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“Oh! Lady Peridan!”
Someone interrupted at that moment.
It was the Countess Ricon, whose family had recently hired Peridan for interior work.
“There you are! I was looking for you because I have something to say!”
“Countess Ricon, is this about the interior project? Please feel free to tell me anything!”
“Really? I’m glad you say that. It’s nothing serious… Oh, Lady Whitehouse is here too?”
The countess looked at Mari beside her and momentarily made an awkward face.
After a brief hesitation, she carefully spoke.
“Our child also said she wants to put glow-in-the-dark stars in her room.”
“······!”
Edith, who had been full of confidence, froze instantly.
“Also, she wants the wallpaper with the floating clouds. Kids always want what’s trendy, you know. What should we do?”
“Countess Ricon, that’s a bit…”
“I do feel a little sorry for Lady Peridan… but I found out that any designer can use the glow-in-the-dark stars as long as the Whitehouse family pays the fees.”
“So… you’re asking me to do the interior using Whitehouse products?”
“Oh my! Thank you for understanding. I knew Lady Peridan had a kind heart and would understand. Thank you. Then, I’ll leave it to you!”
Countess Ricon left in a hurry without giving Edith a chance to refuse, using the excuse that the next dance was scheduled.
“This is absurd.”
Edith’s face turned red and blue with unbearable humiliation.
She looked like she might curse out loud at any moment.
Mari smiled gently.
“Let’s give Lady Peridan a special discount.”
Edith’s ears turned bright red.
“……!”
Mari didn’t linger any longer and left immediately.
“The longer you deal with twisted people, the more it harms you. You’ll end up twisted too.”
Although Mari didn’t fully believe what she heard, she felt conflicted.
“So that’s how it is…?”
It didn’t seem entirely baseless that Nox had commissioned the interior out of sympathy.
After all, he had been promoting his business by even orchestrating a love triangle between Mari and Calix.
On the opposite side, Nox met Mari’s gaze and smiled brightly.
It was clearly a look of genuine affection.
“······.”
Mari felt uncomfortable and turned her gaze elsewhere.
“Calix…?”
At that moment, Calix was staring at her with burning eyes.
Nobles nearby were trying to get his attention, but he seemed completely uninterested.
As soon as he met Mari’s eyes, he started walking toward her.
“What’s the matter?”
“Huh?”
“Did something bad happen?”
It wasn’t a problem for her to hide worries or sadness.
After all, she had mastered that as part of social etiquette.
How did he notice?
“No, nothing happened. I was just about to head home.”
“…….”
Calix tilted his head slightly.
He didn’t speak, but it felt as if he were silently asking, Really?
Mari shrugged subconsciously and walked toward the coatroom.
“Some people say… that people commission me for interiors out of pity.”
Her tone was calm.
Calix’s gaze while escorting her was indifferent as well.
“…And if it is pity?”
“…….”
Mari shrugged.
She felt a heat rising to her face.
“Usually, the success of a business is decided within six months. Whether pity or coercion, seizing the opportunity is what matters. Besides, your succession review is scheduled in six months.”
That’s right.
She had an important goal: protecting Whitehouse.
“Right now, you don’t need to worry about other people’s intentions. Whether it’s pity or anything else, just show your skills through your work.”
“Skills…?”
“Yes. You’re not lacking in skill, are you?”
Mari looked at him, and Calix lowered his gaze toward her.
In his red eyes, there was a softness that almost felt like affection.
Looking into them, Mari couldn’t help but feel a warm, fuzzy sensation.
“Do you believe in my skills?”
“Yes, I’ve seen the lounge you did in my castle.”
“…….”
“I told you before, I’m not a social worker. Do you think I would invest out of pity?”
Calix spoke brusquely, as if scolding her for thinking so.
“…No.”
A faint smile appeared on Mari’s lips.
In her eyes, Calix was a shrewd businessman.
Hearing him say that made her feel he truly was capable.
“Believe in yourself. People will believe in what you believe in.”
The next day.
