Chapter 26

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 26

Chapter Title: Wrapping Around Her Slender Body

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“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

In Clodel’s room stood some random man with his hands on her waist.

Of course, he was a commoner teaching the noble lady how to dance for the autumn festival, wrapping thick fabric around her waist to guide her. But to Kaiyan’s eyes, it looked like the guy was coiling around her slender body like a snake.

Her disheveled red hair.

Sweat beading on her forehead.

Her flushed cheeks, glowing like she was heated up.

“Huh? Haah... haah...”

Clodel’s cheeks were pink as she panted, lips parted, breathing heavily in and out.

And to top it off, she had unbuttoned the high-necked northern-style dress down to her collarbone—three buttons undone!

“This bastard...”

The man, who had bowed his head deeply at the first sight of the lord he’d never met before, didn’t notice Kaiyan glaring at him like he wanted to kill him. It was fortunate for the rest of his life.

“Greetings, my lord. I am Vanson, the dancer guiding the group routine for the autumn festival. To have this chance to pledge my loyalty directly to such a great lord is an honor for my entire family...”

“I asked what you were doing.”

Unfortunately, Vanson the village dancer’s loyalty didn’t reach Kaiyan. And it was his second stroke of luck that, in his tension, he didn’t fully grasp it—for the sake of his remaining life.

“We were practicing dancing.”

“In that state?”

As Kaiyan’s gaze fell on her unbuttoned neckline, Clodel hurriedly fastened her dress.

“It’s been so long since I moved like this... I got a bit hot.”

“You’ll get used to it as you practice more, milady.”

Vanson spoke with respect toward Kaiyan, politely teaching dance even to the lady from Vermonte who spat curses about how all redheads should’ve died long ago.

But to Kaiyan, the man’s demeanor just looked like a wolf pup flirting with Clodel.

“You’ve done enough. Time for lunch, so you can go for today.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Butler. Give him a generous wage for today’s work.”

Vanson withdrew, moved by the lord’s words, never imagining that generous pay included his one-day severance.

The brief dance lesson ended—the one the village dancer would forever boast about to his family: “I once taught the lord’s lady how to dance.” Lunch dishes were brought into the room.

“Haah...”

Clodel kept fanning her flushed cheeks with her hand.

But her heavy breathing soured Kaiyan’s mood, filling him with unease and rising irritation.

“Mind your appearance as befits a duchess.”

“Sorry... I was sweating, so it felt hot.”

And truthfully, she wore a northern-style dress with a high collar, made of thin velvet—not thick, but it looked stifling just to see.

“Is that all the clothes you have?”

“Pardon?”

“Isn’t it Valmond style?”

“Ah...”

Clodel shrank her shoulders, glancing at him to gauge his mood, wondering what had upset him, and buttoned up her still-damp neckline.

“I didn’t... bring many clothes.”

“All in Valmond style?”

“...”

Kaiyan decided the source of his irritation was the dress she wore.

There was no room to argue with the butler’s words anymore. Just as he’d said before, “You only see the lady in the bedroom at night,” he hadn’t really seen Clodel anywhere else outside of bed until now.

And during her illness treatment, they’d eaten lunch in her room for a while, but as a patient, she’d only worn nightgowns with robes over them—he’d never seen her in proper clothes.

Come to think of it, she wore that same dress on picnic day too.

Hanna must have washed the one she’d vomited blood on well.

But that day, he hadn’t paid attention to what she wore like this.

Today, though, this thin velvet dress suited only for northern summers—and even the short, soft fur trim—made his irritation surge just looking at it.

“Throw them all out.”

“R-right now?”

“I’ll get you Rowen-style dresses. Buy a few urgent ones and have a seamstress tailor the rest as needed.”

“Yes.”

As Clodel meekly replied, Kaiyan’s irritation finally eased a bit.

“Your Grace... are you all right?”

“Hm?”

At her words, Kaiyan looked at the plate in front of him.

He’d sliced up all the meat dishes into bite-sized pieces for Clodel’s mouth, making it look like ground meat.

“...”

Embarrassed, Kaiyan barked at the butler by the door.

“After lunch, call the seamstress right away!”

But seeing Clodel neatly skewer a piece of the finely chopped meat with her fork and pop it into her mouth made him sigh, his inner turmoil settling.

The castle’s resident seamstress was an elderly, skinny man.

“How does it look, milady?”

Clodel stood casually before the mirror as the seamstress held fabrics against her body.

“Th-the latest trend is two-tone, you know.”

“Two-tone?”

When Clodel asked, he hurriedly held up a few fabrics.

“Yes. See, like this—dark fabric at the bottom, brighter lace on top changes the whole vibe.”

“I see.”

“Or the reverse—light fabric with dark lace.”

“Wow, that’s pretty.”

Unlike Clodel’s appropriate responses, the seamstress sweated profusely, glancing nervously.

“If there’s a color milady likes...”

“Gold.”

Hanna, who’d been standing nearby with arms crossed and glaring at the seamstress, cut in.

