Over the next course of days, aside from accompanying Jay Jay to his academy, I spent most of my time racking my brains over how to win Ryan over.
Though I had been reborn, I certainly did not have a cheat code or an advantage because I barely knew anything about him, even from my past life.
Sighing, I walked around in the garden, picking at the leaves randomly. What did he like? What was his favorite activity? What about food? What about his favorite color? I tormented myself with these questions, which had no answers, and I sighed again.
" Miss, what's wrong?" Lily, who was following me, asked
" You've been sighing ever since we started this walk in the garden." She continued
" Oh, it's nothing." I said, if I didn't know what Ryan liked despite being reborn, how would our poor Lily know?
" It's never nothing when someone sighs like that, miss. Perhaps I can help. Is it something confined within these walls?" She asked curiously, and I decided to humor her.
" Yes."
" Could you describe the issue?" She continued
" Has four limbs just like you and me." I said as I continued to pluck out leaves from the trees as we passed by them
" Four limbs?" She muttered, touching her chin and furrowing her eyebrows.
I nodded.
" Oh, a human?! Is it by any chance, The Duke?" She asked, excited.
I did not say anything and nodded again.
Lily's eyes shone brightly as she said, " Are you perhaps worried about you know..." She said with a hint of embarrassment and a flush over her cheeks.
" Huh? about what?" I asked
" You know..." Lily insisted
" Lily, I do not please say what you want to say out loud." I was not getting impatient, I just did not want to rack my brain over another guessing game when I had been doing that in the past three days as I tried finding something Ryan liked.
" Ahem, my lady... It's been a few days since we got here, and the other servants have been talking." She said as she peered over me, and I could tell that she was saying that as a hint. But I still didn't get it.
" Talking about what?" I asked her
" About Miss and the Duke." She said
" What about us?" I asked
" Well... Like when are you going to give the Duke an heir?" She finally blurted out, shocking me out of my wits, but she did not stop there. In fact, she continued
" People are talking about whether the marriage has been...sealed or not, like consummation." She said, whispering the last part with her hand over her mouth.
" What?! Lily! How could you say such in broad daylight, in the middle of such an open space." I said. I was truly shocked, but a part of me was a but embarrassed about such a topic.
" Well, milady, I thought that was what was bothering you this whole time. I thought it was the reason why you kept on sighing because I thought those rumors had reached your ears." She said, lowering her face.
" It's alright, I am not mad. I was just shocked. Where do you guys get such rumors?" I asked her.
" Oh, miss being a servant gives you access to all sorts of gossips even from places as far as the Borderline where the Duke is currently at." She said proudly
" That's interesting, but what you said is not the issue bothering me." I said
" Oh, then what's the matter, miss?"
I sighed again and said," I was wondering about how I could, you know, improve our relationship." I was a bit shy when I said this because I still hadn't forgotten what Lily said earlier.
" Oh, have you tried doing showing off your talents? Men these days love women who are multitalented with all sorts of abilities. May he is one of them." She said, clasping her hands
Immediately, an idea came over me, I could cook for him!
" Yes, Lily. You are brilliant. I know what to do, Thank you." I said excitedly.
" What are you going to do, miss?" She asked
" Cook. I will make breakfast, lunch, and even dinner for him!" I exclaimed
Lily frowned and said, " But milady, that's a strenuous job."
" I know, but there more strenuous it is, the better it will show my dedication." I said with a proud look.
Lily's face changed, and she looked at me with pure admiration.
" You are awesome miss, what can I do to help then?" She asked
" Uhmm, please go check the kitchen for ingredients. Write down anything that's missing and we will go shopping." I declared I was a woman on a mission!!!