Chapter 16
Even if I’m not the most pleasant person, how could she say something like that…
In an instant, my facial muscles stiffened.
I knew Lady Laila wasn’t one to filter her words, but that remark still cut deep.
Heat flushed across my face.
She doesn’t even really like Edin, yet she’s already trying to put me in my place.
Was this really something worth getting angry over?
It wasn’t as if being dismissed or belittled was new to me.
Just a few days ago, Rachel’s maid had acted rudely.
In my previous life and in this one, I’d met plenty of disrespectful people.
Still, I tried not to nitpick or retaliate at others’ unpleasant behavior.
Because holding on to resentment only left me hurt in the end.
So I lowered my head, suppressing my emotions.
But when Lena’s face flickered in my mind, I couldn’t help the wave of bitterness that filled me.
I also recalled Edin’s words—that if I didn’t go along with his plan, he would track down Lena, who had run away.
There were so many things I had to endure, even when resentment weighed heavily on me.
Forcing a smile, I answered:
“Yes, there’s nothing between us at all.”
When I gave my firm reply, Laila only drained the rest of her tea and said nothing more on the matter.
Maybe she felt there was nothing left to press.
After a moment of thought, she opened her mouth again.
“All right then. The misunderstanding is cleared up.”
“There was a scandal, and both His Grace and I were wrongly accused. So, Lady Laila, there’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“Yes… then let’s move on to another topic. I’ll soon be meeting His Grace, so I ought to know what to talk about with him.”
She crossed her arms and cast her eyes downward.
“So, could you tell me what kinds of things His Grace is usually interested in? And… what kind of lady he prefers?”
“Uh… His Grace…”
Now that I thought about it, what did he like?
Playing tricks to see people’s reactions?
If I mentioned that, it would make Edin sound strange.
So I settled for something anyone might know.
“His Grace is interested in fashion… and recently, I believe he’s taken an interest in theater ventures as well.”
It was information one could easily glean from the papers.
But Laila listened intently, as if absorbing new and precious information.
“All right. And His Grace’s ideal type of lady is…?”
“That, I don’t really know. But surely he would want an admirable lady—someone like you, Lady Motron.”
Why did I have to say these things?
Explaining Edin’s interests only left me feeling gloomier.
Still, she seemed pleased with my answer, hiding her smile behind her fan.
“Thank you for telling me. I think we can part here for today.”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
I felt utterly drained.
I’d need at least an hour of lying down at home before the exhaustion faded.
But life rarely went the way I wanted.
After all, instead of receiving the fine education other young ladies did, I was busy sewing wedding dresses.
“Take me to the shop.”
I had to head straight back.
That very afternoon, a lady was coming for a dress fitting.
I needed to take her measurements myself and adjust the dress according to her requests.
Fortunately, Motron House wasn’t far from my shop, so I arrived soon enough.
My head ached, my back throbbed.
I thought the strain on my mind was affecting my body too, as I pushed open the door—
“Ahhhhhh!!!”
A scream burst from inside the shop.
Startled, I rushed toward the sound.
“Jane, what happened?!”
She was clutching her palm, tears streaming down her face.
I turned to see what she was looking at.
It was the “Customer-Attracting Magic Stone” that Edin had gifted.
“I tried to wipe it off, but the moment I touched it, I got hurt like this…!”
Jane showed me her bleeding palm.
I frowned deeply and shot up from my seat.
“Wait! I’ll get the emergency medicine!”
“Hhhnn, it hurts so much… If I’m injured like this, I can’t work!”
Even while crying, she was worrying about work.
Jane truly was a diligent, pitiful employee.
I quickly brought the emergency medicine and sprinkled it on her palm.
She screamed in pain.
“Lady Daphne, I’ve found a magic potion!”
Just then, our manager Olivia appeared.
She had gone into the storeroom for medicine after seeing Jane’s wound.
She came back with a dusty vial, ready to apply it to Jane’s palm—
“No! It hurts too much!”
Jane shouted, squirming away from the treatment.
I told Olivia to step back for now.
“Jane, you know you need this medicine to heal quickly, right? Please?”
“It’s too painful… Lady Daphne, I beg you. No more medicine.”
She clutched at my dress with her uninjured hand, pleading desperately.
Reluctantly, I nodded, though I couldn’t shake my worry about her palm.
“Will you be all right? Then take the rest of the day off. On your way home, stop by the physician’s. You don’t have to come tomorrow either.”
“Thank you… hic… As for that magic stone… I think it’s better to throw it away.”
“Hm?”
“It must be a stone that shouldn’t be touched carelessly. If a customer were to touch it…”
But that stone was specifically made to attract customers.
According to Edin, it could never be harmful to people.
Still, someone was just injured right in front of me…
So I promised her I’d put it away.
If it could truly harm a customer, it would be disastrous.
Jane wiped her tears and stood up, clenching her injured hand into a fist.
“Ah, don’t squeeze it like that…”
“Oh! I didn’t realize. I’ll head home now. I’m sorry.”
After seeing Jane off, I asked the manager to handle the cleanup, then cautiously reached toward the stone.
The last time I touched it, nothing had happened.
But what if I got hurt like Jane did?
I closed my eyes tightly and touched it.
Nothing happened.
Still, better to be safe. Even if I feel sorry for the giver, maybe he enchanted it so only the owner wouldn’t be harmed. I’ll just take it home.
I slipped it into my bag.
Come to think of it…
A bright light flared inside the bag.
The pendant!
Rachel’s pendant, which she had given me earlier, was in there.
When it touched the stone, it glowed brightly.
I carefully reached for it.
It shone for a moment, then dimmed again.
What’s going on now…?
I hastily took out the pendant and put it around my neck.
For some reason, I felt the two shouldn’t be kept together.
“Miss, what’s this?”
“Wait! That’s—”
Emma had set her feather duster right on top of the magic stone.
The stone glowed green for a moment, then returned to its usual color.
“Ugly-looking stone, isn’t it?”
“Emma, don’t touch that! I think it can cause injuries.”
“What? But I didn’t get hurt.”
“…What?”
“While you were writing a letter earlier, I brushed past it. I almost dropped it, but you know how quick my reflexes are, right? I grabbed it before it fell. See? My hands are perfectly fine.”
Emma held out her unblemished palms.
I approached the table and tapped the stone lightly with my finger.
The pendant around my neck shone brightly again.
What is this…
Something was strange.
Emma could touch it safely.
I could, too.
Even when Edin handed it to me, nothing happened.
It wasn’t as if dangerous magic stones like this could be sold freely anyway.
In fact, I remembered something else. When Olivia had returned to work after some time off, she had asked about the stone:
“What’s that stone over there, between the gems?”
“Oh, it was a gift.”
“I see. Actually, I thought it was misplaced, so I picked it up and carried it all around the shop once…”
“What? No, you didn’t need to—thanks, though.”
Olivia too had touched it without harm.
So why Jane…?
I had heard of people being slightly scratched by magic stones before.
But never had they cried and screamed in agony like Jane did.
Her reaction had been strangely intense, completely unlike her usual self.
I need to investigate this.
Sigh. Out again right after work.
I turned to Emma.
“Emma, prepare the carriage.”
I needed to go straight to the magic shop.
