Lynn took the piece of paper from Evans' hands, but her gaze remained fixed on his cheeks, which had taken on a rosy hue completely unusual for the usually expressionless secretary.

"Everything okay, Evans?" she asked in a playful voice.

Evans cleared his throat and stood attentively, without looking at Sophia.

"Absolutely, Miss Lynn. The duke will be waiting for you in the garden lounge in..." He glanced quickly at his watch, "10 minutes."

"All right, then. You may leave," she said, looking first at Sophia and then at Evans. "Unless you want to stay here with us..."

Evans nearly jumped.

"No! I mean... thank you, but... no. I have to... get back to my duties," he said hastily, already taking a step back, almost tripping over the rug.

Immediately, and without looking back, he hurried out of the room, while Lynn watched him, trying to hide her laughter. She was sure that something was going on between them and was determined to find out exactly what it was.

On the other hand, Sophia had lowered her gaze and blushed, trying to hide it.

"Well... that was very interesting," she finally said meaningfully.

Sophia looked at her in alarm.

"No..." was all she could say, and she lowered her gaze again.

"Anyway, this isn't the time for that. I have to go now. But don't think you're off the hook," Lynn said.

Sophia nodded quickly, still visibly shaken, and stepped aside to let Lynn pass.

"Wish me luck, Sophia! The mission: Unsuitable Bride, has just begun," she said with a conspiratorial wink and a mischievous grin.

And with that, Lynn headed for the exit, almost jumping with excitement, while Sophia watched her leave with an imperceptible smile, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

When she arrived at the garden, she found Theo waiting for her. As soon as she approached, he immediately rose from his seat and came toward her. Then, without saying a word, he spread his arms and took her in his embrace.

“W-what?” she whispered, stunned, her hands rising defensively, pressing lightly against his chest, "Are you crazy?"

She tried to pull away, but he lowered his face close to hers and whispered in her ear with a smile and a completely calm voice:

"Don't move. They're watching us."

Still confused, Lynn glanced around and spotted many pairs of eyes on them. At the window, in the corridors, in the courtyard, she noticed many servants watching them discreetly from a distance and talking among themselves. Lynn, realizing what she had to do, froze in place for a few seconds, her arms awkwardly raised, still locked in Theo’s arms.

"Fine..." she finally whispered through clenched teeth, maintaining her fake smile. "Since we're going to put on a show, at least make sure you're more comfortable. You're standing like a statue."

Theo didn't answer, he just discreetly tightened his embrace, making her feel a little safer and at the same time a little more uncomfortable.

"How long are we going to stay like this? Don't you think you should let me go now?" she said.

He awkwardly let her go and pulled out a chair for her to sit down. Lynn coughed awkwardly and sat down. It wasn't long before two maids brought in two carts with food. They placed the platters on the table and, after emptying the carts, bowed and left.

Lynn waited to make sure the maids had gone far enough away, then rested her elbows on the table, leaned forward, and lowered her voice.

"I don't think we need to get any closer to convince them that we're in love. They would believe anything we told them," she said.

"Do you believe in yourself that much?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lynn smiled.

"Why? Is believing in yourself a bad thing?"

"No! Not at all. On the contrary, it's good for our plan," he said and took a sip from his coffee cup.

Lynn looked at him and laughed. Then she took a chocolate muffin and started eating it, smearing it around her mouth.

The truth is that she was very confident and believed in herself because she knew that no one else believed in her. Her parents weren't there to support her, her only friend had betrayed her, and she had stopped trusting other people.

She always knew what she wanted from others. She didn't let her feelings get in the way; she was only interested in what someone had to offer her. That's why she agreed to help the Duke with his plan, for a reward, of course.