NRAL | Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Stolen

A man stood on a not-too-high balcony, bathed in the gentle sunlight, absentmindedly looking outside. Below, there was a garden. Swaying lazily to the rhythm of the blowing wind, white and blue flowers bloomed profusely.

Perhaps because of the blue color, even though the shape of the flowers and the appearance of the garden were completely different, for a moment, the image of lupines flickered before his eyes. And beyond that, the face of a person who seemed surprised as they looked at him came to mind, still vividly clear.

“Your Grace.”

The man, who had been gripping the railing as if to break it, snapped out of his thoughts. His sharply defined jaw turned slightly, revealing his eyes. They were a striking red, like a drop of blood on a white canvas.

“Did you find out?”

“It was the maid of Lady Astria.”

“…Not even his own maid, but his fiancée’s maid, and they had an affair?”

“Yes, it seems there were quite a few witnesses. The atmosphere in the Astria mansion has been unusually quiet lately, but according to our sources, the Crown Prince and the maid have been secretly meeting for over two years.”

Karsian’s hand clenched the railing tightly, veins bulging as a dangerous aura surrounded him.

“I’m sure this wasn’t mentioned in the last report.”

The man standing before Karsian, his hands politely clasped, closed his eyes tightly. It was the question he had been fearing.

“Am I wrong?”

“…I will accept any punishment, Your Grace.”

He had known but hadn’t reported it.

Karsian let out a short, bitter laugh, overwhelmed by fury and betrayal. He wasn’t unaware that his subordinate had hidden it, thinking it was for my sake. But it was a consideration Karsian didn’t want at all. In the end, it only got in the way.

“Prepare my horse. I’ll decide your punishment when I return.”

“Pardon? Where are you going, sir?”

Karsian didn’t answer.

Soon, his loyal subordinate’s eyes fell on a letter lying on the balcony table.

“Surely not…! It’s impossible, Your Grace. Even if you leave right now and ride without resting, it’ll be impossible to arrive on time!”

“At least I’ll make it before the event ends.”

He really meant to ride non-stop to Cadipre. The grand duke’s aide desperately wanted to stop his master, but knowing it was impossible, he remained silent. Once Karsian Royster had made up his mind, no one could stop him. Trying would only increase the severity of his own punishment.

So, after Karsian left the balcony, his aide slumped down, sighing deeply in resignation. The wind blew, causing the envelope on the table to flutter to the ground. The stars and moon drawn on it seemed to mock him somehow, so the aide crumpled the innocent envelope in frustration.

***

In the accessory shop, Hilda was doing her best to turn Eleanor’s outdated dress into something presentable. While Lauren, the maid from the sewing room, held the fabric, Hilda gave her sharp critiques, and Lauren responded with adjustments.

The two worked so earnestly that Eleanor, the owner of the dress, could only blink in confusion.

“Won’t this make the waist too tight?”

Eleanor asked hesitantly.

“Oh no, Miss, it’s actually quite loose! These days, it’s fashionable for the waist to be fitted. Some ladies even have their waists squeezed tightly to look thinner, though you don’t need to worry, Miss, your waist is already slender,”

Hilda reassured her.

Thinking back, Eleanor realized that the dresses worn by the young noblewomen at the party had all been tightly fitted at the waist. Nora’s recent dresses, too, followed this trend.

Compared to those, the dress Hilda and Lauren had adjusted for her was much looser, but for Eleanor, who had only worn even more generously cut dresses, it still felt a bit snug.

“So, what else is in fashion these days?”

“Hmm… These days, dresses themselves aren’t big or heavy, but the decorations are extravagant. The bodice is cut low to reveal the chest, the waist is tight to emphasize curves, and they prefer skirts that aren’t too puffed up. Instead, they show off with jewels or lace.”

“Then, the dresses I bought last season—what era are they from?”

Most of Eleanor’s dresses covered her chest thoroughly and had minimal decorations. On top of that, the shoulders and skirt were extremely voluminous.

