Chapter 17
Calliope exaggerated her admiration on purpose, half-mocking, as she praised the butler who had been busily supervising the maids and directing the arrangement of small decorations and picture frames. The flustered butler bowed as if truly embarrassed and disappeared after saying to call him if she needed anything else.
“Miss, what do you think about this one?”
“Susan, you really have no eye for this, do you? How could I wear such a large gem to a simple family dinner?”
“But it’s so pretty!”
“Well, for how expensive it is, it better be.”
Clicking her tongue in disapproval, Calliope began explaining patiently to her young maid.
“Look, the accessories over there are the kind you wear to grand parties or events where you need to flaunt your family’s influence. See how big and flashy they are?”
Susan widened her eyes and took a closer look at the earrings, rings, and necklaces. Calliope gently placed a hand on the maid’s shoulder and redirected her attention to another set.
“These ones are for casual social gatherings with acquaintances or lighter occasions.”
Then she tapped lightly on the set of accessories displayed directly in front of them.
“And these—these are for formal occasions where you need to maintain dignity. They’re not large, but look at the colors. Colored diamonds, even when small, are more expensive than most gems. The goldwork and the chains that hold them—those are just as important. It’s not about flaunting wealth, but if someone looks closely, they’ll know they’re high-quality pieces.”
“This is so complicated… To me, they’re all just big and sparkly. But Miss, I heard you didn’t grow up wealthy—how do you know all this?”
Susan spoke in awe. There were whispers among the staff that the young lady she served had lived not just like a commoner, but poorer than most. But just because you know something doesn’t mean you should say it. Realizing she’d said something she shouldn’t have, Susan immediately shut her mouth tight.
“I-I’m so sorry.”
Calliope looked at her calmly for a moment, then continued speaking as though nothing had happened.
“You’ll get used to it. Taste improves with experience. If you want to become my personal maid instead of just a temporary one, you’ll need to work for it, right?”
“Huh?”
Susan’s eyes grew wide again. The young lady’s words implied that she was open to making her a permanent maid. Typically, a noble lady’s personal maid had to work for the household for at least a year and be approved by the head maid.
Of course, Susan had only ended up in this temporary position after being passed around from one maid to another. But the permanent role—that was different.
Even if it’s temporary, I’m getting double my usual pay just for assisting her…
Susan had been sending half her wages back home. Her family was poor, and if she didn’t help, her parents and younger siblings would barely be able to eat.
She’d taken the job purely for the money. While other maids avoided the young lady—uncertain of how the family would treat the daughter of the former Marchioness—Susan had accepted without hesitation, eyes only on the paycheck.
If I become her personal maid… the pay will be even better. And maybe…
She sneaked a sideways glance at Calliope, who was inspecting the jewels. The young lady had a lovely face, but her demeanor was far colder than her appearance suggested. Still, she didn’t seem like a bad person. Her words could be sharp, yes, but she explained things patiently, even to a mere maid like Susan. And she didn’t get overly picky even when Susan made mistakes. Even now…
“I-I’ll do my best!” Susan blurted out, mustering her courage.
Calliope let out a soft laugh, still turning a necklace over in her hands.
“This will be the only time I let that kind of slip go. There won’t be a second chance.”
Susan nodded quickly, taking Calliope’s gentle but unmistakably firm warning to heart. Without hesitation, she began carefully inspecting the display, organizing everything Calliope had explained, determined to choose accessories that would satisfy her lady.
Calliope watched her temporary maid quietly for a moment before turning away to look at the dresses instead.
Despite her eagerness to earn her pay—likely for her struggling family—Susan had always been dutiful. She never once mishandled her lady’s belongings and had been respectful throughout.
There’s no one in this estate quite like her right now.
Of course, you can’t judge a person based on one side alone. But Calliope knew there were ways to win someone over. Knowing the future made things so much easier. With a neutral expression, she ran her hand across a row of dresses before stopping at one.
The fabric had a soft sheen, clearly of high quality. Instead of glittering with jewels, it had intricate embroidery that appealed to her sense of taste.
“Miss!”
Susan came rushing over with a jewelry case in her hands. She opened the lid to reveal a necklace delicately set with tiny, glimmering stones and a matching platinum bracelet, both crafted with care.
