Elizabeth’s sense of style was better than Saena’s, and Elizabeth knew it too. Saena couldn’t understand why Elizabeth insisted on having her tag along when she’d just end up buying what she liked anyway.

“You’re great at finding beautiful things on your own. You don’t really need my help.”

“…But I’m going to ‘Lapis,’ and it’d feel strange without you!”

At that, Saena looked at Elizabeth with wide, surprised eyes.

‘Lapis…’

‘Lapis’ was a jewelry store owned by the Debov family.

Saena wasn’t fond of wearing excessive jewelry and rarely adorned herself with the pieces she already owned.

On important occasions, her father would personally gift her a jewelry set, so she had no reason to visit Lapis.

That didn’t mean Saena was unaware that Lapis was one of the most beloved jewelry stores among nobles.

Though the Debov family didn’t own any mines, they had contracts with several families to source raw gemstones. Processing and distributing those gemstones was one of the family’s main sources of income.

‘Where was it again…? Rosadale in the southeast? Or Aberdeen?’

She couldn’t quite remember. Having been disconnected from her family’s affairs for so long after her marriage, she’d lost track of such details.

Perhaps that was why Saena felt an odd sense of unease.

“…Doesn’t the manager at Lapis already know you, Elizabeth?”

“Well, yes, but still…”

A brief silence passed between them.

Elizabeth, watching the quiet Saena, finally spoke with a hint of disappointment.

“Saya, you… you’re acting strange.”

…Me?

“It’s like… you’ve changed.”

“……”

“It feels like you don’t care about me at all anymore…”

“……”

“Am I not your best friend anymore?”

At those words, Saena looked into Elizabeth’s face.

‘Best friend?’

Elizabeth was certainly… Saena’s only female friend. Did that make her a best friend?

Saena didn’t have many friends to compare her to, but still, wasn’t that a bit much?

One of the things Saena had learned in her past life—even though it hadn’t been a particularly long one—was that ‘having friends doesn’t necessarily help you survive a miserable marriage.’

Maybe some friends could help in such situations, but Elizabeth certainly wasn’t one of them.

In her previous life, Elizabeth’s status had risen after marriage, while Saena’s had fallen. Saena had never resented Elizabeth for drifting away; she had simply accepted it as natural.

Elizabeth, with her lips slightly pursed and her large eyes fixed on Saena, looked somewhat hurt.

‘Changed, she says…’

If she truly had changed compared to her past life, what kind of change was it?

Was it for the better? Or for the worse?

As Saena stared into Elizabeth’s olive-green eyes, she was suddenly reminded of the fragile sprout that had pushed through the soil where Yuri’s tree once stood.

‘Yes… Yuri isn’t here, but…’

Saena let out a short sigh internally and spoke.

“Elizabeth. Let’s do this instead.”

* * *

Saena called over one of the maids Sage had insisted accompany her on outings.

The Saena of the past would have hated having people trailing behind her, but now she accepted it without complaint.

Saena instructed the maid to accompany Elizabeth.

“Tell the manager, ‘I was supposed to come along, but something urgent came up, so I couldn’t. Please ensure that Lady Valdez is treated with the utmost care.’ Can you do that?”

“Yes, Miss.”

It seemed her brother’s advice to always bring a maid on outings had been wise.

Saena handed the maid her personal seal to present to the manager.

Even just seeing that seal would be enough for the Lapis manager to treat Elizabeth as an honored guest.

Thankfully, Elizabeth seemed satisfied with this arrangement.

After sending Elizabeth off, Saena stood on the street for a moment, lost in thought.

‘Alright. Let’s think about this. If I’ve been given a second chance, I can’t let things play out the same way as before.’

She had been so consumed by grief over Yuri that she had been living half-heartedly. If she continued down this path, her life might repeat itself, and Yuri would be deeply disappointed if they ever met again.

Saena needed to be happy.

Or at the very least, she needed to live a life that wasn’t miserable.

‘For the family that loves me.’

She resolved to express her love and gratitude to her father and brother more openly, to live without regrets.

That meant she needed to change. She had to alter the course of her life, which seemed to be heading in the same direction as before.

‘Where do I start?’

In her past life, Saena’s life had taken a dramatic turn after her debutante ball at eighteen. This time, she had been in a coma during that period, so the timeline had shifted slightly.

