My Dear Fiancée Can't Be a Villainess!

Reynard Roderick was spending tea time with his fiancée, Liliana Fortis, in the garden of the Fortis family.

Liliana's younger sister Mireia was seated next to them.

A butler with a stern expression approached the table where the three were seated.

He handed Reynard a letter and a velvet jewelry box, concealing them from Liliana's view.

Having received the jewelry box, Reynard lifted the lid with a tense expression, ascertained the brooch within before clutching it with tremulous hands.

I've tried to believe in you, but I can't anymore.

Reynard muttered those words in a deep, strained voice.

Liliana, seated across from him, watched with a bemused expression.

Is there something wrong, Rey?

In tandem with Liliana's question, Reynard flung the brooch he gripped in his right hand to the ground.

The brooch bounced imperceptibly on the lawn before settling at Liliana's feet.

I've been holding back all this time, but I'm at my wits' end, Liliana! Don't ever grace me with your presence again! Our engagement is off!

Lips quivering, Reynard rose from his seat, turned his back on Liliana, who was caught off guard at this unforeseen turn of events, and began heading straight for the gate.

Wait, Rey—I mean, Lord Reynard!

Mireia, who was sitting in company, hurriedly pursued Reynard and grasped his left arm.

On her slender wrist swayed a lily of the valley bracelet.

Tenderly, Reynard drew his arm around her, and Mireia snuggled in to lean against him as well.

Neither looked back as they crossed the garden toward the carriage drawn up outside the gate.

At the sight of their retreating figures, Liliana abruptly snapped to her wits and pursued Reynard and her own sister.

Hang on, Rey! Explain yourself! What is this all about? I don't get why you called off our engagement!

Desperately, Liliana dashed off and eventually caught up with them, reaching out her hand from behind.

No sooner had she attempted to touch Reynard than he unceremoniously shoved her aside.

Stop it! don't call me Rey! It's obnoxious!

Heh.

He thought he heard a faint snicker.

Obnoxious? How can you dismiss me as obnoxious without any justification? What in the world is going on?

Liliana stood directly in front of Reynard, obstructing his path.

Her slightly disheveled hazel hair, emerald eyes brimming with tears, and small lips were trembling.

Not even bothering to spare a glance at her face, which he had once found so endearing, Reynard continued on his way.

I cannot accept being dismissed so unilaterally. Please explain yourself properly!

Disregarding her, the pair continued on, prompting Liliana to run ahead of them and dash through the gate.

She went to the coachman, who was standing beside the horse, and pleaded frantically with him not to have the carriage drawn.

At a loss, the coachman alternately shifted his gaze between the approaching Reynard and Liliana.

Right then, a ferocious gale swept by.

Sand swirled around the garden.

Liliana's long, stunning hair fluttered upward, and she stumbled.

Having been thrown off balance, her body collapsed against the carriage horse, and her slender elbow struck the horse's belly.

Startled, the horse reared its upper body, neighing high, and swung its forelegs down toward Liliana.

Aaah!

A dull thud and a shriek rippled throughout the garden.

There, at Liliana's feet, who was now supported by the coachman, was Reynard, violently trampled by the horse.

Right as Liliana was close to being overtaken by the horse, Reynard had stormed over and thrust her aside.

No! Rey!

Liliana strained to free herself from the coachman's grip, but he wouldn't let go of her arm.

Another coachman, who had hurried over at the sound of the outcries, was wrenching frantically at the reins, endeavoring to get the horse away from Reynard.

Even so, the agitated horse kept trampling Reynard viciously.

A dull thud rang out, followed by a profusion of blood that began to flow from Reynard's collapsed body.

Nooo!

Liliana's voice pierced through the sky.

Oh dear, this is a hassle.

He thought he heard that voice again, emanating from somewhere.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, only to have the familiar ceiling fall into view.

I was perspiring so heavily that even my pillow felt cold against my skin.

A dream?

I touched my body for confirmation, though no wounds were found anywhere.

I sat up, my upper body feeling heavy as lead, and all at once I wondered what day it was.

I was certain yesterday was the day before the wedding. Wait, was that a dream too?

As I struggled to relive yesterday's events, the pain of being stomped on by the horse abruptly surged through my whole body. The trepidation was so overwhelming that I found myself rubbing both arms.

Right, Liliana betrayed me. Wait, Liliana did?

This time, my chest felt constricted, as if it were being tightly squeezed.

Wait, what now?

