The first sign of change came when Estella woke up and changed out of her pajamas. She heard the sound of someone running down the hallway.

The servants of the Duchy of Estella were well trained for the majesty of the house, and there was no one of consequence among them who would make such a fuss, especially as it was the equivalent of writing a resignation. It would be different if the other person was a master who didn’t have to worry about being fired.

“You told me you’re not getting married! No! Way!”

Cedric shouted as he burst into Estella’s room. It had to be happening now, but she had no idea where he’d gotten the news so quickly.

Estella wasn’t surprised, as she had expected Cedric to go on a rampage. Suddenly, a wave of sleep washed over her, and she let out a yawn she’d been holding back before she could answer, which only made Cedric blush even more.

It was only after a moment that Estella asked, her voice flat.

“Who did you hear that from?”

“I heard the maids talking…… No, that’s not the point, why did you lie?”

Cedric stopped blabbering about the source of his information. Estella clicked her tongue briefly. As she had expected, the rumor had already spread overnight. When she left this room, the maids will looked at her differently.

“I meant it when I said it, so there’s some grown-up stuff going on here…….”

Estella trailed off. That adult matter was somewhat intertwined with the death of Duke Estella.

For a moment, Estella wondered how to explain it to Cedric. If she gave him a good reason, he would be convinced and move on. She hadn’t lied to him, but she had deceived him. Cedric would have felt betrayed.

But for Estella, it was just as ridiculous. The cause of this sudden engagement was his brother, whom he loved dearly. She had attended the social gathering to arrange a match for him, but instead, she found herself on the receiving end. Promising marriage to her employer overnight, it was indeed an unexpected rise in social status.

After a brief meeting on the terrace, Estella was immediately introduced to everyone as his lover. It was a good thing she hadn’t spent too much time talking to people when she first entered. She didn’t bother to mention that she was a tutor working for the Duke of Berta, but the rumors had probably been spread overnight by their nimble informants.

Estella had to be the first to explain to Adriana the reason for the engagement, to prevent any misunderstandings. It was meant to help Adriana, but it also completely derail her plans.

Contrary to her worries, Adriana’s reaction was positive. Adriana repeatedly told Estella that she was grateful and sorry. It made Estella feel like she had stolen someone else’s man.

Estella’s face fell, and she said.

“Anyway, it’s not what you think it is.”

“What do I think?”

“You’re thinking that your brother and I are in a relationship. We’re not.”

Estella replied gruffly, finishing tying up her hair. She gathered her hair tightly and attempted to secure it with a knot, but accidentally let it slip through her fingers. Letting out a sigh, Estella brushed her hair back and tucked it behind her ears.

“So I guess it’s just…… a little role play or something, because we wanted to get something out of each other.”

Estella explained, frowning. Even she didn’t know exactly how to explain the reason for this engagement.

Cedric, who had been staring at Estella’s long, flowing hair, snapped out of it. Cedric clenched his fists and shouted.

“What does my brother get by marrying a poor man like you!”

“…….”

It was true, she admits, but it wasn’t pleasant to hear it from someone else’s mouth. Estella sat patiently in front of Cedric, knees bent. She rewarded him for his rude behavior by grabbing his nose and giving it a quick shake.

Cedric grabbed his twitching nose and stared at Estella with reddened eyes. Estella rested her chin in her palm.

“The Duke doesn’t trust people very well, you know. He says he can’t bring himself to live skin to skin with someone, but he needs a wife, and he’s just comfortable with me.”

She thought she did a good job of explaining it to him on his level, but he still wasn’t convinced. As if to scare her, he even gave her a warning.

“I told you not my brother. Big brother Diego not someone the teacher can handle.”

“Young master, do you know who I really can’t handle?”

Estella asked seriously, locking eyes with Cedric. At Cedric’s questioning glance, Estella answered.

“It’s you, young master. I’m so ashamed of your intrusion into a lady’s room that I can barely keep my head above water.”

With that, Estella rose to her feet. Cedric looked up at her, dumbfounded, as if he didn’t understand the situation. Estella pushed Cedric’s back.

“You have to get ready for class, so you can leave now. I’ll see you in class, okay?”

With that, Estella pushed Cedric out of the room. Cedric struggled to keep from being thrown out, but Estella knew how to effectively subdue him. She put her hand under his armpit and lifted him up, leaving him unable to do anything but squirm.

“Should I leave it like this or not?”

