# 7
---
The next day, I woke up feeling refreshed, and Vivi greeted me as usual.
“Are you awake, ma'am?”
There was a slight change in her demeanor, as if she had become more affectionate since she had smiled at her yesterday.
“Yes, Vivi.”
“Then I will help you get ready so that you can head to the breakfast hall immediately...”
“No, I won't go today.”
"Sorry?"
Vivi's freckled face was full of confusion.
She smiled brightly.
“Call the server and prepare to go out.”
“A-now?”
“Yes, now.”
It took Vivi a moment to snap out of her daze before she began to move hurriedly.
“I'll get everything ready, ma'am!”
When she saw Vivi walking out of the room, she sighed in relief.
'Yesterday's negotiations were successful, but...'
After a second thought, I realized that there was no need to eat breakfast with Ian every morning. Why force ourves to eat together when neither of us enjoys the company?
Judging by his behavior during our last breakfast, Ian probably wasn't too happy about it either.
'Let him wait for me and have his breakfast alone.'
This was a small act of revenge for all the times he had abandoned Diana. Of course, he wouldn't be affected at all by me abandoning him or disappearing from him.
'The more I thought about it, the more it bothered me..'
How could a male hero be so insufferable? I was really curious about the author's taste.
While I was seriously thinking about how to get revenge on Ian, I heard a knock on the door.
“Ma’am, may I come in?”
“Yes, come in.”
With my permission, Vivi returned to the room with a group of maids.
“The lady is going to the market today, so everyone should pay extra attention to her clothes.”
“Yes, I understand!”
The maids nodded vigorously at Vivi's instructions and began to move excitedly.
“Ma’am, should we wear your hair up? Or do you prefer it half up and half down?”
“Since you'll be walking around a lot in the market, I'll choose loafers instead of high heels. You're tall enough, so you'll still be stylish!”
“A light dress would be better than a formal dress.”
All she asked was to get ready to go out, but it seemed like all the maids were overly excited. There were more than five maids walking around me, carrying this and that, which made me feel a little tired.
'I thought I could put on some clothes and go out...'
I underestimated how serious the nobles were about going out.
While I was surrounded by maids, busy with preparations, the servant knocked on the door.
“Ma’am, this is Harold, the butler.”
“Come in.”
“I was told you summoned me.”
“Yes, I plan to go out to the market today.”
“Ah, it's been a long time since you went for a walk.”
I nodded at the server's comment and smiled.
"So, please, prepare me a blank check immediately. Let's start with... two should be enough."
“Blank check, ma'am?”
Harold gave me a look similar to the one Vivi had given him earlier. I narrowed my eyes.
“Why that look? Surely, you don’t mean to say you can’t give it to me?”
“No, of course not.”
Hearing the hidden warning in my tone, Harold quickly bowed his head.
After giving him a cold look, I turned my attention back to the mirror.
"Then get it ready. We'll be leaving in thirty minutes."
“Yes, I understand. But...”
Harold hesitated before speaking.
“How about breakfast...?”
That damned breakfast.
Was there a rule in this house that not eating breakfast was a disaster?
I clicked my tongue loud enough for the servant to hear.
“I'm not interested, so pass the message to Your Highness.”
“…Understood.”
The butler bowed his head and stepped back quietly.
After making sure he closed the door and disappeared, I hummed again and continued getting ready.
“Finish my hair.”
❖ ❖ ❖
“…So, the lady said she won’t make breakfast today.”
Dining hall on the first floor. Ian's gaze briefly flickered to the seat to his right before turning away.
Eloise, who was never late for breakfast, didn't come even 20 minutes later, which made him wonder.
But instead of coming herf, she sent the butler a message saying: “I don’t plan to attend breakfast today.”
Ian frowned.
“Okay, you can leave.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The servant retreated silently, his steps making almost no sound.
As Ian watched it disappear, he finally picked up the cutlery that had remained intact until now.
In the silence, the faint sound of tableware echoed in the room.
'What on earth is going on?'
Everything from last night to this morning was weird.
Eloise, who suddenly came to his office last night, was completely different from usual.
From the way she threw scandalous rumors about her in his face while shoving the papers at him, to her harsh, acerbic tone.
Moreover…
“I will fix the Duke from now on.”
“It seems that the Duke is a lost cause.”
Since when did Eloise become the type to use such vulgar language?
No matter how much he thought about it, there were no answers.
Ian Cloud had never cared enough about her to be able to discuss the kind of person she was.
Ian looked at her empty seat.
‘Yesterday, she came to me out of nowhere, and today, she skipped breakfast.’
During the two years of their marriage, unless something unusual happened, the two always had breakfast together.
Neither of them suggested it, but it naturally became an unspoken rule.
Perhaps it was because, apart from breakfast, they rarely had any other opportunities to talk to each other.
The servant informed that Eloise had been busy preparing herf since early morning.
'I took the blank check too.'
A far from well-off woman suddenly asked for a blank check.
Ian's actions slowed as he chewed his food mechanically. And again, I remembered Eloise from the day before.
“If you want, I can even grant you a divorce.”
She said it in a tone that sounded like she was doing him a favor.
In fact, whether Eloise discussed divorce or not was none of Ian's business.
All Ian needed, she said, was a duchess who could manage the estate's money and maintain the dignity of the title.
Eloise was indeed a suitable candidate, but she was not an indispensable or irreplaceable presence.
In this regard, the circumstances that Eloise had presented to Ian the day before were clearly favorable to him.
However…
“This bothers me.”
click.
Putting down cutlery with a sharp sound. Even though he was eating tender meat the whole time, his facial expression was as if he was chewing pebbles.
Naturally, he left his plate barely half-finished.
“Remove this.”
Ian, his expression hardening, left the dining hall.
❖ ❖ ❖
“Ah, the weather is nice.”
I smiled a little as I got out of the carriage, enjoying the sunshine.
“Vivi, did you bring everything?”
“Yes, yes, ma'am. I brought the blank check and all the documents.”
"Good."
Vivi, who was rushing behind me with quick steps, asked again,
“Are we really going to the dress store?”
"Yes."
“I've never seen my lady go to a dress shop before.”
Vivi added with an excited face.
In fact, the reason I came to the bustling streets early in the morning was something else. Now that I had decided to live in this world, I couldn't stay confined in the palace.
Of course, until Diana returns, I can spend my time fixing Ian's mental state while performing my duties as Duchess.
But since it has come to this, I have decided to prepare a smooth path for the return of my love, my favorite, Diana.
In order to do that, I had to run tirelessly.
“Okay then, shall we go?”
For the happiness of my beloved and dear Diana!