Right now, I was so shaken up that I couldn't tell what was real anymore.

As I was burying my head in my hands on the bed, the sound of knocking on the door broke out.

Pardon my intrusion, Lord Reynard. How are you feeling this morning?

A tall, slender man peeked his face in. It was Claude, my butler.

As far as I could remember, Claude and I had known one another for a long time. When my mother grew frail, Claude's mother had served as my wet nurse, and we had grown up like brothers.

His habitual aloof expression and silver-framed glasses struck an oddly nostalgic chord in me.

You have no particular appointments scheduled for today. However, in two days, Lady Liliana's younger sister, Lady Mireia, will have her birthday pa—

Hold on, Claude.

At my call, Claude didn't stir his face, but only shifted his eyes in my direction.

I need to talk to you about something, Claude.

What might be the matter, milord?

No, I want you to listen not as my butler but as my friend.

While staring into Claude's eyes as he stood by the door, I patted the seat of the chair beside the bed.

With a cocked head and a soft sigh, Claude approached me, slipped his spectacles into his pocket, then settled into a chair.

What is it, Rey? Mornings are busy, you know. Did you have a nightmare? Or do you want me to cuddle with you?

Neither of those is entirely wrong. But more importantly, what day is it today?

I'd rather not cuddle with you. Today is the twentieth day of the Novan month. Wait, what's wrong? You're trembling terribly.

Hastily, Claude sprang from his seat and headed for the wardrobe.

Only after Claude pointed it out did I realize what was happening. My entire body was shaking uncontrollably.

Yeah, I had an awfully . . . awfully frightening dream.

Can a dream really stir you that much? And you're soaking wet, like you've been doused with water. Just change your clothes—I don't want you to catch a cold.

After wrapping myself in the large towel he offered me, Claude dried my head thoroughly.

I took off my wet nightclothes and changed into the fresh outfit that had been prepared.

It was really terrifying. I dreamed I was dying. No, I thought I had actually died. I can still remember the pain.

Hmm?

Claude, who had been concerned until just a moment ago, was now staring at me with dilated eyes and an inscrutable expression.

Don't give me that look. It felt so realistic that I thought it had actually taken place. In the dream, it was the day before our wedding, about three months from now. For whatever reason, I told Liliana I was breaking off our engagement, and then I ignored her as she chased after me, and instead I went with her sister Mireia.

With Lady Mireia?

Right. For whatever reason, I disregarded Liliana and tried to leave with Mireia. Then after various things happened, I ended up being trampled to death by a horse.

A brief pause ensued before Claude unexpectedly erupted in laughter.

A horse? What's with that dream?

Don't laugh. It was really frightening.

My bad, my bad. Hmm, this sounds like what they call pre-wedding jitters, doesn't it?

Pre-wedding jitters?

That's right. You're betrothed to Lady Liliana whom you've fancied since childhood. But now you're thinking, "What if our engagement were to be abruptly called off!" That's the kind of anxiety you're feeling.

Anxiety?

Could anxiety alone conjure up such a catastrophically realistic dream?

As I rubbed my still mildly cold body, Claude draped a blanket over me.

Listen, Rey. Your fiancée is Liliana Fortis. She's a renaissance woman whose expertise in botany amazes even the specialists in this country. Despite rumors that she might not marry and instead devote herself to her research, she readily accepted the marriage proposal from the Roderick family. Your wedding is set for three months from now. You even said it yourself: "It's like a dream that everything is going swimmingly!"

I did say that.

See? You're happy but anxious at the same time, right?

Claude put his glasses back onto his face and gathered up the sweat-soaked nightclothes and towels with a grin.

Surely you don't mean to say you're dissatisfied with Lady Liliana?

No, not at all.

Thought so?

Ah, if I had to say something though . . .

If you had to say?

I suppose it's that we hardly see each other, even though we're engaged, since she's so tied up.

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Claude gave a shrug.

Yes, yes, look at you bragging with a straight face. If you can say things like that, you're fine. I'll send a messenger whenever you want to meet her. You'll soon forget that bad dream. Now then, breakfast is ready, so come and eat after you've settled down, young master.

Towel in hand, Claude tousled my hair and left the room with an over-the-top reverent bow.

In the room that had fallen into silence, I was left alone in contemplation.

Indeed, from whatever angle I viewed it from, it was beyond the bounds of reality. It was incontestably nothing more than a dream.

Claude was right that I felt uneasy because I was overjoyed.

