~Chapter 26~
“You need to choose the evening dress quickly. It takes some time to make one.”
Once again, the waiting staff quickly opened the style book for her.
Even Harriet, who was waving her hand dismissively, saying it was too much, found her eyes naturally drawn to the elaborate dress illustrations.
“You know, there’s that style young ladies like these days. It’s the one with multiple layers of pleated chiffon.”
“Oh, that dress? It does take a lot of work, so it’s expensive, but when you wear it, it definitely stands out because it’s so flashy.”
“Let’s take a look at that design. When you’re young, you should try wearing trendy clothes at least once.”
“You’re absolutely right. You should wear it while you’re at your prettiest.”
Madam Lubar hurriedly flipped to the page with that design, as if worried Trisha might change her mind.
“This one is the best. I think it would look great in a calm pink color.”
“Excellent choice. But if you have a bright dress, it’s good to also have a more weighty one. As soon as I saw Miss Harriet, this dress came to mind. There’s this fabric in a really beautiful shade of green.”
Madam Lubar quietly closed the style book without making a sound. Her skill in subtly guiding another purchase was impressive.
‘There’s no way Grand Aunt would fall for such a sales tactic, right?’
As Harriet was about to make an awkward smile, Trisha nodded her head.
“Hmm, not bad. I’d like the ruffles in a slightly darker green than the fabric, though.”
“I’ll make that change for you. It would look lovely with either gold or emerald accessories, and even adding a pink corsage would brighten it up nicely.”
“Then add the corsage, too.”
“Of course!”
Madam Lubar’s response had a slight nasal tone to it. The employee standing by was busily writing down the list of items.
Harriet, who had been watching the scene in a daze as if spaced out, finally came to her senses and shook her head.
“Grand Aunt! This is too much! Do you know how many dresses we’ve chosen so far?”
Six dresses for outings, two evening dresses, additional tops, and now even a corsage. This was enough to cost more than the price of a carriage.
But Trisha seemed frustrated with Harriet’s reaction.
“Do you think it costs just a penny to succeed in high society? Think about it. Do you think anyone would pay attention to a girl who only ever wears the same dress?”
“N-no.”
“You said you wanted to succeed in a way that everyone would notice, right? And you said you wanted the freedom to live without caring about others’ opinions?”
“Yes.”
“Then you need to be bold if you want to succeed as a young lady in this world. You’re just getting ready to stand at the starting line, so don’t get all nervous over this much.”
She had been feeling guilty and hesitant about spending someone else’s money, but Trisha was right. If she wanted to re-enter high society and succeed, a significant investment was required.
‘I was naive. I really thought I could manage with the money from selling a few pieces of jewelry.’
Harriet cleared away the psychological barrier that had been holding her back. If you want to win big, you have to bet big. ‘I feel like I’m turning into a gambler.’
Clenching her fist tightly, she spoke.
“Thank you. I will gladly accept your help, Grand Aunt. I’ll definitely repay this debt someday.”
Though she spoke with a determined heart, Trisha snorted, as if finding it amusing.
“Don’t go making empty promises. I never expected anything from you in the first place.”
“But…”
“When you have as much money as I do, you can do things like this. It’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun, like playing dress-up with a doll.”
Perhaps even Trisha found her own words a bit embarrassing, as she coughed a few times at the end.
At this, Madam Lubar smiled subtly and remarked.
“Playing dress-up with our store’s clothes, Miss Harriet is quite fortunate. Not many young ladies from decent families can enjoy such luxury.”
“Enough with the nonsense. Hurry up and take her measurements. We’ve got many more places to visit.”
“Yes, Madam!”
With a bright smile, she helped Harriet up.
“You’ll come to the tea party today, right?”
Astor’s voice carried the smooth pronunciation typical of the Empire. Cedric always felt reminded of his mother’s royal blood through such small things.
“Of course.”
His own pronunciation was also as his mother had taught him—proper and precise, with neither excessive rolling of the tongue nor strong accent, just a soft, almost whisper-like manner of speaking.