Estella ignored him, pretending she hadn’t heard him. She set him down outside the room and slammed the door behind her. She didn’t forget to lock the latch, which she had forgotten to put in when she was tired the night before.

“Estella!”

Cedric started banging on the locked door. Estella shook her head and began to organize the clothes from last night’s mess into the closet. It was one of her usual morning routines, but the fabrics she touched were a little different. A luxurious dark blue dress stood out from the rest of the clothes she already owned.

Estella ran her fingertips over the soft fabric, then closed the closet. It was the beginning of a completely different morning.

* * *

“Miss Margaret is dismissed.”

Diego announced as soon as she sat down. Estella spread her napkin on her lap and looked up. Estella asked in a bewildered voice.

“……Can you say that again?”

“I said I’m dismissing Miss Margaret.”

Diego replied crisply. Though Estella’s mood was anything but.

She couldn’t have been less awake. Cedric’s visit earlier had been so intense that she had long since shaken off her drowsiness. It was too clear to mishear what he was saying to anyone else, and, moreover, Diego and Estella were the only ones in the restaurant. Estella was too flustered to formulate a response.

After returning home from the ball last night, Diego had asked her to breakfast the next day. They were engaged, and they knew very little about each other. They shared big secrets, like murder, but they were almost casual about the little things that lovers should know. Things like birthdays, favorite colors, and food preferences.

Now that they’d announced their engagement to the public, it was best to eliminate any potentially suspicious elements as quickly as possible. So the breakfast was supposed to be a coordination session for the two of them to pretend to be lovers. But as soon as they sat down, Diego announced her dismissal.

Estella asked in disbelief.

“Could it be, am I sleepwalking?”

“Why do you ask me about matters that Miss Margaret herself should know?”

“Because I’m worried that I may have unknowingly offended the Duke during the early morning.”

Diego grinned at Estella’s answer. He stabbed a mushroom with his fork.

“It’s no offense. I’d be sorry to lose such a capable tutor as Miss Margaret myself, but I can’t pay my fiancé a salary.”

Suddenly, this off-the-cuff dismissal made a little more sense. Having a significant other as an employer can be quite beneficial for both parties, but it doesn’t necessarily make for a positive public image.

Estella nodded in agreement. Diego cleared his plate neatly and wiped the corner of his mouth.

“If you want to spend time with the children, do as you wish, but a short lesson under the guise of play could pass as a socialization between prospective families.”

In other words, Estella was demoted from regular teacher to after-school play teacher. Going from a full-time teacher to a part-timer was a bit of a shock. Estella loved her job, but that didn’t mean she wanted to volunteer. Estella raised her eyebrows in an uncooperative manner.

“Are you saying that you won’t even pay me a salary?”

“From now on, I will provide Miss Margaret with an allowance as her fiancé, not as a governess. Of course, the amount will be more substantial than what was allocated for the governess’s dignity.”

Dignity allowance, that was a pretty sweet word. It implied that one could maintain one’s dignity without having to work for a living, but in a very expensive way.

Estella had done odd jobs in her hometown before she left for the capital. When she was younger, she had studied harder than most of her peers. But despite her hard work, the rewards she reaped were always meager. In a life filled with struggles and inadequate compensation, she never realized that this could potentially be her first opportunity to see a profit.

It was comforting to think that her role as Diego’s fiancée was merely a change in employment. She was not his lover, but was tasked with playing both.

Sensing that she was relaxing, he soothed her.

“I won’t even look at your spending, so it’s yours, and you’ll have more money to send to your family.”

“No, I don’t want to send more money to my family.”

Estella immediately shook her head. Diego glanced over at her, surprised by her reaction.

“……That’s a very unexpected decision.”

To Diego, Estella was a person who put others before herself. He had expected that if she were offered more money, she would be pleased and would use it to take care of her family.

Feeling Diego’s stare, Estella shrugged. It wasn’t like she didn’t have something to say about the decision. Naturally, she had a tendency to prioritize her family, but she wasn’t one to demand things harshly. Estella didn’t forget the reasons why she had to step forward into the forefront.

“I know it won’t please the Duke, but I had already been providing enough money to support the livelihood of the three of us. If we have more financial stability, my father might be tempted to return to his gambling habits. So, our family doesn’t need any more money.”

Estella’s words reminded Diego of his maternal uncle. The incompetent bastard who would go to great lengths to obtain money for his addiction. Giving drugs to someone in rehabilitation would be completely wrong. If gambling is seen in the same light, it might be wise to cut off the root of the problem from the beginning.