Chapter 255
Michelan had completely fallen out of favor with the Empress Dowager.
That was why, in the capital, he had to live under disguise, using a false name.
Of course, even in that state, he was exceptionally capable.
But if he could operate without hiding his identity, the quality of information he gathered would be on a whole other level.
I clenched my fists in front of Michelan and declared,
“Soon, you’ll be able to live using your real name.”
“Ah….”
Michelan’s eyes trembled slightly.
He stared at me, clearly taken aback, before cautiously speaking.
“Are you rushing to enter high society because of me?”
Huh?
“My lady…”
“No, that’s not it—”
Michelan covered his eyes with one hand and let out a pained sigh.
“How could you… for the sake of a mere servant….”
“I told you, that’s not—”
“How could I ever repay this grace?”
“No, I—”
“I will devote my entire life to serving you. Yes. I will give my life for you.”
“……”
It seemed like Michelan wasn’t hearing a word I was saying.
Of course, restoring his noble status was an important task.
But it wasn’t for his sake—it was for my own benefit.
‘Because of the quality of information.’
Besides, I had other things to take care of at the Lily Garden gathering.
Oh, forget it.
I gave up on explaining to Michelan.
If he wants to swear loyalty, why not?
As I entered my room, the maids approached.
“We greet the cherished lady of the Astra Countdom.”
“We greet the cherished lady of the Astra Countdom.”
Betty and Heidi raised their eyebrows, emphasizing the words ‘the Astra Countdom’.
“Countdom?”
“Countdom!”
“Countdom!”
The three of us giggled together in delight.
Heidi quickly guided me to my chair.
“Now, let’s make you even more beautiful.”
Betty chattered non-stop beside her.
“Of course, my lady is already the most beautiful child in the world, but this time, we’ll make sure the capital folk—ahem, I mean, the respected nobles of the capital—are blinded by your radiance.”
Everyone was thrilled as preparations began.
Heidi combed my hair with extreme precision, ensuring not a single strand was tangled.
Meanwhile, Betty spread out dresses and engaged in a lively debate with the other maids about which color suited me best.
“Red!”
“Black!”
“Our lady is the Rose of the Daymond Jurisdiction. If we consider her image—”
“But Astra’s symbol is the crow. She should embody the elegant leader of the flock—”
The maids’ heated debate continued, neither side willing to compromise on their preferences.
Ignoring their argument, I calmly sat down and reviewed my documents.
These were personal records of capital nobles, prepared by Conrad.
Among them, I memorized the details of those attending the Lily Garden gathering.
‘This is my first time living in the capital.’
In my first life, I had only visited the capital a handful of times.
Among my peers, only Dahlia had regularly traveled back and forth to the capital.
As a result, my knowledge was limited.
The only capital nobles I was familiar with were those mentioned in <Grandvill>.
The preparations for the party took a whopping three hours.
In the end, I decided to accommodate all of the maids’ opinions.
I wore a dress that gradually transitioned from red to black from the bodice to the hem.
The voluminous puffed sleeves were embroidered with gold thread, and the gems embedded in the fabric shimmered like the first rays of dawn.
My hair was styled into a high ponytail.
When I looked in the mirror, even I had to admit—
“Hmm, not bad.”
“Not bad?!”
“The Rose of Astra! The Living Ruby!”
“Ahhh! My eyes! It’s too dazzling!”
I gave my maids a tired look as they continued to fawn over me.
It felt like they were getting worse over time.
‘Did I give them too big of a bonus last time?’
With that thought in mind, I descended the staircase gracefully.
“Wow—!”
It was Balzac’s voice.
Following the sound, I looked up to see my three older brothers gathered together.
“You look amazing, Ery!”
Balzac exclaimed, while Joshua nodded in satisfaction.
“You look truly incredible.”
Even Lysmond smiled, staring at me for a long while.
But something felt… odd.
‘…?’
I knew I had dressed up elegantly, but—
Why were they dressed up, too?
None of them had plans today.
Yet all three of them were dressed extravagantly.
Even when we had important guests at the manor, they hadn’t dressed this formally.
Balzac wore a band-collared formal suit, draped with a fur-lined cloak over one shoulder.
Even his usually messy hair was neatly styled to one side.
Joshua was dressed in a white ceremonial suit with a black long coat.
His perfectly sculpted frame, which resembled that of a model, made the outfit suit him flawlessly.
And Lysmond was dressed in an all-black ceremonial suit with a red cape.
Gold embroidery was woven throughout, making it just as extravagant as my own outfit—almost as if they had matched it to mine.
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