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“Well, yes. I’m well aware of Lady Elze’s refined taste.”

Refined, huh?

I inwardly smirked.

‘Exactly, it’s written as refined, but it’s read as extravagant.’

Meanwhile, at the end of my gaze, Madam Tilda, after seeming to shudder her shoulders, soon started bustling around.

“In that case, I’ll begin preparing the fitting.”

“Fine.”

I nodded.

Madam Tilda brought a tape measure and started measuring my body.

Then she giggled.

“You’ve lost a bit of weight.”

Instead of responding, I just shrugged my shoulders.

Dealing with Lucian alone was already giving me a headache, and now Dante was getting involved too.

Losing weight due to stress was inevitable.

Especially recently, with frequent meals with Dante. Each time, I’d check my weight, and some nights, I even threw up everything.

‘Come to think of it.’

I glanced out the window.

‘I wonder what Lucian is doing right now?’

Far away, I could see the annex reserved for special students.

The place where only Lucian currently resided.

The annex, enveloped in a rose garden of deep red, stood out conspicuously.

A few days ago, after breakfast with Dante…

I hadn’t heard anything about Lucian.

Once Lucian becomes a hot topic…

[“It’s good to work hard, but… I hope he’s not planning something like killing Duke Kalleid.”]

Dante, with an icy smile, dropped a sarcastic remark.

‘Even if I personally hire someone to find out about him…’

Even with just Liam at the boarding school, it’s already burdensome. The situation gets even worse with Dante lurking around.

“…. Sigh.”

I involuntarily let out a short sigh.

But at that moment.

Bang!

The door to the reception room swung open without even a knock.

And the person who revealed themselves…

‘Dante?’

My eyes widened a bit.

“I greet Marquis Offenheir.”

Madam Tilda, startled, quickly composed herself with a polite greeting.

I adjusted my surprised expression and asked Dante a question.

“Marquis, what brings you here?”

Whether it was the boss of the underworld or the head of a prestigious noble family, he couldn’t escape from the mountain of paperwork.

Even though Dante could be capricious, he was someone who cared enough for the organization to run smoothly, especially after I pacified it.

So, by now, shouldn’t he be stuck in the office, buried in documents?

“Do you have any concerns, my dear?”

Dante, with both hands in his pants pockets, walked confidently into the room and gazed at me.

“I could hear a sigh all the way from outside.”

Ah.

As I blinked my eyes absentmindedly, I reflexively smiled.

“I find the fitting a bit boring.”

Madam Tilda seemed to be contemplating me, but I deliberately avoided her gaze.

I genuinely felt sorry for Madam Tilda, but I couldn’t think of any excuses…

Then Dante deliberately put on a teasing expression and gave me a hint.

“So, you’re not even going to say that you missed seeing me?”

“….”

I felt truly exhausted for a moment.

But since Dante still held the reins of my life, I deliberately smiled brighter.

It was a sharp-tongued remark.

…I felt shivers running down my whole body.

‘What did I say wrong?’

I urgently reviewed my actions and words up to this point.

However,

‘I don’t seem to have made any mistakes.’

At the same time, Dante turned around abruptly and walked towards the sofa.

Seating himself on the sofa with a slump, Dante leaned his body sideways and crossed his legs.

“So? Aren’t you going to fit it?”

“What?”

“I said, aren’t you going to fit it?”

I was a bit puzzled.

“Uh, perhaps.”

As I cautiously gauged Dante’s mood, I asked carefully,

“Did you come all the way here to watch me fit it?”

“So?”

Dante retorted with a sarcastic tone.

“Did you think I came here to take a nap or something?”

“….”

Really, how cheeky.

I glanced briefly at Dante with a sidelong glance.

Beneath the casually thrown shirt sleeves, muscular forearms were revealed.

Combined with black leather pants and boots, it was an attire that seemed indifferent to the gaze of others.

As if a wild beast lurked behind, I shivered slightly.

And then,

“Shall we continue with the fitting?”

Turning towards Madam Tilda as if nothing had happened.

Given my situation, there was nothing I could instruct Dante to do.

It was simply a judgment call to turn a blind eye to it.

“What about this red dress?”

“Well, it’s not bad.”

“I’m glad you like it. Oh, right. This dress is also the latest trend.”

Madam Tilda, even with Dante standing behind her, continued to change dresses without hesitation.

I couldn’t help but admire Madam Tilda’s determination for sales…

“It’s a mermaid-line design that accentuates the figure. It should suit Lady Leferian well.”

“It’s pretty, but I wish the pearl ornament on the neckline were adjusted a bit.”

“Oh, yes. I understand.”

After finishing the fitting and changing into several sample dresses.

Dante continued to watch me intently.

Although watching me change dresses seemed rather uninteresting, and it actually appeared quite boring.

He showed no intention of leaving his seat.

Feeling somewhat irritated by Dante’s presence,

I, who couldn’t stand it any longer, struck up a conversation with him.

“Aren’t you bored?”

“Huh?”

Dante raised his gaze briefly.

Carefully choosing my words to not reveal any sign of annoyance, I continued.

“Usually, gentlemen aren’t particularly interested in ladies’ dresses, aren’t they?”

“Right. I’m not particularly interested in women’s clothes.”

Dante retorted sharply.

‘Well, why are you still sitting here?’

It seemed my curiosity was evident on my face.

Dante elaborated unexpectedly.

“Nevertheless, for ladies, debutante parties are quite important events, right?”

Oh, I didn’t expect Dante to consider such things.

I was a bit surprised.

But Dante’s bombshell statement wasn’t over yet.

“So, when choosing a dress for a debutante party, attention to detail matters a lot.”

“Ah…”

“It’s not for someone else but for your own debutante party.”

Dante casually shrugged.

“So, I’m making an effort to pay attention to the details.”

“I see.”

“Moreover, Liam said that women appreciate it when men pay attention to the smallest details, right?”

…That Liam, he really talked nonsense.

I barely managed to suppress a sigh that rose to the back of my throat.

At the same time, Dante gracefully narrowed his eyes.

“I think I’ve been a bit lacking in such efforts so far.”

“Please don’t say that. I’m truly happy that you came here.”

As I habitually grinned, I paused.

A faint sense of discomfort passed through Dante’s pupils.

‘Again.’

But that discomfort quickly disappeared.

“I just might not be of much help.”

Dante spoke with a peculiar tone.

“In my eyes, everything suits you perfectly.”