The Villain is Being Suspiciously Kind

Of course, it was easy to buy the boutique with the duke’s wealth.
But even with the excuse that they were childhood friends, paying for everything was excessive.

‘Everything is too much.’

Citrina skillfully suppressed her doubts as usual.
Now was the time to express gratitude before doubt. There were plenty of ways to dispel doubt.

“Thanks, Del. Then I’ll just pick my favorite design because I have to match your clothes.”

Desian picked up the craft paper and handed it to Citrina. She was thinking of wearing a beautifully designed dress in a shade of azure that would go well with a bracelet, so she shouldn’t cover her wrists completely. She had to wear a necklace, so she shouldn’t cover her neck. There weren’t as many options as she thought.

“Which one would be better, Foges?”
“Yes, yes, devil, no, lady?”

Foges looked up in a hurry as if he were on fire. Ack! It looked like he said something.
Citrina frowned slightly. Citrina could sense Foges’ overexcited mood directed towards her. It felt somewhat odd.

‘It seems like you’re demonizing me.’

It was a surprisingly accurate guess. However, Citrina let go of her unpleasant feelings for the moment.

“Choose a design and send it to me through the duke.”
“Yes! I’ll do my best in choosing the greatest design.”
“Um… you don’t have to put your heart and soul into it.”
“Oh, no! If about a hundred tailors work together to get all of the dresses ready for you, we will have them finished sooner or later.”
“Ah, yes.”
“All of this will be kept strictly confidential.”

The constantly sweating Foges said he would send all of the attendants to start working on the dresses and start delivering them to the townhouse. He had a tremor in his hand and looked terribly serious.

‘It feels like I’m bullying this person.’

It felt strange no matter how you looked at it.
Foges was excessively complaint compared to a while ago. Then, Desian spoke to Citrina.

“Shall we go then?”

He held out his hand to Citrina.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Citrina put her hat with the dark black hat again so that if anyone saw her face, they wouldn’t recognize her.
Citrina became more confused.
That was because…
Citrina and Desian left Foge’s Boutique and went back into the carriage. Recalling how she had fallen asleep on Desian’s shoulder earlier, Citrina felt embarrassed.
Before the carriage departed, Citrina spoke softly.

“Can we go to a bookstore?”
“Bookstore?”
“Ah, I’m curious if party etiquette has changed, so I want to get a book about the subject…”

Four years was not enough time to change the rivers and mountains. However, it was certainly enough time for memories to fade and for people to change.
Citrina constantly recalled the original work. Therefore, the original was seared into her memory.
But manners about how one conducts themselves was a different matter. She had once served as an assistant teaching etiquette to the upper nobility, but her knowledge had faded due to the long time she had spent studying under the dwarf.

Citrina had never been to a party. She hadn’t even had her debutante.

‘I have to make up for that if she didn’t want Desian to lose face.’

Whether he knew of Citrina’s determination or not, Desian asked lightly.

“Okay. I’ll help you.”

When asking to go to the bookstore, the answer didn’t exactly fit the question. Nevertheless, it was a positive and satisfactory answer, so Citrina nodded.

“Yeah. I’d appreciate it if you did.”
“Then let’s head to where you want to go.”

…Yes, she should have noticed the phrase ‘where you want to go’.
The day was so long that her mind was a blur.
In other words,
Citrina never dreamed that the place they would ride to would be Duke Pietro’s estate.
In fact, for the first few minutes after getting out of the carriage, Citrina thought ,’Why is this bookstore so fancy?’. It was a very unexpected destination.

“Why are we at the duke’s…..”
“I sent for a teacher to come here.”
“Wow, really?”

Together with Desian, Citrina walked inside the ducal estate. They passed a fountain that a person could easily swim in and a lush green forest before reaching the duke’s mansion.
Along the way, Citrina mysteriously did not encounter any employees.
However, there was something even more amazing. It was that everything they passed matched her memories perfectly.

“Nothing’s changed.”
“Because I didn’t want it to change.”
“Did you use magic?”

She wasn’t sure if he was joking or not.
But Citrina thought it was the former and laughed.
Finally, the doors to the main house opened wide.
A few of the elite knights guarding the mansion stood still like wax figures. Citrina gave them a wondrous look as she passed by and they didn’t move an inch. And at the end of their walk was the mansion’s banquet hall.

“Shall we start with dinner?”
“Yeah, I just so happen to be hungry.”

Citrina really enjoyed the food.
Everything was neatly arranged with Desian sat elegantly at the center of the dining table. The servants began to slowly serve the appetizer.
He couldn’t taste the food very well. To be honest, everything always tasted dull.

