Chapter 7 - Does It Have To Be Business? (1/2)

Chapter 7 – Does It Have To Be Business?

Living as a noble was leisure compared to having to work hard in Korea.

After rousing myself from bed late in the morning, I would wash my face with rose water, change into a beautiful dress with the help of a maid, and then eat breakfast. I would leisurely pass the time by reading, embroidering, or drinking tea and chatting with other young ladies. In short, it was the ultimate form of excess! This was the unemployed life I had so desired in Korea.

“Ah, I wouldn’t need any wishes if I could live like this every day,” I murmured as I was swayed by a rocking chair. Was there anything better than reading a book every day in a sunny place? I hummed to myself as I took a bite out of an oatmeal cookie Florinda brought me.

There was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” I said. The door opened, and someone came into the room. Judging by the sound of the footsteps, I could tell it was Florinda.

“What is it, Florinda?” I said without taking my eyes off my book.

“Ah, My Lady. How did you know it was me?”

How did I know? She was the only one that came into my room. But I gave an answer that sounded more impressive.

“I’ve heard your footsteps for years, how wouldn’t I know?”

“Wow, My Lady…I’m touched,” she said in a wet voice. After a moment, she remembered why she came in. “You have a guest.”

I turned the pages of my book. “A guest? Who?”

“Lady Dorothea.”

“…”

At those two words, I stopped turning the pages of the book, then looked up at Florinda.

“Who is it really?” I asked in a quiet voice.

“Lady Dorothea. Of the Cornohen family.”

I frowned. She came here uninvited. “Did something happen?”

“She didn’t say anything about that, only that she came to see you.”

“…”

Normally, it was polite to tell someone in advance when you were going to visit their home. Dorothea had no concept of courtesy. I remembered hearing how her parents looked down on my parents, and it seemed that it passed down from Dorothea to Maristella.

I sighed deeply. I wanted to boot her out, but regretfully I couldn’t.

“So where is she waiting now?” I inquired.

“She is in the parlor room.”

“…I see.”

“What should I tell her?” Florinda asked.

I shook my head at her words. She needn’t bother. “I’ll just go downstairs right now.”

I picked up my black shawl hanging on my chair and drew it around my shoulders, then headed towards the parlor room. It was located in a corner on the first floor. I kept my footsteps slow, and when I arrived in front of the parlor room door, I took in a deep breath and knocked. Exactly three seconds later, the door opened.

“Oh, Marie!” Dorothea squealed as she welcomed me in. I thought the other woman wouldn’t visit for a while given the unpleasantness of our last encounter, but apparently I was wrong.

I forced myself to smile and walked to the table where Dorothea was sitting. “What brings you here?”

“Does it have to be business for me to visit? I’m sorry, Marie.”

“…”

It could have been a friendly visit, but the problem was that I didn’t want to see her at all. I didn’t even want her to visit even if she did have business.

“Is there really nothing, Rothe?” I asked her.

“Um, well…maybe I should call this business. By the way, where is the rest of your family? The house is quiet.”

Count Bellafleur went to the Imperial Palace, and Countess Bellafleur and Martina went to a boutique in the city. However, I had no desire to share any chit-chat with Dorothea, so I replied vaguely.

“Everyone’s out on some business. I was left alone at home.” I added in a warning smile. “I also considered whether I should go out or not, but in the end, I stayed home where it’s empty. So please contact me in advance before you visit, or else I might be out and your visit might be in vain.”

“Alright,” Dorothea replied nonchalantly. I felt a twinge of annoyance because she didn’t seem to be listening to what I was saying, but I just let it go. In fact, this encounter was a blessing compared to the last one.

“The design of this parlor room is a little ugly. Can’t you change it to something else?”

“…”

No, I didn’t need to compare this visit to the last one. She was even ruder than before. Well, I couldn’t expect Dorothea to change, could I?

“It’s because your eyes don’t work well,” I snapped at her. “In fact, I like this antique table. It’s weighty. Like a noble.”

Dorothea still didn’t look like she was listening to me, and I wildly wondered how Maristella could even think of this woman as a best friend. Maybe even if she wasn’t a fool, she would have noticed.

Then, Dorothea held out something towards me. I was still upset, but I accepted it with a puzzled look.

“Why are you giving this to me?”