RYL Chapter 05

Chapter 05

After finishing Lilianne’s dress shopping, she pulled us to a salon, where we got massages and were now getting our makeup done.

Lilianne watched as the salon staff worked on our faces, but something seemed to bother her. She stepped forward and asked,
“Can I do it myself?”

At her gentle request, the staff bowed and stepped back.

“There’s no need to go this far…” I mumbled awkwardly, but Lilianne firmly cut me off.
“What are you saying? Fashion is completed by the face! Makeup is the most important part!”

I mean… we’re just going home after this anyway…
But seeing Lilianne so enthusiastic for once, I decided to let her do as she pleased.

“Claire, your features are on the cute side, so it’s better to highlight them rather than go for a heavy look. Your skin tone is cool, so pastel shades will suit you best.”

As Lilianne carefully explained while applying the makeup, I must have dozed off for a moment because, before I knew it, she had finished. She gazed at me with a delighted expression.

“Look! It suits you perfectly! You’ve completely transformed—like, 360 degrees different!”

Uh… if you turn 360 degrees, wouldn’t you end up exactly the same…?
Oh well, if Lilianne’s happy, I guess that’s fine.

I glanced at the mirror absentmindedly, and just as she said, the plain, dull girl from before was gone. Instead, a lovely young woman stared back at me.

Hmm… Not bad, actually…?

I turned to my side and saw Sabrina, who had also dozed off, suddenly snapping awake.
Wait… you too?!

“Sabrina would suit heavier makeup, but since today’s dress concept is more serious, I went with a softer look,” Lilianne explained.

Just as she said, the natural, subtle makeup gave Sabrina a mysterious aura—like a heroine with a tragic past.

Come to think of it, Lilianne had already finished her own makeup, too. It wasn’t her usual soft and delicate look—she had gone for something a little bolder.

Now that we were all fully dressed and styled from head to toe, we somehow ended up heading downtown.

Lilianne had already instructed her servants and coachmen to deliver the bulky dresses to our homes, but even so, our arms were full of shopping bags filled with accessories and cosmetics.

I wasn’t sure how I ended up carrying these, but before I could complain, Sabrina, who couldn’t stand uncomfortable situations, spoke up first.

“Shouldn’t we just give all of these to the coachman too?”

Lilianne simply smiled.
“This was actually my dream. Like those glamorous women in foreign dramas, strutting confidently through the city with their arms full of shopping bags.”

Sabrina looked at her like she couldn’t understand why anyone would dream about something like that, but before she could say anything, I poked her in the side with my elbow.

Come on, just let her have this moment!

Realizing my intent, Sabrina forced an awkward smile.
“Oh… Right! Carrying heavy bags through the streets! It’s always been my dream too!”

Lilianne beamed and eagerly linked arms with both of us.
“Then let’s go recharge with some sweets! I know a great high-end dessert place!”

With that, she led the way, looking brighter than ever. Seeing her like that, Sabrina and I couldn’t help but smile as well.

Honestly? It didn’t feel so bad.

When else would I ever get to walk confidently down the street with luxury shopping bags in my arms?
It was something I could never do alone, but somehow, with the three of us together, it felt natural.

Me in a fancy pink dress, Lilianne in an elegant lemon-yellow dress, and Sabrina in a sleek black dress—three well-dressed women, carrying luxurious shopping bags, strolling confidently through the busiest part of town.

People stared.

“…Is it just me, or is everyone looking at us?” I whispered.

Lilianne grinned mischievously.
“It’s not just you. We look stunning today.”

Wait… Does she actually enjoy this kind of attention?

“Let them look. Who cares what others think? As long as we’re happy, that’s all that matters,” Sabrina declared confidently.

Lilianne and I exchanged amused smiles.

Honestly… I used to feel like I was all alone in this world, but…

With these two by my side, I suddenly felt like I had allies—like we could take on anything together.

Before I knew it, I straightened my back, smiled brightly, and walked with even more confidence.

Some refined noblewomen clicked their tongues in disapproval, and girls our age threw jealous glances our way. But we didn’t care.

Men glanced at us, some even whistled.

I had never received this much attention in my life before, but strangely, I didn’t hate it.

Compared to my dull routine of going back and forth between work and home, living like a ghost without knowing why… this felt entirely different.

This little act of rebellion gave me a strange sense of thrill.

And then—

Perhaps because we looked like noblewomen walking around without guards, carrying expensive bags—a man suddenly lunged at Lilianne.

“Aaah!” she screamed.

I froze in shock.

But before the man’s hands could reach her—

Sabrina’s foot was faster.

With her skirt lifted slightly, she delivered a clean, powerful kick to his jaw.

The attacker flipped backward and collapsed, completely unconscious.

Lilianne and I stood there in stunned silence, unable to process what had just happened.

Meanwhile, Sabrina calmly straightened her dress and turned to us with an indifferent expression.

“Oh, didn’t I mention? In my past life, I was a bodyguard.”

…What?!

An actress and a bodyguard?!

I suddenly felt like my ordinary office-worker self should just stay quiet.

Without hesitation, Sabrina flipped the unconscious man over and tied his wrists neatly with a handkerchief.

She made it look so effortless that I couldn’t help but mutter,
“…You are a woman, right?”

Sabrina frowned.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, just because you woke up in a woman’s body doesn’t mean you were necessarily a woman in your past life.”

“I was a woman, okay?”

Then Lilianne, still slightly shaken, added in a small voice,
“Good thing… I wasn’t picking out dresses for a man…”

Sabrina froze, speechless, so I quickly tried to change the mood.

“Haha, the dessert shop isn’t far, right? I’m starving—let’s go!”

***

After eating at the dessert shop Lilianne took us to, we each returned home. Thankfully, we took a carriage back, so nothing happened on the way.

When the carriage stopped in front of the Count’s mansion, I got out, carrying all my shopping bags.

Inside the mansion, my stepmother was waiting with her arms crossed.

She looked annoyed, but before I could question it, I noticed something behind her.

The parlor was filled with dresses delivered from the boutique, neatly arranged.

Sitting on the sofa in front of them was Sophia, casually flipping through the dresses with an arrogant expression.

I frowned, glaring at both Ophelia and Sophia.

“Did you go through my dresses without permission?”

Ophelia scoffed, as if I was being ridiculous.

“Where did all these dresses come from?” she asked suspiciously.

I sighed in disbelief.

“They were a gift.”

Ophelia’s eyes then moved to the shopping bags in my hands, and her expression darkened.

“The young duke gifted you all this? If he was going to send presents, he should have sent them to the Count’s estate. Marriage isn’t just between two people—it involves families. You know how difficult things are for the estate, yet you didn’t even think to say anything?”

Why should my gifts go to the Count’s estate?

Besides, the young duke didn’t send any of this.

That guy wouldn’t spend a single penny on me.

Feeling irritated, I blurted out my thoughts.

“Whether these were gifts or things I bought myself, it’s not something you need to interfere with.”

Ophelia gasped in mock outrage.

“Oh, listen to you! How can you say that? I’m your mother.”

She then gave me a suspicious look.

“Wait a minute… these aren’t from the young duke, are they? Did you buy them yourself? Where did you get all that money?”

I turned to leave, feeling it wasn’t worth arguing.

But Ophelia quickly blocked my path again.

“Did your father give you money? Unbelievable! Does he know what this estate looks like, yet still gave you money?”