Calliope glanced back at the dress she had chosen. The silver fabric, tinged faintly with blue, matched the jewelry perfectly—as if they’d been made to be worn together.
“Not bad.”
She reached up and gently patted Susan on the head. Susan blinked, a little awkward, but then grinned shyly.
“Please prepare the bath. I should get ready now.”
“Is all this really necessary for a family dinner?”
“It’s the first time I’m meeting them. I don’t plan to go through all this trouble every time.”
“Understood.”
With Susan’s help, Calliope bathed and began her preparations. As she applied the perfumed oils afterward, a memory from her travels with Jack came to mind. Back then, she wore worn-out clothes, yet the innkeeper had kindly offered her a small bottle of scented oil he’d been saving.
It had been nothing special—in fact, one of the lowest-quality oils available. But the kindness behind the gesture made it impossible to refuse. Most people assumed she and Jack were a young nobleman and his underage lover, but that innkeeper had likely seen the truth. He probably thought she was an illegitimate child.
“First impressions are everything, miss. If you look noble, people will treat you with respect.”
She had agreed with him. Which is why she planned to put her best foot forward at tonight’s dinner.
After trimming her nails and brushing her hair, she began her makeup. She was still young—heavy makeup wasn’t necessary. A bit of powder to even her complexion was enough.
“Miss, how about this?”
“Put it back.”
Susan had brought a container of rosy blush—something to make her cheeks look soft and pretty—but Calliope immediately refused. She didn’t want to look charming tonight. She wanted to be taken seriously.
She wanted respect in this house.
She applied a lip color that matched her pale skin and brushed her long lashes. Just those small touches changed her whole look. Susan hesitated as she looked at Calliope’s white eyebrows, matching her silvery hair, then gave up on trying to draw them in.
“There’s no white eyebrow powder available, miss.”
“There has to be something. Elderly men and women use it. But it’s fine for today. We’ll manage.”
Susan seemed disappointed, but when Calliope looked in the mirror, she was more than satisfied. Her white hair spilled softly down to her shoulders, and the delicate necklace shimmered in the same light as her hair.
Her pale, bloodless cheeks and the elegant silver silk dress wrapped around her shoulders gave her a ghostly beauty. The fabric shimmered with a faint blue glow in the light, and her red eyes stood out vividly—like someone had splashed paint onto a white canvas.
“The time.”
Susan opened the pocket watch that the butler had brought. Even the second hand was finely crafted. The time read exactly 5:45 p.m.
Dinner had been scheduled for 6:00.
Calliope decided to leave now and arrive ten minutes early. With Susan at her side, she stepped out of her room.
As she walked through the corridor, memories returned. How nervous she had once been, walking down this very hallway toward the dining room. But now? She felt nothing. Not even a flicker of emotion. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Though dinner was set for six, the rest of the family was already seated when she arrived. It wasn’t out of spite or an attempt to embarrass her, the new and unwanted addition to the household. They had simply wanted to discuss things privately before she showed up.
Illan wasn’t the type to explain every detail to a child born from a political marriage, and Circe wasn’t the kind to question things that weren’t explained. Their two young children usually followed their parents’ decisions without protest—but that didn’t mean their opinions didn’t matter.
They had gathered before dinner to talk for the first time in a while.
“I won’t argue with something Mother and Father have already decided,” said the eldest son, Kaphir, now just eleven years old. He spoke with a scowl. “But I really don’t like it.”
A sister had appeared out of nowhere—and not once had he ever wished for such a thing. He hadn’t even heard about it from his parents but from the butler instead. Yes, his parents were busy and hard to talk to, but still… they could’ve said something themselves.
“I don’t like it either,” added his younger sister, Carolie, with a pout. At nine, she twisted a lock of her curly red hair around her finger and refused to make eye contact with either parent.
“Whether you like it or not, the decision’s been made. Your approval is not required,” Illan said, brushing a hand across his dark eyes, his voice cold.
He had been cutting sleep for two days to make time for this family dinner. The roughness in his voice made Carolie shrink back. Watching her daughter flinch, Circe finally spoke.
