From the moment Cecilia woke up in the morning, she felt restless.

What if he came to see her first thing in the morning?

What if he sent word asking to share a meal?

But what if there was no word from him all day?

She considered countless scenarios and pondered how to manage her expression when she saw him again.

It felt as if she were facing an assignment—uncomfortable, yet somehow filled with anticipation.

So when she heard he wasn’t around, she felt deflated.

“The Lord is out, and there’s no telling when he’ll return, correct?”

“Yes, Madam. And His Lordship left a message for you.”

Cecilia’s eyes, which had been slightly downcast, lit up.

“For me?”

“Yes, Madam. He said he left in haste and couldn’t discuss something important with you, but he would speak to you upon his return.”

Cecilia blinked a few times.

“Did the Lord tell you this directly?”

“No, Madam. Hoffman received the message from His Lordship and asked me to relay it to you.”

“…Alright. You may go.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“Oh, wait.”

Cecilia called Helen back.

“Yes, Madam.”

“When I went to the communal dining hall yesterday, none of the maids I brought with me were there. Is the communal dining hall only for the people of Lagos?”

“No, Madam. Anyone living in the castle may use it.”

“Do the people from the grand duchy know that?”

“Yes, I believe they are aware.”

“Yet they don’t use the communal dining hall? Not at all?”

“As far as I know, that’s correct.”

“Then where do they eat their meals?”

Helen hesitated. When Cecilia gave her a pointed look, urging her to answer, Helen finally replied.

“They eat in their rooms.”

“…I see. Alright. And are the merchants all leaving today?”

“That was the original schedule, but it seems unlikely they’ll depart today.”

“Why not?”

“It appears they all overindulged last night and are dealing with severe hangovers.”

“Oh dear. Was the Lord with them as well?”

Cecilia was unaware of how naturally she began to inquire about his whereabouts.

“No, Madam. His Lordship was in his study until late at night.”

‘The Lord was working while his subordinates drank all night?’

Cecilia thought Lagos Castle was a fascinating place.

After Helen left, Benjamine entered shortly after carrying a bowl.

“Miss, here’s the poultice.”

The wooden bowl held a green paste. Cecilia recalled the doctor’s earlier instructions.

“What is that?”

“It’s a poultice to apply to the swollen area. It helps reduce swelling or bruising.”

“What? You expect me to put that on my lips?”

Benjamine rolled her eyes.

If she hadn’t experienced applying the poultice to her own ankle, she might have said the same thing Cecilia did while criticizing Helen.

“It really does help reduce swelling, Miss.”

Cecilia frowned.

The idea of putting such a strange paste on her lips was utterly ridiculous.

Just imagining it made her feel absurd.

“I just have to put it on my lips, right?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“For how long?”

“I kept it on my ankle overnight, but for you, an hour or two should suffice.”

“Alright. Leave it and go. I’ll do it myself.”

This time, Benjamine left without argument.

She understood the Miss’s desire not to let anyone see her in such an embarrassing state.

Cecilia pressed the paste with her fingers and sniffed it.

Aside from its odd color, it felt like a well-kneaded dough.

It barely had any scent.

‘Good grief. I can’t believe I’m doing this. But my situation is entirely different from her ankle injury—will it even work?’

Grumbling, Cecilia applied the green paste to her lips.

After dozing off briefly and waking up, Cecilia experienced the astounding effects of the mysterious paste.

“My goodness. The swelling’s completely gone.”

She picked up a mirror and tilted it to view her face from different angles.

Her overly plump lips had returned to their original shape.

“What is this stuff, for it to work so well?”

Upper-class nobles typically stayed up late attending banquets and woke up late.

Eating rich and sweet food at late hours and drinking before bed often left them with swollen faces the next morning.

The swelling usually didn’t subside until late afternoon.

For this reason, morning appointments were taboo among nobles.

When she was younger, Cecilia rarely experienced swelling.

However, as she grew older and adopted a lifestyle centered around endless banquets, she began to suffer from facial swelling, which caused her no small amount of distress.