CH 37.1

Cherryl had a headache because of her lost will.

She wanted to resent Cade for bringing herself to this point, but it wasn’t a sin for a man to have a large and beautiful body.

As Mrs. Dorea had said, she should be delighted and praise him, instead.

What should she do?

She must have finally gone mad.

If she wasn’t in her right mind, how can her opinions fluctuate like this?

Cherryl always believed herself to be a woman of clear values and proper judgment.

If someone asked her about her strengths, she could proudly present them.

It was her ideal personality instead of being swayed by spinelessness.

But since meeting Cade, her judgment had been shattered.

She had been oscillating between worry and calmness——like and dislike——that it was driving her insane.

The root of her problem was the engorged outline sitting on his right thigh.

It became a concern that couldn’t be confided with anyone as the upcoming wedding approached.

Then, Lucy put out a plate of bright yellow fruit slices.

“Try this, My Lady. The texture is sweet and chewy so I think you’ll like it.”

The fruits on the white plate were also Cherryl’s favorite food.

“How did you know it’s my favorite, Lucy?”

Fork swinging in the air, Cherryl stabbed the fruit and put it into her mouth.

The first time this rare fruit’s sour juice burst on her tongue as she delighted in its delicious taste, there had been no day where it wasn’t prepared on the table since she came to the Grand Duke’s Fortress.

Cade had urgently kicked her out like an unwanted guest for some reason but upon seeing the meal prepared in the breakfast room, it was probably too much to call herself an unexpected guest.

There was no single food she hated on the table.

Fresh salads with various vegetables and fruits.

Plain pancakes sprinkled with soft butter bread and honey.

Omelets sprinkled with plenty of cheese and spinach.

Desserts were cut into bite-sized pieces along with some simple good-flavored waffles.

All these foods were perfect to slowly enjoy with Lucy in the morning.

“I heard that your original residence wasn’t here, but in a different area. I also heard you were preparing to move, but——”

Lucy examined Cherryl’s complexion.

“Did you sleep in His Highness’ bedroom last night, instead?”

“Yes, that’s what happened.”

Cherryl touched the back of her neck.

She wasn’t that thick-skinned to admit that she slept with Cade in return for bringing Lucy.

Upon hearing her response, Lucy smiled with contentment.

Lucy heard from the maids that the two were so into each other that they rarely get out without being seen in each others’ company.

Not only that.

They also told her that both of them had already shared a bed several times and to keep a secret.

However, she didn’t bother saying it out loud so that Cherryl wouldn’t get embarrassed.

“By the way, didn’t you like going to festivals, My Lady? I heard that the Winter Festival will start soon, so why don’t you go there?” Lucy poured tea into Cherryl’s glass.”There are so many things to see at the Winter Festival. There is a game where if you hit a target with a crossbow, you can win a doll as a prize. They sell a lot of smoked sausage dishes and hot mud wine on the streets. Don’t you think it’ll be fun?”

Only then did Cherryl, who loved to walk around downtown areas to watch festivals, listen.

“Many tourists will attend the Winter Festival so a lot of merchants will be selling goods from other regions as well.”  Lucy continued enthusiastically when she started reacting instead of being strangely blank for a while. “They sell exotic accessories, hair combs, and bowls. We can enjoy circus performances or wandering theater groups and some painters who draw portraits on the spot, so I’m looking forward to it.”

“That sounds fun, Lucy. We should go together when the Winter Festival is held. Do you want us to take Lecter, as well?”

Lucy choked a cough as soon as she mentioned Lecter’s name.

Her face flushed red, perhaps due to a cough or some other emotion.

Lucy moistened her dry throat with tea and looked at Cherryl.

“Well, the truth is… Lecter asked me to go alone with him.”

“What? Just the two of you?”

Cherryl raised her eyebrows playfully.

It hadn’t been a day since she came here and Lucy had already been asked out.

When she imagined them enjoying their young and innocent love, a smile spread across her lips.

‘I think I know why the servants are happy every time they see me and Kade.’

However, Cade and Cherryl weren’t innocent at all.

The physical contact they shared lately was far from puppy love.

Lucy scratched her chin in embarrassment.

“——but it’s kind of weird to go alone. I don’t know. He’s making me shy.”

“So you refused?”

“I changed the subject immediately and didn’t mention it again. Lecter had a long face. I feel sorry for him, but I still want to go to the festival so I’ll go with you.”

Cherryl laughed inwardly, imagining the expression Lecter would have made in front of Lucy.

“Another maid also told me that the name of the woman Lecter missed so badly was Roxa.”

Cherryl wondered if that name misrepresented ‘Lucy’ and it turned out she had guessed right.

Lecter must have fallen in love with Lucy when he was in Marquis Milose’s mansion.