“Del, it’s delicious.”

But she had a happy face even though it was only a light salad.
Citrina was nonchalant, but Desian always paid close attention to her. He looked at the way her expression changed along with her thoughts.

“Let’s learn etiquette together.”
“Ah, alright. I guess-“

Desian licked his lips at her tongue-tied response.

“I’m nervous.”

Citrina said to herself. He was now beginning to feel thirsty in a different sense. It was time for the wine.

“You’ll do well.”

“Thanks. I’m sure it hasn’t changed much.”
She was absolutely lovely when she winked.
“If it doesn’t work, we can change the etiquette.”

Desian said softly.
Love involves hundreds of emotions. So it was only natural that he felt like the emotions that had been sealed away were thawing out one by one.

“Change the etiquette?”

Citrina’s eyes widened as she looked at him.

“I’m kidding.”

Whoops.
Citrina laughed forcefully at Desian’s words.
Seeing her smile, Desian thought.
You’re always pretty.
If you knew what I’m feeling right now, you…

“Del.”

If you call me by my name…
Desian looked at her face in an unaffected and reasonable way.
Like four years ago, he was seeping into her.
The emotion she was feeling was both familiar and pleasant.
Citrina had yet to name this sentiment.
She asked carefully.

“How are you going to teach me etiquette?”
“Shall we go to the study?”

There was no one on the way to the study either. It even seemed as if the employees had been deliberately removed.
Walking along the cold marble, Citrina looked around the inside of the ducal manor curiously.
Citrina had lived in the annex the whole time. So today was the first time seeing the interior of the ducal manor.
As Citrina entered the study, she let out a small gasp.

“Interesting.”
“What is?”
“It’s just, it’s amazing that you’re next to me right now. Where is the person who will be teaching etiquette?”
“Over there.”

Citrina followed Desian’s gaze. In the middle of the bookshelves stood a stiff, chilly-looking man.

“I am Loenni, who will be teaching you etiquette.”
“Nice to meet you, Loenni.”

Citrina spoke energetically, but Loenni just pouted. He handed her a book from a nearby bookshelf. It was a thin book titled <Changes in Imperial Court Etiquette>.

“It’s the perfect book for me.”
“Ask me if you don’t know anything.”
“Okay, ask you?”
“Yeah.”

Citrina glanced at Loenni who was standing beside her. It seemed  like…there was an invisible man standing next to her.
Citrina, who answered simply, settled down at the desk to study. Desian, sitting opposite from her, tapped the desk and thought.
Desian saw the curious desire in her eyes today as well.
When she said she was leaving.
When looking at jewels.
When reading an etiquette book.
Her desires leaked out like the air she was breathing.
Often, Desian suffered from the bizarre desire to read Citrina’s thoughts swirling around in her head.
But everything was too easy for him. So it was okay to leave one difficulty to enjoy.
The day would come when those eyes would yearn for him.
Desian buried his heart in the depths and waited slowly.

“It’s getting difficult. Is it true that the first princess will be there?”
“Yes.”
“I’m curious. What kind of person is she?”
“Just normal.”
“I heard she likes romance novels and dreams of marriage.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.”

She answered quietly. Desian liked the sound of Citrina’s voice.
“Ah! The day is the day when noble ladies gather together, right?”
“Right.”

On that day there would be many people who wanted to talk to the princess. Citrina, a baron’s daughter, was allotted one minute.
But one minute was enough.
Citrina smiled faintly.

“The last night of the party…”
“We’ll go together, Rina.”
“Yeah.”

Hearing the word ‘we’, Citrina smiled. It was not uncommon for well-known noble families to sponsor mages and spiritists.
Desian smiled curiously.
Citrina fixed her gaze back on her book. It had only been four years, but it was amazing how much manners had changed. While she hadn’t been looking, the world had changed completely.

‘I can’t raise my head until the imperial princess speaks.’

—
The gentry are a merchant class between aristocrats and commoners, have grown rapidly around the capital. The emperor changed royal etiquette to strengthen imperial power. Examples are included. [T.L. Note: There’s no examples written in the Korean text.]
—

Citrina read aloud, muttering, as she went through the book. Still, it was a thin book, so she was able to read through all of it.

An hour of absorbing etiquette lessons passed quickly. For a short time,Citrina occasionally asked Desian about etiquette she was not familiar with. Desian answered with a friendly and graceful smile like always.
Today he was friendly.
There were no oddities or deficiencies whatsoever. He looked the same as before she had left.
Indeed, what did people think of Desian?
The question settled deeper in her mind and her thoughts swayed like a leaf in the wind.