Chapter 73
***
“The place is near where the accident happened, so the store will likely be quiet.”
Given that nobles would generally avoid the city after a dangerous incident, it was probable that today’s reservations had been canceled.
“Let’s go, I’ll lead the way.”
As he offered his arm, lody had a slightly troubled expression.
“What’s the matter?”
“Well, it’s just that I made a promise.”
She shared with him the promise she had made to the postman – not to go near the accident site.
“That promise was for your safety, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then, let’s just step over the line a little bit.”
lody responded a bit despairingly to his smile. No matter how she thought about it, Claude seed to enjoy crossing lines.
Especially when it involved dragging lody along.
“Crossing it again…”
“I promise I won’t put you in danger.”
…Was it her imagination, or did his assurance sound like a threat if she didn’t comply with his request?
“Then it’s settled.”
He extended his arm again, and lody, feeling she had no choice, took it.
‘I have to buy a dress anyway.’
Sohow, being with Claude made her feel like she wouldn’t get wrapped up in any major trouble.
***
It seed to be true that Claude had been causing a stir in dress shops for Loretta.
Despite the sudden visit, the shop owner resignedly welcod him. He seed a bit surprised, though, that today’s visit wasn’t about choosing a dress for Loretta.
lody had to try on several sample dresses prepared in the store.
Occasionally, Claude would ask from beyond the curtain, “Isn’t it too much to not let
see the finished look?” However, lody never allowed him a glimpse.
“Why can’t I see?”
It was because she felt embarrassed.
lody was still lody, and she was certain that if Claude saw her dressed in such grand attire, he would bend over laughing.
“That’s too harsh.”
He grumbled a bit from the other side of the curtain. His deanor sowhat resembled Ronny, which made lody smile slightly.
“If I show myself, you’ll just look for a reason to tease .”
“Do I look like such a terrible man to you?”
Yes. You do.
lody wanted to respond that way but couldn’t, considering she was in a position of owing him a favor, so she just nodded. It wasn’t like he could see her anyway.
However, the store attendants changing her clothes couldn’t help but snicker, and the clever Claude guessed the situation beyond the curtain quite accurately.
“I suppose I need to show you what a truly terrible person is like.”
Behind the slightly angry voice, lody could hear him standing up and approaching her.
“……?!”
Of course, since she was dressed, it wouldn’t really matter if he carelessly opened the curtain…
“Wait a mont, please. Claude Bowaldwin.”
lody deliberately pronounced ‘Baldwin’ in the way Loretta would, to remind him of his status.
After all, it wouldn’t be very dignified for the great Mr. Baldwin to be opening the curtain of a dressing room unannounced.
“Yes, the disgraceful Claude Baldwin. You’re fully dressed, right?”
“Ye-yes, that’s right!”
“Then it’s fine.”
His voice was right in front of her, and soon the curtain rustled.
lody tightly shut her eyes, feeling embarrassed for so reason.
“My, how adorable.”
Soon after, the store attendant beside lody exclaid in admiration.
‘Adorable?’
lody cautiously opened her eyes, slightly surprised by the word ‘adorable’ being associated with Claude. She could see his hand sneaking through the curtain. Thankfully, it was just his hand, holding a green ribbon adorned with decorations.
“Of course, you’d like best what your father gave you.”
It seed he acknowledged that the item tarnished by the bad grandfathers had been made beautiful again, but it still didn’t seem suitable for a banquet.
“……”
“You seem to like it, so accept it quickly.”
The urging words he extended were, frankly, true. She really liked it. The ribbon and the dangling gem decorations were too cute to resist.
“Tha… thank you.”
As she took the ribbon, the hand that had co through the curtain withdrew as if it had no lingering attachnt.
Soon, she heard, ‘Could you wrap a matching ribbon as a gift and deliver it to the duke’s house?’
It seed he also intended to buy one for his sister. Of course, Loretta would love this ribbon too.
lody and Loretta had a strangely similar taste in so things…
‘Ah.’
lody finally realized why he was able to choose sothing she would like.
‘If he chooses sothing Loretta would like, it’s not difficult at all.’
