Episode 44

“…My lady.”

Marie looked at me with teary eyes. I gave her a slightly bitter smile in return.

“It’s not such a big deal, really.”

“No, it’s beautiful, and it suits you perfectly.”

The day of the debutante had arrived.

Despite my efforts to assure them, Aria’s maids were reluctant to trust me until the very end, forcing me to take apart the dress I originally planned to wear and hastily create a patchwork dress.

‘Helena really went above and beyond.’

To my surprise, Helena responded far more favorably to my urgent request than I had anticipated.

It seemed her sister, the new Countess of Stein, had managed to extinguish the fires that had arisen after the disappearance of Count Stein. Helena was now in the highest of spirits.

“It seems possible.”

 

Upon hearing my idea, Helena immediately lent me one of the boutiques she controlled, one that housed the most skilled designers in the Empire.

 

“I owed you a debt anyway. Consider us even now.”

 

At least she no longer seemed hostile toward me, which was a relief.

My debutante dress was a delicate patchwork of soft lemon hues.

Just as Aria’s dress was made to match her brooch, mine was designed to complement the yellow sapphire brooch Chris had given me.

Finding suitable fabric for the patchwork had been somewhat challenging…

“Marie, are you sure this is okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Using something so significant just for my dress…”

My debutante dress incorporated pieces from the former Grand Duchess of Elzerian’s gown. After hearing about my dress from Marie, she had contacted Chris directly, which led to this unexpected gift.

“Don’t let it weigh on your mind.”

“But…”

I knew very well what the former Grand Duchess meant to Chris.

That made me feel even more guilty.

‘The fact that pieces of the former Grand Duchess’s gown would be used in a patchwork dress for a Lady of Reinhardt…’

It might be symbolic, but for Chris…

“The symbolism is strong enough that it could be used as an engagement dress,” Marie said, causing my fingers to twitch. An engagement?

“I don’t think that’s likely to happen.”

“You never know.”

Marie said this as she gently smoothed my hair.

I opted for a light makeup look. My gray hair cascaded softly down, contrasting with the seams of the patchwork dress that were deliberately emphasized.

Beneath it, the brooch Chris had given me for the debutante glimmered.

I couldn’t resist running my fingers over it. Marie, observing the seams of the dress, whispered,

“Even so, it’s surprising. That Countess Claire and Lady Ellie would contribute pieces of their own dresses.”

“…I expected that from Lady Ellie.”

But Countess Claire’s actions were unexpected.

As she handed me the fabric pieces, she subtly hinted at a business proposal. She hadn’t said it outright, but the letter that accompanied the fabric made it clear.

‘She must have been impressed by my quick thinking in helping Aria.’

For me, it was a fortunate situation.

I had been considering the need for a business venture. If I wanted to recruit an information guild and push back against the Duke’s family, I needed capital.

“Marie, please summarize Countess Claire’s proposal for me again. I’ll need to respond soon.”

“On a day like this, you should just enjoy the ball…”

“I’m not the main character today, am I?”

“My lady.”

Just then, someone knocked on my door. It was Vermond, the newly appointed young butler.

“You’re requested to come downstairs.”

“All right.”

I nodded lightly in response.

After all, the star of today’s debutante ball, Aria, would be making her entrance last.

‘Naturally, someone like me should go down early to greet the guests.’

Leaving Marie behind, I stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the hall, where pale pink and yellow tapestries were draped throughout.

The decorations matched the freesia flowers that had been chosen. Coincidentally, the yellow in the decor matched the tone of my dress, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

‘Who would have thought the Empress Dowager’s favorite freesia would come together like this?’

With that thought, I slowly descended the stairs. As I positioned myself at the entrance of the hall, the guests began to flood in.

“Oh, Lady Mindia.”

“It’s been a while, Lady Ellen.”

Most of the young ladies whispered among themselves when they saw me, but none dared to openly criticize. They seemed to be wary, likely due to the recent rumors about my connection with Chris.

Moreover, this debutante was being held at the Reinhardt manor.

‘No matter how much they want to talk behind my back…’

Picking a fight with me today, as a member of the Reinhardt family, wouldn’t do them any good.

And they already had plenty to talk about. I could hear the guests murmuring among themselves.

“That dress design is…?”

“Unusual. Is it made of different fabrics patched together?”

“Now that you mention it, I heard that style is the latest trend in Orland.”

“It’s bound to become popular in the Empire soon. Honestly, it’s quite pretty.”

