The clothes in the carriage were all top-quality, so I was able to gift not only Mei Li but also the servants with very expensive shawls.

Mei Li received her shawl with an overwhelmed expression, but Andrea only offered a faint smile.

I knew Andrea’s reserved expression didn’t mean disinterest—he quite liked it—so I felt reassured that I’d chosen the gifts well.

I had also secretly ordered a wedding dress for Hersia. I planned to send it via Aaron.

If I gifted him the dress, he’d surely take the hint and propose. Reidox, being meticulous, would personally handle ordering Seo Yeon’s wedding dress, so I excluded hers.

“This would suit Vika Lamberst so well, wouldn’t it?”

What Hersia was looking at was none other than a bright red dress.

“I’ve never seen Vika Lamberst in a dress, but I’m sure it would suit him perfectly.”

Come to think of it, in the original story, Vika Lamberst almost always wore leather jackets and vests.

Hersia wrinkled her nose slightly, looking disappointed.

“Really? It’s surprising that someone as beautiful as Vika Lamberst has never worn a dress.”

If I were to suggest Vika Lamberst wear it, he’d probably say, “Why would I wear something so cumbersome?”

But honestly, that red dress seemed impossible for anyone but Vika Lamberst to pull off.

Its intense red shade matched his dark complexion perfectly.

We were all strangely captivated by that red dress, as if it had been born just for Vika Lamberst.

“Since Hersia believes it would suit Vika Lamberst so well, should we try gifting it to him?”

Hersia looked as delighted as if she were the one receiving the dress.

“Among us, only the Duchess would dare gift Vika Lamberst a dress!”

Seo Yeon looked curious, but also somewhat doubtful as she asked,

“But even if we gift him the dress, will Vika Lamberst actually wear it?”

“Still, it’s not just anyone—it’s a gift from the Duchess. Surely he’ll wear it?”

Roen scratched her cheek, looking skeptical.

“Well, Vika Lamberst isn’t someone who cares about anyone’s opinion—not even the Duke’s.”

Everyone looked at me, as if seeking my thoughts.

“I have no intention of forcing Vika Lamberst to wear the dress. If he dislikes it, he doesn’t have to wear it. I’ll respect his choice.”

Hersia bit her lip, looking embarrassed.

“Oh my, I only thought about what I wanted to see—I didn’t consider that Vika Lamberst might dislike it. I feel so thoughtless now.”

“You judged that since you love dresses, Vika Lamberst would too. It wasn’t ill-intentioned, so don’t be ashamed.”

“As expected, the Duchess understands my heart. Thank you.”

“Anyone would think that way. Then, I’ll go visit Vika Lamberst.”

“Even if Vika Lamberst refuses to wear the dress, I won’t be disappointed!”

“Me neither!”

Hersia and Seo Yeon declared resolutely, but their expressions suggested they’d be disappointed.

Honestly, I also wanted to see Vika Lamberst in a dress just once.

If I asked Sikar Blake, he’d probably threaten Vika Lamberst into wearing it… but that wouldn’t be right. Not at all.

Vika Lamberst was sitting with Durion, eating brownies. He’d complained they were too sweet and tasteless, yet he was eating them the most.

“Vika Lamberst.”

Vika Lamberst looked at me questioningly, and I gestured to the staff.

Two employees then spread the dress wide open on either side.

A red dress so beautiful that any ordinary woman would scream in delight appeared before us—but Vika Lamberst’s expression remained indifferent.

“What is this?”

“This is my heart, and a gift, for you, Vika Lamberst!”

Though Vika Lamberst himself looked uninterested, Durion beside him stood up, marveling at the dress.

“Wow! My Lady! This isn’t just a dress?! You’re gifting Vika Lamberst something this beautiful?! With his temper, it’ll be lucky if he doesn’t tear it to shreds.”

“It’s fine. How he chooses to wear it is his freedom. I simply wanted to gift Vika Lamberst a dress.”

Vika Lamberst, still uninterested, replied indifferently,

“Since you call it a gift, I’ll accept it gratefully, My Lady. Please have the clothes placed in my room.”

Durion then grabbed Vika Lamberst’s arm threateningly.

“Hey, you. It’s a gift from the Lady—you should try it on right now! If the Duke finds out you’re being this rude to Her Ladyship, he won’t let you off easily.”

Vika Lamberst seemed to realize his mistake and stood up wearily.

“Fine. Since it’s a gift, I’ll try it on for now.”

I hadn’t needed to play the ‘Sikar Blake’ card—thanks to Durion, things worked out easily.

I instructed the staff to bring the dress and follow me to the room. A few minutes later, while I waited anxiously, Vika Lamberst emerged from the room wearing the dress.

Vika Lamberst in the dress possessed a beauty that defied conventional standards.

Though he himself looked annoyed, we who watched him couldn’t help but marvel.

Durion stared at Vika Lamberst as if he didn’t recognize him.

“Who are you?”

Vika Lamberst’s immediate reply flew back—perfectly matching his personality.

“Get lost.”

Durion clapped slowly, shaking his head as if he’d seen everything the world had to offer.

