Chapter 47 – Handkerchief
***
Two days later.
After I finished lunch and caught up on a little reading, Florinda helped me get dressed for my visit to Trakos mansion.
“There, I think this should be enough. How do you like it, My Lady?” she asked.
I didn’t need to be dressed as formally as my visit to the Imperial Palace, so it took me less time to put on some clothes. I looked at myself in the mirror and gave a smile of approval.
“This is good.”
“Then would you like to go down now?”
“Well…just a moment,” I said, hesitating. “Florinda, can I see the handkerchief I finished yesterday?”
“Yes. I will go and get it now.” As soon as she finished speaking, she scurried away to retrieve the handkerchief I made for Odeletta. The handkerchief looked fine the last time I saw it yesterday, but I wanted to make sure there were no blemishes that I missed.
Florinda returned, and I carefully took out the handkerchief from its paper box and carefully turned it over in my hands. Fortunately, it did not seem any different from when I last saw it yesterday. I returned the handkerchief to its box with a satisfied expression. I hoped that Odeletta would like it.
“Is it alright?” Florinda inquired.
“Yes, I don’t think there’s anything more I need to fix at the moment. Should I go down now?”
“Yes. It would be best to leave early to give yourself enough time.”
“Alright.”
I decided to leave an hour before the appointed time and descended the stairs to the front door. The Bellafleur and Trakos mansions were quite a distance apart, so I had to leave early.
After about forty to fifty minutes of travel, the carriage finally stopped in front of Trakos mansion.
“We have arrived, My Lady,” the carriage driver announced.
“Thank you,” I replied.
Before I could even open the door of the stopped wagon, it opened by itself from the outside. I looked out with a slightly surprised face, only to see a white-haired elderly butler. He greeted me with a smile on his face, as if he were expecting my visit.
“Welcome, Lady Maristella. Were there any inconveniences on your way here?”
At his formal greeting, I responded with a dazed look on my face. “I am well. I’m sorry, but you are…?”
“I am Robert Joyce, the assistant butler of the Trakos mansion. Please feel free to call me at your convenience.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Joyce,” I replied with a smile, and I took his proffered hand and stepped down from the carriage. I was slightly moved by the fact that the assistant butler had come to meet me.
“My Lady has been waiting for you,” he said, and my mood lifted. I entered the mansion with Robert with a bashful smile.
The exterior of the Trakos residence had a more vintage architectural style than I expected, and the same went for the interior. It was an old house that looked hundreds of years old, but it felt historic and elegant in its age rather than rundown. It felt newer to me because the Trakos mansion had never been described in the book.
Robert guided me to one part of the mansion. “Here is the parlor room,” he said. The parlor room door was made of thick mahogany wood, and he leaned in and spoke quietly through it. “My Lady, Lady Bellafleur is here.”
“Ah.”
From inside came Odeletta’s elegant voice, and my heart throbbed with anticipation.
“Bring her inside, Robert.”
The butler opened the door, and as soon as I stepped inside, the smell of something sweet and unusual tickled my nose. Odeletta, who was sitting by a table, rose with a welcoming expression as soon as she saw me.
“Maristella,” she said in a warm greeting.
I was about to call her ‘Lady Odeletta’, when I remembered that last time she asked me to forgo the honorifics.
“Odeletta,” I said instead, feeling awkward. ‘Is it because this is the first time?’
I grinned hesitantly, and Odeletta offered a small smile in return, as if she had the same thought as I did. She took a step towards me.
“Welcome, Maristella.”
That was even more awkward, but as Odeletta said last time, we would get used to it.
I smiled casually back. “Did I keep you waiting for too long? I tried to come quickly.”
“A while. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you since this morning. Please, sit down.”
Odeletta took me to the table where she was sitting, and as soon as I settled down, several maids came from outside bearing refreshments. There was Assam tea along with macadamia nut cookies, and steam was rising mouth-wateringly from the teacups and the fresh-baked cookies on the plate.
Odeletta looked at the spread and spoke carefully. “Is it too hot? The patissier in our mansion makes excellent cookies. I told him to bake it a little later so it comes out as fresh as possible…”
“Not at all, Odeletta. It looks delicious. Thank you.” I selected a cookie from the plate. Despite its seemingly hot appearance, they were not too hot to touch. Just warm?
“Mmm…” I took a bite of the cookie and chewed slowly. The taste was incredible, the same level of deliciousness at the Thurman Palace. My face brightened as my mouth was filled with flavor.
“Wow, it’s delicious!”
“Really?” Odeletta said, looking at my visibly joyful reaction. “Thank goodness! I’m glad you like it.”
