“Lexion.”
“Hm?”
“Stop it.”
“What am I doing?”
Though she spoke up because his eyes were full of tenderness and affection, which made her uncomfortable, he didn’t look away.
Seriously, why is he going this far?
Milena frowned as she walked down the hallway with him on their way to lunch. Due to delays in her preparations, Ashid and the matron had already been waiting.
This beast of a man had even gone so far as to personally feed her a recovery tonic when her legs gave out. And his ever-cheerful face was so annoyingly smug.
She’d heard he had a lot of experience with women, and apparently, that wasn’t a lie. Even the gossip magazine Jenny brought made more sense now.
Wasn’t it said that women who experienced a night with him ended up lovesick? He had ripped the magazine to shreds, claiming it was all lies, but having experienced it firsthand, she now found it plausible.
With delicate care, he supported her waist as he escorted her. His considerate demeanor continued even at the dining table.
“Welcome, my dear.”
“Auntie, why are you so late!”
The matron looked fondly at Lexion and Milena, while Ashid pouted, puffing his cheeks with a sulky face. Though he quickly behaved under the matron’s gaze, his sharp eyes stayed locked on Lexion.
“What about my brother and sister-in-law?”
“They were both too busy and went ahead. They’re doubling up on everyone else’s work, so of course they’re busy.”
Despite the complaint directed at Lexion, he remained unfazed and focused on taking care of his wife. He even leaned toward Milena from his seat, as if naturally drawn to her.
Though the scene was pleasant to witness, the matron stifled a sigh at her shameless son’s behavior. She looked down at the neatly presented dishes and spoke.
“My dear, I’ll introduce you to Claudia’s husband later. You’ll receive a separate invitation to meet with the head of the family.”
“Yes, Mother.”
As he spread butter on a fluffy piece of white bread, Lexion felt a ticklish warmth at her calling the matron “Mother.”
Why? Maybe it was because it made her feel like real family.
“Lexion, why don’t you take her out and have a dress made for her? Everyone’s curious about my daughter-in-law—there’s already a mountain of invitations.”
From the moment Lexion stepped into the ducal estate with Milena, the capital had been buzzing.
Especially once word of his marriage spread, high society was in an uproar. Since he’d been absent from the capital for quite a while, their curiosity only grew.
“Who is she?! The woman who managed to settle down Silbert’s notorious playboy?”
The matron’s suggestion was to show her off openly and confidently. That way, no one would dare speak ill of her.
“Shall we?”
It wasn’t a bad idea. If he publicly showed how devoted he was to his wife, it could change his reputation. Plus, it would empower Milena Silbert, the woman who’d tamed Lexion Silbert.
It might not be a bad move to shed his playboy image and step into the role of a devoted husband.
“Here, say ah—”
He naturally moved the bread toward Milena’s mouth.
But then, unexpectedly, he floated the bread with magic toward the small mouth of the child. Ashid’s expression contorted in horror.
After glancing nervously at the matron, Ashid bit into the bread with determination.
Despite the silent battle between Ashid and Lexion over bread, the meal passed peacefully.
In the afternoon, once preparations for the outing were complete and they stepped outside, the “Jeje siblings” whispered behind their master.
“Hey, oppa, are we really okay with this?”
“Who knows? He must have his reasons. But I think from the moment he signed that marriage contract, the Lord had already decided to sacrifice his image.”
“It’s a shame though…”
No one knew when the Silbert family’s third son began to gain notoriety as a social debauchee.
Before making his name in society, no one knew what kind of life he had led. Publicly, it was said he had studied abroad in his youth, but in truth, he had lived almost like a prisoner within the ducal estate.
The information guild was created after his performance began. The first employees of that guild? These very siblings.
They had witnessed firsthand how he crafted his persona and lived his double life.
Lexion didn’t seem to care much that his freedom of movement was narrowing. Rather, he seemed quite eager to shed the playboy image.
It was obvious how excited he was.
“It’s a shame all the work we’ve put in is going to waste, but… not bad.”
