Chapter 10
Jade watched her master let out another heavy sigh as if the ground itself might swallow him up.
For the past few days, he had been standing by the window, sighing three times every hour—no, not three times a day, but three times every single hour.
If the man in front of her weren’t Alfonso Raypierre, Jade would have scolded him with a sarcastic, “Do you really think sighing will make the ground cave in?”
But alas, it was Alfonso Raypierre, and so Jade swallowed all the words that had risen to her throat.
“Ha…”
“…Duke, may I ask how long you plan to keep sighing like this?”
Of course, Jade couldn’t just keep staring at him forever, and so she finally asked, unable to hold back.
Alfonso didn’t even glance at his frowning subordinate and replied flatly.
“Don’t concern yourself with it.”
“But sir, the number of sighs you let out far exceeds the words you speak in a day. How can you say you’re not concerned?”
This shameless man. Jade sighed internally, muttering the words only in her mind.
She had a rough idea of why Alfonso was like this.
“Is it because of the Misses Reiss? You apologized already, so what’s the problem?”
“…There’s been no reply from Miss Lacey.”
Even though he had seen them off that day with an apology and even sent a follow-up letter later, he hadn’t received any special contact from Lacey yet.
Seeing her usually confident master so sulky was disorienting. Goosebumps rose along Jade’s forearms as she rubbed them nervously.
“Why not try visiting her directly instead of just waiting?”
“That would be the worst move—it would place the greatest burden on her.”
Alfonso gave her a dismissive glance, and Jade nearly snapped back—but then remembered that he was the Duke of Raypierre and held her tongue.
Alfonso’s mind was entirely filled with thoughts of Lacey and Catarina.
After meeting Catarina earlier, he had already realized there was some internal issue within the Reiss household—something negative concerning the two sisters. Acting recklessly in this situation, before even receiving Lacey’s formal consent to his proposal, could harm them.
I’m anxious, but Lacey needs time. If I keep contacting her, she’ll feel pressured. I just have to wait.
At the event he had invited them to, Catarina and Lacey had been hurt.
A six-year-old child insulted as an illegitimate child—what kind of wound could that leave?
To fuss over a lack of replies now would be petty indeed.
Ha…
Still, the sighs kept coming uncontrollably. By the time Jade had given up counting that morning, it had reached the 121st sigh, and now it must have been around the 1,210th.
Alfonso’s mind, overflowing with thoughts of the Reiss sisters, tried in vain to cram work documents into itself.
At that moment, a servant approached and handed Jade a letter. She checked the sender and immediately passed it to Alfonso.
“A freshly arrived letter, Duke.”
“Bread? A letter is bread?”
Alfonso muttered his usual sarcastic response, then leisurely checked the letter. But when he saw that the sender was Catarina Reiss, his indifferent attitude vanished entirely.
Reading the letter silently, he finally spoke slowly.
“Jade.”
“Yes?”
“Choose the top five dessert houses in the capital—borrow them all.”
“Pardon?”
Jade was dumbfounded by the order. She had never imagined Alfonso giving such a command to her. He repeated it firmly.
“I don’t know what young Miss Reiss likes. Prepare them all.”
This time, she didn’t have to sneak out through the doggy door like before. Claire had quietly opened the servants’ rear entrance for her.
Ah, so that’s why adventures are better with companions.
Enjoying the convenience of having her first ally, Jade waited at the rear of the mansion for the Duke. Soon, a brown-haired knight—the one who had rescued her when she collapsed at the Raypierre estate—approached.
“Greetings, young Miss Reiss. I am Thomas of the Raypierre household. Do you remember meeting me once before?”
“Yes. You saved me that day.”
“Nothing so grand. I merely escorted you inside.”
Thomas smiled gently and extended his hand.
“I will guide you to the Duke. The carriage awaits over there.”
“Understood.”
Jade grabbed a few of his fingers—it was hard to hold his hand fully, given its size—and they headed toward the carriage where the Duke waited.
A luxurious red carriage stood a block away from the Reiss mansion, the Raypierre crest gleaming in gold. Thomas knocked to announce her arrival, then opened the door wide.
The Duke, seated inside like a statue in a museum, crossed his legs and met her gaze precisely.
“Good day, Duke.”
Smiling brightly, she stepped toward the carriage.
However, the silver footboard was taller than she expected—was it made for the Duke’s long legs?
Huff… this isn’t easy.