“It’s really good,” I enthused, and took another bite. It was a delicious cookie, and had the perfect balance of sweetness and savoriness.
“If you like it that much, I’ll have some packed up for you when you go home,” Odeletta said with a pleased expression.
“Ah, really? Thank you,” I said, grinning broadly. Odeletta’s gaze then suddenly turned towards my lap, where a small box was perched.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Hm?”
“The small box in your lap.”
“Ah.” My pinks turned pink and I placed the box on the table. Odeletta looked at it with interested eyes.
“Oh…is it a gift?”
“You’re quick,” I said with a small smile, then handed her the boxed handkerchief. “Thank you for your invitation, Odeletta. This is a small gift, but I made it myself.”
“Something like this…” Her eyes and mouth were wide in surprise, and she took the box from me with a puzzled expression on her face. “You really made this?”
“Yes, but I’m not sure if it’s something you like.”
“Of course I like it!”
“You didn’t even open the box yet.”
Odeletta shook her head, a little embarrassed. “You made it for me yourself. Me. That alone makes me happy enough. Thank you, Maristella.”
Ah, that was a really satisfying reaction to my present. Pride rose like a wellspring in my heart. At the same time, I was a little embarrassed because I felt she was being overly grateful for such a small gift.
“So…open it,” I said shyly, and Odeletta opened the box with glee.
“Is this a handkerchief?” she said in surprise as the gift was revealed.
“Yes.”
“Are these violets embroidered on it?” she asked, the smile widening on her face as she carefully unfolded the handkerchief. I was delighted by the response.
“I heard that you liked violets,” I said bashfully.
“That’s right! I really didn’t expect this kind of thing,” Odeletta responded, looking at me eye-to-eye with a big smile on her face. “Thank you very much, Maristella. I love it.”
“That’s a relief. It’s such a small gift, and I was a little worried.”
“Not at all. I first came to like you because of a handkerchief… And now when I invited you over for the first time, you gave me a handkerchief as a gift. It’s a symbolic gift for me. I’ll cherish it, Maristella.”
The sincerity of her voice rang in my heart like bells. I smiled so hard that I squinted, and Odeletta folded the handkerchief with an excited expression and placed it back in the box.
“Thank you very much, Maristella. So, what have you been up to?”
Well. A lot had happened. I gave a low chuckle, and she looked at me curiously.
“What? Is it something interesting?”
“Rather than interesting,” I said with an enigmatic smile.
Odeletta’s eyes shone with anticipation. “What is it?”
“Well…to tell you in chronological order, Dorothea came to see me after you visited.”
“…Lady Cornohen?” Odeletta said with a frown creasing her forehead, and I smiled and nodded. “Why? She came to visit you?”
“Yes.” On the surface. “Her mother came too,” I added in a dry voice.
“Countess Cornohen? Why? No, wait, didn’t you and Lady Dorothea have a fight before?”
“Yes, as you know. Countess Cornohen thought she would sort it out.”
“And?”
“She asked me to be friends with Dorothea again.”
“Huh.” Understandably, Odeletta seemed dumbfounded. “How old is that girl…”
Odeletta was right. Countess Cornohen’s behavior was reserved for children who were in kindergarten—no, even kindergarteners didn’t do that these days.
“I was about to refuse,” I said.
“…But you didn’t, did you?” Odeletta guessed.
“Mm.” I nodded quietly then looked up at Odeletta. Rather than looking at me with blame, she seemed more curious about my reasons for my actions. “I didn’t know that day, but my family owed a large debt.”
“Debt?”
“A debt has been owed since my grandfather’s time and, since then, the family pays a large amount of interest each month. Countess Cornohen said she would exempt it if I became friends with Dorothea again.”
“…Oh my,” Odeletta said with a stunned expression, and I felt embarrassed as I continued to recount the story.
“To be precise, Countess Cornohen wanted me to be Dorothea’s stooge rather than her friend. In the end, I accepted.”
“I see.”
“I thought you’d disapprove?” I said curiously.
“If it’s for that reason, what right do I have to tell you what to do? Besides, our relationship isn’t that close.” She continued with a calm voice. “And I quite like you, and I won’t say anything about the matter if you stay with her.”
My shoulders dropped in relief. “Thank goodness. I’m just going to think of it like working as a maid.”
“Very well, then.” Odeletta took another sip of tea before changing the topic. “So, do you have another story?”
“Duke Escliffe asked me to his dance partner at his birthday party next month,” I said.
“Really?” Odeletta said with her most surprised expression yet. “Are you that close to the Duke?”
“The Duke was the one who caused the carriage accident. I’m sure you heard of that. Since then, he’s been visiting Bellafleur mansion.”