He truly lived up to his reputation as the ultimate doting brother.
Ultimately, lody chose a dress that matched the ribbon. It looked a bit loose now, but she trusted that it would fit perfectly after so alterations.
After leaving the store, lody offered her thanks to Claude anew. If it weren’t for him, she would have been at a loss by now.
“No, it’s my pleasure.”
He gracefully accepted lody’s gratitude with the deanor of a true gentleman.
“Then I’ll head to Mr. Neil’s yarn store to et with Mrs. Higgins and…”
“Oh, are you leaving just like that?”
“Is there sothing else I need to do?”
“You need to give
joy.”
It seed that Claude’s earlier statent, “It’s my pleasure,” ant sothing like, “Receiving thanks for my help is my pleasure.”
“I don’t have much to offer you, sir.”
“There’s plenty you can do. For instance,”
He lifted a finger, smiling cheerfully.
“Updating
about my youngest sister’s situation.”
“……”
“It would be troubleso if there’s sothing about Loretta that I don’t know.”
lody didn’t understand why that would be troubleso, but she decided not to argue with his illogical sibling devotion.
“……Alright. I’ll tell you.”
“Shall we walk and talk? It’s a bit chilly to stand still.”
He began to walk, and lody quickly followed by his side.
The servant who always attended Claude was also present, but for so reason, he was keeping a distance, probably due to Claude’s order.
‘Could it be because he doesn’t want to share any information about Loretta with anyone else? Wants to keep it all to himself…?’
As lody was pondering this, Claude initiated the conversation.
“Jeremiah visited, right?”
“Yes. He helped the lady.”
“I heard about it. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”
“Uh, you don’t have to apologize to .”
“I heard Loretta’s mories of her mother have… returned.”
“Yes, that’s right. She sotis says, ‘Oh, now I rember,’ and shares newly recollected mories.”
“Is she not confused by it?”
“She seems fine for now. But it seems she’s struggling more with not being able to go outside.”
“I can vividly imagine our little princess tapping her feet in frustration as she looks out the window every day.”
“Speaking of which, she once tried to jump out of my room’s window.”
“She tried to jump out?!”
He asked, his face turning pale, a reaction similar to lody’s when she first heard the news.
“Yes, fortunately, a maid who followed her stopped her in ti. And it seems Ronny was desperately trying to stop her from outside the window.”
“Ronny always has a tough ti. He’s a good boy.”
“It seems Loretta knows that. She always asks him to handle the difficult tasks, while she brings the fun ones to .”
“That’s the smart part about her.”
No, that seems more dangerous than smart, considering Ronny is always getting involved.
But lody decided not to correct the brother’s doting perception.
After all, he wouldn’t be persuaded anyway.
“Recently, it seems like they’ve been hiding so secret.”
“A secret?”
“The attempt to jump from the window might be related to that secret.”
“Hmm, that’s concerning.”
“Right?! I’m really worried too. If the lady ends up in danger again…”
“Ah, don’t worry about that. Ronny is smart.”
He probably ant that Ronny wouldn’t let the sa mistake happen twice.
But from lody’s perspective, the mont Loretta stood on the windowsill, his argunt lost its credibility.
“Anyway, I’ll keep an eye on that.”
“Let
know if you find out anything. I’ll be waiting.”
“Will do.”
“Then I should also give sothing in return.”
He pointed his finger sowhere.
“……?”
Following where his finger pointed, she saw a building on the second floor, one side of it charred black.
“You promised you wouldn’t do anything dangerous!”
lody tugged on his arm slightly, questioning him, but he replied nonchalantly.
“But I wanted to give sothing in return.”
“Showing
the scene of an accident is not a reward!”
“That’s not it, actually, it’s because he’s here.”
“……?”
“Isaiah Mullern.”
When he ntioned that na, he was intently observing lody’s face, seemingly keen to gauge her reaction.
“Hmm. Seeing your reaction, it seems you’re not too keen on eting him.”
“Yes.”
lody nodded in response.
“I et Isaiah once a week anyway.”
“What?!”
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