To think that even at the age of 18, I was shuddering from a nightmare.

In sudden embarrassment, I felt my cold body quickly warm up.

The day after tomorrow, I was scheduled to visit the Fortis family for Mireia's birthday celebration.

Right now, I couldn't even bear to wait those few days.

Because of that bizarre dream, the shroud in my heart still hadn't dissipated by any means.

I wanted to see Liliana right away, to hear her gentle voice.

Claude had also assured me that if I wanted to see her, he would send a messenger.

Well then, the sooner the better.

I tossed aside the blanket draped over my shoulders and bolted out of the room.

◆◆◆

Night fell over the house.

The messenger I had dispatched to the Fortis family returned to the mansion with a message of acceptance.

I would be meeting up with Liliana tomorrow.

That in itself was all it took to dispel my heavy mood.

Tomorrow, I would take Liliana to the specialized bakery in the castle town.

It was an establishment that I had heard about from one of the maids, renowned for its range of confectionery produced from rare herbs.

The mere thought of Liliana's delighted face was enough to relax my cheeks into a spontaneous smile.

On top of that, the day after tomorrow was Mireia's birthday party.

Being able to see her two days in a row was perfect—how glad I was to have sent that messenger.

I settled down on the bed and then sank back, burying my face in the pillow.

The sight of Liliana wailing in my dream drifted before my eyes, accompanied by the sensation of the pure cotton.

Simultaneously, I felt suffocated, as if cotton had been stuffed into my chest, making it impossible to breathe.

I hastily lifted my face from the pillow, only to discover that my forehead was drenched in perspiration.

Even though that was nothing more than a dream, I couldn't stomach the thought of making Liliana look like that.

Besides, why did I choose Mireia?

Even if it was pre-wedding jitters, as Claude claimed, it made no sense.

Nonetheless, once I met up with Liliana tomorrow, this nauseating dream would incontrovertibly be erased from my mind.

If so, I should go to sleep soon.

Hopefully, I wouldn't experience any nightmares tonight.

Reynard!

Mireia peered up at me with eyes that looked ready to burst into tears at any moment.

What's wrong? What exactly happened?

Tears spilled from her lovely azure eyes the instant I asked.

I didn't intend to bring it up, but today's my birthday. I just find this too cruel.

The tears falling from Mireia's eyes wouldn't stop.

Everybody will be concerned when the star of the day has a face like that. You should probably rest somewhere for a while.

Please come with me, Reynard.

Without even bothering to wipe away her tears, Mireia took my hand and led me to the balcony.

Between the pale red twilight and the evening darkness, a brilliant sky with faintly shining stars was discernible.

What do you think of my sister Liliana's dress today?

In a corner of the balcony where we were now alone, Mireia asked with a serious expression.

Her silk-like golden hair swayed in the gentle breeze.

Dress?

At Mireia's words, I cast a glance from the balcony in the direction of the venue and spotted Liliana settled in a chair, donned in a vibrant rose-pink dress.

Oh, she's dressed in a color that's unusual for her. I don't think she fancied that kind of color too much.

Turning my gaze back to Mireia, I noticed that she was likewise attired in a rose-pink dress, identical to Liliana's. Designed with a wide opening at the bust, it accentuated her porcelain skin.

Oh!

It was then that I was reminded of it.

In the social community of our country of Narle, wearing the same dress color among relatives was regarded as a taboo.

Originally, the tradition allegedly had its roots in the twin daughters of the earliest king, who were distinguished by donning different colored outfits, though nowadays if a younger person were to adopt the same colored dress as the older one, they would be perceived as rebellious, vulgar, or downright foolish.

You've noticed it, haven't you?

Mireia continued with a trembling voice.

Before the birthday celebration, I showed my dress to Liliana. Because I love her so much, I wanted her to be the first to see it!

Ah.

She told me, "It's lovely, it suits you well," but to think she would do something like this?

With her voice quivering, Mireia crumpled her face and threw herself against my chest.

Mireia!

Reynard! You may not be aware, but this isn't the first time! She has done similar things to me many, many times since I was little!

Her soft hair and slender arms remained entwined around my body, refusing to let go.

Many times?

Yes, I've been agonizing over whether I should tell you about this. But today's incident was just too cruel.

Mireia slowly raised her face and stared at me unblinkingly.

Her moist azure eyes with wet eyelashes. The scent like freshly bloomed flowers. Her soft chest pressing against my body.

Her beauty nearly overwhelmed my consciousness.

