Honey, I Believe That’s Your Misunderstanding

Grace went out into the city, wearing a wide-brimmed hat that covered half of her face.

When she saw her face reflected on a window as she passed by, she let out a soft sigh.

‘Still swollen in the end.’

The covered part of her face was swollen.

That’s the side that Norman had slapped. Two days had already passed and she applied a cold compress on it practically the whole day yesterday, but the swelling refused to go away.

And if one were to look closely, there was also a light bruise, but it was well covered by make-up.

There’s no helping the swelling though.

Really, she couldn’t even go out yesterday because it was so swollen.

Because of that, she couldn’t even go out to buy the gift she was going to give to Lucas.

Any keen eye might notice that her cheek looked strange.

‘…I should have just asked an attendant to bring it there.’

Lucas Blacke’s coat.

His invitation for her to come in person in order to return it.

She pondered for a long time about it.

Whether she should go and see him while she was still in this state, or to pluck the courage to send his coat through an attendant instead.

At that time, she made up her mind and decided to send for someone instead of going personally. However, at the same time, a servant from House Blacke had arrived.

‘This is an official invitation. At Milord’s command, a special bison dish had been prepared for this day. It’s a very special dish that our head chef is truly proud of. We will be sending a carriage for you around 5 PM, Your Ladyship, so please wait for it.’

The invitation came with a well-wrapped gift with a ribbon on top, and inside was a small, elongated bottle filled with an aromatic oil.

When a guest would be coming from far away, it was customary in the Zeronium Kingdom to send a book of poems, some refreshments or perhaps some relaxing essential oils along with the invitation so that they wouldn’t be bored on the way.

These relaxing oils were the recent trend, and applying a little underneath your ears would make you feel relaxed and relieved of fatigue.

The oil that had been sent to her was famous, and not readily available to many. It’s called, ‘Bardo’s Greenhouse’.

It was a lovely and heady scent with a moderate mixture of herbs and flowers.

And, this essential oil had the kind of scent that would change a few hours after it would touch a person’s skin. That’s why, apart from the name ‘Bardo’s Greenhouse’, it also received a different nickname.

‘Invitation to the Greenhouse’.

At first, it would be a subtle and refreshing scent, but it would later turn into an elegant and sensuous scent.

It was the kind of scent that would make anyone feel good just by being beside the person wearing the scent, and as time would go on, that person would want to get drunk on that scent—to the point that they would be overcome by the urge to bury their nose into the skin of the other person, where the oil was applied.

Because of this, ‘Bardo’s Greenhouse’ had become popular among the noble ladies, but it wasn’t readily available.

The oil was entirely handmade, the recipe was top secret, and the recipe required very rare ingredients, so the manufacturing of this oil was no easy task.

‘That kind of oil…’

None other than Lucas Blacke himself had sent ‘that’ oil to her.

“…I’m doomed.”

If she were to refuse this sincere invitation any further, it’s no doubt that a spark of fury would light up that man’s eyes.

Even if he wouldn’t get as angry as her father or older brother, he would still definitely feel offended.

Men did not usually endure and hold back on their emotions, so if he would get angry and swing his dreadful sword at her because she had offended him..!

‘Ugh, no. I don’t think that’ll happen though. But… But I’m still scared…’

Still, even though he might not get angry, if he would so much as glare at her with his uniquely heavy, dark eyes, Grace thought that she really might still faint again.

‘…No, I’d rather play safe. It might even be more effective to go now and show my swollen face, then say that we should cancel this marriage. Now that he’s seen Father’s temper, it might be a good opportunity to show him how much of a bad idea it is to become in-laws with my family.’

Best case scenario, he’d be the one to say that the two of them should reconsider the marriage between them.

After having plucked up some courage from this thought, Grace immediately dressed up and went out to buy the present for him that she couldn’t buy yesterday.

Since it’s already like this, she felt that she had to choose a gift that would suit him.

‘But before that, I should stop by there.’

She remembered that there’s one more place she had to go to.

She had to hurry so that she could make it on time.

* * *

“This…”

Nottia, a doctor of the National Hospital, grimaced as she looked at the dark blue bruise that had flowered upon Grace’s thin, pale stomach.

Nottia observed Grace, who was obediently lying on the bed while showing her belly.

And her eyes stopped on Grace’s inflamed cheek.

Seeing her face like that made Nottia let out a long-drawn sigh.

“Did that goddamn small-minded prick hit you again, Grace?”

Nottia’s harsh cussing made Grace chuckle.

“Yes. It’s the third time this year, I believe?”

As she answered Nottia frankly, Grace covered her stomach with the hospital gown that she was wearing, then she smiled awkwardly.

Nottia and Grace had been friends ever since they were kids, at the academy.