Sometimes, it was funny how moments like this made it clear that they were still family.
‘Other than things like this, there aren’t many traces that show we even lived together.’
She had once been passionately in love with his father, but around the time Cedric turned ten, she began seeing a lover. By the time he was fifteen, she often didn’t come home.
It wasn’t until after Roen died that she started spending more time at the duchy.
‘And she even openly brought her lover with her.’
It was unpleasant, but he didn’t interfere. How could he object to a life his father had accepted?
It bothered him, but he didn’t interfere. After all, his father had accepted her lifestyle—who was Cedric to oppose it?
Now, all he did was fulfill his duty as a son by simply showing up at the parties she hosted.
“Take care of your mother, Cedric.”
His father had said those words before closing his eyes for the last time, but Cedric didn’t know what more he was supposed to do, nor did he want to think about improving their relationship.
Today’s tea party was mainly attended by noblewomen from the imperial family’s extended branches.
Their interests were different, and their ages varied, but regularly gathering like this was beneficial for maintaining the power of the royal family.
For Cedric, it wasn’t exactly a welcome event, since it usually involved listening to nagging.
“Jeremiah, when do you plan to marry off your son? It’s hard to believe that such a perfect groom doesn’t have a woman.”
“Believe it or not, Aunt, the unbelievable has happened. He still doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
“Is that true, Cedric? Well, of course, with the war and Roen’s passing, it wouldn’t have been the right time for romance. But you should start considering marriage proposals now. Should I arrange a match for you?”
As expected, the topic of marriage came up.
Cedric didn’t understand why they acted like the family would collapse if the head of the house remained unmarried, but he didn’t feel the need to get angry about it.
After all, everyone here knew they couldn’t force the Duke of Kailas into anything.
As usual, he responded politely and nonchalantly.
“I couldn’t trouble you, Aunt. I’ve been looking around a bit myself, but I’d like to keep quiet until I find someone I truly care for.”
“Diseases and marriage proposals are best spread by word of mouth so you can get more information. Maybe I should…”
“You know what happens when rumors start. Even now, there are plenty of bold people throwing themselves at me.”
It seemed she felt like one of those “bold” people, so she backed off.
And so, Cedric continued to pass the time, making casual conversation and enduring the boredom.
It wasn’t until near the end of the tea time that he noticed someone of interest.
‘Oh, that lady is here too.’
The person he had recently heard some news about was quietly sipping tea at the far end of the table. Since the news had been quite surprising, he was curious about the background.
As the tea time ended and the guests began freely strolling through the garden, he slowly approached her.
It just so happened that she was walking toward a quiet area, making it a good moment to speak.
“It’s been a while, Countess Pellon.”
“Duke of Kailas?”
She looked a bit surprised but soon adopted a calm expression and greeted him.
“It has been a while. How have you been?”
Trisha Pellon had become the head of the Fellon family after the death of Count Fellon, in accordance with his will.
It didn’t seem like she had told many people yet, but according to the information he’d obtained, she had recently become someone’s guardian.
It was an unexpected decision, considering her strained relationships with her relatives. Even more so because the person she had taken in was someone who was often ridiculed in high society.
“I heard you have a guest at the Pellon estate.”
“How did you find out?”
“I heard it by chance.”
Trisha clicked her tongue, seemingly disappointed that the news had gotten out sooner than she had hoped.
Still, she didn’t bother denying or hiding it.
“My grandniece has come to stay. Her situation is unfortunate, and I was indebted to her parents when they were alive, so I became her guardian. It’s not something the Duke needs to concern himself with.”
Cedric gave a faint smile.
Of course, it wasn’t something worth paying attention to. He no longer felt any sense of responsibility. He’d already shaken off any lingering guilt by sending that scarf to her after she refused his offer of help.
The only reason he was speaking to Trisha now was to pass the time.
“I was just glad to see that you, who’ve been alone for so long, seem to have found some family.”
“Well, we’ll see. The guardianship is only for about two years, so who knows what will happen.”
“And what does Miss Harriet plan to do after those two years?”
