“I was disappointed you’ve only been hanging out with Miss Lena Frotard lately, but here you are.”
There was an edge to her words. I quickly withdrew my hand from reaching for a canapé and straightened my posture. I whispered to the resolve I had made before entering the mansion: Hide for a moment.
“I apologize for not reaching out. I was busy preparing for my vacation. I’m truly delighted to have this chance to meet with you, Lady Salvia, thanks to Sophia’s generosity.”
“I suppose I’ll know the sincerity of your words depending on what you’ll be talking about, and what conditions we’ll be discussing, Miss Daphne. You know about the marriage proposal between His Highness the Crown Prince and the House of Leodid, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course, I do.”
“For a while now… I’ve had to suffer so much, keeping secrets while being called to the palace and postponing meetings with guests. To be honest, I was going to seek you out first.”
Why? Was she going to play matchmaker for me? A shiver ran down my spine.
“I’ll have to quit this job within a year. These days, it’s becoming a trend for nobles to marry for love… And more importantly, I don’t need to do this anymore.”
I subtly glanced at the plaster statue in the sitting room. I hadn’t seen it on my previous visit, so it must have been a gift from a newly married couple. Lady Salvia collected and sold these kinds of gifts as payment. The profit she earned this way was more than her husband’s business earnings. She must have earned enough money to feel that she no longer needed to do such tiresome work. I was genuinely envious and respectful of her.
“…Then you’ll only be working until next spring.”
“That’s right. I’ll just find a match for my top partner, the eldest daughter of the House of Alzerf, and then I’ll be done.”
That’s me.
“Haha, as I’ve told you before…”
“I said you can just sit and have a cup of tea. How about I make the conditions a little more certain?”
I couldn’t predict what she was going to say. My heart started beating faster.
“I’ll grant every wish you have, Miss Daphne. In return, you just have to meet with two people I introduce to you. I won’t ask for more than that.”
She was making such a generous offer? I tried to calm my surprised heart and looked into her green eyes. She wasn’t lying. It wasn’t a casual, empty promise full of escape routes.
“So… could I know the names of the two people you have in mind, Lady Salvia?”
“You haven’t been satisfied with anyone before, have you? I’ll pick them out later.”
“…Then, there is one knight I know who is looking for a spouse.”
“Oh, connecting you two won’t be difficult. Not compared to seeing you get married, Miss Daphne!”
I felt like I had been tricked. It would be a difficult task to win against Lady Salvia, even if I were ten years older.
“Ah, I’m so looking forward to your wedding, Miss Daphne. I’m sure it’ll be the most splendid in the Empire since it’ll be with someone I’ve carefully chosen for you.”
I smiled awkwardly and secretly clenched my fists. The whole world seems to be obsessed with marriage and romance. But that’s what I needed to survive, so I had to just turn a blind eye.
I made an appointment to meet with Salvia again in a week. As soon as I got back, I started getting ready for a birthday party.
‘Is this right?’
It was fortunate that the tea party was scheduled for the morning. Preparing for a ball takes an enormous amount of effort. What gave Sophia the confidence to schedule two physically demanding events in one day? As soon as I got back, I bathed in a tub full of fragrant oils with the help of Emma. Then, I took out a purple dress that I had kept in my closet until now. It was the dress with the fullest skirt, the most expensive jewels, and a dazzling, overwhelming presence.
‘I wonder if I really need to go this far… but I want to look wealthy in front of Rose.’
After putting on the dress, I let Emma do my hair and makeup to match it. Having been with me for a long time, she knew what made my face look most beautiful. A magnificent result was produced in less than an hour. Lastly, I slid my feet into my shoes.
‘…It’s a little tight?’
Was my body swollen from running around since the morning? I squeezed my feet into the shoes and walked around the room once. I hoped my feet would get used to the shoes by walking around a bit.
‘I can walk in these!’