Liliana did such things?

◆◆◆

A knock sounded at the door.

I opened my eyes slowly.

In bed, I caught sight of the familiar ceiling above me.

What was that vivid sensation! Her brea—ugh, come on!

I still remembered the scent and sensation. Much like the dream I experienced yesterday, it felt as though it had indeed taken place.

Pardon my intrusion, your grace.

The door opened and Claude stepped into the room.

While pushing a silver cart, Claude shot a suspicious glance at my silent figure and adjusted his glasses with his left hand.

Good morning. No matter how handsome I am, please refrain from silently gazing at me in admiration so early in the morning.

As he quipped, breakfast was laid out on a cart he had brought in.

I was concerned about yesterday morning, so I've brought your breakfast to your room today. How did you sleep this morning? You're scheduled to visit the Fortis family this morning.

Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Claude—hey, could you come over here for a moment?

I composed my dizzy head as I sat up.

I beckoned to Claude and patted the chair beside my bed.

Claude arched his eyebrows.

Again?

As Claude approached, I seized his arm firmly.

Hey, stop that!

Claude struggled to maintain his balance as I pulled him even closer.

I said stop! Hey!

Claude twisted and squirmed, deliberately shouting right into my ear.

Rey, can you hear me! This ridiculous strength!

My ear hurts. Sorry about that.

No sooner had I loosened my grip than Claude retreated precipitately to the side of the door.

What the hell are you doing all of a sudden!

I had another dream today. Mireia appeared again, and in it, Liliana was portrayed as some kind of terrible woman.

Huh? And why does that mean I need to be the one getting grabbed?

In the dream, Mireia embraced me and the sensation was, how shall I put it . . . incredibly vivid.

At my words, Claude broke into a slightly thoughtful expression.

Then he grinned and nodded repeatedly.

Reynard, my boy, your dream today is rather adolescent, isn't it? You're happy to marry your beloved, but as a man, you still want to play around more. Right?

It's not like that at all.

Despite my resounding denial, Claude continued undeterred.

Well, I've seen her a few times myself, and Lady Mireia is indisputably captivating. Rumor has it that she's the frontrunner for the crown princess position, although nothing has been officially announced yet. She's the polar opposite of the reserved Lady Liliana—you know, that innocent and sexy type.

I told you it's not like that. Don't lump me in with yourself.

Thank you, no need for such high praise.

Claude pushed his glasses up and bowed by the door.

While this butler was impeccable at his job, his relationships with women were far too flamboyant. Ever since his school days, he had been constantly in the company of girls. At any rate, he had been a heartthrob all his life.

Look, stop teasing and listen to me. I don't find Mireia my type at all—if anything, I rather dislike her. So why does she keep showing up in my dreams, and why is Liliana being portrayed as some kind of wicked woman? None of this makes any sense.

I don't understand it either, but well, you're a healthy young man. Isn't there a saying that the heart and the body desire different things? Incidentally, I think all the girls in the world are adorable.

Contrary to his jesting manner, Claude's reassuring words abruptly jarred me back to reality.

Why am I getting so irritated about this?

It felt disturbingly real, but it was only a dream. My desire? Absolutely out of the question.

Forget it.

As I sighed and tried to get out of bed, Claude approached me.

Don't make such a childish face, Rey. Sorry for being a bit mean.

Yeah, I get it. But it's certainly not some sort of desire, okay?

Yes, yes, I know that too.

While casually dismissing my words, Claude went to the window and flung open the curtains with vigor.

The weather today is perfect, Rey. It's going to be a wonderful day.

Dazzling light streaked into the room.

Looking toward the window, I saw Claude smiling beside it and the azure sky beyond.

Today was a warm, peaceful sunny day, and a date with Liliana awaited me in the afternoon.

Just as Claude had said, it looked like it would be a good day.

With Claude seeing me off, I boarded the carriage headed for the Fortis family.

Tomorrow was Mireia's birthday party.

Regardless, the rose-pink dress I had witnessed in my dream bothered me.

Would it be out of place to ask Liliana about the color of the dress she planned to wear to the party?

I had already grasped Liliana's preference for shades of purple and pale blue from an early age.

For her to choose pink was beyond the realm of possibility. I was blindingly convinced of it.

Even the brooch I had ordered as a wedding memento combined jade-green, turquoise and purple stones.

The brooch.

Come to think of it, I've got a feeling that a brooch had turned up in the dream I saw the day before yesterday, but what shape was it again?