Struggling to lift her cumbersome dress, she tried to step up. She would grow taller eventually; for now, she was just small and compact.
Seeing her struggle, Thomas offered, “Allow me.”
But the Duke, already above, was faster—he lifted her smoothly and placed her safely inside. He even helped seat her properly in the chair.
“Might need a custom footboard,” he muttered softly.
“Pardon?”
“No matter. Let’s depart.”
At his signal, Thomas closed the door. The carriage started moving smoothly, the driver guiding the horses gently.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes. And you, Duke?”
“Manageable.”
He brushed the back of his neck and slightly turned his head, seeming hesitant to speak. Then he lifted his gaze to meet hers directly.
“I apologize for the other day.”
“Pardon? To me?”
“Yes. My apologies, young Miss Reiss.”
Jade’s eyes widened at the sudden apology from the normally cold and distant Duke.
Why was he apologizing? Perhaps because of the incident with the prince’s nurse?
“The matter at the Raypierre estate—it must have caused you great distress.”
The Duke spoke calmly. Just as she suspected, he had been holding the incident in his mind.
No need. She had already forgotten it that evening, waving her hand.
“You weren’t unkind to me, Duke! I’m fine.”
“But, young lady…”
“Truly, I’m fine. It’s not the first time I’ve heard such things anyway.”
She meant that she was used to it, but his expression darkened further. His ruby-like eyes seemed almost bloodied by the shadow, making her break into a sweat.
Rolling her eyes for a moment, she changed the topic.
“So… where are we going today?”
The Duke had only mentioned the meeting time and the carriage pickup location. The destination remained a mystery. From the look of the bustling streets outside, it wasn’t the Raypierre estate.
“Oh, we’re heading to the city center. Is there anywhere you wish to visit?”
Fortunately, the Duke’s expression softened slightly at her question. She had somewhere in mind she’d always wanted to visit.
“Yes! Maestro Dessert House!”
The most popular dessert house in the capital, which had remained number one during her past life until she died. She had always wanted to visit but never had the chance.
Although it was famous for long waits, it was worth a try.
“Very well. Let’s go there.”
The Duke agreed without hesitation. She worried a little—would waiting be an issue at such a busy place? Imagining the aloof Duke standing in line for dainty desserts made her smile.
He truly didn’t fit the image. She resolved to protect his dignity and maybe choose a better spot next time.
“Though, you can pick anywhere you like, Duke. There are just… so many people!”
She gestured widely to exaggerate. He chuckled.
“It’s fine. That place wasn’t on my shortlist anyway.”
Shortlist? Jade tilted her head, confused. The Duke simply looked confident.
Soon, they arrived, and she understood his assurance. The massive Maestro Dessert House, said to be the largest in the capital, was completely empty. Without the Duke boldly walking in and opening the door, she might have thought it was closed for the day.
“Let’s go inside.”
The normally cold Duke beckoned her. Was he expecting no one today?
Inside, a middle-aged man—apparently the owner—rushed over.
“Welcome, Duke Raypierre. I am Bob, owner of Maestro Dessert House.”
“Ah, and greetings to young Miss Reiss as well.”
The Duke subtly ensured she wasn’t overlooked, impressing her with his attention to detail.
Bob, corrected by the Duke, knelt and greeted her. His warm smile made him appear as kindly as possible to a six-year-old.
“Delighted to meet you, Miss Reiss. We’ve prepared today’s desserts with utmost care for you!”
Desserts just for her? Prepared with such dedication? Jade blinked, flustered. Bob straightened, proudly indicating the seating area.
As she followed the Duke to the table, she wondered,
Did he really rent out the whole place and prepare these desserts just for me…?
Once seated, the table was filled with various desserts. The Duke, as before, helped her sit properly and took his own seat across from her.
“Let’s eat a bit first, then talk.”
He placed a macaron with a strawberry in front of her. She nodded happily and took a bite.
The sweetness and freshness instantly filled her with happiness.
While she bravely ate four desserts in a row, the Duke sipped his tea elegantly.
Eventually, she drank some milk, giving a moment for conversation. He seized the chance.
“May I ask what you mentioned in your letter?”
She nodded and swallowed the milk carefully, not wanting to spill a word.
“Well… my sister doesn’t want to marry you, Duke.”
“Pffft—!”
The Duke, having a mouthful of tea and caught off guard, almost spat it out.
Ah… this was going to be interesting.
