34

“Ah.”

I smiled as if I had just drawn a full smile on my face after a brief pause.

“I used to behave quite rudely towards you, My lord.”

What?

As if asking about it, Dante frowned and stared at me.

I spoke calmly, “Please forgive my inappropriate behavior. I sincerely regret the time when I insisted on calling you by your name. I promise I won’t do that again.”

“Elze.”

“I won’t do it again.”

I looked at Dante with a serious gaze.

“I want to be a woman who suits you, my lord.”

“Oh, really.”

Dante exaggeratedly widened his eyes.

“I never thought you’d say that. Have you finally matured?”

“…”

I stared at Dante with a smiling face.

At the same time, Dante wiped his chin with a subtle expression.

“But it’s strange. I’ve always hoped for you to mature, but why do I feel so uncomfortable now?”

“…”

What does this man want from me, exactly?

I suppressed a sigh and offered a polite apology.

“I’m sorry if I upset you. That wasn’t my intention.”

“No, no. I’m not expecting an apology from you. It’s my issue.”

Dante, waving his hand casually, unexpectedly asked me, “Shall we have breakfast?”

* * *

Afterward, Dante and I had breakfast in the bedroom.

The aroma of butter-filled croissants, strong coffee and juice, various butters and jams.

Eggs fried generously in oil, sausages, and even a salad.

It was truly a luxurious breakfast.

‘…Can all of this fit in my stomach from the morning?’

I looked down at the food with a disgusted expression.

Meanwhile, Dante was devouring an enormous amount of food effortlessly.

What surprised me the most was that, despite clearing his plates in an instant, he didn’t look at all unpleasant.

His elegant manner of consuming the food without violating any dining etiquette made it look sophisticated.

‘Well, if you’re going to engage in bloody battles and fights, you’ll need an enormous amount of calories in your daily routine.’

I just took a sip of hot coffee.

“Darling, isn’t your portion too small?”

Dante, having just sipped some juice, glanced at me with a side glance.

“I’ve lost my appetite; maybe it’s because it hasn’t been long since I woke up.”

“Hmm.”

Dante, who was furrowing his brows displeased, took the plate in front of me.

Cutting a piece of sausage into large portions, he pierced it with a fork and brought it to my lips.

“…”

What on earth is he doing?

I stiffened slightly, and at the same time, Dante seemed to poke at me with the fork.

“Don’t act all stubborn; just eat, will you?”

I blinked in rare confusion.

‘So, is he trying to feed me right now?’

Considering Dante’s usual personality, it seemed unlikely for him to take care of me like this…

Dante, noticing my dazed state, chuckled again.

“Hurry up.”

Although eating greasy food in the morning was usually not my preference, I reflexively lowered my eyelids.

“Yes, thank you.”

I swept my hair behind my ear and accepted the sausage.

It had a savory yet oily taste that lingered on the tip of my tongue.

‘Oh, I’m definitely going to regret this.’

While thinking that internally, I maintained a cheerful expression outwardly.

“It’s delicious.”

My reaction seemed satisfactory enough, and Dante also wore a contented expression.

Afterward, Dante surprisingly took care of my breakfast with great care.

Honestly, swallowing those greasy foods from the morning was itself a struggle, but I diligently ate as much as I could.

In the midst of that, I couldn’t help but think, ‘How is Lucian doing right now?’

Inevitably, Lucian was on my mind.

Perhaps it was due to what happened yesterday.

Being the son of the Empire’s top aristocratic family, Lucian had a subtle sensitivity about him.

He even skipped meals due to stress before.

Glancing at Dante’s reaction, I cautiously opened my mouth.

“By the way, the breakfast for Duke Kalleid…”

Dante, who was spreading butter and jam on a soft bread, momentarily stopped his hand.

Crimson eyes stared directly at me.

I felt my mouth go dry.

“…”

“…”

After a sharp silence,

Dante chuckled lightly and shrugged his shoulders.

“Why, do you think I would let the Duke starve?”

“No, of course not.”

I faced Dante with the most indifferent expression I could muster.

“Just, I’m the caretaker in charge of Duke Kalleid.”

Dante continued to scrutinize me as if urging me to say more, but he didn’t say anything else.

I desperately moved my tongue, trying to prevent it from stiffening due to tension.

“Of course, I know Liam said he’ll take care of it now, and I believe Liam will handle it well, without any doubt, but…”

I calmly continued my words.

“If, by any chance, the condition of the special student worsens, it might feel somewhat like my responsibility.”

“Hmm.”

Dante, who had been scrutinizing me as if observing, suddenly burst into a gentle smile.

It was a subtly sunny smile.

“I didn’t know our self had such a strong sense of responsibility.”

“As I mentioned earlier, I want to be a woman who suits the Marquis.”

I casually shrugged my shoulders.

“I won’t throw tantrums like a child to the Marquis anymore, and I won’t neglect my duties.”

“Is that so?”

Dante tilted his head with a sly smile.

“I’ve heard some admirable words.”

His voice, complimenting in a sophisticated manner, sounded as if dealing with ants struggling beneath his feet.

It was like offering a condescending mercy, treating the ants that struggled even if they rebelled, never leaving a mark.

“I appreciate your hard work, but I told Liam to take good care of the Marquis. You don’t need to worry so much.”

After saying that, Dante placed a piece of bread into my mouth.

“Now, you need to have your meal too.”

Mechanically, I chewed and swallowed him.

The texture of the soft bread, the rich butter, and the sweet strawberry jam mixed chaotically in my mouth.

After finishing the meal like that,

Dante, who had cleared the food trays in the bedroom, glanced at me.

“Dear, I’m thinking of attending the Dolence Club after a long time. What do you think?”

Dolence Club?

I perked up my ears.

It was a club hosted by Dante’s uncle, the second prince.

A club where high-ranking officials, celebrities, and nobles from prestigious families mainly attended.

To become a member, you needed an invitation from the host or sponsorship from at least three club members of noble status.

So, being a member of that club itself was a very honorable thing.

Furthermore, the fact that Dante was admitted to the club as a member proves how aware the royal family is of Dante.

Dante added with a beautiful smile, “Every time my uncle sees me, he makes a face as if he’s chewing something. It refreshes my mood.”

…Really, it’s as if someone thinks he’s a villain.

Twisted personality and all that.

I chuckled inwardly.

Well, it was natural that the members of the royal family were quite uncomfortable with Dante.

Actually, it was expected.

Led by the current emperor, the members of the royal family pretended not to know the tragedy of Dante’s mother.

But then.

Dante casually said, “Get ready. You are going too.”

“….”

I was silent for a moment.

When a club member takes someone as a partner, it means they take the relationship seriously.

At least there should be no hesitation in revealing that partner to the outside.

‘Dante wouldn’t do that, would he?’

Moreover.

‘…It feels subtly unpleasant.’

I felt my stomach twist.

I didn’t even ask for an opinion, and there’s this arrogance that he thinks I’ll naturally accept it.

And Dante oddly had a gaze filled with anticipation.

Like wondering what reaction he would get after giving a present to a child.

But I wasn’t the original Elzé, so I wanted to answer right away why I had to go with him.

‘Well, that won’t work.’

I turned my head for a moment and calmly opened my mouth.

“Of course, I’d love to be with my lord, but… I can’t go.”

Dante’s face tightened slightly in that moment.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I can’t cause trouble for my lord.”

“Trouble?”

Facing Dante with a furrowed brow, I lowered my eyes in a truly regretful manner.

“Yes. I haven’t made my debutante ball yet.”