“Were you surprised by the sudden invitation?”

Katrin gently slid the delicately brewed tea toward Gai as she asked, her fingertips brushing the porcelain like painted jade. Gai’s heart thudded as if it might burst. Even the faint floral tint at the tips of her nails drove him wild with adoration.

He had always thought she looked like a goddess from afar, but up close, Katrin was nothing short of a fairy.

“N-no, not at all. If my lady calls for me, I’ll come running anytime.”

He had been afraid his voice would tremble with nerves, but thankfully, it came out low and steady as usual. People often complimented his voice, so Gai was quietly proud that he’d managed to respond with dignity.

“I couldn’t just summon someone so important without cause.”

Katrin said with a shy smile. Her delicate presence was like a single bloom. Gai hoped with all his might this wasn’t a dream. In this moment, he felt like he could die for her.

“Even if I were deep in enemy territory, if you called, I would come.”

“Oh my! That’s more than enough. Hoho.”

“Please, feel free to speak informally, my lady.”

“You serve our household with such devotion day and night. I couldn’t possibly.”

“But—”

“I’m only saying this to put my heart at ease. Don’t worry about it, alright?”

She laughed softly behind her hand, and even that gesture was beautiful. To think someone this stunning had a heart as soft as silk.

Whoever married the perfect Lady Katrin… Gai couldn’t help but feel a twinge of maddening jealousy.

To help ease his tension, Katrin chatted lightly about the weather, desserts, and opera before finally arriving at the real reason she’d summoned him.

“Oh, right. I heard you went into town with my sister?”

She dropped it lightly into the conversation, as if it had just occurred to her.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Gai, who had been smiling the entire time, suddenly stiffened. Katrin, who had been pretending to sip her tea, didn’t miss the flicker in his brow the moment Estella was mentioned.

“Where did you go?”

“We visited Lily’s Dress Shop.”

“Ah… You didn’t stop anywhere else?”

“No. But may I ask why you—”

Only now did Gai begin to sense something peculiar in Katrin’s tone. He hesitated, sensing that this might be a pivotal moment—one that could create something special between them.

“My sister is so naïve. I just worry she’ll get taken advantage of. Ah, she should have gone to the boutique with me instead.”

“We didn’t visit anywhere else, so there’s no need to worry.”

Gai looked Katrin straight in the eye as he answered with subtle meaning in his voice.

“Thank you. Since you’re in charge of her escort, I’ll rely on you. Please make sure she doesn’t run into the wrong kind of people.”

“Of course. Don’t worry, my lady. I’ll do my best.”

“The tea smells especially lovely today, doesn’t it?”

Katrin smiled sweetly, raising her teacup once more. Even a single smile like that—tossed out like a favor—was enough to make Gai feel like he had won the world.

The day Estella dropped another ten kilograms, the workout equipment Dolan had crafted began arriving at the estate.

Driven half-mad with curiosity about their use, Dolan had sped up production. Only after delivering everything five days ahead of schedule did he realize he’d been dancing in the palm of her hand—but instead of anger, he found it amusing.

Three carts carried the equipment, not because there were many items, but because they were built of heavy metal and sturdy wood.

Blacksmiths from Dolan’s forge—eager to learn what the strange machines were for—had volunteered to help deliver them into the newly refurbished training room.

Knights in the midst of their drills stopped and stared, puzzled, as the workers hauled the bizarre contraptions into the old storage room beside the training yard.

“What the hell is all that?”

Knight Onel frowned, watching the odd hunks of iron disappear through the door.

“I heard Lady Estella is building a training room.”

Newly appointed knight Denian answered, his face brimming with curiosity. As someone deeply invested in fitness, he was dying to see what kind of facility Estella had put together.

Like most, Onel had never paid much attention to Estella. But seeing her run the training grounds without fail each morning, growing leaner and faster by the day, had stirred his curiosity.

The workers carried in the equipment nonstop.

The storage room beside the training yard was quite spacious.

It’s at least a hundred square meters.

Estella had worried it wouldn’t be enough space, but once everything was installed, there was still room to spare. She figured she could even order a few more machines later.

When she’d first woken up in this body, everything had felt uncertain. But now, with a personal PT room and custom-made equipment, it almost felt like she was living a successful life.

But this is only the beginning.

Seo-yi might have been content with this—but Estella was no longer just Yoon Seo-yi. She was also Estella, the woman who’d been used and discarded for being “too kind.” The two selves that had once felt disconnected were merging quickly.

It felt like her true personality was finally surfacing.

Smiling in satisfaction, Estella clapped her hands as she surveyed the completed room.

“Alright, let’s begin.”

She grinned as she lifted a dumbbell nearby. She’d have to work hard to get rid of the last bits of squishy, slime-like fat.

When Estella raised the dumbbell with both hands and began lifting it repeatedly in place, the blacksmiths—who’d been watching with eyes wide, expecting something spectacular—quickly lost interest.

They had dropped everything to come witness some grand display, but it was just a noble lady repeatedly lifting a strange hunk of iron with a strangely happy face.

How disappointing.

Only Dolan continued watching with bright, focused eyes.

Noble ladies raised to wear only beautiful things, who adorned themselves in luxury, usually acted like their arms would fall off if they picked up anything heavier than a flower. They never left their carriages without an escort and were treated like delicate porcelain.

But Estella? She lifted the dumbbells Dolan had made—one in each hand—with ease. At 5kg apiece, they weren’t impossibly heavy, but certainly difficult for a noblewoman.

Having just finished trying out every piece of equipment with unbridled enthusiasm, Estella suddenly paused, sensing someone watching her.

When she turned, she found Commander Lucius and Dolan standing outside the open door, staring in at her in a daze.

She had been so caught up in finally doing real strength training that she hadn’t noticed. Feeling a bit sheepish, Estella quickly wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and approached them.

“Sir Lucius. Dolan.”

Still slightly out of breath, Estella called their names. The two men, as if snapping out of a trance, answered with respectful haste.

“My lady.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Lucius was silently startled by how confidently Estella approached. The raised corners of her mouth and the fire in her eyes made it impossible to mistake her for the timid girl of the past.

She had lost so much weight that even her appearance had transformed, making the change even more striking.

What on earth had brought about such a drastic change?

“Would you like to come in?”

“Ah—yes, certainly.”

At Estella’s bold invitation, Lucius stepped inside without hesitation. He had been curious anyway.

Dolan followed as well, shuffling in after him.

Lucius had heard from the marquis that Estella was building a training room. But seeing it for himself was an entirely different experience.

Lucius prided himself on his physical discipline—he knew strength training as well as anyone. Yet most of the equipment here was utterly foreign to him. Some pieces seemed intuitive enough, but others defied explanation.

“Are you wondering how they work?”

Estella asked, as if reading his mind.

“Pardon? Ah… Yes. I’d appreciate it if you could show me.”

Chapter 9

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