Chapter 28
“Oops, I forgot that the Count was waiting!”
I grabbed Mary’s busy hand.
“There’s no need to rush. Just do it like you always do.”
I then shouted outside.
“A lady’s grooming always takes time, right? Surely, the Count knows this.”
I was about to meet Karina, and even Eaton had disappeared. I was already feeling uneasy, and I had no time to listen to the Count’s complaints. I realized Mary’s hand, which had been tightening my waist, had stopped, and I turned to look at her.
“Miss, you’ve changed.”
“Changed? How?”
“I felt it earlier, but… you’ve really changed.”
“What do you mean?”
Mary pulled the waistband tighter and spoke.
“Before, you couldn’t even speak properly to the Count, right? I’m not blaming you, but the Count was so domineering.”
Mary seemed a bit embarrassed to talk about my past self, which had been timid. She came up with other reasons, but it was true that the Count had been oppressive. Back in the Count’s house, I had spent my time making potions without saying a word, as if I were a machine.
“To speak so confidently, now, it’s amazing.”
Mary was genuinely amazed.
“You look so much better this way. Honestly, the Count treated you terribly, didn’t he? He treated you like a servant, even though you’re his daughter.”
Mary whispered quickly. Hearing that, I recalled the humiliation I had suffered when Aeon visited the Count’s house.
I wasn’t angry about it anymore, but I didn’t suddenly feel confident like Mary said.
“Just…”
Now, the Count seemed insignificant and worthless. Being around a murderer like Aeon, the Count seemed like a minor villain at best.
“All done! You look absolutely perfect.”
“Do you think I’ll be able to wear it alone next time?”
“Of course. It’s not a party dress, after all.”
Mary pulled back the curtains, and I saw the Count sitting idly on the sofa. Mary let out a small sound and pointed at me.
“Isn’t she beautiful?”
“Oh, yes, yes. It’s truly a wonderful dress. It’s from Jantier, so it’s very luxurious. The dress is like wings! Wings.”
The Count’s gaze and response were directed not at me but at the fabric I was wearing. I didn’t care because I hadn’t bought the dress to please him in the first place.
“So, how much is this? With the boutique name, it must have been quite expensive.”
Just then, Jant came into the waiting room and overheard the question.
“The Count doesn’t need to worry. The Grand Duke and Marquis have already paid for it.”
It seemed like the Count misunderstood that he had bought the dress for me.
“Ha ha. So the Grand Duke and Marquis bought it for you?”
“Not just this. Coats, gloves, many gifts to make sure the young lady stays warm and beautiful.”
“Really? Is that so?”
The Count kept rubbing his mustache, seeming satisfied. It looked like he was having some unnecessary thoughts.
“Selinia, well done.”
While Jant fixed my sleeve, the Count opened his mouth to say something he shouldn’t.
“Selling potions was really just earning pocket change. When would I be able to revive the family with that? I always knew you were talented, but I didn’t know you’d be so good at this kind of thing.”
“What do you mean by ‘this kind of thing’?”
“I thought you had the ability to attract men. If I’d known, I would have changed my approach earlier. No, wait. It’s better this way, catching the big fish right from the start, rather than attracting those useless men.”
As expected, the Count was making a big misunderstanding. I didn’t even feel the urge to correct him about the part where he talked about attracting men. Of course, I didn’t expect him to understand my situation either. I would be happy if he just didn’t get in my way.
“Count, the Marquis and I are simply employer and employee, so don’t dream of anything else.”
I replied in a flat tone.
“What do you mean by that? Didn’t the designer say the Marquis likes you?”
“He said he liked the clothes, not me.”
“Think about your age. When a man spends so much money on an unmarried noble lady of marriageable age, what do you think that means?”
The conversation with the Count was starting to get tiresome. Now that I didn’t have to be obedient to him like I did when I lived at the Count’s house, I didn’t bother hiding my emotions.
“I understand what you’re trying to say, but it’s not true. So there’s no need for all this effort.”
“Selinia, your attitude is terribly disrespectful.”
The Count’s words seemed to have upset him.
“Did you forget, now that you’ve earned the Marquis’ favor, that you’re not under my control anymore?”
“Again, it’s not the Marquis’ favor.”
“If you want to rise to the position of the Marquis’ wife, you know you’ll need my help, right?”
“Please fix yourself. Stop dreaming.”
The word “dreaming” seemed to upset the Count even more. He slammed his glass down and shouted.
“You ungrateful orphan, I took you in, and now you’re trying to beat me!”
Amidst the childish argument, Jant, who was adjusting my dress, looked uncomfortable.
I had never hidden the fact that I was adopted by the High-Learn Count’s family. Since both the High-Learn Count and I had been far from society, it wasn’t well known.
“This is why people say origins matter. Don’t you agree?”
When the Count asked for agreement, Jant quickly changed the subject.
“Um… the simple alterations are done. How do you feel about it?”
“Hmph, no matter how luxurious the clothes, it can’t change the lowly origin…”
The High-Learn Count’s curses against me were interrupted by the sudden arrival of a guest.
“Marquis?”
“Oh, the Marquis is here.”
The unexpected visit caught the Count off guard, as he was facing the door. He finally greeted Aeon, though a beat too late.
“Grand Duke Marquis, how nice to see you.”
