Chapter 87
It was what I had seen through the shop window before entering.
At a glance, I could tell the price of the hairpin.
“It’s a hairpin.”
Right?
That’s what you wanted.
Then I heard the omitted words.
“…I know that.”
I have eyes too, so of course, I can see that.
“Wow… it’s a beautiful hairpin.”
It sparkled.
Even just looking at it, it emitted a dazzling light.
It shone brighter than if it were made of real stars.
“How about I put it on for you?”
The shopkeeper grinned widely.
“Huh?
No…”
Before I could refuse, he took the hairpin out of the box.
“Just stay still.”
He approached me confidently.
From such a close distance that it felt like he was about to embrace me, I could feel his hand delicately touching my hair.
“…”
After a moment, he stepped back, and I reached out to touch my hair.
I could feel the texture of the jewels through my fingertips.
I couldn’t believe that such a shining thing was adorning my hair.
“It suits you very well.”
The shopkeeper chuckled and clapped his hands, prompting the other attendants to join in.
Veronica, the protagonist in the original story:
“Wow, you look even more beautiful the more I look at you.”
Veronica exclaimed as she brushed my hair.
That day, Veronica showered me with all kinds of compliments as soon as she saw the hairpin in my hair.
And it continued even now.
“It seems like your heart is embedded in it!”
“It’s just a gift.”
I reassured Veronica.
“It is!
A gift filled with your heart!
It looks expensive at a glance.
Money is the heart!
You need a heart to spend money!”
“It was expensive.”
I simply acknowledged.
If indeed hearts could be measured in money, then I had received a significant one.
‘A heart.’
Did he really give me this as a representation of his heart?
The hairpin was too expensive and beautiful to be simply worn in my hair.
As I looked at myself in the mirror, I reached out to touch the hairpin.
Why did he give me such a gift?
It would be nice if I could simply be happy to receive a gift.
But our relationship couldn’t be that simple.
Or at least, I couldn’t.
Creak.
The door opened, and Camilla’s personal maid entered.
“Madam, the Mistress requests your presence. She wants you to come to the southern garden.”
The maid conveyed the message.
“The southern garden?…”
“The maze garden, that is,” Rona added.
“To the maze garden?”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“Is she going to make me play hide and seek? Why suddenly?”
“She wants you to attend the tea party.”
At the unexpected words, Rona and I looked at each other simultaneously.
“To the tea party?”
“Yes. I’ve told you, so I’ll take my leave now.”
The maid quickly exited the room.
I recalled the last time I attended Camilla’s tea party, falling victim to Greta’s mischief.
‘Why me?’
I had been quite uncomfortable then.
Chatting intimately with the noblewomen, their apparent fondness for me, it all felt inappropriate considering Camilla’s position.
Yet, I couldn’t refuse if it was Camilla’s wish.
“It’s perfect. The ladies will envy you when they see the hairpin.”
Rona gleefully brushed my hair until it sparkled even more.
Eventually, she stopped, leaving my hair shining as if it had been waxed.
“It would have been nice if you had prepared a dress for this occasion.”
Rona sighed regretfully after returning from the dressing room.
Since I hadn’t specifically prepared a dress for the tea party, I had to make the most of what I had.
In Rona’s hands were everyday dresses made of luxurious fabrics or adorned with embroidery.
They were carefully chosen garments that showed signs of deliberation.
I quickly began to inspect the dresses.
“Let’s choose something a bit extravagant from these.”
An overly ornate dress wouldn’t be suitable for the afternoon tea party at the mansion.
“Hmm… how about this dress embroidered with roses? Pink suits you very well, madam.”
“Sounds good.”
I quickly nodded my head.
There weren’t many choices anyway, so I had to do the best I could within those options.
—
The Duke of Ifrit’s gardens were famous for their unique decorations in each designated area. Since different renowned gardeners from the empire were assigned to decorate each section, their personalities were distinct.
Among them, the southern garden was particularly famous for being designed as a maze. The garden, lined with trimmed shrubs to form the maze’s walls, was so vast that one’s jaw would drop at the sight of it.
Hosting a tea party there meant it wasn’t going to be a small gathering like last time but rather a more formal and elegant affair.
Or perhaps it meant that a special guest, one highly cherished by the host, was expected to attend.
The maze garden began from the entrance, with exits scattered throughout so one could escape without having to navigate the entire maze.
At each midpoint of the maze were circular resting areas specifically arranged for the tea party. Enjoying tea surrounded by foliage and flowers was perfect for days like today.
“Oh my, here you are, Lady Duchess.”
Countess Laphang greeted me warmly, waving her hand.
“We wanted you to attend so badly. What if we had forced our way in?”
She was as cheerful and lively as before.
“I said I was shy and wouldn’t come, but when I saw you that day, you spoke so well. Why’s that?”
Even Lady Even, the viscountess, joined in.
“I’m usually quite shy and reserved around strangers, but that day, you ladies treated me so well. I appreciate it.”
I greeted the ladies I had seen before and extended my greetings to a few new faces as well. They were the same noblewomen Lady Morde had mentioned during the tea party last time—prominent ladies in society with respectable lineages.
As new people were added to the mix, my unease grew stronger.
Introducing me to new people was something Camilla would have avoided at all costs.
I turned my head towards Camilla’s direction.
She sat at the center of the table, sipping her tea with a relaxed expression.
‘What is she thinking?’
Suddenly, being invited to her own tea party felt strange, and the fact that more people were invited this time than before raised suspicions.
“Is that the rumored hairpin?”
Countess Laphang pointed to my hair.
“Oh, yes?”
