borrow your notebook for a moment?”

“Ah, yes! Here you are.”

“I’ll draw what I want. Would it be possible to have it specially made?”

“We’re extremely busy, so I’m afraid that might be…”

Evelyn opened her purse and placed one märchen in the manager’s hand.

“This is the deposit. If you make it perfectly, I’ll add another two märchen.”

The manager’s eyes widened.

Only a fool would turn away a customer willing to pay three märchen for a custom-made dessert.

He swiftly tucked the money into his coat.

“Ahem. Very well. What exactly would you like?”

In the notebook, Evelyn drew cookies baked with blueberry jam piped into the dough and a fresh cream cake filled with generous amounts of strawberries.

After noting the basic ingredients, she tore out the page and handed it to the manager.

He studied it with interest.

“I’ve truly never seen desserts like these before.”

“When making the cake, be sure to remove as much moisture from the fruit as possible. I look forward to seeing the results.”

“Understood. We’ll do our best.”

“Thank you. I’ll be counting on you, Mr. Manager.”

Even through the veil, Evelyn’s smile was tremendously effective.

The manager broke into a foolish grin.

‘They call her a servant of the Evil God, but what could a child like her possibly have done wrong?’

“Since I came all this way, I should make the trip worthwhile. I’ll take every cookie from here to there.”

“…Pardon?”

“Lola is the finest dessert shop in the capital, isn’t it? Or am I mistaken?”

“Y-Yes! That’s correct. Please wait just a moment!”

The manager summoned the servers and hurriedly ordered them to package the cookies.

Evelyn did not forget to tip them before strolling leisurely out of the confectionery with Alpi.

The manager stared after them blankly for a moment before rushing into the kitchen.

Something extraordinary might be about to happen.

After twenty years as a manager, he had developed an impeccable nose for the scent of money.

***

“Phew, I’m exhausted. It’s already lunchtime.”

“You’re right, my lady. Would you still like to visit the other dessert shops?”

Evelyn waved a weary hand.

After thoroughly sweeping through Lola, she had intended to visit every famous confectionery in the capital.

Unfortunately, her stamina had failed her.

‘If that was the best the capital’s largest dessert shop could offer, I’ve seen enough.’

The other shops would probably carry the same limited assortment of cookies and cakes anyway.

She breathed in the aroma of freshly baked cookies filling the carriage.

At least Lola appeared to have mastered the fundamentals. If everything went well, the desserts she had commissioned might become an enormous success.

“Alpi, take this.”

Evelyn handed her one of the many bags of cookies she had purchased.

Alpi accepted it with wide eyes.

“Y-You’re giving this to me?”

“You seemed to like sweets too. Was I wrong?”

“I love them! Thank you so much!”

Alpi hugged the bag of cookies tightly to her chest.

A radiant smile blossomed across her face.

“I’m happy to receive them, but my younger sibling loves sweets even more.”

“You have a younger sibling? Then take another bag.”