Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 118
In the past, Caroline had never felt this way about Cecilia. She had never wanted to beat her or embarrass her.
There was no need to try so hard; she was always above her.
She didn’t think Cecilia was even worth competing against.
But now…
“Cecilia is probably having a pleasant time with her fiancé right now. What about me? After breaking off my engagement with Ulysses… I’m left with no one…”
“Don’t cry so sorrowfully, Miss. It breaks my heart to see you cry…”
Louise took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears.
“And why do you think there’s no one left by your side? Look at me, standing so proudly here.”
“Madame…”
“I’m always on your side, Miss. Come to me whenever you’re having a hard time.”
“Ah, Madame… You’re all I have left. I’m…”
Bernarda is a stepmother, and her father prioritizes money, so Cecilia had been the priority. Margaret, although born from the same womb, was too different in disposition to become close, and Nathan was too young.
Caroline believed Louise was the only one who was truly hers. She couldn’t trust anyone else. Even her father might dispose of her to some old noble in a distant region if she became useless.
Caroline shared all these insecurities with Louise.
“There’s no way. How could a lady as prudent and lovely as you marry such a man?”
“If my father decides so, I have no choice but to comply.”
“You might meet a better match before then.”
“Do you think I can, now?”
“Of course. You’re not even twenty yet.”
Caroline had been engaged to Ulysses for a long time. Every man in Caswick’s high society knew that.
“They’ll all treat me like I’ve been thrown away…”
“No, they’ll all be dying to be matched with a single lady like you.”
“…”
She had that delusion too. That men would line up for her. It was just because of Ulysses that they hadn’t come closer—all men liked her.
That belief might have been mostly correct. However, first experiences are always important. Unfortunately for Caroline, she met Logan right after her broken engagement with Ulysses.
“That man didn’t even glance at me.”
“It’s because he’s Miss Cecilia’s fiancé. He was just being polite out of necessity.”
“It felt too cold for that.”
“Miss, even if that was sincere, you don’t need to feel hurt by it.”
Louise whispered in a hushed voice,
“Birds of a feather flock together, right? It’s inevitable that lowly breeds are drawn to each other.”
“…!”
Caroline flinched at the direct statement, but as her crying subsided, her mind gradually calmed down.
She nodded her head.
“That’s right. It’s just the nature of lowly breeds.”
She voiced thoughts she had only kept in her head before. She thought she would despise herself for saying such things, but not at all. Instead, she felt relieved.
Louise smiled as if she understood everything Caroline was feeling.
After stopping her tears, Caroline asked Louise,
“But Madame, where have you been all this time?”
Louise had been out of sight throughout the party.
“Oh, I…”
Louise hesitated,
“I am a governess, after all. As a servant, I can’t just roam around freely… I was just in my room.”
“Madame, you’re different from other servants. Don’t worry about that and don’t feel like you have to watch every step.”
“…Thank you, Miss.”
While Louise expressed her gratitude, she had no intention of wandering around freely. If she really took Caroline’s words at face value and wandered around the hall during the party, Caroline would find it quite awkward.
Louise would not disturb Caroline’s mood. She catered to her preferences and stayed as close to her as possible.
That was fundamentally Louise’s duty.
She beamed a bright smile and added the words Caroline loved to hear.
“You are always so kind.”
She uttered the phrase habitually while her mind wandered elsewhere.
Perhaps about something like the item left by the former Countess…
‘There was nothing in the Amethyst Room.’
Louise had even searched Cecilia’s room, but found nothing.
