Chapter 27

"…My lord, your hand has stopped."

Pavel, who was assisting Altair with his work, cautiously pointed out his lord's idleness. Even though it wasn't a particularly important document, Altair had been stuck on the same paper for several minutes, making no progress.

"Ah."

The fact that Altair only realized the situation after being pointed out clearly showed that he had been lost in thought. To see Altair Ailsford in such a state was something Pavel never thought he would witness in his life. Pavel took the document from Altair's hand, sorted it into the completed pile, and let out a hollow laugh.

"You seem quite unusual today."

"What do you mean by unusual?"

Though he grumbled verbally, the way he awkwardly rubbed his neck indicated that Altair was aware of his own odd behavior.

'I can guess why, but…'

Pavel narrowed his eyes, recalling the strange atmosphere between Nadia and Altair during their fitting with the tailor.

"Did something happen with Lady Nadia?"

"…No?"

"It's clear that something did happen."

"I just said no, didn't I?"

"Does your ear turning red make it any less true?"

Pavel shrugged and adjusted his glasses, causing Altair to hurriedly rub his ear. It seemed his ear was indeed hot, and feeling the warmth, Altair cleared his throat and reached for the next document.

"Mind your own business. What concern is it of yours what happens between my wife and me?"

"As the butler, I must naturally be concerned with the relationship between Lady Nadia and you, as it affects the stability of Ailsford. Was the restorative dish the head chef prepared yesterday effective?"

"Stop worrying about the restorative dish… What?"

Altair frowned and looked up, only to see Pavel smiling casually. His face twisted even more.

"How did you know about that?"

"Even though I look like this, I am the butler. I know everything that goes on in the castle."

"…Who else is in on this scheme?"

"What scheme, my lord? It was just for the future of Ailsford. It's the duty of those who work in the castle."

Altair groaned and rubbed his head. While it was natural for a married couple to spend the night together, and it was good for the lord and lady's relationship to be known, he felt somewhat embarrassed at being a spectacle. Altair tried to shake off his embarrassment and change the subject.

"Let's drop that. Has Blan returned?"

He had assigned Blan to investigate the ring 'Cassandra's Smile' obtained from the last meeting with Marie. It was about time for him to bring back the results.

"Ah, Blan…."

Just as Pavel was about to answer, a knock came from outside.

"My lord, it's Blan."

Since they had just been talking about him, Altair and Pavel exchanged glances and chuckled. They both must have thought, "Speak of the devil," or "This is why one can't be a noble."

"Come in."

At Altair's permission, Blan entered, bowed slightly, and Altair waved his hand dismissively.

"Formalities are done. What about the investigation? Did you find anything?"

"Yes, I found out who the owner of the ring you mentioned is."

"Who is it?"

"Baron Basmonti. He's a noble from the western region who owns fertile farmland. He acquired the ring a few years ago at an auction. It's a valuable ring made of pink diamond, and it was sold for a considerable amount."

"What about its history before the auction?"

"The ring was put up for auction by a famous auction house in the capital. They bought it from a young painter named Dillion, who wasn't very famous but mainly painted portraits for noble families."

"How did such a person come to own a valuable pink diamond ring?"

"That's why I went to see the painter."

Blan puffed out his chest proudly as he continued.

"At first, he refused to talk about how he acquired it. But when I gave him a little scare, he quickly told the truth. He said he received it from Baron Bain's nephew."

"His nephew…."

"Yes, Lady Nadia."

"What reason did he give for giving her the ring?"

"He refused to say. He claimed that if he spoke, he would lose his livelihood. Whether he dies from losing his livelihood or from keeping quiet, it's the same, so he just lay down and waited to die. I couldn't get any more information out of him."

"I see."

A silence fell as the situation seemed strange even when considered logically.

"Why would Lady Nadia give a valuable ring to a young painter…."

Pavel couldn't finish his sentence and tightly closed his mouth.

'Was Dillion Lady Nadia's lover? They must have been close enough for her to give him such a valuable ring, but their relationship couldn't continue due to their social status?'

He tried to find a positive answer, but no matter how he thought about it, he only reached negative conclusions.

"…Let's buy the ring first."

After a long silence, Altair gave Blan an order with a blank expression.

"The ring?"

"Yes. If they don't ask an unreasonable price, quietly pay and buy it."

"What if they ask an unreasonable price?"

"A little scare might be in order."

"Ah, that's my specialty."

