Chapter 10: CH 7.1

Grace sat down and scrutinized Benjamin carefully.

‘If I hadn’t seen the original, I would have been mistaken in thinking he might really like me.’

Benjamin shyly smiled and pushed all the desserts and cookies toward Grace.

“Oh, only the refreshments are fine.”

“What?”

“I’m trying to lose weight.”

Saying that Grace drank a sip of the coffee in front of her.

It was far superior to any Americano she had ever had in her life.

‘Now that it’s just starting to become popular, how can it be this good?’

Distracted by the fragrant smell of the coffee, Grace didn’t see what expression Benjamin was made properly.

“…Is it related to that tailor?”

She also didn’t notice his voice sinking harshly.

Grace only thought briefly that coffee cups are indeed different from teacups, how interesting! and gave a vague answer.

“No, it’s for health reasons. Being too fat is not good, and it doesn’t look good either.”

“….”

Benjamin was silent for a while at Grace’s casual remark.

Then his voice regained its gentle warmth.

“Come to think of it, it’s about that tailor I recommended.”

“Ah.”

Grace raised her head, wondering if Benjamin was trying to blame her for kicking them out, and tried to explain.

Benjamin put on the warmest smile in the world and said,

“He was permanently exiled overseas and his property was confiscated.”

“What?”

“I didn’t know either, but he not only evaded taxes but also stole from the royal family. It’s a relief that he was caught this time.”

“…Oh?”

“That rude person will never set foot in the Lady’s place again.”

Grace looked at Benjamin with a puzzled expression, not understanding the situation.

He laughed casually.

“It’s fortunate. As the Lady always says, villains should be punished according to the law.”

“Is that so…?”

“It’s fortunate that it happened as the Lady wished.”

His smile was truly beautiful and lovely, like an angel’s.

The new tailor that Benjamin had brought in was so polite that he seemed like a strange person.

On the day Grace first met him, he couldn’t even look her in the eye and trembled, and his complexion was as pale as a corpse.

He seemed more like someone who should be visiting a temple or a member of parliament, rather than making clothes.

‘None of the tailors that Benjamin brings in are normal.’

Grace wondered why but then thought that it was probably because it was Benjamin Felton.

As someone who followed Aria’s tail all day long, would he really pay attention to Grace?

Grace didn’t realize how much the Duke was concerned about finding a tailor for the Duchess herself.

Sally smiled brightly and cleared the glass next to Grace. After being lost in thought for a while, Grace asked Sally, who seemed to be in a good mood today.

“You seem to be in a good mood today.”

“It’s because of the tailor who was permanently banished last time.”

“Hmm”

“He was found dead at the border.”

“Hmm?”

“As it turns out he was an even worse person than we thought. It’s a good day. Since the Madam is controlling her diet, should we celebrate with beef or something?”

“…What are we celebrating?”

When Grace asked hesitantly, Sally replied as if it were obvious.

“Well, shouldn’t we celebrate the fact that an unnecessary source of energy consumption has disappeared from the world? The world should be full of precious and beautiful things.”

When Grace’s expression stiffened awkwardly, Sally covered her mouth and said, “Oops!”

“Ma-Madam doesn’t like that kind of talk. I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable for no reason…”

“Ah, no.”

“Are you really okay?”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t suddenly have nightmares, lose your appetite when you eat, or have your heart race just by looking at a dress, thinking of that person, do you?”

“No, nothing.”

Grace looked at Sally, who was overly worried, with a sour expression.

‘Am I some kind of delicate sugar craft?’

Or maybe a soap bubble. There was no reason to be so nervous otherwise.

‘Is it because she feels sorry for me?’

Ah, that’s it.

Grace finished her thoughts.

‘Well, I didn’t marry Benjamin of my own will anyway.’

It was a marriage arranged by the royal family to restrain the Felton ducal family. Just as Benjamin’s wishes were not taken into account, Grace did not particularly desire the marriage either.

But to be a wife who had never fulfilled her duties as a couple, stuck in the annex all the time after marriage…