Whitehouse
After finishing a meeting in Mari’s workshop, Tama asked,
“Do you want three more batches made?”
“Yes, Tama. There’s high demand for the glow-in-the-dark stars, so we’ll need more luminescent fluid.”
“Got it. I’ll make a big batch then.”
“Where’s Dwayne?”
“Sigh… who knows where that guy goes or what he’s doing? He disappears for hours every day! He must think he doesn’t need to work at all now that he’s on the cast duty.”
Tama grumbled, but Mari defended Dwayne.
“I told him to rest, not to work. Let him relax and take a proper break.”
“Tch, our lady is too generous with Dwayne. Hmph, I don’t get it either.”
As Tama left the workshop, Mildred handed over some documents.
“Miss, here’s the contract proposal we’re sending to Ludic. Could you take a look?”
“Already finished?”
“Yes. You pointed out the clauses we should be careful about beforehand.”
Mari glanced through the documents and returned them to Mildred.
“No major issues overall. But review this part again.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Mildred had become busy learning secretarial duties properly, almost as busy as Mari.
Her skills as a secretary had also improved remarkably.
“Shall we depart for Roar now? We’ll stay at the Weatherwood Count’s villa throughout the interior construction.”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
The next day.
The cliffside castle’s dining hall smelled of delicious food, as usual.
“Oh, this looks really tasty!”
Josh looked at the roasted birds on his plate.
The quails were cooked whole, beautifully decorated with eggplant, tomato, and asparagus.
“······.”
But a heavy silence filled the dining hall, interrupted only by occasional clinking of cutlery.
Throughout the meal, Calix, Josh’s master, remained silent.
Josh and the butler glanced nervously at Calix.
“M-Master, isn’t it really delicious?”
“Sir, isn’t the quail cooked perfectly?”
“······.”
Calix only sipped at his soup silently.
“M-Master…?”
Calix had lost interest in breakfast immediately after learning Mari would be away in Roar at the Weatherwood Count’s villa for over a week.
Moreover, she had taken a carriage and escort party with her, which annoyed him.
He just fiddled with the food without actually eating.
“······.”
His silence made the dining hall tense.
It was especially difficult for Josh, sharing the same space.
“The steak is cooked just right…”
Josh was praising the food when he caught the butler’s eyes across the table.
The butler gestured silently to Josh: Why is master acting like this?
Josh frowned and shook his head. No, it’s the opposite.
“……!”
The butler’s eyes widened, more than twice their normal size.
Moments later, he cautiously spoke to his master, who was glaring at the soup.
“Master, wouldn’t it be better to just go along?”
Click.
Calix stopped his spoon and lifted his head.
He stared intently at the wrinkled face of the old butler, as if hearing something important.
“Go along? Who are you talking about?”
“Sir, isn’t it the person in your soup?”
The old butler only smiled, wrinkles crinkling, and said no more.
Calix shook his head in disbelief.
“Ridiculous.”
But in the creamy soup, something really seemed to appear.
A woman with smooth, creamy skin and delicate fingers.
Eyes like a sunlit meadow stared at him.
The refreshing scent he felt when seeing Mari wrapped around him again.
“······.”
Then the butler spoke again.
“Isn’t it because you’re worried about her?”
“What…?”
Calix’s mouth slightly opened, as if hearing something shocking, yet he glared at the old butler with his red eyes.
Josh stepped forward, waving his hands nervously.
“H-Hey! Butler, why are you saying things you never said before?”
He worried that his master might suddenly snap at the irreverent butler.
Then Calix put down his spoon.
“Josh, what’s today’s schedule?”
“Today we have interviews for two candidates for estate management. They are the most talented, so you can observe and choose.”
“…Just hire both.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll be away for about a week, so you take care of them well.”
“W-Where are you going?”
“Roar.”
“F-For a week?”
Clang.
Josh dropped his fork in shock.
Calix ignored the grinning butler.
“We have a site in Roar, right? There… yes. I’ll build a hospital.”
“Huh?”
Josh could only gape, unable to answer immediately.
