Chapter 48
There was an overwhelming amount of work to do, but for the sake of outward appearances, I accepted Luana’s invitation.
And so, the day of her tea party arrived.
On the way to her townhouse in the capital, I caught sight of her secondary estate from afar and nodded to myself.
“So this is what power and wealth look like…!”
I’d known the Marquisate of Sernaden owned vast lands, but I hadn’t realized that the townhouse Luana had recently purchased in the capital was three times the size of mine.
I stepped down from the carriage, feeling a little small.
“If she really marries Edin, she’ll have a powerful backing….”
And when that happens, I’ll just be a string that’s lost its use.
I’d go on a year-long break, return, make another wedding dress, and inherit the Algerf family line.
It was a dull, ordinary, characterless life.
Muttering not to pity myself, I stepped into the estate.
“Even for a marquis’s family, this is impressive.”
The ornate landscaping, the bustling servants, and the courteous butler guiding me in—everything testified to splendor. Hard to believe this was only a secondary residence.
“Today’s tea party is in the garden. Shall I show you through?”
Following the butler’s gentle lead, I stepped out the back door and found myself in a meticulously arranged garden.
Luana, sitting at a white table, waved.
Her pink dress suited her so beautifully that I thought of the days when I believed Rena was the most beautiful person in the world—and realized I’d been wrong.
The empire’s most beautiful women were Rena and Luana.
“Lady Daphne! Thank you so much for coming!”
She rose and greeted me warmly.
It was hard not to feel awkward—especially since I remembered the time when she’d kept walls around herself.
But people change.
Just as Rowan had changed for the worse, it wasn’t strange to accept Luana’s change as well.
“This must be the first time I’ve invited you alone. I’m really glad you came.”
“Thank you for having me.”
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I prepared the tea and desserts as I pleased. I worried I might have made a mistake since you’re such a busy person, but I did my best.”
Even from the color alone, the tea leaves her servant brought out were a cut above the ordinary.
The desserts, arranged on ornate plates, were so finely crafted I could see the chef’s effort in every detail.
“This is the tea party of someone who’s made consideration second nature.”
There had been a time when she shut herself away on her estate, avoiding society altogether.
And yet, the tableware, the decorations, the choice of location, and even her dress—all showed the hand of someone with innate aesthetic sense.
“Lady Daphne, I imagine such settings are familiar to you? So many ladies like you. Whenever someone tries to open up to you, it always turns into compliments.”
Maybe that’s because I built a small salon in my shop to make people feel welcome.
With that rational guess, I forced a polite smile.
“I’ve always been focused on work and my family, so I never expected other ladies to think of me that way. It’s truly an honor.”
“They really mean it. And honestly, I was so glad to see you at Lady Tayson’s wedding. I’ve always wanted to become close with you. You probably heard—I was recently matched with someone? The whole capital was buzzing with the rumors….”
She lightly touched her lips with her finger, smiling with embarrassment.
“But he wasn’t the right one. Maybe he was suitable from a practical standpoint, but… in the end, we just exchanged a few words and parted. I can’t imagine why such rumors spread.”
How could they not? Meeting someone so openly was bound to make noise.
Was she oblivious? Or just unskilled in these things?
I hadn’t wanted to hear about Edin at all, but then…
“Why does this suddenly make me feel better?”
After that, she never mentioned Edin again.
Instead, she dropped all unnecessary chatter and told me little stories about herself.
By the end, my heart was lighter than when I’d first stepped into the townhouse.
Still, I had one concern.
“I have to go into work this afternoon….”
When I fiddled with my teacup, she checked the time.
Startled, she stood.
“Today is Wednesday, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then your wedding dress shop must be open.”
“My employees are watching the place for me.”
“Oh no, I’ve kept you too long! You should hurry back to your shop. I don’t want my goodwill to become a burden!”
She gracefully ended the tea party.
Thanks to that, I returned to the shop with only good news.
“Next time, I’ll invite you to our estate. If I send you a letter, please reply. I hope we can remain allies in shared purpose.”
She really had a roundabout way of saying she wanted to be friends.
It’s not easy for adults to form new relationships, and yet here I was, shut in my shop all day, managing it somehow.
The thought made me laugh unexpectedly.
Luana Sernaden… well, given that she had attended a meeting with Edin, she must have marriage in mind.
One day, I might end up making her wedding dress.
“She’d be the perfect client.”
If she so much as stepped into the capital’s social scene, the ripples would be enormous.
And if she wore one of my dresses, the word would spread like wildfire, shaking the empire’s wedding industry.
“Not that I really have any competition in the empire anyway, so what’s the problem.”
My only real troubles came from ladies who had everything measured and tailored—then suddenly declared they’d rather wear their mother’s or grandmother’s old wedding dress.
Feeling much fresher than before, I gazed out the window.
Unaware of the unpleasantness waiting for me back at the shop.
“So this is… a returned dress.”
It had been a long time since I’d encountered such a troublesome customer.
As soon as I saw the box placed on the table, I turned to Olivia, who was anxiously watching me.
“She suddenly wanted a refund, saying she’d changed her mind? That she didn’t like it? But I sent it just yesterday. She adored it all through the final fitting.”
“Exactly. I told her clearly that refunds were no longer possible. But she shouted for the owner to come out, threw the dress here, and stormed off.”
“…Ugh, it’s been ages since I’ve had a headache like this. What else did she say?”
“She said if you couldn’t come now, you should go to her. She even left her business card.”
“Wait… she didn’t come herself?”
“No. It was her father who came and made the demand. What should we do?”
“We’ll have to talk it out. But seriously, the wedding is this Saturday, and they want a refund now? What’s she going to wear—pajamas?”
Pressing my temples against the rising pain, I picked up the card.
It belonged to the father of that promising young lady from a wealthy business family—the same girl who’d been excited to wear this dress to Rachel’s birthday banquet.
I remembered clearly how much she had loved this dress.
She’d even sent me a letter, personally thanking me and promising she would wear it beautifully.
“Did her father think it was too revealing? No… this was one of the most conservative designs I’ve made recently. And the size was perfect. Ugh… am I really going to have to go there myself?”
Proper etiquette dictated I write a letter first and then pay a visit.
I asked Olivia for paper.
But she shook her head nervously.
“If you’re planning to send a letter, I don’t think it’ll help. He demanded you go today.”
“What a troublesome case. Fine. The address isn’t far anyway. I’ll go and settle this face to face.”
I pulled the shawl draped over the sofa back onto my shoulders.
Berry, who had been watching, hurried over on quick steps.
“I’ll go with you.”
“No, stay here.”
“I have a bad feeling. What if you need me? And maybe having two people there will calm him down.”
She must have already tried everything with Olivia and knew persuasion hadn’t worked—yet she still offered.
“Well… everyone’s been telling me to be careful lately.”
Reluctantly, I nodded.
But honestly, that wasn’t the only reason I wanted Berry along.
The address written on the card… it felt strangely suspicious.
