When I got up and glanced at my reflection in the mirror, I was a mess. My hair, which I had tied up the day before, was as chaotic as if several birds had built nests in it, and my face had marks all over it from being pressed against something. Plus, my swollen eyes wouldn’t open properly.

Yesterday, Cedric had definitely been drinking with me. But somehow, he looked as perfect as ever. Ah, how embarrassing. What a disgrace in front of a man I once liked.

“I brought clothes from your house for you to change into. I’ve also put some snacks on the table. I’ll send the employees up when you’re ready.”

Somehow, his smiling expression seemed particularly annoying today.

“I didn’t do anything embarrassing yesterday, did I?”

“You were your usual self.”

That’s right. Fortunately, there weren’t any parts I couldn’t remember.

The riverside breeze that evening was refreshing, and Cedric, my secretary, was still handsome. What a waste of a man. Why are the unattainable ones always so attractive? Michael in the past, and now, Cedric.

I couldn’t let another futile one-sided love begin. This time, I needed to give up quickly.

“Yesterday, you hit your head quite hard on the desk. I was startled, thinking you might be hurt.”

As Cedric looked at me with a smile, I felt a tickling sensation near my throat and heart.

“Don’t look at me like that. It makes my heart race unnecessarily.”

“I’m glad you’re sober now. It’s only natural for women to flutter at my smile.”

“Ah, that kind of talk is really unsightly. Get out.”

After Cedric left the office, I quickly washed up and changed clothes. As I was eating the stew he had bought because I felt hungry, Cedric came back in with a thick towel.

“It’s cold outside. If you walk around with wet hair like that, you’ll catch a cold.”

He personally dried my still-dripping hair by pressing the towel against it. Sigh, when he’s this caring, my heart keeps leaning toward him. He might misunderstand and think I have feelings for him.

‘Don’t misunderstand. That man likes men. Not me.’

He’s just being nice because I’m the boss who pays his salary. So don’t have useless expectations.

I felt my body heating up, just as Cedric said. Fanning myself because I felt unnecessarily hot, I asked him.

“Today, I need to go to the Paine mansion in the afternoon or evening, right?”

The gentle hand movement drying my hair paused momentarily. Suddenly, the back of my neck prickled as if I felt a slight chill. Could I be coming down with a cold already?

“No. We received word that you don’t need to come on rainy days. Fortunately, it’s raining heavily today.”

“I hate rainy days. The department store sales drop.”

“We can recover the lost revenue during the upcoming event.”

“Have all the brochures been distributed?”

“Yes. We’ve advertised extensively enough that people from the provinces will come flocking.”

“Well done.”

After perfectly drying my hair, he gathered the wet towel and asked me.

“About Marquis Paine’s younger sister. Is there some kind of problem?”

Should I answer this truthfully? The contract Michael gave me didn’t include any confidentiality clauses. The contract simply stated that I should visit frequently and keep his sister company.

Yes, he’ll find out anyway. I can trust Cedric.

“She’s a bit innocent.”

“Innocent?”

“Yes.”

After pondering for a moment, he understood my meaning and summarized the situation.

“I’ll add clauses to the contract we received from the Marquis. On days when you’re busy, we can invite Gabrielle to the department store. If necessary, we can also hire a tutor or an experienced nanny.”

“Oh my. How lovely. What would I do without our dear Cedric?”

“Compliments are nice, but I prefer money, Boss.”

“We’ll see about that after checking the sales figures from the sale event.”

When it comes to matters concerning money, we maintain a cool, competitive demeanor with each other. Looking at this, it seems that man and I are quite similar.

He handed me a navy blue envelope. The letter came particularly early today. I thought it wouldn’t come at all because of the rain.

“What about the proxy? Haven’t you found out who it is yet?”

“No. The postal company employees we’ve recruited haven’t been much help.”

“Then hire a private detective to look into it. Process the expense through the company.”

Inside the navy blue envelope was just a single page from an old diary.

“There’s no separate letter today.”

Perhaps because I had been drinking, my lips were dry and cracked white. Without realizing it, I started picking at my lip skin until I tasted the salty blood.

Cedric frowned, stopped my action, and gently pressed his handkerchief against my bleeding lip. At the same time, he asked me.

“Are you disappointed there’s no letter? Don’t harm yourself because of that.”

He sees right through me again. Why do I act so comfortably around you? I’m glad you like men. Otherwise, I would have been tense trying to impress you.

