Chapter 22
Truthfully, she wasn’t kind to Therese, who was slow-witted and clumsy, purely out of gratitude. Therese was simply the easiest card for her to use in her current situation.
From Therese’s perspective, it was hard to get even ten eron for her troubles from the Viscount, but she occasionally received a nice sum from Evina under the name of extra compensation.
Therese simply thought it was more profitable and treated her well in return.
“With the dress and the necklace today, how beautiful will you be? My heart is fluttering. I’ve never been so excited to dress you up as I am today, my lady.”
Evina smiled faintly.
The golden hair and golden eyes that were the hallmark of the Siollier direct line were hardly considered the standard of beauty in the Empire, to put it nicely.
Everyone wanted Guides, and yet they found the traits of pure-blood Guides, with their gold hair and gold eyes, to be eerie and unsettling.
But Evina’s thoughts were elsewhere…
That man.
Would that man come?
If he had enough influence to gift such an expensive, fine dress and jewelry, he had to be someone of considerable power. If so, would she see him at the New Year’s gathering?
Who was he?
“My lady, close your eyes.”
She closed her eyes at Therese’s instruction, and as the lukewarm water poured over her head, Evina curled the corners of her lips.
I want to see him.
‘I’ll see you again soon.’
The man’s voice echoed softly in her ear.
She swept back her hair and opened her eyes.
In the large mirror, a pale woman, wet from the bath, stared back with flushed cheeks and an odd expression.
It was very strange.
She had never once thought of herself as beautiful, but now she looked… rather pretty.
Her wet golden lashes fluttered like butterfly wings.
“Hm… You look somewhat presentable today.”
Viscount Derise, who had been having a light meal in the drawing room while waiting for Evina, stood up. He brushed the bread crumbs from his hands, walked over to her, and began scrutinizing her from head to toe.
“A dress with more money put into it really does make a difference.”
He clicked his tongue.
“Honestly, dragging along a woman who insists on shutting herself up in the estate, I was embarrassed because you looked so shabby. I’ll have to spend a little more on you from now on.”
“…Thank you, my lord.”
Truthfully, this dress was far beyond what the Viscount’s thousand eron could buy.
Kepine hadn’t disclosed the price, but she’d said it easily cost several times more than the new pieces displayed in the hall. Probably well over tens of thousands of eron. And if you added the jewelry sent with it…
“Hm? I heard jewelry arrived as well?”
Evina glanced at the butler.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you wear it? Your neck looks a bit bare.”
“It felt awkward.”
The Viscount folded his arms, clicked his tongue, and prodded her chest with his fingertips.
“You’re not planning to buy jewelry with my money and then lock it away in a safe, are you? That’s not why I gave you the money. If that’s how you’re going to be, don’t be surprised when I cut back what I’ve so generously raised.”
“I didn’t purchase the jewelry. It was a gift.”
“A gift? From whom…?”
“Yesterday, at the Kepine Salon, an employee was rude and failed to recognize me, and by extension, the Derise family. So Kepine sent them as a gesture of apology.”
“Unbelievable…! Something like that happened because you looked so insignificant!”
The Viscount’s face twisted with displeasure.
“No salon welcomes a woman who comes to buy last season’s dresses.”
“Well, that’s…”
He shut his mouth, as if at a loss for words.
“And… the money you gave me was barely enough to afford even one dress.”
“…What?”
His pride clearly stung, he frowned.
“If you don’t believe me, send the butler instead of me and have him find out for himself. It’s difficult to find a cheap dress that meets your standards. And since I have no desire to waste the Derise family’s fortune on such trivial things, I will abstain from the New Year’s gathering and all future banquets.”
“Then what was the point of buying you from the Siolliers!”
“Then shall I continue wearing secondhand dresses? Are you alright with the Derise viscountcy earning the stigma of not being able to afford a single decent dress, even if it isn’t flashy?”
The Viscount clenched his fist as if he wanted to slap her right then, but he couldn’t bring himself to strike Evina.
He knew full well that if he hit her now, her pale, soft skin would immediately bloom with red handprints.
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Lisa