MILWTG 86

~Chapter 86~

As maids busily worked around her, Mari looked at her reflection in the mirror, her face full of excitement.

“Shouldn’t I find out which makeup style suits me best beforehand?”

Riden nodded with a smile, and all the skilled maids from the count’s estate gathered in Mari’s room.

Mari looked good in any kind of makeup, so the maids seemed to enjoy the process.

“Milady,” one maid holding a makeup brush called for Riden.

“I tried a new lip color for the young lady. What do you think?”

Mari, wearing the new makeup, looked at Riden expectantly.

The calm, subtle tones suited Mari well.

“Looks good. I think it’s the best one I’ve seen so far.”

“Kya, really?”

“Yeah. You look the most elegant like this.”

The maid chattered happily.

“Since your hair is bright pink, I toned down your lip color.”

“Good choice.”

“Thank you, milady.”

But Mari seemed a bit dissatisfied, pursing her lips.

“Riden, don’t my lips look too pale? I think I look a little sick.”

Riden smiled.

“Hmm, if you want my opinion, this is the prettiest so far. Honestly, you look good in all of them, so you should choose the one you like best.”

Hearing that she looked good in all, Mari pouted playfully, then told the maid,

“I’d like the lips a little pinker.”

“Yes, understood.”

On the day they returned from the White Count’s estate, Riden had felt a slight sense of wrongness toward Mari.

The heroine Riden had imagined was bright and kind, but not a pushover—someone who knew how to put villains in their place.

After much thought, Riden finally decided:

‘Even if I felt something was off, Mari is still that kind of person.’

Look now—she was getting along so well with the maids of the count’s estate.

Besides, compared to the original story, many characters here were different.

For example, Duchess Kenwolf—Riden had thought she was just a cruel mother-in-law, but she was much different in person.

Lady Florence? She seemed even worse than expected.

Ethan and Marik were also different.

The people here were both the same as in the novel and yet not the same.

‘Mari is just like that too.’

Maybe Riden had placed unrealistic expectations on her while waiting for her to appear.

It was too harsh to think of her as a different person just because she was a little different from those expectations.

‘It’s not for me to judge—it’s for the main characters to decide.’

Whether Mari met her expectations or not, it was Ethan—the other protagonist of this world—who should judge that.

“Riden?”

While Riden was lost in thought, Mari was suddenly standing in front of her.

“What are you thinking about so deeply? I’ve been calling you.”

“Oh, sorry. What is it?”

“Well…”

Mari’s eyes darted around, then settled with determination.

“How close are you with the Kenwolf family?”

“….”

Riden blinked at the unexpected question.

“I don’t have a chaperone, you know.”

Mari scooted closer and wrapped her arm around Riden’s.

“What if you asked the Duchess to be my chaperone? Since you don’t have one either, we could ask her to do it for both of us. Wouldn’t that work?”

‘Haa…’

Riden sighed inwardly.

She understood Mari’s wish, but it was an unreasonable request.

Having a chaperone meant the noblewoman was staking her honor on vouching for a young lady’s character. Asking someone who barely knew you was rude.

Riden turned to look at Mari directly.

“Mari, your debut will be successful, even without a chaperone. Of course, having one is nice, but it’s not essential. I didn’t get one either.”

Mari looked slightly sulky.

“You’re a count’s daughter with a huge estate, so you’ll get attention even without one. But I’m different…”

Just as Riden was about to refuse again—

The gatekeeper of the estate spotted a carriage bearing the imperial crest and shouted urgently:

“An imperial messenger is here!”

Both Riden and Mari jumped in surprise.

‘An imperial messenger?’

The mansion was instantly in a stir.

Servants quickly gathered at the entrance, and Riden checked her clothes before hurrying outside.

The messenger stepped down from the carriage, holding a letter sealed with the imperial crest.

“I bring a personal letter from Her Majesty the Empress to Lady Riden McCreary.”

The messenger knelt and respectfully handed it over.

[Lady McCreary. Duchess Kenwolf has asked me to be your chaperone. As it is a friend’s request, I will consider it, but first I must at least see your face.]

‘The Empress as my chaperone?’

There was no time to even be surprised.

At the end of the letter, it said she would like to meet right away if possible.

Riden hesitated—could she just go like this?

While she was flustered, a familiar figure popped out of the imperial carriage.

“Count…!”

“Milady, will you accept this?”

Marik held out a small bouquet of tulips.

“It reminded me of the first day I came here.”

Seeing the bouquet reminded Riden of the day he came to fetch her from the villa—those daisies had been so pretty.

Smiling, Riden asked,

“But why are you getting out of the imperial carriage?”

“I had business to attend to. When I heard they were coming here, I just rode along.”

“I see.” Riden nodded—then suddenly remembered.

‘No, I have to go to the palace!’

“Count, I think I have to leave now.”

Wishing her well, Marik handed her a gift box.

“By the way, if you’re going to the palace, could you give this to Ethan for me? I meant to deliver it myself but got too busy. Please.”

Looking at the neatly wrapped pink box, Riden nodded.

“Yes, I will.”

“I’ll help you up.”

She took his escort and got into the carriage.

At that moment, Glen was returning to the estate.

Riden thought she should at least say a quick word to him, but Marik tilted his head with a smile.

“I’ll explain to Glen—and to your acquaintance over there. Go without worry.”

She could trust him.

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Count.”

Mari had been watching the whole scene from the entrance.

‘The imperial family… for Riden?’

She wanted to know more, but Riden seemed in such a hurry that she didn’t even glance back.

She had locked eyes with the dazzlingly handsome blond man once, but he didn’t look at her again.

Mari grew restless.

When she realized it was Marik Kenwolf, she became even more impatient.

‘Now she’ll introduce me to him, right?’

But Riden didn’t introduce her—she just got into the carriage.

Mari let out a short, incredulous laugh.

‘She acted like she’d help me, but she’s guarding him so tightly.’

Mari smiled brightly when Riden waved from the imperial carriage, but inside she thought differently.

‘Anyway…’

Now the Kenwolf count was alone—her golden chance.

Just as she was determined to make a connection somehow, Marik, after greeting Glen, approached her.

Seeing him walk toward her with interest made Mari’s toes tingle.

“I heard from Lady McCreary—you’re Lady Mari Hern?”

Mari, staring into his warm light-brown eyes, answered shyly,

“Yes, I’m Riden’s best friend.”

At her words, Marik’s lips curved slightly.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Marik Kenwolf.”

He got straight to the point, explaining that the Empress would be Riden’s chaperone for her debut, and that Riden had gone to the palace for that reason.

“…Her Majesty the Empress?”

“Yes.”

Mari tried to keep her expression soft, but her lips kept stiffening.

She had blocked her from even asking the duchess, and now she was getting the Empress as her chaperone?

Even more absurd was how the people around Riden seemed fine with it.

Something in Mari’s mind snapped.

She knew Riden was pretty and from a good family, but not that amazing.

“Why?”

Mari was startled—the word had slipped out before she could stop it.