MWC Chapter 44

44. Rather a Venomous Snake than a Flower Snake

 

“Oh my, did I hit the mark?”

“No! Absolutely not!”

“Really?”

Maltina blinked in surprise at Adelen’s frantic reaction. She had truly believed it to be an undeniable fact. Adelen rubbed the back of her neck.

“Why in the world would you think that? No, wait—does everyone else think that too?”

“Hmm… maybe not everyone? I just have a good instinct for these things.”

It was a relief that Maltina was the only one with such a misunderstanding. If others thought the same, her future would have been bleak.

“It’s really not true. Seriously. The master is barely ever home, and I’m too busy taking care of the baby to even see him.”

“Really…? Are you sure…?”

“I am! And besides, the master is going to marry you, Lady Maltina. How could something so ridiculous ever happen? Who in the world would choose a worm over a dragon? Even if my master has no interest in women, he’s not a fool—of course, he’d choose the better option.”

“Oh… quite the description. Alright, I understand.”

Maltina quickly let go of her assumption.

Adelen sighed in relief, grateful to have avoided an unnecessary misunderstanding.

But then, Maltina added another piece of advice.

“But don’t call yourself a worm. At the very least, you should be a pretty flower snake.”

“I’ll work hard and become a successful venomous snake instead.”

Of all the snakes in the world, why a flower snake?

Even if she meant it as a compliment, it still didn’t sit right with her. If she had to be a snake, she’d rather be a powerful, venomous one.

Maltina burst into laughter at Adelen’s determined response.

“Good. With that much drive, you’ll succeed no matter what.”

How could a maid even ‘succeed’? 

She wanted to ask but held back. Maltina, still amused, added one last remark.

“And just so you know, it’s not certain that I’ll marry Lord Rakalt.”

She said it wasn’t certain, but among nobles, such words were practically a direct rejection. She had known she wasn’t particularly interested, but she hadn’t expected it to be this clear.

“Uh… why? Is my master that lacking?”

“It’s not about Lord Rakalt. It’s my personal matter.”

“Personal matter…?”

Since she called it personal, she couldn’t pry further. But Maltina, as if feeling generous, gave her an explanation.

“I’d rather become a duchess than a countess.”

“!”

“So, I’ll either bring a man of lower status under me or not marry at all.”

The real venomous snake was Maltina.

Faced with the ambition radiating from her, Adelen quietly lowered her head. Compared to her grand aspirations, a mere marriage plan seemed like a child’s game.

 

***

 

Thanks to Maltina, the party preparations went so smoothly that Adelen hardly had to worry about anything.

Everything was progressing without issue, but her thoughts were in turmoil.

‘Did I do something that could have been misinterpreted?’

She couldn’t shake off Maltina’s ridiculous misunderstanding.

She had been wary of this issue ever since she started sharing a room with the master, so the accusation hit her even harder.

Gossip between a man and a woman could spread like wildfire, but she hadn’t expected rumors to form when there was absolutely nothing to base them on.

‘What was it? What could it have been?’

Maltina didn’t even know that Adelen was staying in Rakalt’s room.

That meant there must have been something in her words or actions that made it seem that way.

Yet, on that day, Adelen and Rakalt had barely exchanged a few words.

“…I have no idea.”

No matter how much she thought about it, nothing came to mind.

With a heavy sigh, she ran a hand over her face and tried to get up. She had been lost in thought for so long that it was already morning.

“… sir.”

“… prepare it properly.”

As usual, the quiet voices of the master and the head butler echoed in the early morning.

Normally, Rakalt would wake up first, and Adelen would rise to the sounds of him getting ready. Then, she’d step out, greet him, see him off, and have breakfast with the baby.

But today, her feet wouldn’t leave the bed.

For some reason, she felt uneasy.

“Adiu…?”

Feeling Adelen stir, the baby rustled in his sleep.

“Shh… Yes, should we sleep a little more, baby?”

