~Chapter 07~
Judging by the clothes he wore, it was clear he was a nobleman of high rank.
His striking looks made even the cabbage in his hands seem as if it were gilded in gold.
The man pulled a small piece of chocolate from his pocket and popped it into his mouth.
A nobleman eating chocolate on the street—it was refreshingly novel.
He examined the cabbage from every angle as if it were a precious porcelain piece, then fixed his transparent honey-colored eyes on Eloise, gazing at her as if he might draw her in.
“Hmm, these are fresh cabbages. Did you grow them yourself?”
“Yes? Yes, I did.”
“May I taste a bit?”
“Of course.”
Quickly, Eloise split the cabbage open and cut a small leaf from the inside, offering it to him.
He watched her every move intently, as if inspecting not just the cabbage but her as well.
‘He seems rather meticulous.’
After carefully chewing, he nodded approvingly.
“The sweetness is strong, and the crunch is just right—very tasty.”
“I’ve been growing cabbages for six years now. I guarantee their quality.”
“I’ll take them all.”
“All of them?”
“There are twenty-five in total, so fifty bronzes.”
Handing the cabbages to another man who seemed to be his servant, the servant gave Eloise the money.
Eloise was dazed—she had sold all her cabbages the moment she arrived.
With plenty of time left before John finished his work, a smile spread across her face at the thought of spending the rest of the day leisurely in the library.
Maybe that’s why the man’s face looked even more handsome than before.
“Well then, have a good day.”
Eloise bowed and said goodbye, but the man didn’t move.
Instead, he kept staring intently at her.
That persistent gaze slowly chipped away at her smile.
Thankfully, before her smile completely faded, he finally spoke.
“I have two questions to ask you.”
The man had a serious expression on his face, and her image was clearly reflected in his honey-colored eyes.
“Purchasing cabbages and asking questions all of a sudden?” What’s the matter?
Though taken aback, she nodded.
“Yes? Please, go ahead.”
“Do you know what ‘Neungna’ is?”
“Neungna?”
Eloise’s eyes rolled.
“Isn’t that a type of silk?”
“And what about the Dragon’s Claw of Lar Gorge?”
The awkwardness from the earlier tea time suddenly surfaced again.
Eloise answered coolly.
“That’s from a popular novel these days. The wizard Pilate, who lives in Lar Gorge, uses the Dragon’s Claw as a magical tool.”
“Thank you for your answers.”
With a vaguely puzzled expression, the man bowed slightly and left.
Watching his retreating, Eloise muttered to herself,
“Ah, that uneasy feeling from before just came back. But why ask such strange questions?”
Tilting her head in confusion, she suddenly felt like she’d seen those eyes somewhere before.
“Those transparent, beautiful honey-colored eyes… where have I seen them?”
The thought hovered just out of reach, and her mouth suddenly watered.
“I want honey.”
Honey was a luxury beyond her reach in a household where even a simple loaf of bread was a blessing.
Salivating at the thought, Eloise took a light step toward the library.
***
Back home, Kalen sent the cabbages he had bought to the kitchen, causing quite a stir.
The young master himself bought ingredients!
Kalen had never once involved himself in kitchen affairs, so this unexpected act was astonishing.
After giving Carl his coat and gloves, he made his way directly to the parlour.
Lisa, sipping tea, lifted her chin as she looked at her son.
“How did the interview go?”
A few days earlier, Lisa had secretly investigated Eloise and invited her to work, but she was turned down.
Somehow, Kalen had found out about it.
Kalen came into Lisa’s parlour during her quiet tea time and stared at her.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
“I heard that you interviewed someone. Are you looking for someone to read letters?”
Lisa had tried to keep it from reaching Kalen’s ears—but how did he find out?
Flustered, she stumbled for an excuse but couldn’t find the words.
Then, Kalen said something unexpected.
“I’ll look into it myself.”
“You? Are you saying you’ll find someone to read the letters?”
“The young lady Mother found seems suitable.”
“Well, she is the one I carefully selected after much thought.”
Lisa straightened the shoulders she had instinctively hunched.
Though he was her son, when he spoke so directly, her body tensed without her realising it.
