* * *

“Goodness… What happened to your face?”

Upon seeing Luna who had just finished her bath, Beth furrowed her brows and asked.

What’s wrong with her face? It was an off-putting question to anyone, but considering Luna emerged with makeup on her still wet eyes and lips, there was no refuting it.

“Did you get burnt?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Perhaps she was just ahead of her time. The makeup technique that had been trendy in her past life was evidently not in vogue in the Empire.

“You look like you’ve been hit a few times.”

Beth looked into Luna’s eyes with a slightly worried face, wondering if she had fallen during her bath. Her expression seemed to regret letting Luna bathe alone.

It wasn’t just a look; Luna’s eye area indeed looked like she had been bruised. She had tried too hard to cover it up, and now her eye makeup resembled that of a panda.

“Ah, I tried something new… Guess it didn’t work out.”

“If young master Fersen had seen it, he would have been frightened.”

Luna wanted to laugh it off, but Beth responded with a deeply flushed face.

In the future, Luna thought, she’d have to be more moderate. Feeling embarrassed, she mumbled a reply and headed back to her room.

“I tried to change the vibe to finish my tasks faster…”

“As I’ve said many times, there’s no need for these experiments. It’s important how much you resemble Lady Luna Peils. Haven’t I told you many times?”

Luna nodded, slightly delayed.

It had been a shock hearing about this from Deborah, but experiencing it herself made it even more uncomfortable.

“I’m not scolding you. Your proactive attitude towards the task is appreciated.”

Beth confessed that she had been somewhat frustrated with Luna’s previous approaches, making Luna feel awkward. With that, Luna headed to Deborah’s room.

Just when Luna thought her day couldn’t get any more chaotic, an unexpected final event awaited her.

“What did you do to your face?”

It was the Duke’s butler. He expressed clear disgust as he criticized Luna.

Is a little makeup really worth that reaction? Dejected, Luna lowered her gaze to the ground.

“I’ll remove it soon.”

“Of course, you have to. The Duke is waiting, so hurry up.”

“The Duke?”

Surprised, Luna looked up. The butler met her gaze with a deep frown and responded:

“Yes. So, do something about that face. By the way, are you feeling ill? Your voice sounds different.”

“A, ah, maybe I’m catching a cold…”

She had spoken too softly. As Luna replied while holding her forehead, the butler, looking displeased, left the scene.

Was the Duke suspicious and thus called for her? She remembered their encounter when she arrived at the mansion, and now anxiety dried Luna’s lips.

Thankfully, Beth seemed calm, likely because the Duke often called for Deborah. Luna felt relieved.

“I need to remove this makeup. I’ll fetch some water for you, so please wait inside.”

While Beth went to fetch the water, Luna quickly found something to wipe her eyes. There was a bottle full of water in the room. Wetting a cloth, she gently wiped her eyes. Though it was a bit messy, she no longer looked like a panda.

‘I guess I just need to cover the surrounding area with some makeup.’

Even if it smeared, she wouldn’t be facing the Duke up close, so it should be okay.

Beth returned with the water while Luna was at ease.

“I tried removing it since I didn’t want to keep the Duke waiting. Does it look weird?”

“No, not at all, but…”

Beth wondered if Luna really needed to remove it so hastily. It was as if she couldn’t bear anyone seeing her bare face.

Besides, she thought Deborah was also tired because she had already been reprimanded countless times today.

So she took out some cosmetics and cleaned up Luna’s eyes and ended the conversation by saying she would just go downstairs.

* * *

The Duke was waiting for Luna on the terrace. As he read documents and sipped tea, Luna, thinking he might be reading some secret ledger, sat opposite him with wide eyes.

“You seem more like yourself now. Earlier, I thought you lost your mind.”

The Duke immediately launched into sharp criticism. Luna, unfazed, tried to sneak a peek at the document the Duke had set aside.

The Duke didn’t hide it, allowing Luna to scan the content. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what Luna had hoped. It was a letter, not an official document. The letter’s content was the Duchess demanding half of the Duke’s wealth as alimony.

“I heard you’ve become close to Fersen. Isn’t it time to quit playing house? I’m tired of waiting.”

“…!”

How could someone say such a thing in front of another? Luna was momentarily at a loss for words at the Duke’s blatant mockery.

‘If I hadn’t come to the mansion today in Deborah’s place…’

Something truly unsightly might have occurred.

‘Stop talking nonsense right now!’

Unlike herself, who could slap the Duke and reveal her identity right now, telling him not to talk nonsense, Deborah would have no way to back down.

Whether things go well or not, Deborah and her mother must be protected at all costs.

Luna, determined never to let the Duke lay a finger on them again, hid her cold expression and responded.

“…I was thinking it’s about time anyway. I don’t want to drag this out for too long.”

Seeing Luna’s unusual assertiveness, the Duke raised an eyebrow.

“Good attitude.”

He didn’t doubt her, but he was pleased with her demeanor.

“Before that, I have one favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

The Duke smirked, recalling that Deborah had previously shown greed. Then Luna bluntly requested money.

“I’d like half of the promised amount in advance. Just in case.”

The Duke’s face hardened, as if he had heard something absurd.

“Why should I trust you enough to pay half upfront?”

“You can give it via a check. That way, even if I ruin everything and run away, I won’t be able to access the money.”

If money was withdrawn from the check, the issuer, the Duke, would be notified. He could even prevent her from accessing the money in case she tried to flee with the check.

While such an advantage existed, it also meant the issuer’s identity would be known.

Luna’s request for the check was to secure evidence that the Duke was behind all of this. Even if she managed to swipe the contract, there was no harm in securing the check as an insurance.

When Luna finished speaking, the Duke narrowed his eyes, as if trying to gauge her real intentions.

‘Did I push too far?’

Luna was about to backtrack on her words when, unexpectedly, the Duke accepted her proposal.

“Fine, let’s do that. But I have a condition of my own.”

Naturally, conditions were attached. Eager to receive the check at any cost, Luna nodded, urging him to continue.

“You need to prove you’re worth the advance payment.”

“…How?”

It certainly wasn’t about dancing. Though she had an idea of what he might ask, she questioned him, hoping she was wrong. The Duke, with a smirk, answered:

“I want to see you and Fersen together. To confirm that he truly recognizes you as Luna and that you’ve become close.”

…What? Luna was frozen in shock for a moment, but the Duke stood up, ready to verify it right then.

“Don’t tell me you asked for the money without confidence? Were your reports of getting close to him all lies?”

“No, it wasn’t that, but…”

She hadn’t expected to meet Fersen so suddenly. Actually, she never intended to meet him at all.

Deborah rarely met Fersen, so Luna assumed she could avoid him.

However, under the gaze of the insistent Duke, Luna reluctantly stood up. Beth, who was watching, couldn’t hide her anxiety and bit her lip.

‘What to do? Do I really have to meet Fersen now?’

Lost in worry, Luna watched the Duke stride towards Fersen’s room, taking the lead.

She followed him like a magnet, and with resignation, clenched her fist. Since it had come to this, she resolved to do as the Duke wished.