Chapter 51 - You Have A Guest (2/2)

That was a whopping great lie, of course, but I said that just in case our conversation would be distorted into bad rumors. It wasn’t that I distrusted Madame Reavoir, but I didn’t know for sure what she was like. She was not a character introduced in the novel.

Madame Reavoir gave me a warm smile. “You have an angelic heart. Come to think of it, you’re like an angel inside and out.”

“You flatter me, Madame Reavoir.”

“But I’m quite curious. Why is a person like you always with Lady Cornohen… We sometimes joke that Lady Dorothea is holding something over you.”

“Hahahaha.”

An involuntary laugh left my mouth at Madame Reavoir’s witty remarks, but inwardly I was thinking, ‘That’s quite possible.’

But I couldn’t find out the truth now. I couldn’t just grab Dorothea and ask, “Do you have anything on me?” If that was true, it would be a secret between the two, and she would be suspicious that I didn’t remember it.

‘And she would doubt if I really am Maristella.’

For better or for worse, Dorothea was very close to Maristella. In fact, it was incredible that Dorothea had not yet noticed that I was behaving significantly different from the original Maristella. There was no need to risk anything more here.

‘Whatever the reason is, it has nothing to do with me.’

She was not going to be my friend again anyway. She wasn’t even my friend from the beginning. It was no longer important whether or not I knew the reason. And even if she had anything on me, Dorothea had never threatened me with it. If Maristella did have a fatal weakness, Dorothea would not have remained quiet on it so far. Such was her personality.

‘Let’s stop thinking about that.’

I wasn’t going to rile myself up by constantly thinking about Dorothea. I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts of the other girl.

Thankfully, Countess Bellafleur came out of the dressing room at that moment and I could easily turn my attention to other things.

***

Dorothea was not the only one interested in the new dress.

Martina also showed great enthusiasm when she saw the beautiful clothing I bought from Madame Reavoir’s boutique. If there was any difference in her reaction from Dorothea’s, it was that she didn’t stubbornly want to take it away from me.

Martina studied it with twinkling eyes, saying it would look better on me with my black hair rather than her own blonde. She also said she was looking forward to seeing me dancing in the Duke’s mansion while wearing the dress.

I was about to tell her about what happened with Dorothea, but in the end I kept my mouth shut. Martina would swear at Dorothea anyway and nothing would change. I already knew she would only get angry.

The next day, I passed my time by reading a book as usual, when a voice spoke from beyond the door.

“My Lady, may I come in?”

It was Florinda. I answered without lifting my eyes from the book. “You may.”

I thought she had brought refreshments, but that was not the reason she was here.

“You have a guest,” she said.

“…Guest?” Was anyone supposed to come today? It was only then did I raise my eyes off the book. “Who?”

“From Thurman Palace. It is Sir Dilton,” she informed me.

“Ah.” I had a rough idea why he came to Bellafleur mansion.

I jumped out of my seat and went straight out of my room. It was fortunate that I was wearing something proper enough to receive a guest.