FWTR Chapter 8

Chapter 8

“My goodness! Sister, what are you doing in just a gown?”

Melody, who had entered the room, glanced at the broken door with curiosity.

Right. I shouldn’t leave. My desire to take everything from Melody outweighed my wish to find freedom.

“What’s going on, Melody?”

In response to Estelle’s question, Melody pouted and placed both hands on her hips.

“You promised you’d help me pick out the dress for your coming-of-age ceremony. Sister! Did you forget what you promised to me?”

“…Ah, right.”

When I thought of her as a completely innocent little sister, I was grateful for helping me choose a dress for the ceremony. I had believed it was a kind gesture to take care of my coming-of-age.
The purple dress Melody had picked for me had been the Duke of Winchester’s sore spot.
It was the dress I had worn the day my mother passed away.

The Duke had raised his hand in a moment of fury, misunderstanding that I had dishonored his late wife.

It felt truly horrific, being denied my birth on the day I was born by my parents.

The swelling on my cheek had subsided after applying some medicine, but the wound deep in my heart would remain an unforgettable memory.

At the time, I thought it was a simple coincidence that Melody had chosen a purple dress for me. But now I wondered if she truly didn’t know about the Duke’s sore spot.

The insistence that purple was the most beautiful color seemed suspicious.
But I didn’t think Melody would hurt me, so I let it go. I trusted her, not realizing it was all part of a staged play to make me despised by him.

“Sister?”

Even on the day I took my first steps into adulthood, you had to take father away from me, Melody.

“Sister, are you crying?”

Seeing her concerned expression, Estelle quickly tilted her head back and wiped away her tears. She didn’t want to appear weak.

“…Something just got in my eye. It stings a bit, but I’m fine now.”

“Sister, let’s get ready and go out then.”

Melody hooked her arm around Estelle’s, acting all cute.

“Okay. I’ll trust you, Melody.”

Rather than rejecting her offer to pick out a dress immediately, it seemed easier to think of a way to prepare for any other plans she might have.

‘I need to be cautious in case she’s scheming something I don’t know about.’

* * *

As the Duke of Winchester’s carriage entered the street, people cleared out of the way. Some even lowered their heads, not daring to meet anyone’s eyes.

Melody, seemingly excited by the scene reflected in the window, hummed a tune.

“But sister, what happened to the door earlier? I ran into Brother Lucas in the hallway, and surely, he didn’t do that, did he?”

“…Yeah.”

At Estelle’s confirmation, Melody placed her hand over her mouth in a feigned surprise, though it was clear she was trying to hold back laughter.

“Really, Brother Lucas can be so mischievous.”

The slight upward curve of her eyes showed that she was pleased by the situation. It was a childish reaction she couldn’t hide.

Suddenly, Estelle wondered if she would still smile the same way once the mask was removed.

“I’ll tell him not to bother you, sister.”

Estelle responded as Melody hoped.

“…Don’t, Melody.”

The fear of Lucas hating her made her voice tremble.

“Really, if you keep putting up with everything, Brother Lucas will keep doing that. You should get mad once in a while.”

Of course. Melody spoke as if offering concern, but her excitement was evident.

‘How could I not see it before, when it’s so obvious you hate me?’

“Sister, isn’t the weather lovely today?”

“…”

“Sister? Are you tired?”

The bitterness on Estelle’s tongue made her feel sour. Since she hadn’t responded to the cheerful chattering, Melody, who had been gazing out the window, stood up, pretending to be concerned.

“Oh, I think we’ve arrived at the dress shop!”

After getting out of the carriage, Melody took Estelle’s hand.

‘Creepy.’

The sensation of a bug crawling over her skin made Estelle want to pull her hand away immediately, but she managed to suppress it by biting her lip.

“Welcome to the two young ladies of the Duke of Winchester’s family. Thank you for visiting us.”

As they entered, Madame Servan, the owner of the Rocwas Boutique, rushed forward.

“Madame Servan, my sister has come to pick out her dress for her coming-of-age ceremony.”

“My goodness, it’s an honor that Lady Winchester would choose to consult me about her coming-of-age dress. Please follow me to the private room. Feel free to take your time browsing through the catalog.”

Melody was delighted by her warm welcome and smiled brightly.

Just as they were about to enter the private room, Melody’s attention was caught by a silver fox fur stole.

“This is so beautiful!”

“Indeed, Lady Melody, your taste is remarkable. This shawl is handwoven, and there is only one in existence.”

“Only one? That makes it even more special. After all, something unique is always more valuable.”