Blan tried to lighten the mood with an exaggeratedly cheerful laugh, but Altair's stern expression didn't change. Just when the relationship between Lady Nadia and Lord Altair had improved, this unexpected obstacle appeared. Blan and Pavel exchanged glances and sighed.

* * *

A few days later, new clothes started arriving in the dressing room. The outfits that had been fitted and sized a few days ago were now delivered to Ailsford Castle.

"Wow! They're really beautiful, Lady Nadia!"

Anna clapped her hands excitedly as the beautiful clothes, along with matching hats and gloves, were brought in, but Marie sighed, seemingly dissatisfied with something.

"The outfits are mostly complete, but there are still many accessories missing."

"Buying all the accessories at once would be too expensive. We can take it slowly."

Since they were high-end items, even nobles who enjoyed shopping didn't often buy accessories. Instead, they often changed the settings of heirloom jewels passed down from previous generations to match current trends. In prestigious families, there were often specific jewels or accessories that symbolized them.

'My mother also gave me a ring.'

The ring known as 'Cassandra's Smile' was made of a pink diamond passed down from my maternal family. I heard it was originally a necklace that my grandmother had turned into a ring.

'Now it's no longer in my possession…'

Given the circumstances, my mother would understand. Feeling a void, I looked at my hand, and Marie, who knew the situation well, gently pushed me into the dressing room.

"Try on the new clothes. It will lift your spirits."

"But there's no special occasion today…."

Lately, Altair has been busy with the development of the mines, and I've been preoccupied with the castle's renovation. I was planning to inspect the renovation progress today, and I was worried that the new clothes would get dirty if I wore them to construction sites. However, Marie didn't back down.

"We can create an occasion. How about suggesting a walk to Lord Altair?"

"I'll ask him right now!"

Marie gave a hint, and Anna, catching on quickly, smiled broadly and left the room. Before I could stop her, she was already gone. Feeling dazed, I watched Anna leave, and Marie took the opportunity to bring out the new clothes.

"Now, you have a special occasion, right?"

"Lord Altair is busy. He might refuse."

"Oh, no, he won't. If he were that kind of person, he wouldn't make you uncomfortable every night…."

"Ah, ah, ah, I get it! Let's go try on the clothes! Wow, they're beautiful!"

To avoid hearing more embarrassing comments, I quickly nodded, and Marie smiled knowingly, quickly helping me change. As I started to undress, the door opened. Thinking Anna had returned, I turned my head and saw Altair unexpectedly standing there.

"Did you see Anna?"

"Anna?"

His puzzled look suggested he had missed her.

"I sent her to ask you if you wanted to go for a walk."

"Is that so? But in that outfit, a walk might be a bit difficult."

Altair pointed out my slip dress, and I realized my appearance, blushing. Feeling exposed, I awkwardly wrapped my arms around myself, and Altair chuckled.

"You've seen me completely undressed, so why are you embarrassed by a slip dress?"

"That's different."

"I don't see the difference."

"Well, it's different because one is a process and the other isn't…."

"So, if we sleep together now, it would be part of the process, and you wouldn't be embarrassed?"

"That's a flawed logic."

"Why? You said it's fine if it's part of the process."

"That's…."

Not knowing what to say, I rolled my eyes, and Altair walked over to me. Marie, sensing the situation, had already retreated and closed the door. Without my ally, I felt even more flustered, my face turning red.

"By the way, what brings you here? You've been so busy lately that you hardly have time during the day."

"…I came to talk."

"Is it urgent?"

"Not really, but I can't stand having unanswered questions. I could dig deeper, but I'd rather hear it from you."

Hearing this, I was puzzled.

"Is it about me?"

"Yes."

"I don't know what it is, but feel free to ask."

"Do you know a painter named Dillion?"

The unexpected name caught me off guard, and I gasped, looking at Altair. He looked calm, but there was a coldness in his eyes.

"And this ring, you should know it, right?"

From Altair's pocket, the familiar ring appeared. It was 'Cassandra's Smile.'

"How did you get this?"

"I bought it through proper channels. Tracing its history led me to Dillion, and I found out that you gave him this ring."

"…He promised to keep it a secret."

Dillion had broken his promise. Feeling betrayed, I bit my lip, and Altair handed me the ring, bending down. His face, now closer, looked serious.

"This is a valuable heirloom from your maternal family. Why did you give it to him?"

"…."

I couldn't find the words. Where should I start? As I hesitated, Altair frowned slightly.

"Could it be that he was really your lover?"