Chapter : 20
Jacqueline, now changed into an outing dress, stepped out through the front door. A carriage was waiting for her—one bearing the crest of the Preston family.
With William seeing her off, she boarded the carriage. The maids watching the scene looked puzzled, but none dared to ask where she was going.
After confirming she had taken her seat, William bowed.
“Have a safe trip.”
Jacqueline responded with a graceful nod.
The carriage carrying her soon departed the estate. As it gradually picked up speed, she rested both arms on the window frame and watched the scenery pass by.
When she closed her eyes, she could feel the wind brushing against her cheeks. There was a faint scent of oranges in the air.
Suddenly, an old memory surfaced. Along the road within the Somerset estate, orange trees had been planted. Because of that, the closer the carriage got to the estate, the stronger the scent of oranges became.
Only after smelling it would she truly feel that she had arrived home.
“I wonder if the new owner of the estate likes orange trees as well.”
Jacqueline let out a quiet sigh, recalling the white-haired viscount couple to whom she had handed over the land and house deeds. They had been genuinely delighted, saying it was the perfect home for their retirement.
The moment she handed them the keys, she had felt something indescribably strange. The home she had lived in since birth becoming someone else’s—it stirred an odd, unexplainable emotion.
As if the ground she had taken root in was shaking.
As if a candy she had been savoring was suddenly snatched away.
“It’s no longer my home. Don’t cling to it.”
While she was lost in thought, the carriage stopped in front of a luxury department store. Another carriage had already arrived ahead of hers, and Windsor was just stepping out of it.
He walked over to her carriage. Upon spotting him, Jacqueline naturally extended one hand.
Windsor, who had been waiting with his hands behind his back, froze.
“Ah…”
An awkward sound slipped from Jacqueline’s lips. She suddenly became aware of the gazes pouring in from all directions.
“Ahem.”
Clearing his throat lightly, Windsor stepped forward and took her hand. Jacqueline, narrowly avoiding embarrassment, let out a small sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Lord Preston.”
Conscious of the surrounding eyes, she gave a refined nod. Only after both her feet touched the ground did Windsor release her hand.
Feeling the warmth through her gloves was surprisingly intense, Jacqueline unconsciously clenched her fist.
Without either taking the lead, the two began walking side by side. Though both looked straight ahead, they couldn’t ignore the whispers behind them.
“My, isn’t that Lord Preston? Who is the young lady beside him? I’ve never seen him with a woman before.”
“That’s Miss Jacqueline Somerset.”
“Jacqueline Somerset?”
“You know—the impoverished noble lady.”
“Ah! The one who became penniless overnight after her father’s business failed? But why are those two together…?”
“I heard Miss Somerset was hired as a tutor at the Preston estate. It must be true. But what are they doing at a department store?”
“Could it be… those two…?”
Another noblewoman approached, offering a more reasonable guess.
“There’s a banquet next week for young Benjamin Preston’s birthday. Perhaps they came to buy a gift?”
“Ah, that makes sense. Lord Preston is his uncle, and Miss Somerset is his tutor.”
“If they were actually seeing each other, who would be the better match? Lord Preston has wealth but humble origins, while Miss Somerset has noble lineage but no money at all.”
“Well… it’s hard to say. They’re quite evenly matched. But if it were true, it would certainly be big news in high society. Hohoho.”
Jacqueline smiled bitterly to herself, unnoticed, and straightened her back even more. Maintaining composure in such situations was something she was very used to.
She glanced sideways at Windsor. He must have heard the whispers as well, yet his expression didn’t change at all.
“Are you alright?”
At the unexpected question, Windsor raised an eyebrow slightly. Then, realizing what she meant, he nodded.
“If I paid attention to such remarks, I would have had a nervous breakdown by now.”
“That’s true. That’s why my mother did have one. The swarm of reporters and the people who changed their attitudes overnight… These days, I hear she can’t sleep without medication.”
Jacqueline replied casually.
Windsor’s gaze settled on her cheek. It was an unusually troubled look for him.
She gave a faint smile.
“You don’t need to look at me like that.”
