Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 152
They were all from the same region. These children were visiting the capital for a season, so their socializing was still limited to the central region.
Even among these young girls, there was a superficial hierarchy. Margaret was undoubtedly at the top.
Feeling elated by the girls’ praise, Margaret took her fabric and walked towards Caroline’s room after the tea party.
Margaret, who felt a unilateral sense of inferiority and reverence towards Caroline as her sister, always went to her when she had something to boast about.
She had never received a satisfactory response or praise.
But instead of Caroline, she first encountered Cecilia. Margaret’s beaming face instantly turned ghostly.
“Hey, why are you here? Weren’t you at the Rosencrantz residence?”
“Why are you here? You’re not even old enough to attend the party. Did you come to see the capital?”
“What are you saying? I’m going to the party too!”
“Oh? …Ah, yes. I heard the Duchy is allowing children at the party this time.”
“Children? I’m almost eleven years old!”
“Congratulations. You’ll be able to sleep alone at night now.”
“Ugh…!”
Margaret, fuming, looked for a way to pick a fight.
“What’s that tacky fabric you’re holding?”
Margaret sneered at the silver satin Cecilia was holding.
“Are you planning to perform on stage?”
Despite Margaret’s ridicule, Cecilia responded with a clear, innocent face.
“Really? Caroline said it was pretty.”
“…Did she?”
Margaret’s expression changed dramatically.
“Yes. She said she was jealous because it was so pretty. I liked it too much to give it up, though.”
“…”
‘Caroline was jealous…?’
To Margaret, there was nothing Caroline could be jealous of. Beautiful and smart, Caroline was the pride of the Lasphilla County, and even the stingy count spared no expense for her.
In contrast, Margaret, also his biological daughter, was only given the basics grudgingly, as if pouring water into a bottomless pit.
So, the fact that Caroline was envious was a glorious thing for Margaret.
But that glory wasn’t hers.
‘Caroline wanted something like this…?’
To Margaret, it looked like nothing more than tacky, unattractive silverfish-colored satin.
However, Caroline had attended the capital’s high society several times. Though she didn’t want to admit it, Caroline’s taste was undoubtedly superior to hers.
“Is this the trend in the capital?”
As if reading her mind, Cecilia mentioned the capital.
Margaret, who hadn’t made her debut yet, couldn’t attend nighttime balls even with a guardian.
To the young Margaret, the capital was a mysterious place, and she was too young to judge the quality of a dress by herself.
“So, this is the trend in Mannheim…”
Margaret muttered, seemingly thinking about something.
“Well, I’m not sure because it’s my first time in the capital too.”
Cecilia responded nonchalantly and turned away. She handed the fabric to Mary and waited for the carriage outside.
She counted seconds while standing at the main gate.
One, two, three… Before she even reached twenty, Margaret came running.
Mary, who had been looking at the fabric with a troubled expression, lifted her head.
“Hey, give that back.”
“What?”
“That’s mine, so give it back!”
* * *
A few days later, a seamstress from the boutique visited Rosencrantz Marquisate’s townhouse.
Cecilia welcomed her and re-measured in the dressing room. She handed over the final fabric for fitting.
“Oh my, the fabric has changed?”
The seamstress asked in surprise.
She remembered vividly the customer who took the tackiest fabric from her shop because it left such an impression.
She wondered what kind of disgrace the customer planned with that fabric, but now the white fabric Cecilia handed over was dazzlingly beautiful.
However, Cecilia rested her chin in a despondent manner, hinting at a tragic situation.
“It was taken from me.”
“…Pardon?”
Who would take that?
“It’s unfortunate, but please make the dress with this fabric.”
Cecilia continued to play the role of a helpless victim until the end.
* * *
Time flowed like water.
The day of the Pierce Duchy’s ball arrived.
Caroline deliberately took her private carriage and visited the ducal manor later than everyone else. This was on Louise’s advice.
‘The main character always makes a grand entrance last.’
As an unmarried woman re-entering the marriage market after breaking off her engagement with Ulysses, Caroline had a significant task ahead.
She needed to be the most noticeable woman at this ball to receive proposals from young and promising noblemen in the capital.
In high society, image was more important than looks. She didn’t want to be seen as a discarded woman.
If the Lasphilla townhouse didn’t overflow with bouquets after tonight, her value would plummet.
