Chapter 43
“Didn’t you say to act like nothing’s wrong and face them?”
To be honest, even now, I wasn’t sure if I could follow exactly what Idel had told me to do. I felt like I would end up being overly concerned about how others saw me again, and I might shrink back.
Up until now, I’d worn expensive and flashy clothes and jewelry to hide that fear, but the dress Idel laid out was as plain as could be. The only piece of jewelry was a single necklace.
‘What should I do? I have to decide quickly…’
Even if I started getting ready now, it would be cutting it close.
Marsha had come over an hour ago to tell me it was time to get dressed.
But Linia had sent her away and had been contemplating ever since. For some reason, she couldn’t forget Idel’s voice from the night before.
‘Yes. Maybe the way I’ve been doing things has been wrong. I might get teased again this time, but things won’t change just because it happens one more time.’
Linia took a deep breath and called Idel.
“You called for me, my lady.”
But even as Idel bowed and greeted her, Linia couldn’t respond right away, biting her lip instead.
In the meantime, the clock’s hands kept ticking away.
Linia, anxiously tapping her fingers on the armrest of the chair, finally made up her mind.
“I’ll leave the dressing to you today. That’s why you pulled this stunt, isn’t it?”
Linia pointed to the tea table.
“If I end up embarrassed again today, I won’t let you off the hook either… But will you still do it?”
“If you permit me, I will do my best.”
Despite the threat, Idel remained unfazed, which strangely gave Linia some confidence. Linia stood up and stretched her arms slightly to the side.
“Then get started. There’s no time.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Idel rolled up her sleeves and helped Linia out of her loungewear. Then, she quickly dressed her in undergarments and a corset.
It was then that Linia realized how poor the service she had received from Marsha had been.
‘She’s not making me uncomfortable. It’s not overly tight either.’
When Marsha dressed her, she would sometimes get scratched by her nails, and the fabric would fold and press against her skin. When tightening the corset, Marsha would pull the strings so hard that sometimes Linia feared she might suffocate.
But Idel tightened it firmly without causing pain.
“Is anything uncomfortable?”
“No, not at all.”
“Then I’ll dress you now.”
“Oh, okay.”
Each calm, kind word slowly eased the anxiety in Linia’s heart.
So, she began talking to Idel.
“Why… did you choose this dress?”
She asked the question she was most curious about.
“I’m not sure if this will upset you, my lady, but in my opinion, this design suits you best.”
“In what way?”
“My lady, you’re tall and have a strong frame. Very long…”
“Are you calling me big right now?”
A wrinkle appeared on Linia’s forehead.
However, Idel shook her head and continued speaking.
“You’re very slender, so I thought you could pull off a simple yet elegant design.”
“Slender? Me? Not bulky?”
“There’s no part of your body where ‘bulky’ would be a fitting description. If you stand tall and lift your head, you’ll look confident and striking.”
It was the first time Linia had ever heard such words. Her cheeks flushed slightly.
“But in society, small, fair-skinned women with large chests and narrow waists are popular, right? I’ve even heard that at my age, it’s best to look cute.”
“I’m not sure who told you that, but in the social circles I’ve experienced since I was fourteen, there was no such rule.”
“Really? Then what kind of women are popular?”
“Women who highlight their strengths. Such women always succeed.”
Idel smiled slightly.
Even though she was also a woman, Linia’s heart fluttered at that smile.
Though Idel quickly returned to her usual expression, the image of her smile lingered. Linia started to feel like she could show a bit of her vulnerability.
“Do I… have any strengths?”
“You have so many strengths, but you’ve been trying to dress against them, and that’s why things have been hard for you.”
As Idel tightened the laces at the back of the dress, she spoke. Her hands worked meticulously, not too fast, but with care, adjusting Linia’s attire.
“Look in the mirror, my lady.”
Startled by Idel’s gentle touch, Linia quickly turned to face the mirror.
What stood before her was a completely different version of herself.
