Episode 15
“Ah! Lady Greenwood truly has an excellent eye. That set is the only one we have in our entire shop.”
Along with applause, the owner’s exaggeratedly loud voice rang out noisily.
‘As expected.’
At the owner’s words, Ines thought to herself.
As expected, that was the very item she knew.
No matter how many times she was reborn, she could never forget that teacup. The teacup displayed in the showcase was a gift that Cedric had bought to commemorate their engagement.
It was a luxury item with delicate blue patterns drawn on a white base, but more than its monetary value, it was the first gift she had received from her husband, which made it the object Ines cherished the most.
Ines slowly approached the teacup
and turned it over to look at the bottom.
She had used it constantly during tea time even after marriage, so she knew it well. It looked like a perfect teacup, but there was a single tiny air bubble on the bottom that remained like a flaw.
It was such a small bubble that it was hard to notice unless you looked closely, a fact that only Ines—who had used it steadily for a long time—knew.
And this teacup also had that familiar bubble.
‘I never thought I’d see this item again.’
With a bitter smile, Ines put the teacup down.
In this lifetime, it could not become hers. Because this belonged not to her, but to whoever would marry Cedric.
Her husband Cedric had to become another woman’s man in this life. Only then could she protect Cedric from the downfall of the Greenwood family.
Just as his side was no longer her
place, this teacup could also no longer be hers.
That was exactly when Ines was trying hard to turn her gaze away.
“Please prepare this one.”
“No! Really, I don’t need it.”
Just because her gaze had lingered a little, Cedric decided to purchase the item far too easily. Ines gasped and tried to stop him, but it was already too late. The shop owner moved much faster than she did.
“Yes! Understood, Your Grace the Duke. Is there anything else you need?”
“If there’s anything else Lady Ines likes, I’ll buy it additionally.”
“Yes. Please do so. The purchased item will be delivered to the Greenwood mansion within today.”
At the events that unfolded in an instant, Ines panicked and waved her hands.
“W-wait a moment, Duke Angel. I…… I mean…….”
“Lady Ines. Do you perhaps know this?”
“Yes?”
“I have never been on an official date with a lady until now. Because of that, many people around me were worried. That I might make a mistake on my very first date.”
A pleasant feeling was revealed in his smiling mouth.
“The head maid said that if I forget to give the lady a gift, she’ll make sure I forget the way home too.”
At Cedric’s words, Ines momentarily forgot that she had to stop him.
A soft smile appeared on Ines’s lips as she recalled the head maid.
The head maid, who had also served as Cedric’s wet nurse since he was young, was a warm and kind person.
She became a special existence not only to Cedric but also to Ines after their marriage. She had truly cherished Ines, who had lost her mother early and grown up under a cold father.
The slightly awkward and stiff atmosphere began to soften gently.
“Moreover, some people worried that if I didn’t give a proper gift, there would be a misunderstanding that the Angel ducal house is suffering financial difficulties.”
“No way. Who said such a thing?”
“That was the butler’s story. So how could I not choose a gift? Please be understanding of my situation, Lady Ines.”
“Ah? Haha. That’s really nonsense.”
Recalling the butler who always pretended to be stern but was soft inside, Ines ended up laughing out loud.
When the quiet and docile person laughed, the atmosphere changed dramatically, as if flowers were blooming fully. The lovable and gentle aura, as if she had become a different person, was enough to captivate Cedric. Enough to make him stare in a daze.
Startled by her own laughter ringing louder than necessary in the quiet shop, Ines quickly closed her mouth.
“It seems this is the first time I’ve seen Lady Ines smile like that.”
“Ah…….”
“It looks good.”
At Cedric’s words, Ines lowered her head deeply.
He said her smiling face looked good. It should not look good.
She must not exchange any human favor with him. At her own pathetic self for momentarily forgetting the true nature of this meeting, Ines’s heart grew heavy.
To lift the sunken mood, Cedric took one step closer and spoke in a low voice.
“As it happens, I also needed one teacup.”
His words were certainly effective.
“Yes? What do you mean by that?”
Surprised by the unexpected remark, Ines raised her head. Then, seeing Cedric standing right beside her, her eyes shook greatly.
“If you pick a suitable one for me, I think I could use it well.”
“You say you need one teacup, Your Grace?”
Taking one step back from Cedric, Ines asked again. Cedric naturally nodded while closing exactly the distance she had created.
“Yes. Is something wrong?”
“But…….”
Frowning, Ines continued.
“But the ducal house should already
have many good teacup sets.”
“There are none.”
“Yes?”
“There are none. Things like teacup sets.”
At his stubborn words, Ines reflexively protested.
“That doesn’t make sense. There’s the Royal Porcelain set that’s over 100 years old, and the teacups specially made for the Angel family by Hepton Company—there are many amazing items.”
“I said there are none.”
“Why are you being so stubborn? They clearly exist, don’t they? The Angel ducal house really has many
remarkable pieces.”
Ines asked in confusion.
Why on earth was he making such an
absurd, forced claim?
The head maid and butler had lined up all the family’s heirloom teacup sets for the new lady of the house who liked drinking tea and explained the stories behind each item.
No, there was no need to go far.
In her previous life, how many tea times had she shared with Cedric?
The time spent drinking tea with him had been the happiest part of Ines’s day.
At that time, Cedric clearly knew all about the Angel family’s teacups. That fact couldn’t have changed just because she returned to the past.
No matter how much she thought about it, it was an incomprehensible stubbornness. Ines’s voice rose slightly in irritation.
“Then what about this? You have a teacup you use often, don’t you? The one you made with your mother when you were young…….”
“How does Lady Ines know about that?”
It was a tone of wonder at how she knew his family circumstances so well. Only then did Ines realize her mistake at Cedric’s reaction and firmly shut her mouth, but it was already too late to recover. Cedric’s voice reached her once more.
“Have Lady Ines and I ever had such a conversation before?”
“No. We haven’t.”
“Then how do you know the Angel family’s private matters so well?”
“Well, the Angel ducal house receives attention from many people, after all. I must have heard it somewhere. Please don’t mind it. I spoke too much.”
Flustered, Ines tried hard to quickly move away from Cedric. However, no matter how fast Ines walked, she couldn’t escape him inside the shop.
Cedric matched his stride right beside her and enjoyed himself. Just the fact that she was interested in him and his family made him feel quite pleasant.
“As Lady Ines said, it’s true that there are many good items. I do often use the teacup I made with my mother. I’m sorry for lying. But I thought it would be nice to have something to commemorate my first date.”
He gently blocked her path and asked with a smiling face.
“If it’s alright, won’t you choose one
for me?”
Fortunately, Cedric seemed to believe her clumsy lie. Ines let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
‘At this rate, it really looks like I did a full background check. Creepily.’
There was nothing she could say even if he got goosebumps thinking there was a woman who knew even the circumstances of his family’s heirloom teacups. Then Ines slowly blinked.
On second thought, wasn’t it actually better to appear that way?
Ines met Cedric’s eyes. Even a sense of resolve hovered on her face as she swallowed hard. After moving her lips for a moment, Ines made up her mind and opened her mouth.
“I’m sorry. I lied too.”
“Yes?”
“Actually, I did investigate. I was very curious about Your Grace and the Angel family.”
Ines thought he would be greatly flustered by her words. If she was lucky, he might even storm out of the place. If things could be resolved that way, the future would become much easier.
Even if she was despised by Cedric, there was no choice. It would hurt, but breaking off an engagement was originally like that. There was no way a happy and refreshing parting
awaited them.
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