Since Kalen had given a positive response, it was halfway settled.
What he said next was even more surprising.
“I’ll meet her in person.”
“You, personally?”
Lisa had worried that picking someone to read letters would only deepen his distance from love, but Kalen’s decision to meet Eloise himself was startling.
“I have to get married anyway, and I think this is the best way to personally choose the lady who suits me best.”
His voice was calm, as if reporting a fact, but Lisa was satisfied just hearing that.
This was the first step toward marriage.
Kalen was making a move toward love.
That alone was a big step forward.
“Well, knowing how thorough you are, personally interviewing is the safest bet. But you should know the young lady is a bit different from others.”
Kalen responded nonchalantly.
“I’ll handle that.”
Quietly, he interviewed Eloise—and gave her his approval.
The remaining issue was how to persuade her.
“She won’t agree so easily.”
“I’ll do it my way.”
When her son made up his mind, the matter was practically solved.
Feeling much lighter, Lisa took some medicine to her husband, Jayden, and headed to the bedroom.
Phase One: Kalen sent Eloise an invitation.
It was a polite, formal request to meet him because he had a favour to ask.
But the servant who delivered the invitation returned empty-handed.
The message was clear: “She refuses.”
Kalen wasn’t surprised.
He had somewhat expected this.
“She must be misunderstanding things badly.”
He already knew from his mother that Eloise thought she had to do more than just read letters.
He hadn’t believed this method would work—it was the most straightforward, polite approach, and he had simply tried it first.
“Not bad.”
At Kalen’s answer, Lisa quickly pressed her lips together. “Not bad” was a remarkably generous evaluation from him.
It might’ve been a bit cowardly, but Kalen went with his second plan.
***
Two days later, with her arms full of cabbage, Eloise walked independently into the Elias estate.
When she brought them to the kitchen, the maids came out to take the cabbage.
“You can collect your payment by following that gentleman over there.”
Still unsettled, Eloise trailed after the servant who had guided her to the kitchen.
Though she had refused the Duchess’s original offer, she couldn’t turn down the chance to sell the cabbages she had grown with her own hands.
That was something she could stand behind.
The servant led her to the garden.
“If you go to the small garden back there, you should receive your money.”
Elle cautiously stepped into the garden—and her jaw dropped.
“Wait… this is what they call a small garden?”
Though called ‘small,’ the garden attached to the guesthouse was surprisingly vast.
It was, of course, nothing compared to the majestic main garden that preceded the mansion.
The garden was impeccably maintained, calming just to look at.
There was a fountain in the middle, encircled by well-kept trees and a vibrant display of flowers that looked like they were painted on a canvas.
Eloise blinked wide-eyed and wandered in, spotting the back of someone sipping tea.
A gentle breeze stirred the person’s black hair—so familiar.
Steeling herself, Eloise approached and spoke carefully.
“I’ve come to collect payment for the cabbages.”
“So, we meet again.”
“Oh? Is it you from before?”
Eloise’s eyes grew wide as she looked at him.
Lost in surprise, she suddenly remembered something.
Those eyes are transparent and incredibly bright, like honey!
“Ah! I remember now.”
The same eye colour as the Duchess of Elias.
Which meant—
“Duke Elias?”
“You… You’re the Duke of Elias?”
“I feel honoured that you recognise me.” Allow me to properly introduce myself—Kalen Elias.”
Are you kidding me?
It was almost impossible to find someone in the Eneriton Kingdom who didn’t know Duke Kalen!
Eloise nearly screamed in shock.
After the surprise came anger.
Now she was certain he had tricked her with lies.
She openly wore her displeasure.
“I declined the invitation your Grace sent. Yet you go to such lengths! This is neither gentlemanly nor polite—it’s downright rude.”
“I hope you understand how desperate I am.”
“Why are you doing this to me? If you need a woman, marry one! Or at least date someone!”
“That’s precisely why I need Lady Moora’s help.”
Eloise couldn’t make sense of his words.
What on earth did the Duke’s love life have to do with her?
Afraid her voice might rise, she bit her lip and tried to speak as calmly as possible.
“Please explain so I can understand.”
“I’m dyslexic.”