Nottia was a daughter of a fallen baron household, but despite that, she finished all nine year-levels with her smarts, going on to study medicine. She was now a court doctor of the royal family.

On the other hand, Grace was the daughter of an antiquated household, and she completed her studies at the academy after only six years. This was often the case for many noble households who were not happy about women’s education.

Grace herself had very high grades and much enthusiasm for her studies, but she wasn’t in the right condition to continue because of her weak constitution.

On top of that, whenever she would get good grades for the school year, Norman always got so hysterical about it that it became harder for her to continue going to school.

Anyhow, Grace and Nottia often stuck together while they were attending the academy.

Therefore, Grace always came to Nottia for medical treatment, so by now, she wasn’t shy about showing her body to her friend.

…Well, there’s also a different reason.

Neatly dressed in the hospital gown, Grace smiled and said to Nottia,

“Please write down all the details, Nottia.”

“It’s your record, so of course I’ll keep it carefully with my heart and soul, but… Is this really going to be used one day, Grace?”

Grace answered with a shrug.

“Well, it would still be best not to reveal this record, but we don’t know what the future holds. In any case, the day that I can become independent could also come soon, we don’t know.”

Hearing Grace’s words, Nottia grinned and adjusted her glasses.

“Everyone in the whole world should know that the fragile lily of House O’Ellin is actually so clever and smart… You know, I really think that it would be better for you to lead that household, Grace. Not by that goddamn moron. Rather than that dunce, you’d be so much better at the job. You even caught all those people who were committing tax evasion through the orphanages, right? Look at that, just how smart are you, huh?”

As Nottia spilled out an overflowing stream of compliments, Grace just smiled.

She appreciated her friend’s compliments, but she truly didn’t see herself as that big of a person.

She had prepared this and that for the sake of a smooth transition into her independence, but other than that, she didn’t want much else in her life.

Grace went into a separate changing room to change back into her dress.

Julie, who was waiting outside, assisted her.

After nodding to Nottia wordlessly to say goodbye, Grace headed out of the hospital. Her next destination was a shop that sells men’s accessories.

Standing in front of a large and posh-looking haberdashery, Grace hesitated for a long time, thinking about whether to choose this shop or the fountain pen store next door.

“I don’t know much about men’s accessories… And, would he even really want an off-the-shelf item?”

She thought that a fountain pen would be a much better gift than anything she could get in the haberdashery, but she didn’t have the courage to go to the fountain pen store.

Considering her fear of sharp things, she didn’t know if she’d be able to endure being inside a store that was chock-full of pointed pen tips all over the place.

“…I can’t, I can’t. Anyway, the fountain pen is out.”

In the end, she chose the haberdashery.

She was just about to open the shop’s glass door to go inside.

But then, Grace caught sight of the profile of a certain someone through the glass door—someone who was emitting a tremendous presence.

Upright posture, formal suit, well-styled black hair, flashing blue eyes.

And, a quiet atmosphere that overwhelmed his surroundings.

“…Oh my god.”

Why is Duke Lucas Blacke here…!

The bell rang after the door was halfway opened, and at the threshold, Grace watched as Lucas Blacke slowly turned around to face her.

Without any further thought, Grace instinctively turned and ran away.

She ran in such a hurry that she didn’t even notice how her hat had fallen off its perch on her head.

‘Did our eyes meet? Did he see me? What do I do? What do I do!’

When Grace urgently turned around, Julie followed after her.

“Milady, where are you going!”

“Don’t come after me, Julie! Stay there!”

Without thinking, Grace rushed into the next store, where she could hide herself the fastest.

And right as she took a step into that store, she hurriedly hid herself in between the display cases.

Gasp, gaaasp.

As she tried to catch her breath, her heart was beating wildly.

Perhaps because she had encountered him at an unexpected place, but her heart had started reacting strangely.

And to her shock, she was now looking at so many different pen tips on display right in front of her.

Grace looked down immediately, and she desperately tried to even out her breathing as she pressed down on her huffing chest.

Meanwhile, ring— She heard the fountain pen store’s door opening once more with a cheerful ring.

And what followed was…

Ta-dak, ta-dak, ta-dak.

“……!”

The heavy sound of footsteps that was evidently made by a man’s shoes.

‘What do I do. What do I do. What do I do…!’

She did not know whether it was an illusion or not, but it felt like the sound of those footsteps were getting closer and closer to her.

As a result, Grace’s heart was set into an even more ferocious turmoil.

‘Calm down, Grace O’Ellin.’

She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lower lip.

At the same time, she constantly continued to think about an excuse she could give as to why she was hiding here.

But she couldn’t think of anything. Her body had just moved on instinct.

She was just so so so surprised to bump into him in a place like this. She never imagined such a thing would happen!