She held her breath and waited quietly for Edmund to begin eating.
"Fresh."
Edmund picked up the small fork placed at the outermost setting. She glanced at him and immediately picked up the outer salad fork as well.
"Mmm. It's fresh! The texture's great!"
For a fleeting moment, Edmund's red eyes swept over her. She had felt that gaze before.
As if asking, What on earth is this thing doing?—that kind of contemptuous look.
Edmund set down his fork and picked up the small spoon placed on the outside. Once again, she quickly followed suit.
"What… exactly are you doing?"
"Ahaha, the soup tastes wonderful. Don't you think?"
With an awkward smile, she scooped up some soup from the bowl in front of her.
"Indeed."
As if something felt off, Edmund replied shortly and picked up the innermost fork and knife. This time, it was the cutlet.
"The cutlet's color is beautiful. It looks absolutely delicious. Haha."
"Why on earth have you been copying me this whole time?"
"Copying you? I'm just… eating what I want."
She shrugged and brought the knife down toward the cutlet. Just as she was about to make the first cut—
Screeech!
The knife slipped in her hand, producing an unpleasant scraping sound against the plate.
'Damn it! Can't I even cut properly now?'
Her eyes darted around at the absurd mistake. As expected, along with the poorly sliced cutlet, Edmund's brow creased unpleasantly.
"Whew, maybe because of the accident, I don't have much strength in my wrist. It kind of hurts too… I suppose I should call Doctor Mars again."
Quick thinking was what got you out of crises. She set down the knife and fork and made a lighthearted excuse.
As his suspicious gaze lingered, she even rubbed her wrist and frowned as though it truly hurt.
"Ow, ow! That hurts…"
Watching her, Edmund let out a deep sigh and spoke to Sasha beside him.
"Make sure the duchess is properly attended to so her injury doesn't worsen."
"Huh? Ah, yes!"
At the unexpected command, Sasha hurriedly answered while glancing between the duke and duchess. In the meantime, she buried her face toward the table, busy trying to suppress her laughter.
It was because of that subtle concern. Her cheekbones were practically lifting to the heavens. In a much better mood, she began taking one spoonful, then another, of the soup in front of her.
But her hungry stomach would hardly be satisfied with mere soup.
'Shrimp… I want shrimp too. What do you use to eat shrimp? Duke Randolph, please eat it first. Then I can copy you!'
She licked her lips and stared at the golden-brown grilled shrimp.
"Retin's shrimp dishes are exquisite—truly the best of the best."
After glancing briefly at her, he picked up the main fork. Gulp. Seeing the shrimp skewered on the tines, she unconsciously swallowed.
"Wow… It looks really delicious."
Rubbing her perfectly fine wrist on purpose, she spoke in a pitiful tone. After some time, neatly peeled shrimp was placed onto an empty plate.
"Are you… giving this to me?"
"Eat."
Watching Edmund brush it off as though it were nothing, she felt embarrassed instead.
But her hunger came first. With swift fingers, she popped the peeled shrimp into her mouth. The savory scent of the sea blended with the rich butter flavor, and a smile naturally spread across her lips.
'Retin's definitely skilled. It just melts in your mouth.'
It was easily the best shrimp she had ever tasted in her life.
"Mmm~ It's so good."
But she didn't notice. As he stole glances at the happily smiling Chloe, the faint upward curl of his own lips.
"Your Grace, did you finish all of this?"
Sasha whispered quietly while clearing the tableware. Unlike Edmund's empty plate, the one in front of her looked almost unchanged from the beginning.
"My wrist's throbbing, so I can hardly eat."
"But you must be hungry…"
Right. Very much so.
She had barely eaten anything, and perhaps because of the unnecessary act she had put on, her empty stomach protested loudly—but she ignored it.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it."
Though her nerves were on edge from the poor meal, she forced a smile and replied briefly. If she followed her heart, she would have vacuumed up all the food in front of her—but she simply couldn't.
'If only it weren't for that ridiculously handsome man.'
