Chapter 6: The Eve
“The point of this dress is the tantalizing almost-revealing effect. Have you seen this lace? It’s a special creation from our atelier. We used the finest thread to create a pattern that accentuates body curves, with grid spaces that emphasize femininity.”
Madam Oswan proudly explained to Mrs. Beightle. She was visibly excited—nothing could be better than seeing her ambitious design for the fall social season finally delivered to its owner.
While examining how the dress fit Lyra, she conversed with Mrs. Beightle, whose face had slightly hardened.
“It’s certainly a technique I’ve never seen before. But to these old eyes, it’s excessive. I believe I requested something more modest.”
“Oh my, madam! This dress was specially ordered by the Duke himself. The rest will arrive tomorrow. Surely you were informed?”
“By the Duke, you say?”
“Yes. ‘A dress that captures everyone’s attention the moment she enters the ballroom! Something that makes her the star instantly!’ That was precisely his request.”
“Even so, this is…”
Mrs. Beightle’s gaze traced the thin lace that extended from the chest line to the back. Up close, one could tell it was lace, but from a distance, it created the illusion of exposed skin.
Even standing just this far away, elderly eyes with failing vision could see it clearly enough.
Moreover, the overall pale color of the dress left plenty to stimulate improper imagination.
“Hehe, isn’t this exactly what’s needed to captivate a crowd? As you’ve surely noticed, everyone these days tries to conceal everything. Just imagine a beauty like her appearing in such a bold dress. What do you think would happen?”
“…It would be unacceptable.”
Even for an old-fashioned elder, there was nothing to be done. She would certainly think that way herself.
Just then, Madam Oswan clapped her hands sharply.
“Exactly! That’s precisely it, madam!”
Mrs. Beightle frowned as she covered her momentarily deafened ears.
“I may not know everything, but isn’t that what the Duke wants? A somewhat provocative, bold image. That’s how I interpreted it. Am I wrong?”
“Well… that may be possible.”
Mrs. Beightle returned to the table to rinse her increasingly dry mouth. Even as she poured tea into the cup, her gaze kept darting toward Lyra.
‘If only she would say something.’
With her personality, she must not be entirely comfortable. Yet she didn’t utter a single complaint about the dress being unsightly or burdensome.
Her eyes did sparkle briefly, but that was all. How could Mrs. Beightle not understand what was going through her mind?
Of course any young woman would be attracted to something sparkly and pretty, but who would remain composed wearing something that revealed half their body?
At least, that’s what the elderly woman thought, and Lyra felt similarly.
‘It’s pretty, but…’
It felt like there was too little fabric. While the skirt portion was voluminously treated with several layers of chiffon, nearly every part except the chest, stomach, and waist was surrounded by lace that was practically mesh.
While Madam Oswan was praising her, saying she looked like a fairy, Lyra was busy wondering if this really suited her.
“We should change clothes now. Madam, let’s continue our conversation.”
Mrs. Beightle, who had returned to her side, handed the discarded dress to an atelier staff m*mber. The madam followed Mrs. Beightle to move elsewhere.
As she watched Lyra enter behind the screen to change, Mrs. Beightle spoke to Madam Oswan.
“As stated in the contract, this matter must remain confidential. At least until the Duke grants permission.”
“Of course, madam. I have never disclosed anything about the young lady anywhere. You may rest assured.”
“Good. Hearing that puts my mind at ease. Please understand it’s just an old woman’s excessive concern.”
“Of course. I would do the same. Who wouldn’t, with such a lovely young lady nearby? As someone raising a daughter myself, I understand that feeling well. Hehe.”
Mrs. Beightle nodded as she watched the madam laugh while covering her mouth.
The madam had been in charge of Lyra’s clothing since she arrived at the manor. So far, there hadn’t been a single leak of information anywhere, and despite her somewhat chatty nature, she was quite tight-lipped.
Except for the dresses she brought today, she was quite a satisfactory person. Mrs. Beightle exchanged a few more words with Madam Oswan.
“This is the dress style currently trending in my hometown. It’s a design quickly spreading among the high nobility. Please take your time looking it over, and let me know if you’re interested in ordering.”
“I will.”
A new fashion plate passed from Madam Oswan to Mrs. Beightle. Mrs. Beightle stood up as she watched the madam gathering her things, having completed her business.
