Chapter 15. Whispered Secret

Today marked two days after secretly visiting the Grand Duke Bayern’s residence.

My ankle had almost healed, so I should have returned to kitchen or cleaning duties, but I was deliberately ignoring it.

Since my stepmother had hired a maid, the household chores would somehow be managed.

It was absurd for a baron’s daughter to be doing menial tasks in the first place. I had been working to prevent the hired help from leaving due to overwork, but…

‘I don’t care anymore. Let them handle it.’

I lay on the bed, munching on ginger cookies I had stolen from Anthony’s room. Living so indulgently was a first for me. But it wasn’t bad…

‘Being lazy is a good thing.’

I was savoring this new realization while chewing on cookies when there was a knock on the door. Frowning slightly, I got up. Was it Helene? Or Melissa?

Maybe it was one of the servants asking for help due to the lack of hands.

Sighing, I swallowed the ginger cookie and hid the cookie box under the bed before approaching the door. Holding the doorknob, I asked cautiously.

“Who is it? What is it?”

“It’s me, Ellen. I need to talk to you for a moment.”

I paused at the unexpected voice. Then, the urging voice came from beyond the door.

“Ellen?”

“…Just a moment.”

After taking a deep breath, I opened the door. Through the slowly opening gap, I saw the figure waiting in the hallway. It was none other than my stepmother. Surprisingly, she wore a kind smile.

“We have somewhere to go. Do you have time? We need to return before dinner, so get ready quickly.”

“…Somewhere to go? With me?”

“Yes. Is there anyone else here but you?”

“…May I ask where we are going?”

“We’re going to the dressmaker to get your dress fitted.”

“…What did you just say?”

Did I hear that wrong? I asked again, not believing it, and my stepmother replied with a calm face.

“I said we’re going to get your dress fitted. Your dress, Ellen.”

“….”

I blinked in disbelief. My stepmother was going to get me a dress? Margot Lopez? This was something that wouldn’t happen unless she had lost her mind.

“A dress, all of a sudden…”

“Your Father said it’s best to marry you off quickly.”

“…!”

“To do that, you’ll need to show your face in society often, and you can’t do that looking like you do now. We’ll need at least ten dresses, so it will take a while. Get ready quickly. I’ll be waiting on the first floor.”

It seemed it was true. Father intended to marry me off… It made sense that my stepmother, who usually didn’t care about my appearance, would now be concerned if it was Father’s wish. She was helping, though she didn’t look pleased about it.

‘Marriage…’

Given our financial situation, finding a good match was impossible. I could only hope that my future husband would be a decent person. I didn’t want someone like Robert Anderson, whom I met at the ball.

After getting ready and going downstairs, I saw Helene standing next to my stepmother with her arms crossed. Melissa, who had been avoiding me lately, was nowhere to be seen.

Helene glanced at me in my shabby blouse and skirt and let out a loud, mocking laugh. Her words were predictable. Probably something like…

“You’re going to send someone like her to society? It would be better to get me a few more dresses! What good would it do to invest in Cinderella?”

As expected. Helene was whining to my stepmother. She couldn’t stand the fact that I, not she, was getting new dresses.

“Calm down, Helene. Didn’t we just get you new dresses a few days ago? We can’t afford to get you more dresses. Ellen needs to find a good match this time, so she needs to be properly dressed for society.”

“But…!”

“Helene.”

My stepmother firmly called her name, stopping her. Helene pouted and looked resentful. My stepmother patted her shoulder a few times and sighed, speaking kindly.

“Aren’t you a good girl? Go to your room. Once Ellen’s marriage is arranged, you’ll be able to get married soon too.”

“…Alright.”

After Helene left with an unusually dejected face, my stepmother took me to where the carriage was waiting.

When the carriage carrying us entered the bustling area, it finally felt real that I was here to get new clothes.

New clothes.

A party dress even. I couldn’t remember the last time I wore something proper.

“We’ve arrived.”

How long had we been traveling by carriage? The coachman opened the door and announced politely.

The place where the carriage stopped was the most famous dress shop in the capital. I’d heard that noble ladies who liked to indulge in luxury often frequented this place. They used only high-quality fabrics, and their embroidery skills were exceptional, making the prices quite high.

…To think I was getting my clothes made here. When I looked at my stepmother, expressing my disbelief, she met my eyes with a brief sneer before speaking.

“Why? Is it because of the price? Honestly, I don’t feel like investing a lot of money in you either, but it seems the money your birth mother left for you is still in the baron’s hands. We’re just using that money, so be grateful. It’s your birth mother’s heart left for you, after all.”

…Mother?

It was something I had never thought of. That Mother had left money for me. That story…

‘This is the first time I’ve heard of it…’

The inheritance Mother left for me was very little. Most of it was taken by Father, saying it was to help with the household expenses, and the rest was taken by my stepmother and Helene.

In the end, the only things left to me were the white topaz necklace, the diary written in an unreadable foreign language, and a mysterious jewelry box.

The jewelry box had no matching key, and no matter how much I tried to open it, it wouldn’t open, so I had stashed it away in my wardrobe.

‘Understand, Ellen? You mustn’t show this jewelry box to anyone. Keep it hidden and only you should know about it… One day, when you find yourself at a dead end… then open this jewelry box. …It’s a gift from your mother who gave birth to you.’

…When Mother told me that, she seemed oddly sane. Although, as usual, there wasn’t a hint of affection towards me…

“What are you doing? Ellen, come quickly.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Lost in my thoughts, I hurried my steps at my stepmother’s urging.

The dress shop we entered was like another world. Actually, it was my first time visiting a dress shop. The colorful fabrics, the dresses with delicate embroidery, the lace. The fabric and paper flowers, the colorful gemstones…

I was naturally wide-eyed at the mesmerizing sight, but I tried hard not to reveal that it was my first time in such a place. No matter how much I looked like a maid, I didn’t want to appear unsophisticated.

“Oh my! Who do we have here?”

But as soon as we went further into the shop, I ran into someone even more uncomfortable than Helene.

“Ellenore? Why are you here… Oh, Baroness Lopez, it’s been a while. How have you been?”

Iris Philoan greeted us with a sweet smile, her violet eyes as vivid as violets. Her platinum blonde hair, always looking fine, was neatly braided up.

After exchanging a few words with my stepmother, Iris scrutinized me with a gaze that seemed slightly blatant. Emotions I had often seen in her eyes before. Pity and contempt.

“Bringing Ellenore instead of Helene or Melissa is unexpected. Has a good marriage proposal come for Ellen?”

“Not exactly, but my dear husband wants to marry off Ellen first. You know Ellen doesn’t have a decent formal dress, right? She needs a few dresses to enter society.”

“Hmm…”

Iris’s gaze narrowed as she observed me. Not wanting to read her intentions, I pretended to be interested in the fabrics.

Even after the tailor brought several fabrics for me to choose from, my stepmother and Iris continued their small talk.

“By the way, Iris, are you in talks with Count Vantes for marriage? I saw you two together last time, and you looked perfect together.”

“Oh? No. Cedric and I are just childhood friends, and our parents talked about such things when we were young. Actually, I’ve been discussing marriage with someone else recently…”

Iris’s additional comment sounded a bit boastful. As if expecting someone to ask.

Noticing this, my stepmother skillfully drew a curious expression and asked.

“A marriage proposal? With whom?”

“…Actually, it’s a secret…”

Iris leaned closer to my stepmother. Her voice was very low, but it was clear to my ears, as I was standing close to them.

“I’m in talks with Grand Duke Bayern for marriage.”