“Yes. It felt like I was becoming friends again with a dead friend. Even though others speak ill of her, I still can’t believe what they say.”

Cedric’s lips tightened. When he looked like that, he usually gave me sharp advice. Ah, I already don’t want to hear it.

“Boss. May I say something?”

“You’ll say it anyway even if I tell you not to. Go ahead.”

After clearing his throat, he spoke.

“Having observed you closely, I know how tender-hearted you are. But you need to be suspicious even of people you consider your own.”

“Have I been like that?”

“Yes!”

He hit his chest with his hand, expressing his frustration.

“Honestly, the fact that you still haven’t fired Old Nicholas shows that.”

“Let’s not talk about Nicholas. He was my father’s senior in the army. Plus, he delivered my father’s letter and belongings to me.”

Two years ago, my father finally died on the battlefield.

Since the ship my father was on was wrecked by enemies, there was no way to find his body. The emperor granted a modest compensation and gave me the title of baroness, but honestly, I still couldn’t believe my father’s death.

If I could exchange the commendation from the emperor with an unstable position for my father’s life, I would. If I could spend just one hour with my father before he left for war, I would have said something other than words of resentment. At the very least, I could have told him to come back safely.

Cedric expressed his dissatisfaction.

“Old Nicholas’s clumsiness negatively affects the department store’s sales. Honestly, you’re probably the only person in the capital who would tolerate that ill-tempered old man.”

“You should teach him well. He’s just an old person who’s a bit slow to adapt.”

“Ugh, when you’re this soft-hearted, it just frustrates me.”

“Do you hate it? It seems like I’m paying quite a generous salary to someone from the countryside whose name I barely know.”

“I don’t hate it! I’ll stick close to you until you die, Boss.”

Despite his occasional grumbling, there was no one like Cedric. I know very well that it’s hard to find such a capable employee again.

“Alright. Stay by my side only as much as your future spouse won’t be jealous.”

“You don’t even give me vacation days. What magic do you think I’ll use to get married?”

“Hmm? Cedric, I heard you’re popular among the sales staff.”

“That’s only natural. My looks are exceptionally superior. Honestly, Boss, you hired me as an employee solely based on my decent appearance when I had just come up from the countryside and looked provincial.”

Feeling a bit stung, I looked away and pretended not to hear.

“No, it wasn’t about your face. I hired you because I thought you’d be capable. Ah, this is annoying. Go out so I can read the letter.”

“You’ll show it to me after you’ve read it, right?”

“Get out.”

After chasing him away, I turned my attention to the letter in my hand.

Laura’s diary had water stains all over the paper, as if water had dripped on it.

— May 13, 1853

I held a small home party. Michael told me repeatedly that today was a very important day. He said it was an opportunity for me to be properly recognized by close relatives as his fiancée. He said it was a family tradition for the hostess to prepare the dinner banquet entirely by herself without the help of servants on such days.

For this day, I practiced making the same food for a week. If there were even a minor mistake, he wouldn’t deal with me. Throughout the time I’ve maintained my position as his fiancée, I’ve been anxious about being abandoned by him.

To make an excuse, I was really nervous today.

Stupid Laura.

In the end, my anxiety led to burning the soufflé. I had to substitute dessert with jam. It was miserable.

After the relatives left, Michael didn’t even make eye contact with me and went up to the bedroom. This house makes me too lonely.

Perhaps what wet the paper wasn’t water but tears.

After reading the diary, I understood clearly. Michael wasn’t such a good fiancé to my friend.

‘Laura. What did you like so much about that man that you struggled to endure in that house?’

Indeed, you need to know someone for a long time to see their true sincerity.

From what I saw, Michael wasn’t such a cold man. From our absurd first meeting to when he said he would invest in my business. He was just a person who was nice to others. But when he returned home, he was a pathetic man who was indifferent to his family.

Laura must have felt a great disconnect experiencing Michael’s behavior up close. Maybe that’s why she’s warning me. Telling me not to repeat her mistakes.

‘But I feel like I’m forgetting something important.’

I opened the bottom drawer of my desk and took out the papers I had received from Laura to read them again. Surely in one of her diaries…… Found it!

In Laura’s previous diary, it was written that Marquis Paine had threatened Michael with the iron door room in the basement.

If I ask him directly, I don’t think he’ll tell me properly. Should I meet Gabrielle and ask her? But somehow, it feels uncomfortable to use someone who isn’t mentally sound.