Aeon ignored the Count’s offered handshake and walked past him. The Count felt like he was invisible.
“Didn’t you want to make a good impression on the Count and his wife just the other day?”
Aeon walked toward me, his eyes fixed on mine. I wondered if he hadn’t been paying attention to his surroundings.
“How did the Marquis come here…”
“I was curious about you, just like Mary. I couldn’t sit at my desk anymore.”
Aeon spoke more kindly than usual as he took my hand and kissed it. His kindness always made me uneasy.
“You’re as beautiful as expected.”
“Right?”
“As the Marquis said, coral pink and olive green make you stand out even more.”
Mary and Jant added their own praise. Surrounded by the three of them, I felt awkward as I heard compliments about my beauty. But it was still better than hearing the Count’s praise about my dress.
“Of course, only valuable people deserve valuable clothes. Don’t you agree, Jant?”
The High-Learn Count’s words were completely opposite to what Aeon had just said. It felt like he was intentionally speaking to make Aeon uncomfortable.
“Of course. The fact that a distinguished person is wearing our boutique’s clothes makes them shine even brighter.”
“Shining people aren’t concerned with their family or background. It’s the lowly ones who always brag about their family to make themselves feel important.”
Those were harsh words. It was clear that Aeon was mocking the Count.
“Oh, well said.”
Jant must have noticed but chose to stand with Aeon. It was natural for a businessperson to abandon the High-Learn Count, who had never even visited their boutique.
I glanced at the Count’s face. He wasn’t a fool, so he must have realized he had been ignored by Aeon. Seeing his flushed face made me feel a little better.
But the Count wasn’t someone to back down easily. Especially now that he was seeing Aeon as his sponsor, he wouldn’t give up easily. He was looking for a chance to get involved in the conversation.
“Anyway, I’m grateful that you’ve made such fine clothes for my person.”
The moment he said “my person,” I couldn’t hold back anymore. It was a phrase Aeon often used, but to someone who didn’t know him, it sounded quite significant.
“I’m so proud that the Marquis holds my daughter in such high regard. Ha ha.”
“Father? Did you just say father?”
Aeon looked at the High-Learn Count with a serious expression.
“I didn’t know Miss Selinia had a father.”
“Oh, ho, what do you mean by that?”
“You said it yourself, Count.”
‘Did he hear what the Count and I were talking about earlier?’
I could feel my face getting hot.
Aeon’s words made the Count freeze for a moment, his face turning red. He had no idea how to respond, but the discomfort was evident in his expression.
“I-I don’t know what you mean by that,” the Count stammered.
“But you did say it earlier, didn’t you?” Aeon pressed, his voice sharp.
The Count’s face became more flushed as he tried to think of a way to deflect Aeon’s words. It was clear that the High-Learn Count didn’t expect Aeon to understand the situation so quickly.
I watched the scene unfold with a strange sense of detachment. At this point, I realized the Count had no real grasp of the situation or of my intentions. His misunderstanding, though annoying, was not surprising.
The Count’s unease only grew as Aeon continued to stand confidently before him, his gaze never wavering. The tension in the room thickened, but I couldn’t help but feel a small, hidden sense of relief.
Aeon didn’t seem concerned by the Count’s discomfort. He looked at me with his usual calm demeanor, offering a slight smile.
“I’m glad to see you so well,” he said to me, his voice much softer than it had been with the Count.
I couldn’t help but return his smile, although it was tinged with a mix of emotions. There was comfort in Aeon’s presence, but there was also something unsettling about the way he looked at me—something that suggested his intentions went far beyond simple politeness.
The Count, however, remained oblivious to the subtleties of the interaction.
“I… I still don’t understand what you mean,” the Count murmured, visibly distressed.
“You’ll understand soon enough,” Aeon replied cryptically, his tone light yet filled with something darker beneath the surface.
The tension in the room felt suffocating, but I was relieved when Aeon finally turned to leave, nodding toward the Count as if dismissing him without further concern.
“I’ll be taking my leave now,” Aeon said, his voice almost casual, as if nothing had just transpired.
The Count, still in a state of confusion, simply nodded, but his face was dark with frustration.
As Aeon walked out, I felt the weight of the room lift, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that lingered. What did this all mean for me? And what did it mean for the path I was walking with both Aeon and the Count?
I didn’t know the answers yet, but one thing was clear: the Count’s perception of me had shifted, and Aeon’s presence was only complicating things further.
The door closed behind Aeon, and I stood there in silence, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened.
But one thing was certain—I couldn’t go back to the way things were before. I was no longer the same person I had been, and the Count’s expectations of me no longer mattered. I was in control now, even if I wasn’t entirely sure what that control meant yet.
As I turned to face the Count, I realized that no matter how much he tried to manipulate the situation, it was my choices, my future, that would decide the outcome of this tangled web.
And with that realization, I felt a quiet but growing sense of resolve.
The next few moments were critical. My life had changed in ways I hadn’t fully understood until now. But I wasn’t going to let anyone dictate my future—not the Count, not even Aeon. It was time to start making my own path.
With a deep breath, I finally spoke.
“Count, I think it’s time we stop pretending that we understand each other.”
The Count’s eyes widened in surprise, but I knew I had made the right choice. The moment for change had come.