“Next time I visit, I’ll bring a dress that perfectly suits your taste. I do hope you’ll soften your heart, madam.”
The madam smiled with crinkled eyes and offered a light bow. She was, without a doubt, a fox-like woman.
Mrs. Beightle finally relaxed her expression and saw the madam out.
* * *
Day by day, new boxes piled up in the dressing room. It was being filled with everything from newly tailored dresses to all manner of dazzling accessories.
Lyra felt her appetite diminishing in proportion to the growing number of boxes. Perhaps because of this, the weight she had barely managed to gain since arriving at the Duke’s residence was falling away daily.
Naturally, this triggered a state of emergency within the manor. Hannah, who was always by her side, was the first to notice, and through her report, Mrs. Beightle came to know of it as well.
Mrs. Beightle ordered special meals from the kitchen, and the chef—who prided himself as the world’s finest when it came to cooking—prepared a diet centered around foods that were easy to swallow, gentle on the stomach, and rich in nutrients.
Fortunately, Lyra didn’t lose any more weight. However, Kaylon, who kept a watchful eye on her, was displeased.
“Can you really be full eating like that?”
“Pardon?”
“When I was your age… No, please eat more.”
Kaylon quickly closed his mouth as he was about to say something more. He found himself ridiculous for lecturing based on a mere five-year age difference. Instead, he gently pushed a plate of finely sliced steak toward Lyra.
“I’m a bit full already.”
Kaylon rested his chin on one hand and quietly gazed at Lyra. Whether she was truly full or not, aside from occasionally taking a sip of wine, his hand didn’t move again.
Feeling the weight of his uncomfortable stare, Lyra speared the steak he had pushed toward her and chewed slowly. She had no particular thoughts about it, but she couldn’t simply ignore him either. What else could she do but comply with his wishes and wait for those golden eyes to leave her?
After finishing this somewhat awkward breakfast, Lyra returned to her room.
A little while later, maids entering the breakfast room to clear the dishes hastily stepped back. It was because the Duke, who normally disappeared to the east wing immediately after finishing his meal, had unusually remained longer.
Kaylon, in the same posture as before, stared blankly at the seat where Lyra had been sitting. His expressionless yet somehow complicated gaze settled on her perfectly empty plate.
* * *
A thick file bound in black leather was placed on the desk. Faint fingerprints were visible here and there, evidence of how many times it had been opened.
Kaylon flipped through the chronologically arranged newspaper clippings one by one, scanning the bold headlines with his eyes.
“‘Saint Lucilia’ Statue Stolen!”
“Mystery Intruder at Guanberg Cathedral Revealed as Subversive Group…”
“Virgins Are Disappearing!”
“Returned ‘Saint Lucilia’ Statue Confirmed as Authentic…”
“Hoiden Orphanage Charity Bazaar, Count Almar’s Continued Good Deeds”
“Body Found Swept Away by Heavy Rain, Presumed to be High Nobleman”
“Shocking! Missing Duke Sen Lianton Miguel Blaske, Why Did He Cross the River of Death?”
“Count Almar Expresses Regret Over Duke Lianton’s Cause of Death”
“Is House Lianton Going to Be Alright?”
“The New Master of House Lianton, What Was He Doing at That Moment?”
Kaylon’s gaze stopped at the last headline. Though his golden eyes showed no movement, as if time itself had frozen, there was a subtle, almost imperceptible disturbance within them.
He recalled those days when he enjoyed being intoxicated with alcohol and drugs day and night, dallying with women, and his brow furrowed.
In the end, he had been so soaked in drugs and women that he was completely oblivious to what was happening even at the moment his father breathed his last—which was only natural.
Where his father had been heading, whom he had met, what he had been doing—these were facts he learned only afterward.
Kaylon flipped backward through the file again.
“Body Found Swept Away by Heavy Rain, Presumed to be High Nobleman”
Today, heavy rain poured down. As a result, a landslide occurred, and a body was discovered in the hills near Hoiden Orphanage. According to Security Bureau investigators, the unidentified male is highly likely to be a high nobleman, and judging by the decomposition of the body, he is presumed to be an adult male who went missing within the last 2-3 years…
Flip.
