Chapter 37
I flinched, surprised. Ugh, it seems it’s my turn to get scolded this time.
As I thought this, the duchess smiled kindly.
“Work is good, but take it easy. Libby specifically asked me to make sure you rested while you’re here. I hope you’ll have fun and enjoy yourself for at least a month.”
“Yes, Duchess.”
“Let’s set aside the complicated talks and start with the meal. That way, you can relax today and handle tomorrow’s schedule.”
“Schedule? What schedule?”
Why is there a schedule I don’t even know about? The duchess looked at my surprised expression and laughed heartily.
“What do you mean? You need to prepare for your debutante. There’s only a week left, so I’m a bit anxious. Let’s choose your dress and accessories starting tomorrow. First, we’ll look at necklaces and earrings, and it’s better to choose bracelets and rings another day. If you see everything at once, your judgment gets clouded. Oh, we also need to pick a hair accessory—when should we do that?”
Could it be that the “great favor” Hyperion mentioned earlier is this?
I quickly glanced at Hyperion. When our eyes met, he nodded quietly.
“You’ll have to attend a few tea parties and house balls before the debutante ball. Hmm, I guess we’ll have to manage our time wisely. It’s going to be really busy!”
This was Hyperion’s warning. A terrifying, hellish schedule awaited me.
It wasn’t just the preparations for the debutante ball happening a week later. There were also tea parties for socializing and small-scale balls lined up before that. On top of that, there were also horseback riding and hunting gatherings for networking.
In noble society, connections equated to power, so great effort was put into making acquaintances, regardless of gender. It was only natural for everyone to be fired up during the social season when all the nobles gathered, especially for local aristocrats who needed to catch up on socializing all at once.
Suddenly, the duchess spoke as if she had just remembered something.
“Ah, starting tomorrow, we’ll also need to begin dance practice. Let’s set aside some time in the afternoon for that.”
“D-dance practice?”
Why do we need dance practice? I can dance well! When I looked at her with a bewildered expression, the duchess laughed as if she had expected this.
“Originally, the styles of dancing in the north and south were a bit different. If you don’t practice ahead of time, you might make mistakes at important events. Arcadia, don’t worry! I’ll prepare everything you need! Just trust me!”
The duchess confidently shouted while grabbing my shoulder. However, I was gripped by a very ominous feeling.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
“Arcadia, let’s choose a dress!”
The day after arriving at the duke’s residence, I was dragged off by the duchess in the morning.
Most noblewomen enjoy a life of indulgence, waking up around noon after partying all night, but the duchess seemed different.
The large reception room was filled with countless dresses.
The duchess was a generous woman who had invited the top ten dressmakers from Rosen to the duke’s residence.
“Choose a dress you like. They’re all gifts from me, so don’t refuse.”
Your refusal is not accepted. The duchess’s eyes seemed to say that.
“Shall we take a look at that one first?”
The duchess pointed to the dress at the front. It was a white dress lavishly embroidered with light floral patterns.
As we approached, the merchant stepped forward and said,
“This is the most fashionable dress these days. The front looks pretty, but the back is truly beautiful. Look.”
He turned the hanger to show the back.
At that moment, I flinched in surprise. Unlike the modest front, the back was cut low down to the waist.
“What do you think, Arcadia?”
I covered my face with a fan and tightly shut my eyes. Indeed, you can’t judge a dress just by the front. There could be traps like that in the back or sides. I liked the dress, but exposing my back like that is a bit…
“It’s pretty, but I wish the design were a bit simpler. This one is too extravagant.”
“That’s true. Your appearance itself is extravagant, so something simpler would suit you better. Let’s see, how about a green that matches your eye color? I think silver-blue tones would also look good on you. Just choose anything you think is pretty!”
We moved among countless dresses, selecting options. Fortunately, the duchess and I had quite similar tastes, so choosing outfits together turned out to be more enjoyable than I expected.
However, the real problem was the duchess’s iron stamina. While I was completely exhausted from just looking at dresses, the duchess was as lively as ever.
After finishing the dress shopping, during tea time, the duchess enthusiastically said,
“Is there an opera or performance you’d like to see? Since you like art, how about going to a salon exhibition this evening? If there’s anything you want, just let me know.”
This is a crisis. I was already worn out just preparing for the ball, and now there’s another schedule? This can’t be good. Besides, I have other things to do!