Still, she couldn’t help but worry that her life might spiral out of control again after her debut.

‘…But why didn’t Elizabeth debut last year?’

Unlike Saena, who had little interest in social circles, Elizabeth had always longed to debut. She wanted to make connections and meet people as soon as possible.

Had she really postponed her debut because of Saena? In a situation where no one knew why Saena was unconscious or when she might wake up?

Something didn’t quite add up.

Though Saena had reluctantly agreed to attend the Founding Festival debutante ball after Elizabeth’s persistent persuasion, she couldn’t shake her unease. Perhaps it was because she associated the debutante ball with the beginning of her troubles in her past life.

If that was the case…

‘Let’s change it. I’ll attend the debut, but I won’t let it play out the same way as before.’

She didn’t know exactly what she needed to change to avoid misfortune. Even as someone living her life a second time, there were many uncertainties.

So the simplest conclusion was this:

‘I’ll do everything differently. Whether it’s the opposite or just different, I’ll change it.’

And she would start with the most trivial yet bothersome thing she could change.

Saena turned and re-entered Madame Charlize’s Boutique.

“Welcome ba—oh, Lady Debov? Did you forget something?”

“Call Madame Charlize for me.”

“…Pardon? Ah, please wait a moment.”

Saena was led back to the reception room she had used earlier.

Before long, Madame Charlize entered with a polite smile.

“Lady Debov? Oh my, you’ve returned so soon. Is something the matter?”

Though she was smiling, the faint crease in her brow betrayed her annoyance. It was such a subtle expression that the truly nineteen-year-old Saena wouldn’t have noticed it.

Considering Count Debov’s reputation, it wasn’t something they could handle recklessly, but it was understandable that they’d feel irritated by a young girl, who seemingly knew nothing, giving orders like ‘do this’ and ‘do that.’ However, Saena ignored such sentiments and went straight to the point.

“I want to have the dress remade.”

“…Pardon? Are you referring to the debutante ball dress?”

“Yes.”

“…You do realize the Founding Festival is only a month away, don’t you?”

Noblewomen typically began preparing their dresses months in advance for events. The minimum preparation time was three months, and for significant occasions like a debut, engagement, or wedding, they often started planning a year ahead. This was because ball dresses required an enormous amount of effort, and good ateliers were quickly booked.

“I’ll pay ten times the price. Separate from the one already being made.”

“…Yes?”

Madame Charlize’s eyes widened further, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“I will, of course, pay for the original dress as well. However, I won’t take it, so you can sell it to someone else.”

“What… all of a sudden… why?”

“Is that not enough? Then let’s make it twenty times.”

“No, no! My lady!”

Madame Charlize waved her hands in refusal.

Ball dresses for noblewomen were expensive. Madame Charlize’s dresses were at least ten times more expensive than those from other ateliers. Yet Saena was offering to pay ten times the price for a single dress. Ten times of ten times—it was a hundredfold compared to other ateliers, a sum that even Madame Charlize found astonishing.

“But… why do you want to change it?”

Madame Charlize cautiously asked Saena.

“The color doesn’t please me.”

“But wasn’t it you, my lady, who specifically requested that color?”

Strictly speaking, Saena hadn’t chosen the color herself. It was more accurate to say she hadn’t paid any attention to it at all, but she also knew that wasn’t something to admit in front of a dressmaker.

“Let’s just say I’ve had a change of heart. However, I’d prefer if Lady Valdez didn’t know about this. Is that possible?”

Saena gazed steadily at Madame Charlize. The madame was inwardly surprised. The quiet gaze of those violet eyes compelled one to be silent.

‘Was this young lady always like this?’

Being alone with her, Madame Charlize no longer felt like she was dealing with a mere young girl and found herself puzzled.

“Oh, of course. Hoho.”

“……”

Though flustered, Madame Charlize quickly composed herself and laughed.

Even when noblewomen referred to each other as friends, their relationships were often dictated by mutual benefit. It wasn’t a big deal. In fact, Madame Charlize knew very well which colors and designs would suit Saena’s appearance better, but she hadn’t pushed her recommendations or insisted on them. Partly because Saena was a less demanding client compared to the daughters of other marquis or ducal families, but also because it felt vexing to pour her heart into a dress for someone who didn’t even bother to visit for fittings.