Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 24
“Will you be able to perform well without mistakes from now on?”
“Yes, yes…! Of course, Miss!”
Mary quickly nodded her head.
“I’ll do my best to make up for my mistake.”
“Good, thank you. Now, let’s finish up our tasks.”
Mary promptly brought warm water and massaged Cecilia’s tired feet with careful, devoted movements.
Cecilia pondered while receiving the massage.
‘In this life, Mary Swinn will never be my first choice.’
Every relationship has an unseen price tag. Mary’s loyalty might be sincere now, but the chances of it remaining so are slim.
She would willingly follow in low-risk situations. But would she maintain that loyalty when asked to betray the Pierce Dukedom, to partake in plans for his downfall?
Mary Swinn was not bold enough to shoulder all of that.
But for a temporary pawn, she was suitable.
***
A woman was scrubbing the wooden floor of an attic.
The poorly ventilated attic was prone to dampness and black mold. The woman’s task was to relentlessly scrub it away.
It had been a while since she saw sunlight. She felt she might suffocate from the mold.
“I can’t stand it any longer…”
Hannah Linfitt growled like a beast.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to get back.”
***
The holiday season was fast approaching. Caroline, the eldest daughter of the Lasphilla family, was pondering over gifts for her soon-to-arrive fiancé.
“A handkerchief? Too plain. Perfume? No, too impersonal.”
As she paced the room, her maid Sarah suggested,
“What about a sachet? It’s not too common and you can show your dedication through embroidery.”
Caroline stopped and beamed.
“That’s a great idea, Sarah!”
***
However, Caroline soon regretted her choice.
She wanted to show effort but lacked the skill. She was talented at piano, recitation, and painting, but embroidery was her one terrible weakness.
“Ulysses will be here in a few days.”
Looking at the poor design with a frown, someone approached her.
“What are you doing here alone, Sister?”
“Oh, Ceci.”
Unlike Margaret, Caroline was friendly towards Cecilia. As the eldest, she was taught to care for all family members, even if it included a girl of gypsy lineage.
“Come, sit beside me.”
Cecilia pulled up a chair and sat next to her.
“You’re embroidering flowers.”
“You recognized it.”
Caroline laughed weakly.
“It’s a gift for Ulysses, right?”
“Yes. But I’m thinking of just buying perfume.”
“Why? A gift with personal effort seems nicer.”
“Look at these flower petals. They’re practically squares. Would he carry something like this around, given his personality?”
“Hmm.”
Ulysses Rosencrantz, Caroline’s fiancé and the son of Guinevere, was notorious for his high standards.
‘No, not high standards… he’s just indifferent.’
He was exceptionally unconcerned about everything. An object was just an object to him. He accepted what satisfied him and discarded what he deemed trivial.
A man so cold wouldn’t appreciate a clumsily made sachet, no matter how much sentiment it held. Hence, the gift had to be as impeccable as any commercial product.
“Why not ask someone else to do it?”
Cecilia finally gave her suggestion.
“Ask someone else?”
“Yes. Have a maid skilled in embroidery do it instead.”
“But then my effort…”
“If you’re worried about effort, pay her for the embroidery.”
Cecilia explained.
“Paying for her time will ensure the effort is credited to you.”
“Maybe…”
Caroline hesitated, and Cecilia decided not to push. In the end, she would follow her advice. Caroline, seemingly easy-going, was a stubborn perfectionist.
“Won’t you be preparing a gift?”
Caroline’s abrupt question made Cecilia widen her eyes.
“A gift? For whom?”
“For the heir of the Harper family. He’s visiting next month, isn’t he?”
“Oh, him…”
“If you’re short on money, I can help. It’s a gesture of goodwill, so there’s no need to pay me back.”
Despite Caroline’s inadvertently hurtful words, Cecilia nonchalantly waved her hand.
“It’s fine. He probably isn’t expecting anything from me. We haven’t even met face-to-face.”
Saying so, she flashed an enigmatic smile.
“And we’re not formally engaged, after all.”
