# 10
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Before leaving the shopping district, Vivi and I stopped at a bookstore and bought some books. Naturally, they were all connected with romance. From romance guides to various novels.
They say you shouldn't learn love from books, but I couldn't be picky if I wanted to rehabilitate Ian in some way.
After all, I needed to turn him into a man who wouldn't be an embarrassment to Diana.
‘Honestly, if he wants to be worthy of Diana, he should forget about the used car – even a Mercedes-Benz would fall short; He needs a Rolls Royce.”
With this idea in mind, I intended to buy a few books at first, but before I knew it, a pile of them had piled up at the checkout counter.
Again, I couldn't carry them all, so I arranged to have the rest delivered and only brought a few books to read right away at home.
As I entered the main building, leaving Vivi behind to take care of the remaining tasks, I ran into Ian, who was crossing the hall and heading upstairs at about the same time I was.
If we were a normal couple, we might have exchanged greetings, but Ian and I exchanged glances without saying a word. We didn't get along perfectly, after all.
In the end, Ian was the first to break the silence.
“Are you home now?”
“Yes, you see, I had some errands.”
“It's too late.”
Only then did she look at the clock hanging in the hallway. It was approaching midnight.
“Yes, it is.”
“I thought what you were doing was important enough to skip breakfast and come back around midnight.”
“Hmm?”
At his question, which seemed to have a hidden purpose, I tilted my head before finally realizing it.
Oh, right. I completely skipped breakfast with Ian today.
'Oh, so this bothered him?'
I suppressed the sarcastic smile that threatened to appear on my lips, and smiled softly.
“Yes, I upset him.”
His eyes narrowed. He was putting on a strange sour expression.
'Wow, what an unpleasant face.'
Most people would probably start to be wary at this point, but his mood had no effect on me at all.
'He was the one who suggested we avoid each other outside of breakfast anyway. 'If I don't come to breakfast now, shouldn't it be a win-win?'
My thoughts were interrupted by Ian's low voice.
“I don't know what you've been busy with up until this hour, but...”
He silently examined me from head to toe.
“Whatever you are planning, keep in mind that you are still the Grand Duchess. Therefore, I expect you to continue to perform your ‘Grand Duchess duties’. Breakfast is the only time we can discuss the administration of the Duchy, so I would be grateful if...”
“I don't want that.”
I interrupted him, shrugging my shoulders while smiling cheerfully.
"…Sorry?"
“Why should I do that?”
As she asked cheekily, Ian's face filled with disbelief.
Who is the person who should be making this face now?
"You see, Your Highness hasn't shown much interest in me, has he? You've paid so little attention to me that my reputation is in tatters. So why should I be the only one to keep all these duties and promises?"
His mouth opened in surprise as I continued, still smiling sweetly.
“Since we are talking about this topic, while you have been ignoring me, I have been diligently performing all of my ‘Grand Duchess duties’.”
Even when Ian didn't even glance at her, Eloise never neglected her work.
The fact that the duchy had been running smoothly for two years.
She did her job, even while being described as merely a doll, a ghost, or a piece of furniture in the Grand Duke's estate.
“But the more I thought about it, the more I felt like I was the one getting the worse.”
“So, I decided to return the favor by treating you the same way you treated me.”
I gave him a sly smile, my eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Judging by how lonely you felt this morning without me, you seem to have missed my presence, but from now on, I plan to completely change your behavior.”
A training coach can be an angel or a devil, depending on your situation, my friend.
“So if you want something from me, you’d better show me some effort first. At least, try. Or, well… you can keep eating on your own. It would be very funny if you had to come all the way to my office to get the financial reports for the Duchy.”
After all, you'll be the one causing trouble for not receiving reports, not me.
“Give and take. Simple, right?”
I shrugged, looking him straight in the eyes as he tried to form words. Finally, he closed his mouth.
After a moment of staring at me with a cold stare, Ian suddenly turned around.
“…Go to bed.”
A cold breeze practically followed him as he rushed away.
'Okay, okay. He's really putting on a show now, isn't he?'
People should have some f-awareness.
With a quiet sneer, I cautiously raised my middle finger in the direction he went.
“I hope you trip and fall on your face, annoying Ian.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Early in the morning.
“Ah…”
I closed the book I was reading and stretched.
After the previous fight with Ian, I was so angry that I almost gave up on his rehabilitation.
But as for my dear Diana, I couldn't give up yet.
Eventually, I started reading the books I brought home, and now I've already finished reading three of them.
She gently tapped on one of the books that was lying on the bed.
“As expected, I was of no help at all.”
The books I chose were all sweet, as if dipped in sugar.
“There is no way Ian could ever do this.”
That was the problem – it was too perfect.
The men in these stories were all like knights in shining armor, completely out of Ian's league.
“This kind of thing is just something you're born with.”
It was clear that shoving this in Ian's face would be completely uess.
“Maybe force feeding is the only option after all...”
In the past, I had a lot of complaints about Korea's strict and standardized education system, but in reality, when dealing with desperate cases, nothing works better than force-feeding knowledge.
Anyway, my role was to turn this cold-blooded monster into a decent human being before Diana returned.
“Oh, my shoulder hurts.”
After sitting in one position and reading for a long time, my shoulders hurt like they were cramping.
'Who is to blame for me going through this ordeal?'
Just thinking about what happened earlier in the hallway made my blood boil again.
“No, no. Calm down.”
There was no point getting emotional.
I sighed, looked out the window, and whispered to myf,
“Instead of this, maybe I should take a walk.”
I was desperate to clear my head.
She quickly grabbed the shawl that was draped over the armchair and headed downstairs.
It was nearly two in the morning, so the park was completely silent except for a few guards standing guard at night.
I pulled the shawl tightly around me and walked slowly along the central path.
Delicately carved statues, a small fountain, and well-tended ornamental trees lined the path.
The serene beauty of the property filled me with a sudden sense of calm.
'I've always wanted to do something like this.'
A night walk through such a luxurious estate.
After all, in two years, I'll have to hand this palace over to Diana, so it might be best to enjoy it to the fullest while I still can.
Finally, she wandered deeper into the garden and let out a surprised sigh.
“Ah…”
Despite the darkness, thousands of blooming roses filled my vision.
“Very beautiful.”
I deviated from the path and wandered among the flowers, amazed by them.
He sneezed
A light night breeze blew, tickling my nose.
“Ah, it's still a bit cold at night.”
I sniffed and wiped away the small tears that slipped down my sleeve.
“Maybe I shouldn't have dressed so lightly.”
With just thin underwear and a shawl, the cold crept in with every gust of wind.
“Acho! Ah… I guess I can’t stay out for long.”
I was hoping to take my time enjoying the view.
“Well, there's nothing I can do. It's late anyway...”
I had to make do with this tonight and go back to my room.
With some remorse, I quickly returned to the bedroom.
❖ ❖ ❖
In the office on the second floor,
Ian Cloud quietly took off his glasses and stared out the window.
He watched Eloise wipe away her tears in the middle of the rose garden, running back to the main building as if to escape.
A slight frown creased his forehead.
'...Was she crying?'