~Chapter 45~
Riden’s mouth dropped open even wider from the sudden confession.
“I do whatever it takes.”
“…I like you.”
“Ha…”
Riden quickly picked up the large riding boots from the floor and shoved her feet in.
Her small feet slid easily into the oversized boots meant for the duchess.
“Then!”
She gave Ethan a sharp glare, bowed stiffly, and practically ran away.
Ethan watched her stumble off in the big boots, a strange expression on his face.
Meanwhile…
Samantha had seen them leave together, so she clicked her tongue when Riden came back alone.
“Could’ve just kept quiet, but Ethan probably said something unnecessary again.”
Merrick, who had been silent next to her, finally spoke up.
“He’s just like you, Mother.”
“Ahem.”
“Still, from her point of view, there is a difference.”
He sat on the terrace outside the duchess’s room, looking at the lit stables in the distance.
“To Lady McKerry, you’re scary. Ethan is just… unpleasant. She probably doesn’t want to talk to either of you.”
Samantha’s graceful smile disappeared at her son’s blunt words.
She lifted a mirror to examine her face.
Trends may come and go, but her beauty was timeless—classic and striking.
Even so, Merrick hit her with another truth:
“You’re truly beautiful, Mother. And you look like someone who wouldn’t bleed even if stabbed.”
Annoyed, Samantha slammed the mirror down.
“So, how do we win that girl’s heart?”
Merrick placed a thick hardcover notebook on the table.
“Show her your vulnerable side.”
“Vulnerable?”
“She already sees you as scary. It’s hard to make her like you outright. But if she sees a weak side in someone she thought was cold and untouchable, it might shake her perception.”
Samantha’s red eyes wavered as she looked at the notebook.
She agreed with the plan but…
“You want to show her this?”
“Yes. If you want to prove you’re not just scary but a warm, family-loving woman, this is perfect.”
Though reluctant, Samantha nodded.
Then she looked out the window.
“But what do we do about Ethan?”
“Same for him. He needs sympathy more than anything else.”
Samantha rubbed her temples, already feeling a headache.
Later, at the Count’s estate…
Riden came home late in the afternoon.
“Miss, should I start your bath?”
“Please!”
She answered cheerfully as servants followed behind her with gift boxes.
“Where should I put them?”
“Right there is fine.”
Riden dropped into a chair and stared at the mountain of boxes.
They had all been sent from the duke’s house when she left.
Although her contract was being dissolved, the gifts were a way of asking her to stay near Ethan and keep his condition from getting worse.
“Just a little heartfelt gesture,” the duchess had said.
Because it was called “a simple gesture,” Riden expected modest things.
She began opening them, remembering that in this society, handmade gifts were the most meaningful—since noblewomen didn’t usually do manual work.
She started with the smallest box.
“No sound? Maybe a handkerchief with the Kenwolf crest?”
Or maybe a book of poetry. Either way, not exciting—those were hard to use and couldn’t be sold.
But then…
“A matchbox?”
She picked up an elegant, jewel-encrusted matchbox made with ruby, onyx, and gold. Tiny, but exactly her style.
“Cute.”
It wasn’t practical but was beautiful, valuable, and easy to resell. She liked it.
The next boxes included jewelry, brooches, rare Western perfumes—everything was expensive and useful.
“Wow. Whatever else the duchess is, she’s got great taste.”
If the gifts had been handmade, they would’ve felt more burdensome. But coming from the ultra-rich Kenwolf family, it was fine.
Finally, only two boxes remained.
“Why is this one so heavy?”
She opened the largest box, which two men had carried. Inside was a steel treasure chest.
When she turned the key and opened it—
She had to close and open her eyes again.
It was blindingly shiny.
“How much is this?! How many gold coins?!”
Gold coins were packed to the brim and spilled over the edge.
“This isn’t ‘simple’ at all!”
It was definitely too much. She decided she’d return this one.
The final box felt different.
It was a thick, vintage-looking book with elegant design. Unlike the others, it showed signs of age.
“Is this a vintage book?”
She opened it casually—then froze.
“Why is this here…?”
Back at the Hagenz Café…
Riden made a reservation and visited Hagenz again.
She’d hoped to visit the third floor this time, but it was off-limits—even to a count’s daughter.
“Who is the third floor even for?”
She glanced at the stairs, then sat by the window.
Today’s visit had a purpose: to confirm her new marketing strategy.
She’d decided to sell desserts in luxurious, custom packaging. It was an exclusive idea—but more expensive to produce and to buy.
“Rich people like fancy packaging, but others might be turned off by higher prices. If most people fall into the second group, the plan will fail.”
She intended to stay at Hagenz for a while and observe.
Since she’d come at opening time, the place was still quiet—too early for most nobles.
She opened the special “item” she brought.
It was the duchess’s diary.
It had been sent by accident with the gifts.
Reading someone else’s diary felt wrong, but if it revealed secrets—like unknown details about the duke family’s curse—it might be worth it.
In the silence, Riden turned the first page.