As I pondered how to overcome this predicament, a good idea suddenly came to me.
“Madam, I plan to avoid gatherings with other nobles until the debutante ball.”
The duchess looked at me in surprise.
“Why? Is there a specific reason for that?”
“Actually…”
I told the duchess about what happened yesterday regarding the two noblewomen who were gossiping about my appearance.
“So, I intend to surprise everyone on the day of my debutante. That would be more dramatic.”
“Oh my, that happened!”
The duchess tightly grasped her teacup in great anger.
“How dare they say such things about you? Yes, that’s a good idea. Make sure to put them in their place on the day of your debutante!”
“Thank you for understanding. I just ask that you keep the people coming and going from the duke’s residence in check.”
“Of course. They know very well that what they see and hear in the duke’s residence must never be spoken of.”
“And I’m thinking of taking just my maid out for a little while later. I’d like to look around the streets and buy a few personal items.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
I inwardly cheered.
I felt sorry for the duchess, but I had my own matters to attend to. I came here for reasons beyond just the debutante ball.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
After concluding my discussion with the duchess, I boarded the carriage. It was the carriage that bore the family crest we had arrived in.
“So, you’ve decided to only participate in the preparations for the ball?” Bell asked.
I nodded in response.
“Yes. No one will know that I’m at the duke’s residence.”
“Don’t worry about the ball. There won’t be anyone more beautiful than you that day. Just trust me!”
I looked at the enthusiastic Bell and smiled softly.
“Okay, I’ll trust you.”
Seeing Bell happy was a comforting sight. Having known her since childhood, she now felt like a younger sister to me. Derek felt like a younger brother, and Luca often acted like an older brother to me.
Yes, as Derek said, we were already like family. After spending so many years seeing each other every day, it was natural.
That’s why I had long discarded the thought of marrying one of them. It would be better to marry a stranger.
“Um, you know…”
Bell spoke hesitantly, unlike her usual self.
“I think the duke’s son is really handsome.”
“Are you talking about Hyperion?”
“Yes! I saw him from a distance yesterday, and oh my, I thought a statue had come to life and was walking around!”
Bell’s eyes were half-dazed. Given her high standards for beauty, she usually remained indifferent even to most nobles, but seeing her react like that suggested that Hyperion was indeed handsome.
“But he looks so cold; it’s a bit scary.”
I tilted my head in confusion. While he had the typical noble elegance, I didn’t think he was intimidating enough to warrant such comments.
“It’s surprising to hear that you’re scared of someone.”
“I’m not the only one! Derek said that during dinner yesterday, he felt more tense talking to the young lord than the duke. He couldn’t eat a thing the whole time…”
I recalled Derek’s demeanor from yesterday. He did seem unusually stiff while talking to Hyperion; could it really be true?
“The employees at the duke’s residence feel the same way. They say their hands tremble and they break out in a cold sweat whenever they stand in front of the young lord. He’s been intimidating since childhood.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“Yes, it is! So when the young lord suddenly picked up a puppy in the street, everyone was shocked.”
“A puppy? Rose?”
“Is that white dog’s name Rose?”
“Yep. Her full name is Rose LeBlanc.”
“…….”
Bell seemed momentarily at a loss for words but quickly continued.
“They say he brought it home one rainy day after seeing it injured. Ever since then, he’s been raised at the duke’s residence.”
If what Bell said was true, he had quite an unpredictable personality. He was usually cold, yet he could be kind enough to bring home an injured puppy in the rain.
“Well, you can never know what’s in a person’s heart. The young lord might be warm-hearted despite his cold appearance, just like you, Lady Ar.”
I chuckled at her sudden assessment of me.
“You think of me that way?”
Bell suddenly began to squirm in her seat, her face turning red as if she were confessing her feelings.
“Did you not know that I like both the Grand Duchess and you? The Grand Duchess is like an angel fallen from the sky, and although you have both angelic and devilish sides, I still like you, Lady Ar. I mean it.”
Was she praising me or insulting me?
“But what are you planning to buy today? Everything you need is at the duke’s residence.”
At her question, I quietly smiled. Bell looked at me with a very suspicious gaze.
“Why are you smiling like that? It makes me uneasy.”
“Bell, don’t you have anything you want?”
“Huh?”
I pointed to the purse Bell was holding.
“If there’s something you want, just say it. I’ll buy it for you today.”
