The next day’s “gathering of intellectuals” took place at an upscale private club not far from the madam’s boutique. To my surprise, most of them were closer in age to the baron, instead of being the young lord’s peers. I suppose his attendance at the event was more an attempt to curry favor and earn respect than it was an opportunity to party with his friends.

When Edie had suggested two different trend-setting evening gowns for me, Arsen had selected the one that showed the most skin and had the thinnest fabric. While he had been eager to show off his latest accessory at the beginning of the gathering, within an hour his mood soured – he had clearly not anticipated how much time it would take to fend off all the wandering eyes that came my way. After another fifteen minutes, he sighed and offered me his coat.

“Cover that up, Helian.”

I accepted the coat politely. “A shame, though. Your auntie did a fantastic job with this dress, and you seemed to like it quite a bit. Does it not suit me?”

He stared at me with exasperation. “You know it does. I’m just tired of dealing with all these animals. How are we supposed to have a proper conversation about algebra when half the group is staring at your chest?”

“A good question, Lord Arsen. A similar one came to mind during our first dinner together.”

“I… should apologize for that. It was a poor way to start this relationship. I hope you at least understand now that I meant no malice. I should have recognized your value sooner.”

I nodded and sipped my champagne. I had to remind myself that no matter how much this man’s behavior might improve, he was still the same character from the novel underneath. My only option was to manipulate him and manage his worst tendencies until the plot progressed, at which point I could get out from under his thumb - hopefully without any lasting injuries.

It was a shame the story left me so little freedom to move on my own in this period. If I had more time to myself, I could have helped the others… but thoughts like that were a luxury I couldn’t afford until the novel ended.

Arsen interrupted my thoughts by taking my hand and leading me out of the club. “I’ll make it up to you. Follow me, we’ll get dinner at my favorite place.”

------

His favorite place turned out to be a small café in a part of the city rarely visited by nobles, with a cramped kitchen and enough room to seat around 7 people in total. As we entered, he was visibly nervous and looked back to me for reassurance.

He was afraid I would look down on him. He had probably brought friends here in the past, or dragged along a girl he was hoping to impress. They had no doubt mocked him for it. What kind of environment had he grown up in if he was this desperate for my approval?

There were only two people working in the café, so we seated ourselves at an empty table and waited for the server. Upon spotting Arsen, he dashed over to greet us.

“Arsen! Good to see you again, and with company, no less!”

Arsen smiled. “Good to see you too, Rigo. This is Helian. She’s had a bad night, so I wanted to take her somewhere special.”

“Ah, of course! Well, you won’t be disappointed.” Rigo placed down two glasses of water and then offered me a menu, but the young lord quickly waved him away.

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“We don’t need a menu, thanks. We’ll have two of the chef’s special and a bottle of Rosé.”

“Right away! Please, let me know if you need anything at all. I hope you enjoy your evening!”

What a sad waste of a man. In other circumstances, I could imagine him being a truly righteous and satisfied person. But instead, every hint of growth he displayed was undermined by his habits, his insecurities, and his basest tendencies.

------

After we finished our meal, Arsen walked me back to my lodgings in silence.

“Thanks”.

What? I stared at him in confusion.

“I really mean it. Thanks for tonight, Helian.”

“… sure. Dinner was delicious.”

He smiled. “Father is hosting a party in a bit over a week. You should come. People will be attending from all over, you could make some great connections.”

I nodded.

“We can meet next weekend to see auntie again to arrange a dress, and then have dinner. It’ll be great.”

For a moment, I wondered. If I said no, would he realize his error? Or would he seal his fate anyway? But interfering with the plot like that was asking for trouble, and things could easily become much, much worse. So, I smiled and bid him good night.

“See you then.”

------

The baron’s men had stopped lurking around the premises, so it was much easier to get a good night’s sleep in my room. I finished my next day at work without any interference as well. My efforts had earned me at least a moment’s rest, it seemed, which was a relief. Even if the plot was set in stone, it was possible to make adjustments, small though they may be.

At present, Lady Herschel was interrogating me while Marie listened quietly.

“So, the young lord hasn’t laid his hands on you yet, I pray?”

I nodded. “Yes, madam. He seems to have calmed his temper after I humored him a bit. I suppose he likes my personality.”

“You mustn’t take him lightly regardless. He has a horrible reputation for good reason… I shan’t repeat the things I’ve heard from other parents. Promise me that you won’t be alone with him, and please let me or one of my children know before you go with him anywhere. If something happens, I swear I will do my utmost to help.”

I wouldn’t be able to keep this promise, but I was certain the lady wouldn’t hold it against me. “I swear, madam. Thank you very much for your concern. I will take your advice to heart.”

Marie clearly had a lot on her mind but seemed to realize that it would be dangerous to say the things she was thinking, even in private. “It’s so unfair. He just barged into your life for no reason, and now you must indulge his whims just because of who his father is.”

I smiled and patted her on the shoulder. “I’m not the only person in this kind of situation. We all do our best with the hand we’re dealt.” I turned back to Lady Herschel. “I’ll be accompanying him to a dress shop and then a café on the weekend, before attending a party at the baron’s manor the next day. I should be able to avoid any dangerous situations, I think, and I doubt he’ll misbehave in front of a crowd.”

Lady Herschel gripped my hand tightly. “Okay. Inform me if anything changes. If necessary, my husband and I can cash in some favors…”

While I wasn’t looking forward to upcoming events, it was some consolation that I could expect to be rescued before things went too far. Even if this novel was morbid, it always pulled back before inflicting anything truly heinous on its heroine. And the next act after Arsen’s might be fun, so I had that to look forward to.

After we concluded our conversation, the twins’ mother returned to her office (“I’ll put my work on hold for you any time, sweetheart”) and Evan joined us for a chat about work. Marie was settling in well at the agriculture ministry, and it seemed he had begun an apprenticeship with a local accountant to pick up more skills while waiting for the next administrative exam.

As the sun set, the head maid entered the sitting room to summon us for dinner. As before, the table was set for four.

Marie looked with disappointment at the head of the table, and then muttered “I hope he can take a vacation day next solstice, at least…”