She shot a quiet glance at Edmund, seated across from her. Throughout the entire meal, the handsome man's constant scrutiny had been quite burdensome.
Soon, warm tea and colorful, beautiful desserts were served. Round, sweet-looking macarons and golden madeleines.
At the appetizing sight, her eyes widened and she swallowed dryly.
'You can eat these with your hands, right?'
Unable to resist, she quickly picked up a macaron and popped it into her mouth.
"Mmm~."
A pleased sound slipped out before she knew it. Just as she writhed in sweet bliss, she felt a heavy gaze on her skin.
"Is there… a problem?"
Why was he staring so intently? Edmund's red eyes were fixed silently on her.
"I didn't know you liked such things."
With a faint scoff, Edmund lifted one corner of his lips and adjusted his clothes.
"Are you going somewhere?"
"Do I need to stay here longer?"
"There's still plenty left."
"Unfortunately, I have no interest in lumps of sugar."
He spoke indifferently, shrugged, and rose from his seat. Then, without hesitation, he turned and walked out of the dining room.
He's just leaving like this?
Just as his broad silhouette was about to disappear, I scrambled to my feet and called out in a hurried voice.
"W-would you like to take a walk together?"
At my words, Edmund slowly turned his upper body.
"A walk?"
"Yes! A walk. It's been a while since we've sat together like this, so why don't we take a stroll? I think I saw a garden… or maybe a backyard garden?"
"..."
"It's not good for a person to stay indoors all the time. You need a bit of sunlight, some fresh air—helps lift your mood."
I deliberately put on a bright smile.
Sunlight streamed down over my head. As my platinum-blonde hair shimmered beautifully in the light, even Edmund's cool, calculating gaze showed the slightest change.
"Well? Won't you come with me?"
Seeing her act as if she were a completely different person, Edmund couldn't help but feel flustered. In three years of marriage, she had never once shown him such a smile—yet in barely an hour, she had shown him more than he had ever seen.
What on earth is she plotting?
After a moment of thought, he quietly nodded.
The backyard garden was more well-kept than I had expected. Though there weren't many varieties, there were plants that looked like flowers, and in the distance stood a large tree. Of course, I didn't particularly want to go that far.
Today, this is enough. Eat, drink tea, take a walk. The classic formula for a date.
I nodded to myself at my perfect plan and grinned. Watching me, Edmund spoke quietly.
"You seem to be in a good mood."
"What's not to like? The breeze is nice, the sunlight is nice."
And there's a handsome man beside me.
The thought made my nostrils flare slightly. After walking for a while, a cluster of purple buds came into view.
"Huh? Lavender?"
In this place where everything felt unfamiliar, seeing something so distinctly familiar stirred strange emotions in me.
My steps quickened. When I reached it, I waved my hand over the blossoms, spreading their scent. As I breathed in the subtle fragrance, the anxiety in my mind seemed to settle.
After refreshing my mood, I plucked a sprig of lavender and held it out to Edmund.
"What do you think you're doing?"
A sharp voice cut through the air immediately—though I, still intoxicated by the scent, didn't quite register it.
"It smells wonderful. It would look so pretty decorating the house. What do you think?"
As soon as I finished speaking, Edmund's face turned ice-cold. Then, as if something had just confirmed his suspicions, he slowly nodded.
"I thought something was strange from the start. As expected. A woman like you never changes."
His frostbitten gaze fixed on me. Hearing his voice turn sharp again made my chest ache a little.
I had only wanted to give him a pretty flower. Yet somehow, the situation kept twisting in strange ways.
Why? Why is he angry?
After turning the matter over in my head, trying to understand his hostile reaction, I arrived at one conclusion.
Could it be… a flower he treasures?
Despite the sweltering weather, not a single breeze entered Edmund's office.
The large windows lining the room were tightly shut, and the thick curtains hanging over them blocked out all light. As a result, the interior felt like a dark, stifling furnace.
But in one place alone—the spot where Edmund sat—a chilling aura lingered. As if to prove his foul mood, a bluish-green aura swirled and flared around him.