Chapter 15

The next day, Lamirio couldn't concentrate on his work at all.

"Sir... are you listening?"

"I was listening. What is it?"

"...Never mind."

Bosco said this as if pouting and disappeared.

Since Bosco had already given up on him early on, Lamirio ended up just sitting in his office, doing nothing but spacing out. As he did, the image of the beautiful girl who had recently come to his house kept popping into his head.

Lucrezia's appearance at dinner, dressed up in a beautiful dress, wouldn't leave his mind. When she shyly asked if the dress suited her, wearing a cute dress, he felt an urge to pet her like a pet, thinking it was obvious and wondering what she was talking about.

He had never seen such a cute woman. It wasn't just her appearance; her bashful mannerisms stirred his protective instincts.

Lamirio was already completely smitten with Lucrezia and was aware of it.

However.

Lamirio looked at his hands again.

In his hands was a letter.

It stated that he needed to provide some money.

The sender, Duke Serafalle, seemed to be in dire financial straits.

Lamirio had also heard rumors that servants were leaving the duke's palace one after another.

—So, Lucrezia has finally revealed her true colors.

Lamirio felt more sad than angry.

How could he believe that such a pure and kind girl, along with her family, was plotting to extort money from him? He really didn't want to believe it.

As he was lost in thought, Lucrezia came to visit him.

Lucrezia had apparently had a day dress made, and she was wearing a deep blue dress with cream-colored gloves, which suited her to the point of being annoying.

Lamirio quickly hid the letter from the duke and asked her what she needed, trying to act as if nothing was wrong.

"Sir, is there a priest in the chapel of the mansion?"

"Yes, there is. I dislike crowds, so I have all my prayers done there."

"Can we ask the priest to spare some time? I have something I want to confess."

"Of course, but you seem quite enthusiastic."

Lamirio, who found the weekly confession required by the Divina faith to be a nuisance, was impressed that she was so eager to do it on her own.

"Yes... actually, I did something very bad."

Lucrezia looked serious and bowed her head.

Lamirio thought of the letter from the duke.

—Is it because her conscience is bothering her for trying to deceive me...?

He didn't think so, but he still led her to the chapel.

"My guest wishes to confess. Could you spare some time?"

The priest readily agreed.

Lucrezia and the priest disappeared into separate rooms.

Lamirio, unable to help himself, quietly approached the door.

He could hear Lucrezia's voice from inside.

"I confess. Yesterday, I... I ordered as many as ten dresses."

Lamirio was taken aback. Ten was indeed a lot. He wondered if she was a spendthrift.

"I swear, this is the first time... I've always worn plain brown or gray dresses... and I thought I liked them. But... it seems I was wrong."

Lucrezia continued, sounding embarrassed.

"After being complimented by him, I... fell in love with cute clothes. Through the dresses, I felt that he accepted me for who I am, and I was so happy... I wanted him to compliment me more, and I couldn't stop..."

Lucrezia's voice was on the verge of tears.

"This is the first time... I thought I would never be tempted by vanity..."

Lamirio quietly left the scene.

He went to the courtyard and took a deep breath.

—I'll buy her a hundred, two hundred dresses if she wants!

He wanted to say that.

—No, calm down. You're falling right into her trap.

Even though his head told him that, his emotions couldn't catch up. He was already thinking that if Lucrezia was happy, he might pay off Duke Serafalle's debts.

—No, I can't. If I keep this up, I'll definitely be taken advantage of.

Lamirio tried to calm down and called his aide, Bosco, to his office.

"What do you think of this letter from the duke?"

"He seems to be in serious financial trouble."

"...So, it's a marriage scam, right?"

"Perhaps not. She seems to be paying for everything with her own money."

Lamirio was surprised.

"Her own money... where could she get it from?"

It was common knowledge that unmarried young ladies didn't have their own money, just as it was common sense not to give large sums of money to dogs or cats.

This was based on the teachings of the Divina faith, and the same laws applied in both Illuminati and Pastore.

"We need to investigate, but for now, we're only providing her with a bed and daily meals. We haven't been taken advantage of yet."

Lamirio suddenly started grinning.

"R...Right. If we haven't been taken advantage of, there's no need to worry, right? It's not a big deal to have a young lady stay at our house."

"Yes, I agree."

"I'm not being deceived by her... right?"

His words, tinged with hope, earned him a sympathetic look from Bosco.

"She might reveal her true colors after marriage, but if you live in the moment, there's no problem."

Bosco's cold words brought Lamirio back to his senses.

"...For now, I'll put the duke's bill on hold. I'll question her about it when the time is right."

"Right. Even if you decide to send her away, you can enjoy her youth and cuteness first."

"You're such a pervert."

Lamirio didn't want to exploit her youth and cuteness, but he did want to keep her around a bit longer and look at her.

That night, Lamirio finally gave in and visited the chapel to confess.

He, too, wanted to confess.

He knelt down and prayed to God.

"...Ever since she came to this house, I can't stop thinking about her."

He wanted to confess this, which he couldn't control, to ease his mind.

"I've never seen such a cute girl."

Compared to the six girls who had appeared at his engagements, Lucrezia's charm stood out.

"When she calls me 'Sir' with her cute voice, I feel a desire that I can't control, and it scares me."

Even knowing that she was after his money, he wanted to be deceived.

"Even a face like mine has desires, which is a miserable thing. If I felt nothing, I could live for the world, for the people, and govern the land smoothly. Why am I attracted to her even though I know better? I need to be more careful from tomorrow on to avoid doing something foolish."

Lamirio felt relieved after confessing and went to bed with a peaceful mind.

—Tomorrow is the camp.

It was going to be a busy day.

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