Instead, he picked up a document with a calm face. Eileen had no choice but to follow him and pick up a document as well.

When the two started working, the reception room fell into silence. While they continued reviewing documents in silence,

“Lady Eileen. You must be tired of constantly checking documents. How about taking a tea break?”

Eden’s gentle voice flowed between the flipping of papers and the tapping on the desk.

“Should we?”

Eileen, who had been checking documents for a long time, put them down and lightly pressed the corners of her eyes.

“Then I’ll have tea time prepared, so please wait a moment.”

Eileen reached toward the table where the bell was placed to call a servant.

“Having tea time at the Ceres ducal family would be nice, but how about going out together?”

“What?”

Eileen turned to look at him at Eden’s polite question.

“Since we’ll be working together now, I’d like to treat you to something delicious as a gesture of goodwill.”

Eden’s eyes, where the softly entering sunlight settled, sparkled brilliantly. Over those eyes, orange eyes that seemed familiar from somewhere overlapped.

“Of course, if you find it burdensome, please feel free to refuse.”

This time, she could clearly see a drooping tail, not from Cordelia but from Eden.

“……Let’s do that, Eden.”

Eventually, Eileen boarded the carriage heading to the shopping district with an awkward smile, accepting his escort.

“Lady Eileen. I look forward to working with you.”

Perhaps happy to be going with her, a beaming smile spread across Eden’s face.

“Likewise…… I look forward to working with you.”

Unlike him, Eileen’s face was filled with worry. Hoping that the place he was taking her wasn’t that place.

‘No, surely not.’

The carriage carrying the two passed by numerous shops. When the sign for Patisserie de Monston came into view, Eileen’s body began to tremble slightly.

‘God. Just in case, please!’

Eileen pressed her trembling fingers firmly and offered a desperate prayer.

“Lady Eileen. Have you been to Patisserie de Monston before?”

However, the words flowing from Eden’s mouth were the opposite of Eileen’s wish.

“My friend is the owner, and it’s extremely delicious.”

When Eden finished speaking, Eileen’s face, which had been flushed with a light pink vitality, gradually changed to gray and then turned pale white.

“Lady Eileen……?”

“……”

“Lady Eileen, are you feeling unwell?”

“Ahh! No!”

The cool touch suddenly felt on her forehead and the warm scent mixing with her breath instantly brought Eileen’s mind back to its place.

“Since I’m treating, I hope you enjoy to your heart’s content.”

“……Yes.”

I should have run away after all.

Eileen exhaled a sigh made of regret, but the carriage had already arrived at hell.

“Shall we go?”

Eden, who got out of the carriage first, extended his arm.

“Thank you.”

After greeting him, Eileen headed to Patisserie de Monston with Eden.

The clear sound of the bell jingled, and the opened door released the sweet scent of fruit and the rich aroma of butter.

“What kind of dessert do you like most, Lady Eileen?”

“Hmm…… I like strawberry cake!”

These fragrances made Eileen’s heart, which had been full of tension, feel fluffy.

Yes, that was just the setting in the novel, Aaron probably doesn’t come here every day.

Eileen rationalized to herself and wore a light smile.

“Eden. What brings you here at this hour?”

“Ah, Aaron!”

However, when the familiar and chilling voice was heard, her smile disappeared, and her warm hands and feet grew cold. Eileen quickly hid her body in Eden’s large shadow.

‘Please, please……!’

Today wasn’t the day. Moreover, with Eden of all people beside her.

Eileen bit her lip repeatedly, praying for Aaron to leave.

“Wait a moment, Aaron. There’s a lady with me.”

“No, wait, Eden!”

But Eileen’s desperate wish wasn’t granted.

“This is Lady Eileen Lia de Ceres. She’s the person I’ll be working with on business.”

Eden turned his body, revealing Eileen who had been hiding in his shadow, and introduced her with a kind face.

“Haha……”

Eileen looked up at Aaron with an awkward laugh.

“……”

Aaron, captured in her eyes, had his mouth firmly shut but was sending her a cold, seemingly contemptuous gaze.

“Ah, hello, Duke Aaron. It’s been a while.”

Though she wanted to leave immediately under that gaze, it was impossible as long as Eden remained.

With no choice, she greeted him in a voice so overflowing with awkwardness that even the pitch was unsteady.

“Hmm……? Lady Eileen, do you know Aaron?”

At Eileen’s greeting saying it had been a while, Eden tilted his head and asked.

“Yes……? Ah, a little……”

“That’s wonderful then!”

At Eileen’s answer, Eden clapped his hands lightly and shifted his gaze to Aaron.

“Aaron, if you’re not busy, why don’t we have tea time together?”

“No, I’m busy.”

First Cordelia, and now Eden. The daily life that Eileen kept invading was too uncomfortable. Aaron clicked his tongue briefly and refused in a sharp voice.

“Excuse me, Young Marquis! The Duke is busy, so next time……!”

