CHAPTER 25
While I was writing replies to the party invitations, Liza stayed close to me, fanning me with her hand. It was annoying and didn’t help cool me down at all, so I sighed deeply in her face.
“Liza, stop that. It’s distracting. And Bell, please tell the butler to send this letter early tomorrow morning.”
I handed Bell the neatly sealed letter. But she didn’t leave the room right away. She hesitated.
“What’s wrong?”
“Should I call the tailor too?”
Bell was right. Whether I went on a picnic or to a party, I’d need proper clothes. I had a few outfits, but not enough for social events. And since I had money now, I didn’t want to ask Bell to keep fixing my old dresses.
“Yes, please do. Oh, and while we’re at it, let’s order a few outfits for you too.”
Bell smiled brightly. It was normal for a lady’s personal maid to get some new clothes when attending events with her.
The clothes wouldn’t be super fancy or expensive, but seeing how happy she looked made me think I might also get her a few accessories. After Bell left, Liza rolled her eyes playfully and suddenly spoke.
“My lady, are you going to a party?”
She tilted her head to the right on purpose. I frowned and answered.
“Yes.”
“I want to go too!”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. It was so obvious what she wanted that I almost laughed. Silly and cute Liza, who didn’t know how to be sneaky.
“Well… if you ever become as skilled as Bell, I’ll think about it.”
Liza would never be as good as Bell. I had no intention of taking her to a party, but she didn’t notice my hidden meaning and just smiled happily.
“Yes!”
She was so excited and chatty that I forgot I still had to write a letter to the young duke.
There’s no better place to show off the king’s support than at a social gathering. Since I didn’t need to rush a tailor, I opened the box the queen had gifted me to see if there was anything good inside.
Bell and Liza were excited to see the fancy gifts. The Count didn’t look pleased, but he didn’t say anything rude.
“My lady, how about braiding your hair into one long braid?”
“Do what you like.”
Bell was always eager to try new hairstyles on me. So far, she’d done 23 different styles. I didn’t want to ruin her excitement, so I stayed quiet.
“No matter what she does, Carla will never look like a true beauty,” I thought as I untied the ribbon on the box.
Opening the king’s gifts was kind of fun. The silver cutlery was decorated with gold patterns, and when light hit it, flower designs appeared. The plates and teacups were beautiful, and there were knives, forks, and spoons in different sizes. Even sugar tongs were included—proof that the king really cherished Carla.
“I could probably sell this for good money,” I thought wickedly.
I laughed silently and left the box on the vanity. Then I placed a new box on my lap. I could feel Bell and Liza staring at me. They didn’t say anything, but I could hear their silent excitement: Open it, open it!
When I untied the ribbon, they gasped behind me.
“Wow…”
I lifted a delicate piece of fabric from the box. It was a lace shawl so thin I could barely feel its weight. It was so sheer I could see the wall behind it.
“It’s so beautiful…”
Bell whispered in awe. Liza had her mouth wide open, stunned.
“It’s so white.”
Even someone with no fashion sense could tell it was expensive. No fuzz, no discoloration. When I pulled the edges gently, it stretched and returned to its shape perfectly. The lace had an uneven pattern—but I soon realized it formed a picture.
I stood up and draped the shawl around my shoulders. The pattern appeared clearly.
“My lady, it’s like you’re wrapped in a giant flower. You look beautiful!”
Bell’s cheerful voice filled the room. Just then, Theodore quietly opened the door. Our eyes met, and unlike before, he rubbed his face a few times, then stepped inside slowly.
“Is it weird? No, it looks good…”
I spun gently. The shawl flowed around me softly. Theodore stared for a moment, then gave a respectful bow and left.
“What was that about?”
I gave Bell a look when she giggled at him, and she quickly came to fix the shawl.
“This kind of lace is hard to make. I wonder how they got it?”
“Yeah, me too.”
The king had given this to Carla as a wedding gift. He even kept it and gave it to me after the fight. I didn’t want to get sentimental, so I quickly took off the shawl and gave it to Bell. She carefully folded it and put it back in the box.
“If all the gifts are this fancy, I might be scared to open the rest…”
I swallowed nervously and opened a smaller box. Luckily, this one had simple jewelry. But all the gems were black.
“Wow! All the jewels are the same color as your eyes, my lady!”
Liza squealed with joy. I saw Theodore peek through the door again. He must have been checking each time Liza got too loud. His loyal nature made me feel oddly safe.