Now, seeing Lexion and Ashid bickering in front of the carriage over who got to hold Milena’s hand—it had become a normal part of their lives.
Just the fact that he, who had always been on edge, had softened, was something to be happy about as his subordinate. But still…
“Why do I feel like crying?”
Tears welled in Gerard’s eyes from all the overwork. Since Lexion couldn’t personally interact with other women anymore, the workload had shifted to them.
“Cheer up, oppa!”
Jenny, as cheerful as ever as if it didn’t concern her, said with a smile.
“You’re not the only one working. You’ll be helping too.”
“Haha, nope! I’ve been assigned exclusively to the young madam, so I’m exempt from everything else!”
With a teasing laugh, Jenny hopped into the carriage behind Milena. Clicking his tongue, Gerard climbed into the coachman’s seat, and the carriage carrying the stars of the current gossip set off.
Milena, pretending not to be excited, gazed out the window beside Ashid, their eyes sparkling.
The slow-moving scenery was on another level compared to the North. Unlike the grayish northern villages, the capital—centered around the imperial palace—was vibrant and dazzling.
Even Milena, who rarely went out, was amazed by the sights. So how much more amazed must Ashid be, who had never left the Grand Duke’s castle?
The child couldn’t take his eyes off the scene, different from what he had seen when entering the ducal estate.
To him, the commercial district was filled with wonders. Because it was close to the noble residences, many luxurious shops decorated with magic lined the streets.
“We’re going to Madame Blanc’s atelier now. It’s one of the top three in the capital! Their bookings are full year-round, and even high nobles and royalty can rarely wear a Madame Blanc dress!”
“What’s that place, Jenny?”
“Oh! That’s a café where noble ladies often gather. The trending drink these days is…”
Jenny chattered nonstop, giving explanations for everything that caught Milena’s attention, and Milena listened with interest.
Watching Milena and Ashid mesmerized by the glamorous scenery, Lexion chuckled and turned his gaze to the window.
Tsk. He clicked his tongue inwardly at the openly curious stares.
The Silbert family’s carriage almost never left the estate. Aside from the matron entering the Imperial City, no one else rode it.
But now, a new mistress had appeared.
People recognized the wolf emblem of House Silbert, and all eyes turned toward the carriage. He had expected this, but it didn’t make it any less annoying.
“We’ve arrived.”
It was late winter, when the sun set early.
As dusk settled over the city, they stopped in front of a brilliantly lit atelier.
Holding Lexion’s hand, Milena stepped out of the carriage, her heart pounding as she looked at the elegant sign that read [Madame Blanc] in cursive.
She was excited—not just for the new experience, but because it felt like something was becoming hers.
It truly felt like she was closing the chapter on her life in the North.
Even with such a handsome man beside her, Milena’s eyes were busy scanning the atelier’s façade and the displayed dresses.
“Auntie, let’s go in already!”
Ashid’s voice was almost solemn with tension, making Milena chuckle. He had been briefed on the etiquette before leaving the estate and was clearly nervous.
“Alright.”
With one hand holding Lexion’s arm and the other holding Ashid’s, Milena stepped forward.
This was her unofficial debut as Lexion’s wife.
With a calm, composed expression, she entered the atelier.
Ding-ling!
With the cheerful chime of the bell, all eyes inside turned to Lexion and Milena.
“Oh my~! Look who it is!”
She had expected the nobles sitting at the tables to stare—but not the atelier owner’s enthusiastic welcome.
“To think Prince Silbert himself would visit—what an honor!”
The man’s voice was theatrical and overly dramatic.
Click-clack. A man in polished shoes approached Milena with graceful steps.
He was a full head taller than Lexion, with long white hair coiled up and held in place with pins—like a living pincushion.
“Is this the rumored Queen?”
Queen?
Before Milena could even process the strange word, the man had already taken her hand and kissed the back of it.
“A pleasure to meet you, my lady. I’m Blanc Robert of Madame Blanc.”
Lifting his head with a flourish, Blanc smiled mischievously, his eyes gleaming.
