Perfect Weather for a Proper Lesson
A few paces away, Ray watched the pair with uneasy eyes and realized something had gone terribly wrong.
But Handsome stood squarely in his path, blocking him from taking even a single step closer. Ray grew frantic.
“Chloe! Just a moment—talk to me! Hey! Edard! You need to speak with me. We’ve only ever done business together all this time!”
Yet no matter how loudly Ray shouted, neither Edard nor Chloe spared him so much as a glance.
As if they couldn’t hear a single word, the two simply gazed at each other and smiled with relaxed ease. Ray’s voice rose another octave.
“That villa is mine! My name is written right there as the owner!”
Finally losing all restraint, Ray began furiously raking his nails across Handsome’s face where he stood blocking the way.
When Handsome seized both his wrists in a crushing grip, Ray thrashed wildly for a moment before realizing he couldn’t possibly win with brute force. In desperation, he spat directly into Handsome’s face. Though saliva splattered across the butler’s cheek, Handsome continued holding his arms without flinching.
“How dare a filthy servant lay hands on a noble? Do you want your wrists cut off? Shall I cut them for you? Huh!”
The usual elegant, refined demeanor was gone. Ray now looked no different from a common street thug. Even so, Handsome made every effort to remain composed.
Not because he feared Ray, but because he didn’t want to cause even the slightest trouble for his lord.
Unable to watch any longer, Donghee sighed and called out.
“Handsome.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Even as he answered, Handsome continued glaring at Ray with a sharp, threatening stare.
“Let him go.”
Only then did Handsome turn his head toward his lady.
“Pardon? But—”
“It’s fine.”
As she spoke, Chloe reached into her handbag and slowly pulled on a pair of lace gloves.
It really is perfect weather for giving someone a proper education.
Durability has weakened. Be advised that one additional use may render the item permanently unusable.
It’s fine. I’ll only use it once and never again. I can just buy a new pair.
Chloe answered casually, then carefully inspected the condition of the lace gloves now on her hands.
Even after washing, faint bloodstains from the cullen remained in several places, and there were a few visible tears. Simply wearing them brought back memories of that day, and her heart grew heavy.
In the meantime, Ray spat at Handsome one more time before striding triumphantly over to Chloe.
“How dare a mere servant touch my body. I will never forgive this. I shall show you the dignity of nobility.”
Still not satisfied, Ray paused several times across the short distance, turning to jab his finger accusingly at Handsome.
Handsome stood as still as a statue, watching him with icy eyes. If Ray made even the slightest move that could harm his lord, he would charge without hesitation and hurl the wretch aside.
“Chloe. Just what happened to you? Who made you like this? Where did my sweet, adorable Chloe go? Still, I love even this side of you. You know that, right? I can’t live without you. No—you can’t live without me. You know that too, which is why you missed me and came here the moment you learned I was around. So stop hiding your feelings any longer.”
His tone was that of an adult sadly lecturing a wayward student who had fallen in with the wrong crowd.
“Ray.”
Chloe had no desire to listen to any more of his babbling.
“Tell me, my love.”
“If you call me ‘my love’ one more time, if you utter my name with that disgusting mouth, if you pretend to know me, or even if you so much as look at me with those fish-like eyes, I will turn that pretty face of yours into a smashed potato.”
“Chloe. Why are you being like—ack!”
Ray’s sleep-talk-like confession of love ended with a solid thud. Chloe had swung her fist mercilessly into his face.
“I told you not to say that word!”
Ray couldn’t even scream properly. He crumpled and slid across the polished floor. Like someone who had fallen on an ice rink, he skidded along, thoroughly scrubbing the marble with his body, until his back finally slammed into the wall.
“C-Ch-Chloe… How could you…”
The pain in his swollen cheek made it hard for Ray to speak clearly. The shock had drained all strength from his limbs. Lying on the floor, he stared up at Chloe with a dazed, devastated expression.
Click. Click.
Chloe’s heels struck the glossy marble with crisp, clear sounds. Ray clutched his stinging cheek with one hand and watched the slowly approaching Chloe with pure terror. Perhaps because his ear was pressed to the floor, the sound of her footsteps seemed to hammer directly into his eardrums.
Chloe looked down at him as if he were an insect, then slowly crouched until their eyes were level. Handsome stepped closer behind her, ready for any sudden developments. By all rights, the taller, more muscular Handsome should have been more frightening, yet for some strange reason Chloe’s cool gaze as she looked down at him felt dozens of times more terrifying.
“Ray.”
When Chloe suddenly called his name in a sweet voice, Ray’s tears spilled over from sheer fear. He swallowed hard, curled in on himself, and answered in a voice that had shrunk to a whisper.
“Y-yes? Yes.”
Chloe gently stroked his disheveled hair. The moment her fingertips touched him, Ray’s neck shrank back into his shoulders like a turtle’s.
“There, there. I won’t hit you anymore. Don’t be scared.”
“Th-thank you.”
When Ray answered while trembling violently, Chloe smiled with satisfaction and asked,
“This outfit. I bought it for you, didn’t I?”
“Yes. You said it suited me and had it specially tailored.”