Nora had told her those were elegant, so Eleanor believed her. She had even seen other ladies wearing similar designs at times. Though most of them were quite elderly.

“Hmm… Perhaps they were fashionable a very long time ago? Ha ha ha…”

Not wanting to offend her lady, Hilda desperately avoided eye contact. Fortunately, at that moment, the merchant from Filling Heights arrived, allowing her to change the subject.

“An honor to meet the noble Lady of House Astria! I cannot believe you called me directly to you—it will be a tale of pride passed down through generations!”

She’ll change her mind in a few months. Eleanor pitied the merchant, unaware of the internal situation of the ducal family as she praised her.

“I don’t know if you remember, but I once saw you in passing some time ago. You were so beautiful I couldn’t close my mouth! I never thought such a moment like this would come—it just shows you can never predict life! Ha ha!”

“You flatter me too much. Show me your wares.”

“Ah! Of course, my lady! I’ve brought only the finest pieces from my shop! Please, take your time.”

Eleanor quietly examined the accessories the merchant laid out. And then she made her decision.

‘I still have no idea.’

To her eyes, they all looked the same. Some had lots of ribbons, while others were adorned with flowers—that was about the only difference she could see.

The only thing that caught her eye was a red hat. The reason was simple: it was red, so it stood out.

“Miss.”

Just as she was about to reach for the red hat, Hilda called out to her in a strangely desperate voice. When she turned her head, she saw Hilda’s eyes trembling anxiously.

“I think this black hat would go well with your navy dress… What do you think, Miss?”

The hat Hilda picked was a wide-brimmed black one, adorned with black ribbons and small pearls. It wasn’t quite the light and fresh design she was hoping for, nor did it reflect the latest Royster trends, but it was the best of the options here.

Eleanor nodded confidently, as if she had never even looked at the red hat.

“Yes, that’s better. Hilda, pick a few more. And choose one for yourself, too.”

“What?! Why for me?”

“You’ve been busy attending to me by yourself lately.”

“But that’s just part of being a maid.”

“Still, pick at least one.”

“I’m really fine, Miss.”

Hilda waved her hands frantically, as if she were really troubled, refusing again and again. Only after Eleanor insisted did she reluctantly choose a plain beige hat, the cheapest one among the merchant’s selection.

This was a response that felt unfamiliar to Eleanor. Nora and the other maids would have happily jumped at the chance, eyes gleaming as they tried to pick the most expensive and beautiful things.

‘She’s an odd one.’

Despite that thought, Eleanor couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

Even after the merchant left, Hilda and Lauren continued their diligent work. Thanks to their efforts, the dress fitting was finished in time for the party that morning. The hat and accessories were also prepared, so all that was left was to wait for the evening.

Perhaps worried that Eleanor might get bored, Hilda handed her an interesting document.

“What’s this?”

“It’s what you asked me to find out yesterday. I also put together a chart of the relationships.”

On the white paper were the names of all the servants working in the household. They were neatly organized by department, and next to each name were their distinguishing traits, making it easy to follow.

One notable detail was that about half of the names were written in red. Eva, Natalie, Jenna, Thomas… None of these names were unfamiliar.

“The ones in red are people who’ve sided with Nora?”

“Yes, I only marked the ones I’m certain of for now. You know the saying—if your name’s written in red, it means you’ll die.”

“Die…?”

“Yes. It’s just an old superstition, but I thought it was funny, so I did it for fun, heh. Take your time looking over it, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

Eleanor nodded lightly and skimmed through the document.

It seemed she had underestimated Hilda’s abilities. The content was quite impressive. Not only did it clearly trace the origins of various rumors, but it also pinpointed those helping Nora. Though some of the information reflected Hilda’s personal views, it appeared she had done her best to remain objective.

‘Is she really not Nora’s spy?’

From what she had seen so far, there was no reason to suspect her. But if she truly wasn’t involved with Nora, there was still one lingering question.

‘Then why is she helping me?’

The balance of power had already shifted in Nora’s favor. No matter how pitiful Eleanor was, there was nothing to gain from helping the false Astria. Unless someone liked taking dangerous risks, it wasn’t a smart choice to side with Eleanor at this point.

