Vivianne made a new friend. It was Baron Grieam’s daughter, Angela Grieam.

From the moment she watched Angela trying on clothes, Vivianne wanted to become friends with her. Unlike herself who knew nothing, Angela seemed like a skilled and sophisticated noble lady in every way.

Vivianne admired her and wanted to spend time with her.

So she made a bouquet of roses and gave it to Angela as a gift. In her experience, no one disliked receiving flowers, and Angela was no exception. The two occasionally went for walks together and had tea.

Vivianne thought she had become good friends with Angela.

Angela, however, had a different perspective. To her, Vivianne was merely a toy to play with, nothing more, nothing less. Though she was staying at Baldwin Manor at her father’s insistence, life there was too monotonous.

Compared to the capital during social season, there were no friends to gossip with, no exciting romantic prospects.

When Vivianne visited Angela’s room with an armful of flowers, Angela was just about to go mad from boredom. Vivianne was pretty, smiled brightly, and was obedient.

Looking at her, Angela was reminded of the doll she used to play with as a child, dressing it up, applying makeup, sitting it across the table for pretend tea parties. When even that became boring, she would simply toss it onto the sofa or stuff it away in storage.

Moreover, since this girl was the Marchioness’s favorite, it seemed better to manipulate her by pretending to be nice rather than treating her with hostility.

Today, she was having Vivianne try on various dresses from her wardrobe, clothes she had grown tired of that would only take up space once her newly tailored dresses arrived.

“Are you done?” Angela asked casually, lying on her stomach on the long sofa while browsing a catalog.

“Miss Angela, I don’t think this fits. It’s too tight,” the maid helping Vivianne dress replied awkwardly.

“Is it?”

She thought Vivianne was thin. How could it not fit? Angela approached Vivianne, who was standing awkwardly in front of the mirror, and her eyes widened. The deeply cut neckline of the dress looked like it might burst open at any moment.

“Hey, Vivi. Why are your br*asts… so large?”

“Is that bad?”

“No, it’s good. I’m just jealous. Since your br*asts are large and pretty, you should show them off more. They look nice. People will like it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You can have that dress. It suits you well.”

Since the dress was stretched out and unwearable anyway, Angela decided to treat it as charity to a beggar. The strict Marchioness Baldwin would hardly approve of a lady walking around with her chest so prominently displayed.

Soon enough, she would be disappointed in her companion, regardless of their friendship.

“Thank you, Angela.”

Either completely oblivious or genuinely naive, Vivianne smiled shyly.

“Do you always wear that ribbon?”

“I like ribbons.”

“These days, hairpins are more fashionable than ribbons. Let me see…”

While searching for an unused hairpin in her jewelry box, Angela’s gaze fell on the maid’s head. She was wearing a cheap hairpin made of fake pearls.

“Hey, would it be alright to give this to Vivi?”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll give you something else instead.”

When Angela gave her a meaningful look, the maid finally caught on to her scheme and played along.

“Of course, miss. I think it would suit Vivi better anyway.”

The maid removed the hairpin and placed it in Vivianne’s hair.

“I gave this to her as a gift. It’s made of very precious pearls. But it suits you better, Vivi, so I’m giving it to you.”

Vivianne blinked slowly. The lace ribbon Josephine had given her was removed, replaced by the hairpin.

“Let’s put some makeup on Vivi too.”

“Yes, miss.”

The maid seated Vivianne at the dressing table and took out cosmetics. Close your eyes when told, open them when instructed. Before she knew it, her makeup was complete—heavy makeup she had never worn before.

“Go around like this from now on. You always look so provincial and lifeless without makeup. Want to twirl around once?”

At Angela’s command, Vivianne spun in circles on the spot.

“You’re pretty, Vivi.”

“This is?”

Vivianne looked bewildered. Was it because she wasn’t used to it? Despite Angela’s compliments, she felt awkward, like wearing ill-fitting clothes.

“Of course. You look just like a courtesan.”

“What’s a courtesan?”

Vivianne tilted her head at the unfamiliar word.

“A courtesan is an extremely beautiful woman whom all men desire.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

It actually meant a high-class pr*stitute, but if Vivianne had known that, she wouldn’t have asked.

“Thank you, Angela! You look more like a courtesan than I do!”

For a moment, Angela’s face froze, and Vivianne noticed the maid stifling a laugh.

‘Why are they reacting that way? It’s a compliment. Did I miss something?’

Vivianne felt slightly embarrassed.

