Chapter 12

It has been a week since I became Zain's lover. Although there has been no contact yet, he must still be busy.

In the meantime, I have been studying magic, manners, and the Kingdom of Seawell, while also thinking about how to increase Zain's affection for me.

"Thank you. Today we have apple tart."

"Thank you! I love tarts."

During the break, as I was served tea and tart, I glanced up at Yana, who was standing beside me.

By the way, every time I get an excessive amount of pastries, I feel a pang of guilt for not being able to finish them, so I have asked for a reduction.

"Hey, Yana, have you ever been in a relationship with a man?"

"Yes, a few times. I've been with my current boyfriend for two years."

"Wh-what..."

Her casual response made Yana suddenly seem distant and very mature.

I turned to Evan, clinging to him.

"E-Evan...?"

"Me? I'm quite popular, so I've had my fair share."

"Wh-what..."

His casual response made me feel left out. It seems I am the only one without any dating experience.

Indeed, Evan is handsome and well-known as a knight. Despite his quirks, there's no way he wouldn't be popular.

Still, I decided to consult these two strong allies immediately.

"So, how can I make a man fall for me?"

They immediately realized I was talking about Zain and gave me a surprisingly warm look. It was embarrassing.

"Men are said to like contrasts. They get excited when they see a different side of you."

"I see, a contrast."

"Feeling special, like you're the only one, is also nice."

"Oh...!"

Reflecting on the novels, Grace had been quite gentle with Zain during their relationship, especially when he was hurt.

She was never harsh like a villainess and always whispered words of love to him.

Though her actions were villainous, it seemed she didn't have to act like a villainess in front of Zain.

The contrast of being a tough villainess to everyone else but gentle and cute to him seemed effective.

"Being liked is simply nice, too."

"Sure, that sounds like a popular guy."

"All women fall for me quickly, but they also get tired of me quickly."

"..."

After further discussion, we decided that I should continue being a villainess as usual but act cute and affectionate in front of Zain, showing him special treatment.

When I calmed down, I realized how difficult this would be, and I started to sweat.

"Isn't this quite difficult...?"

"Is it? I think you can be yourself in front of the Duke."

"Right, I agree."

"Again..."

As a poor, ordinary person, there's no way I could make Zain like me just by being myself. But they insisted that I should be myself and didn't budge.

Indeed, the contrast between my original self and Grace might be too much.

But if I can be more like my current self, it would be much easier. Of course, I still need to act like a noble lady.

"Definitely, don't try any cheap tricks."

"Right, thank you both! I'll give it a try."

If two experienced people say so, it must be right. Plus, Charlotte won't appear for another year, so I have time to try different things.

"If that's the case, we should go on a date, a date."

"D-date..."

"Yes. It's a chance to show your best side."

Indeed, without interaction, the distance won't close. Thinking about this, I prepared a letter set.

I wrote that I would like to go out with him when he was free and sent it to the Duke's residence.

Soon, a beautifully written reply arrived, and I ended up going on a date with Zain in the city over the weekend.

"That's great, Miss! If that's the case, you need to prepare well for the day."

"I-I'm getting nervous... Thank you."

For me, this will be my first date.

With various tensions, I spent the days leading up to the weekend feeling restless.

◇◇◇

And the day of the date arrived.

Lord Zain – I'll call him that to avoid accidentally calling him by his first name in front of him – came to pick me up exactly at 3:00 PM.

Wearing a navy jacket and with his slightly long hair tucked behind one ear, he looked so beautiful that I almost felt unworthy of his attention.

However, seeing Yana and Evan giving me a thumbs-up as they saw me off, I clenched my fist in determination, making sure Zain didn't see.

"Hello, Lord Zain. I'm glad to see you."

"Yes. I'm sorry for the late contact."

"No, thank you for coming despite your busy schedule."

On the other hand, as soon as Zain saw me, he showed a slightly surprised look. Indeed, my plan to attract his attention with a big contrast had already begun.

Today, I was dressed as a cute, pure lady.

I thought Zain might feel embarrassed walking with a stereotypical villainess, so I wore a light lemon-colored dress. It suited Grace's soft pink hair much better than a bright red dress.

I also wore simple jewelry to match the dress, instead of the usual flashy ones.

Of course, I plan to wear my usual bright dresses when I'm not with him, to emphasize that this is special for our dates.

"Is this... strange?"

"...No, I think it suits you well."

"I'm glad. I tried to wear something different to get closer to your taste, so I'm a bit nervous."

After I said this, he only murmured, "I see." His wariness of Grace was still high.

"Shall we go?"

"Yes."

When I took his outstretched hand, it was large and warm, making me nervous. We got into the Duke's luxurious carriage, sat across from each other, and our golden eyes met.

"Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"

"No, I'm not very familiar."

"Not familiar? I thought you knew the area well."

"Oh, right. A little."

I heard that it's best to let the man take the lead in such situations, so I gave him a look that said, "I'll leave it to you."

"Then let's go to the theater. I've already reserved seats."

"Yes, please!"

I'm sure Yana meant that we would go to a popular opera. It's a very popular show, and getting tickets is quite difficult.

While admiring his ability to get tickets so quickly, I was excited about my first opera.

"Ah, I need to focus."

Of course, enjoying myself would show, and it's important, but I mustn't forget my main goal.

I recalled the "10 Goals to Get Closer to Lord Zain" list in my bag.

The first goal, today's goal, is to lower his guard a bit and get him to call me by my name, "Grace."

The second goal is to hold hands. The later goals are too embarrassing to even say, and I honestly want to scrap them.

– I didn't think this embarrassing paper, which I created with Evan during an all-nighter, would be seen by Zain, so I gathered my courage and gave him my best smile.