At Aaron’s refusal, Eileen seized the opportunity and opened her mouth. If possible, she wanted to escape this situation as soon as possible.

‘If I get caught up with Aaron without realizing and end up fighting again……’

Considering Eden’s kind but firm personality from the novel, he would be the type to create an unwanted conversation until they sincerely apologized and reconciled.

‘That absolutely cannot happen!’

She couldn’t let her revenge, which had just begun, be ruined here so pathetically. Eileen gave Eden a desperate look, but his response was disappointing.

“It’s alright, Lady Eileen! If Aaron were really busy, he wouldn’t be here. Don’t worry.”

“But……”

“Don’t worry.”

Judging by Eden’s face smiling brightly at her, it was clear that no excuse would work anymore.

Then all that remained was Aaron.

Since he hated her too, he would surely refuse the tea time they would have to spend laughing together.

Eileen sent a hopeful look to Aaron, her last bastion.

Fortunately, this time, whether her sincerity got through or not, Aaron spoke in a blunt voice.

“No, I’m really busy, so don’t bother me.”

“Don’t lie. If you were really busy, would Liam have let you be here?”

“That’s……”

Struck at a vital point, Aaron trailed off, and Eden raised the corner of his mouth.

“Then since there’s nothing special, let’s have tea time together.”

“……Do whatever you want.”

Knowing better than anyone that continued resistance would be futile, Aaron reluctantly lowered his tail.

“Lady Eileen, the second floor here has a clear view of the city and is truly beautiful. How about having tea time on the second floor?”

“……Yes.”

In the end, with no other option, Eileen followed behind Eden with an expression that looked like she might cry at any moment.

The second floor, as Eden said, offered a panoramic view of the shopping district.

People moving vigorously and beautiful buildings.

All were wonderful sights, but they didn’t enter Eileen’s eyes.

“Lady Eileen. What would you like to drink?”

“Mi, milk tea please.”

At Eden’s question, Eileen ordered casually and deliberately avoided Aaron’s gaze sitting diagonally from her.

Soon, a steaming milk tea was placed in front of Eileen.

“Lady Eileen. If it’s not too presumptuous, may I ask how you came to know Aaron?”

Eileen, who had been sipping her tea in awkwardness, looked up at Eden at his sudden question.

Unlike herself, his eyes were clearer and cleaner than a lake, without any malice whatsoever.

“I, I met him when I came here with my friend Lady Cordelia.”

Eileen rolled her eyes and spoke while trying hard to avoid his gaze.

She felt that if she continued to meet that gaze, the truth would be revealed immediately.

“Lady Cordelia?”

“Lady Cordelia de Royton of the Royton family. She has dark brown hair and orange eyes.”

“Ah! I remember now.”

When Eileen finished her explanation, Eden clapped his hands lightly and nodded.

“Eden. Do I really need to be here when you two get along so well?”

When Cordelia was mentioned from Eileen’s mouth, Aaron felt a wave of displeasure. He frowned severely enough to crease his brow and spoke sarcastically.

“Haha. I’m sorry, Lady Eileen. This friend has a worse personality than he looks.”

“Eden, you!”

“Why? It’s true, isn’t it?”

Eden poked Aaron with his elbow and let out a low laugh.

“That hurts.”

“I’m poking you to make it hurt.”

“Eden……!”

Aaron frowned and expressed irritation, but Eden acted nonchalantly as if it always happened.

‘In front of Eden, I must never torment Aaron no matter what……’

Eileen made a promise to herself several times while watching Eden, who still wore a mischievous smile as he poked his friend’s firm side.

The time when Eileen trembled in fear due to Eden’s presence.

“Oh my! Aren’t those three Duke Aaron, Lady Eileen, and Young Marquis Eden?”

Countess Briana, who was sitting not far from the three, gestured toward them and made a fuss.

“Oh my! What an unexpected combination.”

Intrigued by Countess Briana’s words, Marchioness Dorothy put down her teacup.

“Marchioness, do you know? The story that Lady Eileen and Duke Aaron had an argument at Count Benston’s party recently!”

Countess Briana, who loved spreading gossip, took a sip of her lemon tea and began.

“Yes, I heard.”

Marchioness Dorothy looked at Countess Briana, who was still just sipping her lemon tea, with sparkling eyes.

“I heard one more thing……”

Countess Briana quickly looked left and right, then gestured for Marchioness Dorothy to come closer.

“The rumor that shook the social world recently.”

“Ah. Do you mean the rumor that Lady Eileen has a hidden lover?”

“Actually, I heard that the protagonist of that rumor is Duke Aaron.”

Countess Briana lowered her voice as much as possible and whispered into Marchioness Dorothy’s ear.

“What?”

A loud sound escaped from Marchioness Dorothy’s mouth, as if she hadn’t expected it at all.

Because she repeated ‘Oh my goodness!’ several times, people’s attention gathered on the two.