“…And how was I looking?”
“Like I’m pitiful and admirable?”
His brow twitched.
Jacqueline kept her noble expression and continued teasingly,
“Like you’re looking at a brave young lady who overcame adversity?”
“No.”
His voice was so firm that Jacqueline shot him an embarrassed glare.
Windsor moved confidently through the department store as if familiar with it. But Jacqueline would have bet everything that it was his first time here—because he was heading straight toward the women’s clothing section.
“Lord Preston, not that way. We’re going to the second floor.”
He stopped.
After glancing at her, he calmly changed direction. Jacqueline suppressed a smile and maintained a composed expression.
On the second floor, Windsor frowned slightly. The entire floor was filled with shops for children—clothes, shoes, hats, toys, and even small tableware.
Judging by his personality, he likely had never been to such a place in his life.
Jacqueline, who had already decided on their destination, began walking ahead. Windsor followed slowly behind, almost like a reluctant child being dragged to school.
The place she entered was the largest toy store in the capital.
Windsor stopped at the entrance.
Inside, the shop was bustling with nobles, gentlemen, and children. A little girl holding a doll walked past, led by a maid. A mustached gentleman stood seriously before a pile of teddy bears. A boy around Benjamin’s age lay on the floor crying, while his mother shook her head sternly.
It felt almost like standing at the gates of hell.
“Come along, Lord Preston.”
At Jacqueline’s urging, he reluctantly followed her inside.
Looking around halfheartedly, he finally spoke in a doubtful tone.
“You’re certain there’s a gift for Benjamin here?”
“At the very least, it’s better than a history book of the kingdom.”
As people noticed them, the crowd parted like a receding tide.
“The meeting of two hot potatoes is useful at times like this. In this chaos, it’s quiet around us, isn’t it?”
“It was a carefully chosen gift. As I said before, a history book of the kingdom is essential reading for a child entering a boarding school.”
“A very reasonable argument. But as I said before, that’s not what Benjamin wants—it’s what you want.”
“And you’re saying you know exactly what Benjamin wants? Just by looking? Isn’t that simply what you want?”
At that moment, Jacqueline stopped.
With a confident gaze, she faced him and spread both hands.
“I guarantee Benjamin will like this more than a history book.”
Windsor’s eyes followed her gesture. A faint crease formed between his brows.
He looked back at her, as if questioning her sanity.
Jacqueline nodded firmly, her smile triumphant.
Before he could respond, she had already called over a clerk.
“I’ll take this. Please wrap it—it’s a gift.”
“Yes, miss. An excellent choice. It’s a handcrafted toy—only ten were made, and this is the last one remaining. I’ll wrap it right away.”
“Thank you.”
At the counter, she looked back at Windsor as if urging him to pay.
In the end, he walked over, removed his gloves, and took out his checkbook.
Jacqueline watched the wrapping with sparkling eyes, as if it were her own gift.
“Thank you.”
The clerk handed her the wrapped box. Jacqueline looked at Windsor.
Her eyes spoke more than words—sometimes scolding, sometimes angry, and rarely, praising.
And now—
“I’ll take it.”
“Yes, Lord Preston.”
Windsor accepted the yellow-wrapped gift, regretting not bringing Roman along to carry it.
Ignoring—or perhaps imagining—the stares around him, he walked forward.
“Oh!”
Jacqueline grabbed the gloves left behind on the counter and hurried after him.
“You forgot your gloves.”
Windsor glanced at the black leather gloves held out before him and raised an eyebrow. Taking them, he continued walking.
“That’s unexpected.”
He looked at her questioningly.
Turning her head slightly, Jacqueline said while browsing new dresses,
“For someone as precise as you, Lord Preston, to lose things. Glasses, cane, gloves… what’s next?”
“They’re not particularly important to me, so I don’t bother keeping track of them.”
“They’re not important?”
Jacqueline turned to him fully.
His expression remained unchanged.
Glasses, a cane, gloves—these were symbols of a gentleman. If those weren’t important, then what was?
“It’s not as if I’ll die without them.”