How could a face with no makeup be so stunning?

The three people—including Hersia—who had been peeking at Vika Lamberst from outside without entering, came in quickly at my beckoning, clearly awestruck.

“Good heavens, Vika Lamberst! You’re so beautiful!”

“I’ve never seen anyone suit a bright red dress so perfectly!”

Hersia and Seo Yeon exclaimed their admiration, while Roen nodded in agreement and gave a small clap.

Vika Lamberst, still uninterested, frowned as he spoke.

“Thank you, My Lady. May I change now?”

Already? What a pity. To see this only among ourselves and then end it.

I glanced at Durion as if seeking help. He stared at Vika Lamberst with a dazed look before speaking.

“Vika Lamberst. It’s a precious gift from the Lady—wearing it for at least today is proper etiquette. And when you wear something like this, turning around once is considered good manners.”

“Manners?”

Durion forcibly spun Vika Lamberst around once.

“Yes. You must turn around like this.”

“Enough, now!”

At the very moment Vika Lamberst’s temple veins bulged and he kicked Durion’s shin, Jeremi Iker rushed in.

“Duchess. The Duke urgently requests your presence!”

Even Jeremi Iker, who had come to deliver the message, gaped at Vika Lamberst’s appearance.

Anyone could see how beautiful he was.

“I’ll go see the Duke. Please rest.”

“Come with me, Duchess. Ah, and Hersia as well.”

Why would they call both of us together?

At the time, I didn’t know why Seo Yeon and Roen giggled as they watched Hersia and me follow, looking utterly bewildered.

When I arrived at the place Jeremi Iker indicated, all I saw before me were balloons, candles, and flowers.

Wait—these are usually decorations for proposals or special events.

Just as I wondered if he was planning a surprise, Sikar Blake appeared from behind a neatly trimmed tree in the garden.

As expected, this was…

Sikar Blake walked confidently toward me and said,

“I practiced a bit.”

“Practiced?”

“Practicing walking out like this.”

Why would he practice that? Could he really be planning to propose?

For some reason, asking felt impolite, so I just kept my mouth shut—until Sikar Blake stepped right in front of me.

“I’m going to formally propose to you.”

So it really was a proposal.

I’d doubted it, but hearing him actually say he’d propose made my heart race as if it would break.

I never imagined someone like Sikar Blake would prepare such an elegant proposal.

He’d bought me all sorts of gifts before, but this was the first time he’d arranged something so delicate and thoughtful.

Sikar Blake held out a small box toward me.

“We’re already married, so I won’t say ‘marry me.’ But.”

Curious and eager to hear what he’d say next, I focused intently.

“I wish you’d be kinder to me.”

I remembered he’d asked me for kindness before. Was it because of something I occasionally said?

“So I prepared this to make a good impression on you. I hope you like it.”

Sikar Blake opened a beautiful ring box toward me.

Inside was… a pink diamond ring.

An incredibly large pink diamond ring!

“T-this is a pink diamond ring?!”

“Yes. A very rare type of diamond. I chose this ring because you’re very special in this world, and it reminded me of you. Do you like it?”

Like it? After how upset I’d been earlier over the pink diamond—of course I liked it.

“It’s so beautiful!”

My body, as if mirroring my heart, automatically extended my finger as if asking him to put it on.

Sikar Blake smiled and slipped the ring onto my finger.

“It suits you very well.”

The craftsmanship of the ring was also exquisitely beautiful.

“Actually, what I said earlier—that Hamel Marquis gave you a pink diamond—was a lie.”

“Why tell such a lie?”

“I was curious how you felt about pink diamonds. I worried you might dislike it.”

So he made up a story just to see my reaction.

“I’m glad. You seemed very disappointed.”

I thought I’d acted convincingly like I didn’t care—but apparently, everyone saw through me.

Looking at the ring on my finger, my nose tingled slightly, and I felt a lump in my throat.

“Thank you for giving me something so precious. I’m truly touched.”

“To me, you’re even more precious than this.”

Sikar Blake pulled me tightly into his arms, as if wrapping me in an embrace.

“Honestly, I didn’t even know I was supposed to propose.”

I’d expected as much and hadn’t hoped for it.

“So does this mean I’m finally free from nagging?”

“Free from nagging?”

“According to Reidox, I’ve been nagged because I didn’t properly propose to you.”

Truthfully, it wasn’t exactly nagging—it was more my determination not to be passively trapped by the strong-willed Sikar Blake. But to Reidox, it probably looked like nagging.

So I hooked my arm in his and spoke more haughtily.

“I’ll see how you do.”

Sikar Blake looked slightly disappointed, as if he’d expected me to obediently agree.

“Even for me, obtaining something like this wasn’t easy—and you’re going to wait and see? As expected, you’re especially harsh only to me.”

It’s the fate of a woman married to a domineering husband—perhaps a sort of self-defense mechanism.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t like you.”

Sikar Blake suddenly tightened his grip around my waist, as if remembering something.

“Come to think of it, I have one more grievance. You still haven’t told me you love me.”