Lying there curled up and sobbing, Ray looked as pitiful as an abandoned puppy.
“Since I bought it, I’ll be taking it back.”
Before he could even wonder how she intended to take back clothes he was currently wearing, Chloe grabbed him firmly by the scruff of his neck. Ray dangled limply like wet laundry fresh out of a washing machine.
“And you—don’t come with it.”
Chloe whispered affectionately as she pressed lightly on his body with the hand not gripping his neck. Then—
Riiip!
The clothes Ray wore were mercilessly torn away.
“Uwaaaaaagh!”
The sight of the fabric tearing apart like mere tissue paper left not only Ray but everyone around him wide-eyed in shock. In particular, the two officials who had blocked the way in front of the Grace lord outside the theater turned completely pale. Without realizing it, they clutched their own clothes tightly and stumbled backward.
Chloe stared at the scrap of cloth in her hand with irritation, then passed it to Handsome.
“Since I bought it, we’ll take it with us. Use it to wipe horse dung.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Handsome’s eyes sparkled more brightly than ever as he looked at his lady. It was truly a beautiful day.
After reclaiming both the Halis Theater and the villa, the journey back to Grace felt lighter. The heavy weight that had pressed on her heart ever since the cullen attack finally eased a little.
“My lord, is your wrist hurting badly?”
“Hm? Why?”
“You keep touching it. I’m worried you overdid it earlier.”
It seemed she had been unconsciously rubbing her wrist the whole time. Chloe smiled brightly at Handsome, who was watching her with concern.
“No, I’m fine. I feel absolutely refreshed right now.”
“Still, just in case, I’ll have a wrist compress prepared as soon as we return.”
“Thank you.”
Though the gloves’ durability had weakened, tearing the clothes had still strained her wrist more than expected. Chloe closed her eyes, clutching the now-tattered gloves that looked almost as ragged as Ray’s outfit. Even with the carriage rattling, she felt like she could enjoy a sweet nap.
Once Chloe had fully recovered, Grace Territory began moving with renewed vigor. Like a desk clock fitted with a fresh battery, it ticked busily along without rest.
“My lord, Helsa and Farmer have come to see you.”
“Oh, please let them in right away.”
It had been a while since she last saw them, and genuine joy welled up inside her. The moment Chloe spoke, the office door opened and the two walked in side by side.
Helsa’s skin had grown even more sun-bronzed than before, while Farmer looked as if he had lost some weight. Standing next to each other, Helsa’s impressive height stood out even more.
Farmer seemed uncomfortable standing beside a woman much taller than himself and kept subtly trying to edge away from her.
“It’s been a while, both of you. Helsa, did you cut your hair?”
What had once been tied back tightly was now cut short, revealing the clean line of her neck. Looking slightly embarrassed, Helsa scratched her head and answered.
“It kept getting in the way while I worked, so I cut it.”
“Short hair suits you too. It looks really cool. And Farmer, you’ve been well? You look a bit thinner. You haven’t been sick, have you?”
The fact that their lord noticed even these small changes and mentioned them one by one filled both their faces with grateful, almost overwhelmed smiles that refused to fade.
“You said you had good news?”
“Yes. The reclamation of the wasteland is complete, and we’ve begun cultivating the crops you provided last time, my lord.”
“Really? The reclamation finished faster than I expected?”
Seeing how pleased their lord looked, Farmer’s expression brightened far more than when he had first entered, and he began explaining with enthusiasm.
“Yes, the fertilizer proved incredibly effective. The entire wasteland has turned into rich soil. Helsa makes it so quickly that we have more fertilizer than we know what to do with. Now anything we plant should grow beautifully. I never thought the day would come when we could sow seeds in that land. I’m truly so happy and grateful to you, my lord.”
As he spoke, Farmer was so moved that he sniffled repeatedly and had to pause when his voice grew thick with emotion. Helsa watched him with a warm smile and gave his shoulder a few friendly pats, looking as relaxed as if she were dealing with a younger brother. It was strange, considering Farmer was at least five years older than Helsa.
Yet Farmer himself didn’t seem at all bothered by being treated like a younger sibling.
“You two have grown quite close, haven’t you?”
“Yes, my lord. I’ve become friends with Farmer’s wife as well. And Colin is just so adorable. He takes after his father and memorizes crop names so well that I’m constantly amazed.”
Colin was Farmer’s five-year-old son. Helsa spoke of him with such pride that one would think he was her own nephew.
“I’m curious too. Be sure to show me Colin next time. If he takes after you, Farmer, he must be round and cute.”
“Yes, he’s as cute as a cabbage.”
The smile that had been blooming on Farmer’s face as he listened to Helsa’s comparison suddenly vanished. He appeared to be seriously contemplating whether being called “cute as a cabbage” was a compliment or an insult.
Knock, knock, knock.
They were enjoying a pleasant conversation for the first time in a while when urgent knocking sounded at the door.
“Come in.”
Red Bear entered with a hurried expression and spoke urgently.
“My lord, Urun has returned.”
He was the subordinate Red Bear had sent to investigate the origin of the pouch discovered in the cullen cave some time ago.