She’s a clever girl, so she must know that.

Eleanor glanced at Hilda with confused eyes. Hilda, as always, was sitting on a wooden chair, crafting something with her hands. Yesterday it was lace, and today it was artificial flowers.

“…What are you making?”

“Oh, this? It’s a marigold flower. I thought it would look good on the hat you bought me yesterday.”

Hilda lifted the dainty flower and placed it on the hat she had chosen. Whether it was because of the high quality of the artificial flower or not, even Eleanor, who knew little about fashion, thought it looked rather beautiful. It seemed better than what the merchant had brought yesterday.

“Actually, making things like this is my hobby. I love making pretty lace or artificial flowers and using them to decorate things. It’s a little silly, right?”

“Not at all. It looks better than the hats we saw yesterday. You should consider starting a business.”

“What? Oh, Miss, please! You’re flattering me too much, I’m embarrassed. I’m not someone who could ever run a business…!”

Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, and she shook her head so fast that it made Eleanor dizzy just watching her.

She really could sell them, though. Eleanor thought about adding something more, but decided not to. Hilda might just shake her head off if she did.

Instead, she made a decision to trust Hilda a little more.

Not to the point of giving everything, like she had foolishly done with Nora.

But perhaps she could let her in just a little bit more.

***

“Are you going somewhere, Ellie?”

It was about an hour before the dinner party was set to begin when Eleanor ran into Nora on her way back from her father’s study after changing into her dress.

“Oh my, your dress is lovely. Did you have it custom-made?”

Nora smiled sweetly as she complimented Eleanor’s navy dress.

Thanks to Hilda and Lauren’s hard work, it had undergone a significant transformation, but there was no way Nora wouldn’t recognize a dress Eleanor had picked out herself. After all, she was the one who had contacted all the famous dressmakers, instructing them not to make any new dresses for Eleanor. This was nothing but a mockery.

Sure enough, the two maids trailing behind Nora snickered to themselves, their attitudes as arrogant as their mistress.

“Seems like you’re going out, too.”

Eleanor glanced down at Nora’s attire.

Nora’s outfit stood out—a very bright and pretty pink dress. The neckline was low, revealing her chest, the waist was cinched tight without leaving an inch of room, and the skirt was adorned with light frills here and there. It was clearly a new design, likely something she had just gotten recently.

“Oh, or maybe not. I heard you’re not allowed to go out yet. You haven’t caught up with me, after all.”

How unfortunate. Eleanor whispered with a bright smile, watching the faces of Nora’s maids twist with anger.

A noble lady cannot attend social gatherings before her debutante. That was an unwritten rule in high society.

Hilda had told her that this was the cause of Nora’s current frustration. She was dying to attend balls and parties like the other noble ladies, but because of her own words, even her debutante was proving difficult.

Given that, Nora’s face didn’t look all that upset right now.

“Too bad, but there is nothing I can do. I hope you have a pleasant time.”

Nora shrugged her shoulders and turned away without a second thought, showing no hint of regret. There was even a certain kind of joy in her casual demeanor.

Was she planning something?

That sly smile was the same as what Eleanor had once seen through a crack in the door. It was a look that said she had set a trap and was eagerly waiting for Eleanor to fall into it.

With all the possible variables running through her mind, Eleanor hurried back to her room.

If she was going to arrive at Earl Portsmouth’s estate on time, she had to leave right away. She had originally planned to prepare with more time, but unfortunately, the Duke had wasted her time with needless conversation—about the royal family’s approval for the wine business finally coming through today.

Still, since she had already finished most of the preparations and all that was left was putting on her accessories, she figured she wouldn’t be late.

But soon, she realized she was wrong.

“Miss…!”

Hilda, who had been waiting anxiously for her, approached, her face pale with panic.

“I’m sorry, Miss. The accessories we bought yesterday…! They’re all gone! It seems someone stole them!”

So this is it.

Eleanor’s lips curved into a smile.