Ever since that day at the Redwood mansion’s annex, where she found Diane crying, Elaina hadn’t seen her. Because of this, she hadn’t heard the secret Diane promised to share. However, Elaina was confident that whatever the secret was, she already knew it. Be it an unknown lineage or the letters piling up in her drawer.
‘Nathan Hennet.’
Elaina’s expression turned a bit cold at the thought of that name. Before her dream, she hadn’t even known such a person existed. Her investigation revealed that the Hennet family did indeed exist, albeit as a minor rural viscountcy far from the capital.
Nathan is the second son, unable to inherit the title. As a botanist, he had some recognition; her friends at the academy knew his name. Yet, Elaina had no need to know if he was a skilled botanist or not.
To her, Nathan Hennet was merely an indecisive man—neither brave enough to elope with the woman proposed to by the Archduke nor decisive enough to give up. He was just a man who watched Diane until her death, with no other virtue than being kind.
“Elaina, listen well. There are many kind people in the world. But kindness alone is not enough,” her mother had advised her in her childhood.
Today, her mother’s words resonated more than ever. She was right. Good nature is important but not everything.
‘Kindness alone won’t suffice, Nathan Hennet.’
For Diane’s sake, she needed a man who could be her shield at critical moments. If he was just a pitiful man who gave up and became a mad recluse obsessed with research, as written in “Moonshadow,” he could never be accepted as Diane’s match. Elaina had set the stage as much as needed. If he doesn’t act now, he’s simply a coward.
“Let’s stop worrying about others’ affairs and focus on ours,” she said.
“Ours?”
“I just mentioned it. Madam Marbella is waiting for us.”
Elaina tugged on his arm. “It’s not far from here. Let’s walk; it’ll help with digestion. And if we catch anyone’s eye along the way, all the better.”
***
Madam Marbella always eagerly awaited the arrival of Elaina and Lyle. When they finally arrived at her salon, her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Oh my, is this the gentleman from the rumors…”
The salon staff skillfully took Lyle’s coat. “Excuse me for a moment,” Madam Marbella said, guiding them to a private room. As soon as the door closed, she swiftly approached Lyle and began to run her hands down from his shoulders to his arms. Startled by the sudden touch, Lyle instinctively took a step back.
“Oh dear, did I surprise you? I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I should have told you beforehand that this is Archduke Grant’s first time having clothes made here,” Elaina quickly interjected, pushing Lyle gently forward. “Please, just stand still for a moment.”
“What is this about?”
“What do you think? It’s about making clothes for you.”
Madam Marbella chuckled at their exchange, enjoying their apparent lack of coordination. “I’m terribly sorry, Your Grace. I was so rude to touch you without an introduction. But when I see such a fine physique, I can’t help myself.”
She introduced herself to Lyle. “People often call me Madam Spider. I prefer to use my fingers to measure rather than just looking with my eyes,” she said, wiggling her long, spider-like fingers with a laugh.
“Please bear with me for a bit, Your Grace. I’ll make you the best-fitting clothes you’ve ever worn.”
Reluctantly, Lyle allowed her to continue. Madam Marbella measured the contours of his body before stepping out. Just when he thought it was over, her assistants came in with measuring tapes to take his measurements in detail.
After they left, Lyle frowned at Elaina. “Clothes?”
He had assumed visiting Madam Marbella’s salon was to buy Elaina’s clothes. This was an unexpected and perplexing experience.
“It��s a thank-you for the ring,” Elaina explained. “I’ve always thought your clothes were a bit off. They never seem to consider your muscular frame—too tight in some places, too loose in others.”
“And the buttons,” she continued, flipping through a thick book on the table. “While simple designs are fine, more ornate ones are quite popular these days.”
She looked up at him. “Tell me, what’s your favorite color? I’ll choose the fabrics accordingly.”
“Favorite color?” Lyle frowned in response.
“Don’t you have one?”
“I’ve never given it much thought.”
“Alright, then what color do you dislike? Surely there’s a color you don’t like.”
“Red. As long as it’s not red.”
A favorite color? Such a trivial thing had never been a luxury in his life. Elaina nodded, understanding.
“Hmm. Alright, from now on, let’s say you like green.”
Lyle stared at her, bewildered. “Why green?”
“You said you dislike red. I took art classes as a child, so I know that green contrasts most with red. If you hate red, liking green makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Lyle was at a loss for words. Elaina turned to the pages displaying green fabrics. “I like green too. More precisely, a light, pastel green. It’s perfect. It sounds quite romantic for a couple to share a favorite color, doesn’t it?”
Oh dear, will this create more unnecessary rumors?
Hmm. Well, in fact, such gossip might make things more difficult for the Marquis of Redwood.
She shrugged her shoulders and began to carefully select the fabrics. Her questions continued, most of them about the clothing. What kind of collar he preferred. Whether he liked shiny gemstones or matte metal buttons. If he preferred a cravat or a bow tie. Whether he wanted a two-button or three-button jacket.
These were questions he had never been asked before.
“Can’t you just make it any way you like?”
Having never cared about collars or buttons, it was natural he didn’t know his own preferences. His answer was tinged with awkwardness.
Elaina raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. “This isn’t just having no preferences, Your Grace, it’s being devoid of any taste.”
“Is it wrong to have no preferences?”
“It’s not wrong, but it’s not very interesting, is it?”
As she spoke, Elaina sat on the sofa opposite him and stared at Lyle intently. Her gaze was intense, unblinking. Lyle couldn’t help but ask, “What are you doing?”
“Don’t talk to me. I’m calculating.”
“Calculating?”
“Really, you should be thankful you chose such a discerning wife.”
“What? In what way?”
“In every way, really, but today especially because you chose a wife who knows the latest trends and has a keen eye.”
When Madam Marbella returned to the private room, Elaina began to list the clothing specifications without hesitation.
“The fabrics should be in green and navy. Winter is almost over, but it’s still cold, so a slightly darker green would be good. And the navy should be deep, like the color of the ocean. Do you have such fabrics? I didn’t see them in the book.”
“Ah, the very fabric you described arrived just yesterday. I’ll have them brought in. May I also show you some other fabrics I recommend?”
“Of course. Your taste is the best in the Empire.”
A moment later, her assistant arrived with what seemed like over a dozen different fabrics. Lyle, watching, was puzzled. To his eyes, all the fabrics looked almost the same color.
Elaina couldn’t help but chuckle at Lyle’s confused expression. She could practically see into the mind of the unsophisticated man beside her.
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering why there’s so much fuss over what looks like the same green fabric, right?”
A startled expression briefly crossed Lyle’s face before disappearing. Elaina, not missing the subtle change, looked at him with amused eyes.