I was ready to go out. I took the invitation Sophia had given me and got into the carriage. I was off. Off to have it out with Rose Hampton, the girl who would turn her head away every time she saw me since our academy days, like a goose.
“Miss Daphne, I’d like to commission a wedding dress for my sister. It’s great news that you’ve started your business.”
“Haha, I’m very confident that I can make a beautiful dress for your sister, Lady Seria. In fact, when I saw her back then, I was immediately inspired with a design that would suit her.”
“Oh, really? I want to tell my sister exactly that. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.”
Ah… social life is so difficult.
Thanks to the reputation I had gained from the shop, there were many people I needed to greet. After exchanging pleasantries with countless people, and making empty promises to meet up, I desperately wanted a glass of champagne.
‘…When did they start mocking a poor lady from a baronage for being greedy and having needle marks on her hands?’
The way people’s attitudes changed so quickly was truly disgusting. To be honest, I was never embarrassed about my humble family background. I wasn’t someone with low self-esteem, and I didn’t see anything wrong with my parents raising me in a happy home to the best of their abilities. Even though we had almost been ruined by the debt passed down from our ancestors combined with my father’s business failure. But we didn’t go bankrupt, did we?
I took the champagne from a waiter and looked at the birthday girl from a distance. Rose Hampton, whom I had known since my academy days. She was two years younger than me, but thanks to the high reputation of the House of Hampton, she had skipped a grade and attended the same classes as me. That alone wouldn’t have made her a difficult lady to be around, but…
‘Does the Alzerf baronage really not have a butler?’
‘…Pardon?’
‘You don’t have five servants? Really? Wow! How fascinating.’
After that, she would look at me with a face full of pity. I would often hide behind Lena and Rowan to avoid her uncomfortable gaze. I guess she thought I hated her, because after that she would either glare at me or ignore me. I was dumbfounded because she was the one who was in the wrong.
After I left the academy, I once ran into her at the wedding of a lady whose dress I had designed. I was walking alone, away from the temple. I happened to overhear her and her friends critiquing the bride’s dress. Rose was the one who started it.
‘I heard the House of Beckerit is going through a tough time. Isn’t the bride’s dress too plain?’
‘How could they only think of using silk and lace? And a dress that falls straight without any pleats?’
I got so angry when I heard that conversation that I left the venue. The lace that decorated the dress was a very meaningful one, as it had been made by the House of Beckerit themselves. The main fabric of the dress, mikado silk, was also from a dress that Lady Beckerit cherished and had taken apart to use. How dare she disparage a dress so full of familial meaning? After that, just the name ‘Rose Hampton’ was enough to send a chill down my spine.
‘Don’t make eye contact.’
Just as I was about to sneak out of the banquet hall, my eyes met with Rose’s, who was arm in arm with her fiancé.
“…Miss Alzerf!”
She walked toward me with her fiancé. She scanned my dress once and smiled slightly.
“It’s truly beautiful.”
“Oh, yes. Thank you. Happy birthday.”
“I received a message from Miss Sophia, but I didn’t actually expect you to come. Miss Alzerf… are you still alone?”
Why is everyone so interested in my marriage? I’m making a decent living, and other than this one thing, I’m living a pretty happy life. I was about to open my mouth, assuming she was trying to pick a fight with me again. The doorman at the entrance shouted loudly.
“His Grace the Grand Duke Richeverden has entered.”
Wow, they’re giving the Grand Duke special treatment.
While I was impressed, I felt the hall become quiet. The people in the hall silently looked between Edin and me. Ugh… why did he have to show up here?
“I feel like I need some fresh air. Please excuse me.”
It didn’t matter what Rose had to say. I ran out the back door of the banquet hall and rushed to the pond to escape the uncomfortable stares.
“We weren’t finished talking!”
Rose desperately yelled, trying to grab me, but I couldn’t answer. We can finish talking later if it’s not that important. Fortunately, the pond inside the Hampton Count’s estate was quiet. I made sure no one was around and squatted down in front of it to catch my breath.