“It’s rare to find someone as tall as you with such good proportions. On top of that, you have great posture and no extra fat. Your skin is firm and healthy too.”
“Re-really?”
“You resemble Count Crissus in that way. You both have excellent bone structure.”
Linia had grown up hearing comments like “No man will ever like a woman this big,” “You need to wear cute and flashy dresses to hide your flaws,” and “You should lose more weight” from Marsha. So while Idel’s words were flattering, they also seemed suspicious.
“Are you just lying to make me feel better?”
Idel, with an indifferent expression, looked at Linia through the mirror and replied.
“I have nothing to gain by lying.”
“Oh, um, sorry.”
After apologizing, Linia realized it felt like their roles had reversed, but the situation was too awkward for her to say anything else.
Idel, as if nothing had happened, seated Linia in front of the dressing table.
“Look closely at your face in the mirror. Your usual makeup doesn’t suit you.”
“Really? I didn’t know, so I just let Marsha do what she wanted.”
Linia noticed that Idel seemed to clench her jaw and tilted her head, curious.
But Idel soon returned to her calm tone and explained.
“Your natural complexion is already good, so adding more blush makes you look a bit… like you’ve had too much to drink. Your features are sharp, so drawing your eyebrows and eyeliner too thick is awkward.”
“Oh… I thought it was fashionable…”
“To be honest, you don’t need trendy makeup. You just need to show your natural charm.”
Idel applied a bit of toner, cream, and powder to Linia’s face, then lightly shaped her eyebrows.
The only color added was a subtle tint to her lips, using a shade that closely matched her natural lip color.
“This is enough.”
Linia thought her face was nearly bare, but she also felt like it looked much better than usual, so she didn’t complain.
After finishing the makeup, Idel applied a little camellia oil to Linia’s hair, combed it neatly, and styled it by pinning half of it up, leaving the rest to fall naturally.
“I think curling the ends would be nice, but I’m not great with the curling iron…”
“Then I’ll ask Marsha to do that later.”
Finally, Idel picked up a necklace and placed it around Linia’s neck.
“It’s a relief that this necklace goes so well with the dress. Who chose this dress and necklace?”
“Um… I’m not sure if it was a coincidence, but I chose both.”
“Really? You did?”
Idel looked genuinely surprised, and Linia grinned mischievously.
“Why? Are they cheap? Do they look weird?”
“No, not at all. In fact, it’s the opposite…”
“The opposite?”
“Yes. You have a good eye for things.”
“Really?”
Now it was Linia’s turn to be surprised.
“Back in the day, I used to pick my own dresses and jewelry, but Marsha always said they looked too ‘common,’ so I just started using whatever she picked.”
Once again, Idel’s expression turned icy. This time, it wasn’t Linia’s imagination.
Linia realized that Idel was angry with Marsha. But Idel was excellent at hiding her emotions.
“The items you picked are much more noble. Of course, you’ll still need to refine your taste, but trusting your own instincts more would be a good idea.”
With that, Idel completed Linia’s look.
Linia gazed at herself in the mirror, feeling a bit excited.
The dress she wore was one she had carefully chosen from a boutique frequented by nobles the year her brother became a count.
The necklace was also something she had purchased that year. At the time, the necklace had seemed so expensive that she hesitated for days before buying it.
“I remember I was so excited about this necklace that I couldn’t sleep for a few days after I got it.”
But after being ignored at every party she attended and having her tastes criticized even by the head maid, she had shoved away the dresses and jewelry she’d picked herself.
And now, the very duchess who was praised for her perfect style had told Linia she had “good taste.”
Her previously deflated confidence began to inflate little by little.
—
On the second day of Lady Emerson’s party, Linia stood outside the Emerson estate, taking several deep breaths before finally stepping inside.
“Act like nothing’s wrong. Like nothing happened.”
Repeating Idel’s words like a mantra, Linia sat at her assigned seat.
As before, it was among the distinguished ladies.