“Oh, I see…”
“That’s why we’re friendlier… And he asked me to be his dance partner because he said he didn’t have one.”
“Mm…” Odeletta’s expression changed strangely, and I could guess what she was going to say next.
“It’s not what you think,” I added quickly.
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“Because it’s what everyone’s thinking.”
That there may be a crush.
“I can see why there’s reason for suspicion. But you can’t assume that based on his personality.”
“Because His Grace is kind to everyone.” Odeletta nodded as if what I said made sense. “You can try feeling it out, and if he has feelings, wouldn’t it be obvious at the party?”
“He’s been around so much, I’ve been meaning to try.” My tone turned careful. “But what if I’m accidentally over-sensitive?”
“Why would that matter?” Odeletta said with a smile. “It’s fine. You’re not going to confess, are you?”
“That’s true.”
“Don’t overthink it. Men are simple. It’s either it is, or it isn’t.”
“Hm…is that so.” I tilted my head with a vague expression, then suddenly remembered something. “Oh, and I met the Crown Prince.”
Odeletta’s eyes trembled slightly when she heard the words. “His Highness?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you go?”
“Dorothea wanted the tea His Highness gave me, and I said I’d get them from Thurman Palace just to tease her. I couldn’t help but keep my promise out of pride.”
“I see.”
“And I asked the Crown Prince if he wanted to meet you.”
“Wait…what?” Odeletta said with huge eyes.
I smiled at her. “I’ve been too neglectful about connecting you two lately.”
“Oh my word, really?”
“Yes. I just asked.”
“Wow.” Her face then turned curious. “Then…what did he say?”
“He said he would think about it. You should expect a good answer,” I replied.
“Oh my,” Odeletta said, her expression still stunned.
My voice softened as I spoke. “You know that Dorothea likes the Crown Prince, right? Don’t lose to the person I hate, Odeletta. Because you’re much prettier, and you have a good personality and you’re smart.”
“Hahaha.” Odeletta gave a giggle at my words, and her laugh sounded so pleasant that I couldn’t help but smile. A moment later, she spoke again. “It’s so much fun to talk about this.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Because people at social gatherings don’t talk about things like this. Most people talk behind other people’s back. Or they brag about themselves.”
“That’s true,” I said with a nod.
A person left themselves vulnerable if they spoke about their issues. One had to reveal as little information as possible while stealing as much information about other people as possible, which altered the dynamics of social conversations. Stories would often be misrepresented and thrown back as daggers.
“It’s been so long since I’ve had a conversation like this. No, maybe this is the first time?” Odeletta wondered.
“But doesn’t everyone do this?”
“That’s possible. But I don’t have anyone to talk to like this.” Odeletta looked at me with an expression of praise. “But I’m glad it was with you.”
“I’m glad you think that.”
I felt the same way. I couldn’t believe that I would be so comfortable speaking with the original villainess of the novel. One never knew about people.
“Do you think His Highness will give an answer soon?” Odeletta continued.
“Even if he says no…” I said in a cautious voice.
“Don’t worry, Marie,” she said, and when she looked at me her eyes looked so pure. There was not a single blemish in her gaze. “I’m so grateful that you told His Highness. You don’t need to be responsible for what happens afterwards.”
“Odeletta…”
“Well, maybe Lady Cornohen would be.”
“That’s true.”
If I was wrong and Xavier refused the meeting, it would be obvious why.
“Now, let’s stop talking about Lady Cornohen. There are many other refreshing topics.”
“Sure.” I took a bite of a cookie and chewed on it thoughtfully. After I considered what topics to talk about, I cleaned my mouth and spoke. “What about you? How have you been?”
“Me?” replied Odeletta. “It’s always the same. Embroidering or reading books. Life is boring.”
…That didn’t sound like a typical nineteen-year-old adult. But considering Odeletta’s image in the book, there wasn’t much else. The girls here never did anything other than read books, embroider, or go to social gatherings. They never dreamed of working in a public office.
‘I’m sure it’s boring.’
I was always busy in Korea, so this leisurely life felt relaxing. Resting was only sweet after you went through hardship.
“You can talk like this with me,” I suggested.
“Then I’m glad.” Odeletta’s expression softened, and I smiled at her. If I continued to live in this world, I would live the same lifestyle as her, and I was likely to be bored as well. I should at least have one friend to spend my whole life with. That way, I’d be able to paint a little color into my achromatic life.
“Oh right, Marie. Why don’t we move to my bedroom? It’s uncomfortable to keep sitting in this parlor room.”
“The bedroom?”
“Yes. Will you stay until dinner?” Somehow her voice had a note of earnestness in it, and I nodded.
“Of course.”