“And that brooch… I’ve heard…”

Whether it was the dress I wore or the brooch, they had plenty to discuss.

I noticed a few eyes watching me, expecting some sort of drama…

‘But I don’t plan on giving them any today.’

I wasn’t about to discard my reputation as a villainess who could cause trouble, but there was no need to stir up anything where it wasn’t necessary.

It would only harm me in the end.

“Please, come in.”

As I stood at the entrance, welcoming guests, a young man approached me, making himself known quite boldly.

“Well, look who it is.”

“Oh my, Viscount Yuta.”

He was one of the men I had assessed on the Duke’s orders. I held back a slightly sarcastic smile.

“Lady Mindia, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Is it? It has been a while.”

“You’ve become even more beautiful. It’s almost hard to tell whose debutante this is.”

Viscount Yuta spoke as he gallantly kissed the back of my hand. I merely smiled politely, watching him closely.

‘He didn’t seem that interested in me before, did he?’

When I used to engage with him, he would act indifferent yet enjoyed my attention. But now that rumors had spread about me and the Grand Duke, he seemed far more eager.

The viscount, glancing at the others around us, spoke up again.

“Now that I think of it, I wished to gift you a debutante brooch myself.”

“Your words alone are appreciated.”

“And that brooch you’re wearing…”

As Viscount Yuta slyly caressed my hand, someone else’s hand sharply brushed his away. The movement was firm and deliberate.

“It’s a gift from me.”

“Y-your Grace, the Grand Duke.”

The viscount stepped back in fear. Chris, who had arrived earlier than expected, turned his attention to me. I gave him a genuine smile.

“Lady Mindia Reinhardt greets Your Grace, Grand Duke Elzerian.”

“Your Grace, you’re here.”

“How have you been?”

Chris examined my face closely, as if checking whether I had been eating well or if I had lost weight.

“We just saw each other yesterday.”

I was referring to when I had received the pieces of the former Grand Duchess’s gown.

Taking his offered hand, I stepped back. I noticed Lady Ellie naturally stepping in to take my place at the entrance.

“I knew you would come, but I didn’t expect you so early.”

“I thought it would be better this way. His Highness the Crown Prince will likely arrive late.”

It seemed he wanted to avoid entering alongside the Crown Prince. I nodded at Chris’s explanation.

“You made the right choice. There’s no need to walk in shoulder to shoulder with His Highness.”

“I didn’t want to give the impression that I was competing with the royal family.”

I understood Chris’s concern.

The royal family would not appreciate Chris being compared to the Crown Prince.

However, arriving early might only heighten Chris’s anxiety. The Crown Prince had a history of arriving late, even to important events.

‘His reputation isn’t exactly stellar.’

As if to confirm this, I heard whispers from distant noblewomen.

“Do you think he’ll be late again today?”

“He’s known for his carefree ways.”

“But even the Grand Duke Elzerian, who doesn’t have the best relationship with the Reinhardts, has arrived early.”

I could feel their eyes subtly shifting toward Chris and me.

Taking his hand, I led Chris further into the terrace, a secluded spot hidden by curtains where we couldn’t be seen.

“Today’s debutante is all about the Crown Prince and Aria. There’s no need for you to take the spotlight.”

“Is that so.”

“There’s also been some progress regarding the Oracle. They approached Servi directly.”

Chris’s eyes darkened slightly at my whispered words.

“So, the connection between them and the Duke’s household is real.”

“And it’s quite deep. If we dig into the Oracle, I’m sure we’ll find plenty of interesting things.”

“Do you think it’s possible?”

“It’s hard to say. The Guild Master of the Oracle is an unpredictable man. You’ve seen him, right?”

“Did you converse with him that much?”

“Yes. Although I’m not sure if he knows who I am. He’s quite the audacious man.”

Chris, seemingly out of nowhere, asked a strange question.

“Do you have a preference for audacious men?”

“Excuse me?”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

Chris seemed puzzled by his own words, rubbing his chin in thought.

“Forgive me. That was an odd thing to say…”

At that moment, we heard a commotion outside the terrace.

“…Miss?”

“…call her.”

The atmosphere outside the terrace grew tense.

I instinctively took a step back from Chris, not wanting anyone to overhear our conversation.

It was a wise move. A second later, the curtains of the terrace were drawn back.

One of Aria’s maids glared at me.

“Lady Mindia.”

“How rude. What is it?”

“You must come at once.”

Her bold attitude made me frown slightly, but I still responded to the summons.

“I’ll be right there.”