“I’ll have this wrapped up and sent to the Marquis of Gannet’s estate.”

Just as Melody was about to reach for the shawl, a sharp voice interrupted.

“…Liliana, what are you doing here?”

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t be here?”

As Melody furrowed her brows, Estelle recalled the commotion that had once taken place at the Rocwas Boutique.

‘Melody and Lady Liliana Gannet once fought over this silver fox fur shawl.’

Liliana Gannet.
The only daughter of the Marquis of Gannet and Melody’s debutante peer.
She took pride in her noble lineage and disliked Melody, who was a commoner.

“I’m terribly sorry, but we only have that one silver fox fur in stock…”

As Madame Servan trailed off, troubled, Melody shot Liliana a sharp look.

“Liliana, I was going to buy it first.”

“Oh, but I already expressed my intention to buy it first.”

Estelle watched the unfolding situation with intrigue, not giving an inch.

‘In the past, I tried to calm down Melody when she was upset, but that only made my relationship with Lady Gannet worse.’

“…For a lowly commoner, you sure have good taste.”

Liliana muttered, causing Melody to shudder with anger. Her eyes widened.

“Liliana Gannet! What did you just say?”

“Melody. It wasn’t directed at you, so why are you getting so worked up?”

Liliana shrugged and mocked Melody.
Seeing her harsh breathing, Estelle stifled a laugh.

‘Liliana Gannet is the only one who can provoke Melody, who has been suppressing her anger all this time.’

After taking a deep breath, Melody roughly grabbed the shawl and tore it apart.

“This, this is outrageous!”

“It was accidentally ruined. What are you going to do about it, Liliana?”

Liliana glared at Melody in disbelief but remained silent.

Estelle sighed inwardly. Now that it had come this far, it was her job to calm Liliana down first.

“I’ll apologize on her behalf, Lady Gannet.”

If things went wrong, it could escalate into a feud between the Winchesters and Gannets.

“Lady Winchester! Do you really think this will be resolved just by an apology?”

“I’ll give the shawl Lady Gannet purchased today as a gift. Though it may be lacking, will it ease your feelings?”

At Estelle’s proposal, Liliana pursed her lips and responded with a sulky tone.

“If Lady Winchester insists, I suppose I’ll let this slide.”

Since there were onlookers, Estelle needed to offer compensation but make it clear that there was a warning. She didn’t want rumors spreading about Winchester bowing to Gannet.

“Thank you for your generosity. However, would you kindly refrain from insulting the Winchesters in front of us?”

“In front of the Winchesters?”

“You’re standing right in front of Lady Winchester now.”

Realizing that Estelle didn’t mean Melody, Liliana placed her hand on her chest.

“…I was thoughtless. I’m sorry. I’ll be leaving now.”

Liliana, who only politely apologized to Estelle, quietly withdrew.

“Sister! Why are you apologizing to her and even compensating her? She called you a commoner first!”

“Melody, I know you’re upset. Just calm down a little.”

“Fine, I can accept the apology, but there was no need to pay for it. It’s as if I was the one who did something wrong… Ugh!”

As she grumbled, the noblewomen who had been quietly watching started whispering.

“Even though Lady Estelle handled the situation gracefully, she still complains. She’s not mature.”

“Yes, Lady Melody got too upset. It would’ve been better if Lady Gannet had been more understanding, but who would have expected her to tear the shawl?”

When Melody closed her lips, Estelle shifted her gaze to the noblewomen.

‘They’ll spread rumors about Melody’s reputation, that’s for sure.’

Unable to bear the atmosphere of being blamed, Melody quickly stormed out.

“Madame Servan, could you visit the Duke of Winchester’s estate tomorrow? I’m truly sorry for causing such a disturbance.”

“It’s no trouble, Lady Estelle. I’ll be there tomorrow. Please head home safely.”

Having arranged the appointment with Madame Servan, Estelle stepped outside to find Melody.

‘Where did she go?’

She was already lost in the crowd, making it hard to spot her. Estelle sighed, realizing it was going to be a hassle to track her down.

“…!”

Suddenly, a little child swiftly passed by Estelle. The child nimbly snatched the bracelet from her wrist and fled.

The force of the movement twisted her ankle, and just before she fell backward, Estelle collided with a firm chest.

“…Thank you for helping.”

The person seemed to have been running, as Estelle could feel the rise and fall of their chest as they breathed heavily, exhaling repeatedly.

She could also sense the scent of the person’s skin, which strongly stimulated her senses.

‘Where have I smelled this before…?’

For instance, the faint bergamot scent mixed with lemon juice from the invitation Michael sent.

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