“Listen, Vivi. You know about the upcoming formal dinner, right?”

“What’s a formal dinner?”

“It’s when nobles gather together for a meal. Remember when we all ate together in the dining room before? It’s exactly like that.”

“Ah, I see.”

Vivianne nodded slowly. There had been so many spoons and forks that she’d nearly gotten dizzy. After that day, the Marchioness had assigned her an etiquette teacher, but there was still so much to memorize. She wasn’t confident she could dine as elegantly as Angela yet.

“I have a favor to ask, Vivi. I’d prefer if you didn’t attend the formal dinner.”

“Why not?”

“I’m just concerned as your friend. Many nobles will gather, and they’re extremely strict. Even I’m nervous about it.”

Even Angela was nervous?

The Marchioness had invited Vivianne to attend together, but hearing this made her shoulders hunch with insecurity.

“Even though my great-aunt adores you now, if you make a mistake and embarrass yourself at the dinner… things might change. You’re my friend, and I don’t want to see you looked down upon. I’m saying this with your best interests at heart, so you understand, right?”

“Yes. Thank you for telling me.”

Though she felt a bit dejected, she forced her lips into a smile.

“And Vivi, that day is really important. Duke Larson will be attending.”

“Duke Larson…?”

It was a name she’d never heard before, yet somehow it felt familiar.

“He’s unmarried and extremely handsome.”

“Is he someone you like, Angela?”

“Yes. I really want to make a good impression on him. But if you make a mistake at the dinner… imagine how the atmosphere would change. I’d be so upset.”

Angela looked desperately earnest. Somehow Vivianne felt she understood her feelings and couldn’t ignore them.

“I understand, Angela. I’ll speak to the Marchioness and stay in my room that day.”

* * *

The day of the formal dinner arrived. Vivianne had told the Marchioness that she wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest. Though she felt guilty about lying, she wanted to help her friend since someone Angela liked was coming.

After sleeping all day under the pretense of being ill, she was wide awake. Lying in bed made her back ache, so she secretly moved to the window. Resting her elbows on the windowsill and cupping her chin, she carefully observed the surroundings of the mansion.

There were many luxurious carriages. Just as Angela had said, it seemed many distinguished guests had come to the formal dinner.

“…I wanted to attend the dinner too.”

It was disappointing but unavoidable. She couldn’t risk embarrassing the Marchioness or ruining Angela’s opportunity by being selfish.

She hoped that someday, after diligently attending etiquette lessons and practicing hard, she could dine as elegantly as Angela.

“The moon is so beautiful tonight.”

It was a night with bright moonlight. Vivianne loved getting up alone every night to gaze at the moon. It was so white and brilliant, so luscious that she wanted to touch it.

‘Is this what it feels like to like someone?’

Seeing something so familiar made her wonder if she had loved someone before losing her memories.

‘I hope I did.’

Vivianne smiled absently. Suddenly remembering the hairpin in her hair, she removed it to examine it.

It clearly wasn’t high-quality enough to be a real pearl.

‘I wonder if Angela was deceived?’

She considered telling Angela that it didn’t appear to be a real pearl but decided against it, not wanting to embarrass her about a gift.

‘Well, what does it matter whether it’s a pearl or not?’

She didn’t want to think negatively about the first gift she’d received from a friend.

‘But I’m quite good at this, aren’t I? Was I perhaps a gemstone appraiser before I lost my memories?’

Lost in these random thoughts, she tried to put the hairpin back in her hair when her hand slipped.

“…Oh no!”

As the hairpin fell out the window, Vivianne’s face turned pale.

* * *

She had thought about looking for it in the morning, but her mind was so anxious that she couldn’t sleep at all.

Vivianne wrapped a shawl around herself and quietly slipped out of her room. With the formal dinner in full swing, no one was paying attention to the grounds outside.

“Where is it…”

Vivianne crouched down on the flower bed, thoroughly searching the area where she had dropped the hairpin.

“I definitely dropped it here.”

‘What if I’ve lost it? How will I face Angela?’

She felt like crying from the overwhelming sense of helplessness but held back her tears. The one fortunate thing was that the bright moonlight provided good visibility.

“Found it!”

After searching intently with her eyes fixed on the ground, Vivianne finally discovered the familiar object in the bushes.

She dusted off the hairpin and clutched it in her hand. Just as she stood up to return to the mansion, she encountered a large silhouette.

A man resembling the moon, no, even more brilliant than the moon, was looking at her.