Instead of getting up, Adelen patted the baby’s chest gently, lulling him back to sleep.

Seeing off the master wasn’t even part of her official duties. She decided to avoid encountering him as much as possible—at least until the awkwardness subsided or she figured out what had led to Maltina’s misunderstanding.

It wasn’t difficult to do. Rakalt was busy in his own right, and Adelen, preoccupied with taking care of the baby, often found herself unintentionally avoiding him.

Maintaining this ambiguous distance, time passed swiftly. Soon, the party date was right around the corner.

 

***

 

“I kept making revisions until the last moment, which took quite a bit of time. You must have been worried that I wouldn’t finish in time.”

The tailor, visiting the Sigelion estate once again with the finished dresses, greeted them with a confident expression.

Even on the day of the fitting, she had exuded an artistic flair, but during the production phase, she had transformed completely into a full-fledged artist. Her constant delays had kept everyone on edge.

However, what she brought with her wasn’t just the one dress originally ordered.¹I assumed that the tailor would be female as she was allowed in the fitting room with the other ladies. That is the only clue I have actually 😂

“I had planned to make just one, but I kept coming up with different designs that suited the young lady’s image. After much deliberation, I consulted Lady Maltina, and she simply told me to go ahead and make them all! She said we could have her try them on and then choose the best one.”

So she really was an artist.

Adelen could only gape at the incomprehensible idea of making extra dresses just because inspiration struck. She nodded blankly.

“But all of these are already completed. Can they be sold to someone else?”

“Of course! They can be altered as needed. And if worst comes to worst, we can just throw a tantrum and make Lady Maltina buy them all!”

The tailor spoke nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal. Only then did Adelen relax a bit.

She had been nervous that they might demand payment for all three dresses. Even if they asked her to buy them, she simply didn’t have the money.

Of course, the master would likely pay for them, but that would be far too embarrassing. The house, carriage, livestock, and marriage funds that had been promised were one thing, but outright asking, “Can you buy this for me?” was unthinkable.

It was a great relief that no such situation arose.

“Well then, let’s try this one on first.”

The tailor pointed to one of the dresses. The three dresses were made from the same fabric and had similar designs.

Since the designs had been coordinated with Maltina from the start, even though she had made modifications based on inspiration, they hadn’t strayed far from the original concept.

To Adelen, who was unfamiliar with fashion, they all looked almost identical. She was relieved that she wasn’t asked to choose one herself.

Quietly following instructions, Adelen moved to the dressing room.

“Now, raise your arms. Lower them. Turn around.”

Two assistants followed into the dressing room and immediately began dressing her.

This clothing wasn’t like any clothing she had.

A maid’s uniform was simple—slip it on and tie it, and that was it. In fact, most people’s everyday clothing was easy to wear. The only ones who needed help getting dressed were children.

But this dress…if she had to put it on by herself, she might spend the entire day just trying to find the right openings. It was utterly impossible to wear alone.

Even though it was supposedly a finished piece, the assistants still pinned, adjusted seams, layered ribbons, and tied intricate knots after putting it on.

“How… am I supposed to wear this on the day of the party? Could you teach me how to put it on before you leave?”

Last time, she had received help from the head maid, but that didn’t seem feasible again.

Even then, the head maid had struggled, saying it had been ages since she last dressed someone in such formal attire. She had even called in another maid who had previously worked in a noble household, and the two of them had held a mini strategy meeting just to figure it out.

This dress was on an entirely different level of complexity compared to the one she had borrowed last time from the late countess.

“Oh my, since it’s our dress, of course, we’ll come and dress you ourselves.”

“Oh…? You’ll come on the day of the party too?”

“This isn’t just an ordinary dress—it’s a special design for an important occasion. We’d feel more at ease dressing you ourselves.”

“Ah… So does that mean every time I wear this, I’ll have to call you to come dress me?”

It was a simple, curious question, but the tailor smiled as if she found it adorable.