When I sought to relive the details of the dream, Liliana's tearful face and screams flooded back into my mind.

At once, a veil of mist seemingly rose and swept through my chest.

Enough thoughts about the dream. It was only a dream, not reality.

To distract myself, I gazed at the landscape outside as the carriage rocked along.

Before I knew it, the carriage had arrived near the Fortis family residence. The gate was visible just ahead.

While passing through the gate, I noticed an unfamiliar carriage parked in the carriage house.

The loading platform was large and appeared to belong to some sort of vendor.

When I alighted from the carriage, a well-built butler with silver hair came out to greet me.

We have been expecting you, Duke Roderick.

Oh, it's been a while. How are you, Bratz?

Thank you for asking, I am quite well, as you can see.

Bratz gave a pat to his gold-buttoned vest.

He was the longest-serving butler in the Fortis family.

In contrast to his seemingly stern appearance when he was silent, the way his eyes softened when he spoke conveyed a genial impression.

The old saying goes that you can judge a household by its butler, and in that regard, Bratz was unequivocally a first-rate butler.

Well then, your grace. In regard to Lady Liliana, she is currently occupied with a tailor whose visit has been extended.

Bratz knitted his bushy eyebrows and adopted a troubled expression.

A tailor?

Indeed, there seems to have been some mix-up. I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid you'll need to wait a little longer.

Oh, I don't mind at all. Please don't worry about it. I should be the one apologizing for coming on such short notice.

Thank you. This way, please.

Guided by Bratz, who had an apologetic look on his face, I was led from the entrance hall to the guest room on the right side of the room.

I'll bring some tea right away.

Bowing deeply, Bratz left the room.

Then, from somewhere, came the unfamiliar high-pitched voice of a man.

Hmm? Is this coming from the next room?

This is all our mistake. I cannot apologize enough. Please, milady, I beg you to accept this.

As I've said, I understand mistakes happen. Even so, I simply cannot accept that dress.

It was Liliana's voice.

From her tone, it sounded as if they had been reliving the same exchange over and over again.

Though her manner remained gentle, I could hear the fatigue in her voice.

Milady! I cannot possibly return to my shop under these circumstances. What a terrible mistake I've made. I'm so terribly sorr . . . ugh.

The man's voice quavered, fragmenting between words.

Could he possibly be crying?

Please don't cry, Curtis. I don't mean to cause you distress. But I cannot accept this without payment. I'm not angry, so please, you may leave now.

Curtis? Was this the dress tailor Bratz had mentioned?

What on earth are they talking about? It's frustrating not knowing what's going on.

Anyway, it's obvious that Liliana is in some sort of trouble, no doubt about it.

Having risen from the sofa, I approached the wall that connected to the adjacent room where the voices originated.

Guest rooms like this generally incorporated a connecting door to the neighboring room in some way.

On the largest partition wall between the room and the next room was a built-in fireplace. Flowers were arranged on a display shelf next to it. A series of identical shelves followed, but I found that the last one had a narrow door. It was unlocked.

This is it!

When I pressed my ear against the door, the man's sobbing was even more clearer.

All right.

Bang!

Excuse me, what seems to be happening here?

The door I had flung open was thinner than expected and produced an astonishingly resounding bang.

Both of them stared wide-eyed at my unexpected entrance, though even my own heart was pounding ferociously.

Oh, Rey, you're already here.

Liliana was apparently in the middle of offering the man a handkerchief.

The man was so taken aback by my appearance that his legs seemed to have given out, sending him falling on his buttocks.

Then I noticed a dress on display behind the two of them.

I was so astounded that I found myself at a loss for words.

It was precisely like the one in my dream—a vivid rose-pink dress adorned with lavish decorations.

Not to mention, it wasn't the sort of design befitting the daughter of a marquis. Did he really recommend this to Liliana?

Unable to suppress my revulsion, I inevitably glared at the man.

T-this is, your grace, I deeply apologize for this unsightly display . . . ugh.

The man, who had fallen on his buttocks, hastened to reposition himself and bowed deeply, drawing back his right leg.

Although we had never encountered each other before, he somehow seemed to have recognized my face.

It's fine, don't worry about it. What exactly were you talking about?

In response to my question, the man lifted his face and all at once began speaking rapidly.

Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Curtis, a couturier and tailor. As a matter of fact, we have received a commission for a dress from the house of Marquis Fortis, yet somehow, uh, we mistakenly created the wrong dress from the design drawing that we were given, and uh, the result is something, uh, utterly incongruous with the dress that had been commissioned!