“This one’s obsidian… this is a diamond… and this is jade… spinel… oh! There’s sapphire too!”
“And tourmaline! That’s rare!”
Bell, who usually stayed calm, was very excited. She explained each gem to me one by one, and I learned a bit. Not that I could tell the difference between sapphire and diamond yet—I just nodded politely.
“Rare stones cost more, right? Then how much are these worth?”
The gems in my hand felt heavy. This kind of unconditional affection felt both overwhelming and scary. What was the king thinking when he gave me all this?
I gently touched the gems with the soft cloth, lost in thought.
“These are gifts. I should wear them on a special day.”
The perfect time to show off the gifts was at the Marquis Verner’s party. He supported the king and was a devoted believer, so the setting was ideal. It wasn’t a big formal party—more like a small tea gathering. A great chance to make friends.
“I hope the people there are worth meeting.”
The Marquis’s mansion was filled with garden statues, most of them shaped like pens—feather pens, fountain pens, and more. Even the fence had pen tips carved into it.
“Books and pens must be important symbols here.”
When I got out of the carriage, a butler greeted me politely.
“They’re waiting inside.”
“Bell, go inside and rest.”
Bell disappeared with a maid’s help. Only Theodore followed me. The butler seemed like he wanted to say something but stayed quiet and signaled to the maid.
The maid led me to the parlor without saying a word. The party felt calm and quiet, more like a small gathering than a grand event.
The spacious room had its furniture moved away to make space. Noble guests stood in small groups, chatting. Theodore whispered in my ear.
“The woman in the red dress is the Marquis Verner.”
Right then, the marquis looked at me, probably informed by the maid. She was an older noblewoman with a gentle smile.
“Welcome.”
“Thank you for inviting me. Your mansion is beautiful.”
She seemed very pleased, likely because this was my first party after making peace with the king. That meant I chose her party first—an honor to her.
“I decorated carefully. I’m glad you like it.”
Then she glanced behind me.
“By the way, the knight behind you…”
I already knew what she meant. I signaled to Theodore. He bowed gracefully.
“I am Theodore, servant of God.”
“Oh my!”
The marquis’s lips twitched. She looked back at me, wanting confirmation.
“His Majesty was kind enough to arrange this.”
She looked very proud, clearly happy that the king gave me a personal guard and she was the first to host me.
The marquis stood next to me and introduced me to the other guests as they approached.
Soon, more people gathered around us. They greeted the marquis first but stared at me the whole time.
“How beautifully this room is decorated.”
“It’s been a while, Marquis.”
They all wanted to get close to the new “Countess” favored by the king.
“And the person beside you is…”
Their eyes darted toward Theodore. The marquis cleared her throat and introduced me.
“This is Countess Carla. Carla, this is Viscountess Marie and this is Lady Louie, daughter of Count Floor. Both are faithful believers with a passion for charity.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Meeting is also a blessing from the Great One.”
The marquis introduced me to everyone. They were all neat and very religious—people the real Carla would have liked.
After greeting them all, I could feel their eyes on me from head to toe. I stood tall and lightly adjusted my shawl, letting it flow. It was beautiful, so of course it got attention.
But when I met their eyes, I realized they were looking at my hat.
“Carla, your hat is so lovely.”
It was a wide-brim straw hat decorated with poppies. An older noblewoman smiled.
“Young ladies these days don’t know this old trend. We used to wear roses. Wildflowers are unusual.”
She looked at me playfully.
“Is there a reason you chose that flower?”
“Yes, is it special?”
I thought hard. The marquis didn’t stop them, so this was clearly a test. They were accepting me into the group, but how well they treated me would depend on my answer.
“Look faithful, answer gracefully—like Carla would.”
I straightened my back, lowered my eyes a little, and tried to give off Carla’s priestly calm.
“Roses and wildflowers are both creations of the Great One. I don’t think it has to be a rose.”
I didn’t give a clear reason so they couldn’t argue. I showed sincerity in my faith and added a hint of innocent youth.
“If I had to give a reason… isn’t it pretty? If I made a mistake, please be kind.”
That last part meant: I’m young, please be understanding.
It worked. I heard them agree softly. The older lady smiled warmly.
“You’re right. There’s no right or wrong in the Great One’s creations.”
It seemed I passed their test. I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
If they knew the real reason I wore a poppy on my hat, they’d be shocked.