“...Aside from those buttons on the trim that milady dislikes, she has no restrictions.”

This nerve-wracking standoff amid what should have been a pleasant fitting session stemmed from exactly that.

The castle’s longtime seamstress had spread rumors that Clodel stole decorations from the lord’s clothes over the buttons Kaiyan had given her.

But a veteran who’d served the castle for decades through the previous duke’s couple wouldn’t just take provocation from a novice like Hanna.

“What? Why bring that up now? You wanna fight?”

“Who gave you the right to yell? All you’ve done is grow old and spread petty gossip among the castle maids.”

The seamstress, who’d stayed in the castle since the previous duke’s time making clothes as offerings, had strong loyalty to House Temneth—and equal disdain for House Vermonte.

Thinking this young lady’s maid was picking a fight with him, he raised his voice in outrage.

“Did I say something wrong?”

But truthfully, if he saw Clodel as the lord’s lady he should serve, yelling like that in her presence was absolutely unacceptable.

“What’s going on?”

Just then, Kaiyan entered the room.

“My lord, it’s...”

As the seamstress tried to appeal to the head of House Temneth like he’d been wronged,

“My lord! This seamstress is the one who spread rumors that milady stole decorations from clothes!”

Hanna’s resounding voice beat him to it.

“What?”

“Perfect timing. Clear milady’s name right away, yes?”

“N-no, that’s...”

As the seamstress floundered, caught off-guard,

“She didn’t steal them.”

“...Pardon?”

The seamstress’s eyes widened.

He’d been among the onlookers at the commotion outside Clodel’s door.

He’d clearly heard Kaiyan say,

I wouldn’t gift her something like that.

And he’d scolded them not to make a fuss, so everyone had gossiped happily.

“I gave them to her. Got it?”

“B-but that means...”

“They fell off the clothes, fit perfectly on her slender fingers—thought it was amusing, so I gave them.”

The seamstress read the threat in Kaiyan’s glare: spit back, and you’re done for.

Swallowing his injustice, he bowed deeply.

“I-I must be getting old; my eyes and ears aren’t what they used to be. My apologies for the offense, milady. I’ve wronged you.”

“Right. You’ve reached that age already. Time to step away from castle duties and retire.”

“My lord!”

“Butler. He’s served well over the years—see to it his retirement is comfortable.”

“My lord! Please hear me out!”

The seamstress looked back pleadingly several times but was dragged out of Clodel’s room by the stern butler’s arm.

In the now awkward, chilly atmosphere, Kaiyan picked up a dress.

These were rough sizes the seamstress had fetched to fit Clodel.

“Try it on.”

“Now?”

“How long do you plan to wear that Valmond rag?”

At Kaiyan’s irritated tone, Clodel went with Hanna to the dressing room off the bedroom, drawing the curtain to change.

“Heh heh, feels good to vent.”

“Hanna.”

“Our lord is the best. The absolute best.”

Why say that where everyone can hear?

Clodel felt embarrassed, but she hadn’t expected Kaiyan to step in and claim he gave her the buttons. She was quite surprised.

It had bothered her since he said he’d call the seamstress.

Did he do it out of consideration?

Because I’m his wife?

“All done, milady.”

Hanna fussed over Clodel’s appearance.

“Changed? Come out.”

“Yes, my lord. Milady, hurry, quick.”

Hanna seemed more excited than Clodel.

“Hm. Not bad.”

“Pretty, right, my lord? Our milady looks stunning.”

“Better than when she’s draped in that tacky Valmond stuff.”

This man couldn’t utter a straightforward compliment to save his life.

Valmond Castle had a chill even in midsummer, so they made summer dresses with thin velvet fur linings.

Rowen was warm year-round, especially hot in summer, so typical dresses were thin white fabrics with corsets to accentuate feminine curves, or lace ones exposing collarbones and shoulders.

Clodel hadn’t thought to change clothes before due to her illness making even Rowen’s midday cold.

But now recovered and moving, she kept sweating and feeling stifled—so she appreciated Kaiyan arranging new clothes.

Even if it meant getting them from a seamstress who’d humiliated her.

And he’d fired the man right in front of her, which oddly soothed her heart.

“Turn around once.”

As Clodel slowly spun, Kaiyan commented.

“Your neck looks bare.”

True enough, the dress was thin and light with a deep neckline, making her long neck look exposed compared to the buttoned-up Valmond style from chin to throat.

Oberon’s southern regions had diverse, flashy necklace designs for a reason.

The plunging necklines left ample space to show off jewels.

“If you have something that matches, try it.”

At Kaiyan’s words, Clodel hesitated.

“I’ll do it later. Tired from looking at all these clothes.”

“My oversight with the seamstress. I’ll hire another—pick what you need here, and discuss the rest with the new one.”

“Thank you.”

He turned to Hanna.

“Grab a few for yourself too.”

“Really? Thank you! Thank you, my lord!”

As excited Hanna fussed over Clodel, she smiled.

Seeing it, Kaiyan’s face turned icy as he turned to leave.

“...That’s odd.”