When I looked at Liliana with dismay at his frantic excuse, she lowered her eyebrows and gave a subtle nod.

Curtis continued.

I am well aware that this is our fault, but it's inconceivable that a new dress can be ready in time. Fortunately, I know that Lady Mireia, who is the center of attention at tomorrow's party, will not be attired in rose-pink. Therefore, I was proposing to offer this dress free of charge if you would accept it. Oh . . .

His head drooped lower and lower until he looked as though he might prostrate himself at any moment.

Liliana's eyebrows lowered even further as she heaved a short sigh.

I understand your reasoning, and I told you that I wished you would take the dress back with you. Regardless of it being a slip-up, giving it away for free is not acceptable, not to mention that this dress is too flamboyant for me. Since I would be attending the party in a dress I had on hand, I told him he could leave without worrying about it.

This was such a typical Liliana response.

Curtis, in his disheveled state, was sniffling and showed no sign of listening to Liliana.

Why was this man being so obstinate?

Since Liliana herself was letting him off the hook, he should just hurry up and leave.

Moreover, this rose-pink dress. Not only did it remind me of my dream, but its flamboyant design wouldn't suit Liliana at all.

On the contrary, nobody in high society would approve of such a dress.

Look here, Curtis, she's already given you her answer, so isn't it fine for you to leave now?

I reluctantly extended my hand to Curtis, who remained seated on the floor.

I-I cannot—

Staring at my outstretched hand while frantically shaking his head, Curtis collapsed on the spot.

What on earth was wrong with this man? Even being overdramatic had its limit.

This is our first commission from her ladyship. What's more, we were introduced by her mother, Marchioness Fortis herself. The marchioness was greatly looking forward to the dress. If she attends the party in a different dress, I won't be able to show my face. Ugh.

What! To begin with, this is entirely your mistake. And yet you—

I was about to continue when realization dawned on me.

Marchioness Fortis was Liliana's stepmother.

Liliana's mother had a weak constitution and succumbed shortly before Liliana's second birthday.

After that, Marquis Fortis remarried, and Liliana's half-sister Mireia was born.

A tailor introduced by the stepmother, a mistaken design resulting in a flamboyant rose-pink dress.

And then there were the similarities to my dream.

The suspicious elements were far too many, sending a wave of discomfort through my solar plexus.

Liliana was calming Curtis, who was slumped on the floor, in a gentle voice.

Things are not getting anywhere at this rate. Wait, I've got it!

I understand. I'll take responsibility for this matter, Curtis. You can leave the dress here.

Do you truly mean it?

Curtis, who had nearly been assimilated into the ground, sprang to his feet with staggering speed.

Rey!

I approached the flustered Liliana and whispered softly in her ear.

It's all right. Leave it to me.

At those words, Liliana stared at me and nodded, her mouth slightly agape.

Even at a time like this, how adorable is Liliana?

The instant I subconsciously reached out my hand, Curtis, who had been in tears until then, took both of my hands with a beaming smile.

I'm extremely, extremely grateful! I shall certainly repay this kindness and make amends.

Curtis kept expressing his gratitude as he rubbed his face against the back of my hands.

This was definitely too much to bear.

All right, all right. So this matter is resolved now.

I threw Curtis, who was still clutching my hands and refusing to release them, out into the hallway as if to shove him out, then closed the door.

Your grace! This debt of gratitude, please allow me next time . . . your grace . . .

His voice outside the door could still be heard, but with all the commotion, Bratz would undeniably notice and show up soon. He was a man I never wanted to see again.

Turning back to the room, I saw Liliana pulling at ribbons and laces on the dress.

As soon as she noticed me, she pursed her lips again.

Geez! Why did you send him away? What am I supposed to do with this dress now?

Come now, if we'd let him stay, that man would have been here until sunset. You wouldn't have wanted that, right? First of all, I don't like it, and you don't have to wear this dress. We can explain the situation to the marchioness, and she'll understand.

But what about the payment?

I know, don't worry about it.

I cupped Liliana's slightly puffed cheeks with both hands.

Mmph, shtop that pleash!

Forget about the dress now. Let's go to the bakery now, I heard they specialize in herbs.

Liliana gazed at me with her stunning emerald eyes, nodding vigorously in agreement.

And after we have our baked treats, there's one more place I want to take you.

I released my hand from Liliana's soft cheek.