Outside, Liana asked Helena curiously. "Helena, have you broken up with Benjamin? Haven't you been doing well all this time?" Liana asked curiously.
"We broke up," said Helena, who was fed up with Liana's questions. "You can take him as yours if you want!" Seeing Liana covering her mouth in surprise, and wide-eyed, Helena added, "Did he almost ask you out last night and you regret turning him down because you feel bad for me?" Helena continued sarcastically. Her eyes glanced at Liana with a sly and condescending look. Maybe Liana never knew that all this time Helena had been observing Benjamin's bad behavior.
"I, I didn't mean that, Helena!" Liana pleaded with mercy. "Do you think I'm that bad? He's your lover. I'm not going to do anything to him."
"He was my lover! Okay?"
Helena snorted in annoyance because she was bored with Liana and her annoying kindness. She then waved at the maid to brew some tea and prepare some snacks.
"Helena, if grandfather asks us to brew tea, we have to prepare it ourselves. Not ordering the maids," protested Liana advising Helena who didn't seem to care for their grandfather. Liana stopped the maid and said she would make it herself.
"Oh, how long are you going to be like that? Grandfather just wants to interrogate Ethan without us around," Helena protested, shaking her head in disbelief that her cousin thought that innocently. She thought, maybe Liana's head was eroded because she pretended to be innocent too often.
'What a waste to hire maids when you need to do house chores by yourself.' Helena muttered to herself while looking cynically at Liana who was brewing Duke Henry's favorite black tea.
Helena helped Liana bring snacks to her grandfather's room. She wished Ethan hadn't made a fool of himself. However, she wasn't so worried because Ethan didn't look like a sloppy man.
When Helena and Liana entered the room, something surprising happened. The grandfather seemed to enjoy chatting with Ethan. He also called Helena and said very proudly!
"Helena! I think you two should get married soon. You won't find a man as good as him anywhere else," said the grandfather who was usually cold to Helena. He then whispered in Helena's ear, "In the past, I thought you could only date a useless player like Benjamin. Where did you pick up a man as good as Ethan?"
Cold sweat dripped down Helena's forehead. She knew that her grandfather was testing the similarity of her answers with Ethan's. Luckily, Ethan knew about it and helped Helena, "Helena is always embarrassed when she remembers our first meeting."
Then the two men burst out laughing. Out of the corner of her eye, Helena glanced at Ethan, wondering what Ethan had said. Was it like their deal? Or something else?
Seeing her grandfather's familiarity with Helena's fiancé, Liana felt something ripple in her heart. If she also had a lover that her grandfather liked, surely she would make her grandfather happier. A smile spread across Liana's lips, watching Ethan and Duke Henry with a serene heart. Without Liana noticing, Helena observed her actions with a frown.
On the way back, Helena asked Ethan what he had said to Duke Henry. Then, Ethan explained, "I bumped into you when you were changing your dirty dress in the powder room and forgot to lock the door."
"What?" cried Helena with wide eyes and a face flushed with anger. No wonder her grandfather had laughed out loud. "How dare you!"
"When your grandfather asked what made me like you, I answered your firmness and justice," Ethan added calmly, with a calm expression, making Helena stunned.
"Bastard," whispered Helena softly.
"I've never seen a debtor as good as you, who intends to sell pawn goods at high prices and give the rest of the sale to the debtor," Ethan added when he saw Helena who looked in disbelief at his words. His eyes looked sincerely at Helena, hoping for something in return.
Helena did not expect that there would be people who praised her actions which were usually called cruel. She then tried to ward off Ethan's sincere admiration for her. He must have done it on purpose.
"Good job! I will give you extra bonuses if you continue to do your task perfectly," Helena said, looking away so as not to meet Ethan's eyes.
Ethan was disappointed that his sincerity meant nothing to Helena other than giving him money or a gift. He felt failed to get Helena's attention. It was then, Ethan realized who he was again, and rearranged his feelings so as not to expect more from the woman.
***
A week later, Helena and Ethan got married. The first problem was solved. The marriage certificate was already in hand. Now, Helena only needed to focus on work matters. How to increase profit in the hotel branch she would get assigned in the future. She hoped that her grandfather was not too mean to give her the worst branch in Broughton.
However, Helena's prediction was wrong. The marriage she planned was not that easy to carry out. A new problem arose when Duke Henry come to her, the day after the wedding.
"Helena, you and your husband will stay with me in the mansion!" asked Duke Henry in a cheerful tone. "I am so lonely!"
"But, I—"
"No buts!" The duke snapped. "Don't forget that I will announce which branch you need to take care of in three days!"
Disaster! This is a big disaster in Helena's plan.