Chapter 32
As they left the office and went down the central stairs, a few people were waiting.
“Are you all ready?”
“Yes!”
“Well, you certainly look ready.”
Theo asked Daphne, but it was Jacquette who answered. Theo reached out to ruffle the child’s hair, but Jacquette was quicker, covering his head with his hands. Seeing this, Theo chuckled and withdrew his hand.
“Alright, then let’s do this instead.”
In an instant, he bent down and lifted the child into his arms. At first, Jacquette seemed surprised, but soon enough, he burst into laughter.
“Are you ready, madam?”
“I’m ready, but are you going like that, Theo?”
Daphne asked while tapping her temple. Theo tilted his head, not understanding what she meant.
“Your glasses. Don’t you only wear them when you’re working?”
“Oh.”
He reached up to remove his glasses but then paused and adjusted his grip on Jacquette instead.
“I was in a rush and forgot to take them off. Could you do it for me?”
It was just a simple request to remove his glasses, but for some reason, it sounded oddly intimate.
Daphne let out a small, exasperated laugh.
“I saw you move your hand just now.”
“I’m holding Jacquette, so my hands are occupied.”
He insisted with a straight face and slightly leaned toward her. Left with no choice, Daphne removed his glasses for him.
“Happy now?”
“Very.”
Henderson, who had been waiting nearby, took Theo’s glasses from Daphne.
“Shall we go?”
As soon as her hands were free, Theo naturally reached out to take one of them.
His smooth, practiced gestures impressed Daphne.
“Does this kind of smooth-talking come with experience?”
“Smooth-talking? Just think of me as a husband who wants his wife’s affection.”
Knowing she wouldn’t win against his wit, Daphne chose to change the subject.
“Jacquette’s neck will get tired at this rate. Let’s get going.”
“You’re right.”
The three of them stepped outside, where a large carriage was waiting.
Daphne hesitated in front of it.
“I’ve never ridden a carriage before.”
Theo extended a hand toward her after helping Jacquette inside.
“Shall we, madam?”
“It’s not much different from a sled, is it?”
“Not much at all.”
Daphne took his hand and carefully stepped into the carriage. Then, a mischievous thought came to her.
“Does holding hands like this count as physical affection?”
Theo let out a small laugh.
“You got me there.”
Since their mansion was quite far from the city, the carriage ride took longer than expected.
“We can’t go any further with the carriage.”
The coachman’s words prompted them to get out.
The streets were bustling with more people than they had expected. Daphne, who had never experienced a festival before, looked around excitedly, just like Jacquette.
“There are more people than I thought.”
“I agree.”
Theo looked a bit surprised by the crowd, which made Daphne stare at him in disbelief.
“How do you not know this?”
“It’s been a while since I last attended a festival….”
As they whispered to each other, Jacquette squeezed between them.
“When are we going?”
The child had tried to be patient but couldn’t hold back any longer. His round, chubby cheeks were slightly flushed with excitement.
However, their elegant outfits stood out too much, making it difficult to enjoy the festival freely.
“Hmm…”
An idea suddenly popped into Daphne’s head, and she grinned.
“Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“You’ll see.”
Theo quickly picked up Jacquette and followed Daphne, who walked ahead with determination.
“Where are we going?”
“Mom has a great idea.”
Festivals in romance novels always had a common scene—characters changing into simpler clothes to blend in.
“We’re going to change our clothes. These stand out too much.”
“Do you know where to find a clothing store?”
Daphne stopped walking.
“Uh… no?”
She suddenly realized she had no idea where to go. It was a bit embarrassing.
“This way.”
Theo took the lead, guiding them confidently.
After walking for a while, he turned into a quieter alley. There, an old clothing shop came into view.
“Do you come here often?”
“You could say that. Though, the owner wouldn’t recognize me.”
Daphne immediately understood what he meant.
This was a place he had visited many times in the past—sometimes as a father, sometimes as a son, and sometimes as a grandson.
“I’ll trust your taste, then.”
Theo smirked and pushed open the door.
The old door creaked as it opened, and a woman appeared from inside, wiping her hands.
“Welcome to Matilda’s Boutique.”
The shop, like its exterior, showed signs of age, but it was well-maintained and clean.
“I’m sorry, but we don’t do custom orders.”
She looked surprised by their elegant outfits and seemed hesitant as if she had dealt with nobles causing trouble before.
Daphne was wondering how to respond when Jacquette suddenly spoke up.
“Mom, I like this one!”
The child was holding up a light-yellow dress.
“You like it?”
“Yes! It’s the color of a baby chick!”
It seemed Theo had intentionally taken Jacquette to look at clothes first. He smiled and reached out to ruffle the child’s hair but stopped himself.
“Since my daughter likes it, we’ll buy it here.”
Daphne walked over to Jacquette.
“Do you have anything similar for women?”
The shopkeeper hesitated, but once she realized they were serious, she quickly switched to business mode.
“Oh, yes, I do!”
She hurriedly brought out several outfits, and before long, Daphne and Jacquette were dressed in matching colors. The only one left was Theo.
“This would look good on you too.”
“This one as well!”
“You have a good eye, young lady.”
“She gets it from me.”
Theo quietly accepted each outfit they handed him.
Choosing his outfit took the longest.
Even the hesitant shopkeeper eventually got into it, enthusiastically helping pick his clothes.
It made sense—Theo had the kind of presence that made people want to dress him up.
“Father, try this on too!”
Jacquette handed him a hat to help him blend in.
Meanwhile, Daphne absentmindedly looked at the other clothes.
The embroidery was surprisingly well done, and the details were refined.
Especially the knotwork.
She put down the outfit she had been holding and turned toward Theo.
Maybe, just maybe, this shop could make what she had in mind.
