Chapter 2 – Something That Comes To Everyone (Part 2)

Meanwhile, there was another person at the table who was burning inside.

‘We’re doomed.’

It was Sir Philip Lloyd, Edwin’s loyal secretary.

He kept giving his superior subtle glances while nervously fiddling with his innocent thumb. Unfortunately, his superior didn’t notice any of his hints.

At that moment, Lorraine, smiling brightly, pushed a plate towards Monica.

“Please try this as well, madam.”

Lorraine knew well from years of experience how to handle Monica.

The topic of conversation naturally changed.

“These are ginger cookies newly devised by the chef. They have a clean taste despite the ginger.”

“…I see.”

Lorraine’s face brightened as if Monica’s response was a great compliment.

“Since you like maple cookies, I thought you’d like these too. I also love the maple cookies made by our chef.”

As Monica chewed over Lorraine’s words, her gaze suddenly changed.

‘Hmm?’

Monica’s eyebrows moved meaningfully. She scrutinized Lorraine carefully and then smiled.

“I see.”

‘Yes, that’s it.’ 

Monica murmured in a meaningful tone.

***

‘If I run away, I’ll be fired.’

Lorraine strengthened her knees, which were about to buckle, and swallowed a sigh.

She still couldn’t understand why she had to attend Edwin Duncan’s matchmaking party to welcome the new season.

At this point, it felt like playing with dolls.

Lorraine pressed her throbbing temples, frustrated by the two-hour-long unresolved situation.

In one corner of the drawing room, the fabrics not chosen by Monica had piled up into a mountain.

‘They must be expensive.’

Lorraine thought, recalling the soft touch of the fabric that had brushed against her chin.

‘How did it come to this….’

Even though she was watching Madame Laurent bustling around, she couldn’t believe the situation.

It was because Madame Laurent was notoriously difficult to book. The designer, who was said to ignore even the calls of the Imperial family, was currently—

“How about this green, madam? It would go very well with the young lady’s dark brown hair.”

—enthusiastically pitching in front of the duchess.

Despite being rejected several times, Madame Laurent showed no signs of fatigue.

Rather than that….

‘It’s pretty, though.’

She seemed to be burning with resolve to satisfy her client.

Lorraine glanced down to check the color of the fabric draped around her neck. The emerald fabric sparkled as if ground with diamonds.

But even that didn’t seem to satisfy Monica.

“Hmm… that’s nice too, but can you show me something in blue? I think matching her eye color would be better than her hair color.”

“…….”

“I think the first dress would be better in that color.”

“Ah, of course. As expected, madam has a great eye.”

Madame Laurent smiled brightly and signaled to her assistant.

The assistant quickly brought out the fabric.

She draped it around Lorraine’s neck and turned to Monica with a triumphant look.

“How is it? Doesn’t it match the young lady’s blue eyes perfectly?”

“…….”

“I thought the same when I saw the young lady’s ocean-like blue eyes.”

Monica nodded with satisfaction at her additional comment.

“Let’s go with that one.”

Two hours and thirty-five minutes into the dress-up session, Lorraine was finally able to step down from the platform.

She felt stiff from her neck to her waist and legs.

As Lorraine awkwardly stepped down and tried to sit on the sofa, Madame Laurent’s assistant carefully grabbed her arm.

“Young lady, we need to take your measurements, so please come this way for a moment.”

When she looked back at Monica with a reluctant expression, Monica nodded as if telling her to go comfortably.

“Ah… yes.”

‘So this isn’t over yet.’

Taking reluctant steps, Lorraine swallowed a sigh.

“What do you think?”

As Lorraine went behind the partition, Monica asked Edwin, who had been sitting like a borrowed barley sack.

He glanced up from the design sketches he was flipping through indifferently.

He wondered if there really was something to be so excited about.

Whenever Monica’s eyes sparkled like that, it always led to something disadvantageous for him.

“…Was my opinion needed here?”

He closed the sketchbook he had been flipping through soullessly.

“I thought you had forgotten I was here since you were proceeding without asking.”

‘You talk well.’

Monica clicked her tongue briefly, as if letting it slide this time.

“I was just asking if it’s pretty or not.”

“…….”

“Did you think I would take your aesthetic sense, honed from a lifetime of looking at weapons, into account?”

Shaking her head as if it was still far off, Monica continued.

“When you look at something together, you should at least know how to say it’s pretty, even if it’s just empty words. How can you be so wooden?”

Edwin, who had suddenly become a block of wood, nodded reluctantly.

At this point, he seriously wondered if his presence here was only provoking his mother’s anger.

Just as Edwin was about to fall into such thoughts, Lorraine came out from behind the partition, adjusting her clothes.

She asked Madame Laurent, who followed her out.

“Is it over now?”

“No.”

“No.”

‘Why not?’

Lorraine looked back and forth between the two with a bewildered face.

Madame Laurent, looking more refreshed than ever, clapped her hands.

“Now we need to choose the design. There’s still a long way to go.”

Lorraine wanted to cry.

***

Two hours later.

“Then, we will contact you after the first fitting.”

Madame Laurent, holding the check Monica had written as if it were a bar of gold, bowed deeply.

They had packed up all the things they had spread out and left the reception room in an instant.

heir speed was astonishingly fast.

Unlike Monica, who was flipping through the catalog with a familiar face, Lorraine watched their backs with a fresh perspective.

“What do you think of this?”

“Pardon?”

Before she could check what it was, a catalog was thrust into her hand.

“Why…?”

It was a catalog from a famous jeweler.

Even from the pictures, she could roughly estimate how big and shiny the jewels would be.

‘And how expensive they would be.’

As the family’s financial situation improved, they had started indulging in small luxuries, but Lorraine still had a frugal mindset.

Monica smiled and said.

“Pretty clothes should be paired with pretty jewels. Pick one.”

Lorraine looked down at the catalog, feeling burdened just by touching it.

‘What on earth….’

‘What’s going on?’

There was definitely something going on, Lorraine was sure.

But that was just her suspicion. For now, the more important thing was to refuse this situation naturally.

Lorraine put down the catalog and smiled gently.

“This is fine. The clothes alone are more than enough.”

She had some simple accessories of her own.

Of course, they were so small that they barely shone, like a modest sapphire necklace.

“Ah…”

Monica nodded as if she understood.

Lorraine thought she would listen to her opinion. But that was a huge misconception.

“Then I’ll pick something that suits you well.”

‘No, why?’

Lorraine looked at Monica with a bewildered face.

Monica, checking the jewels in the catalog, seemed somewhat excited.

Lorraine whispered to Edwin who was sitting next to her.

“Try to stop her.”

But he shrugged and said.

“Just accept it.”

When she looked at him with resentful eyes, he seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking.

“If you must, think of it as a bonus.”

After finishing his words, he shrugged and stood up.

“If you’re done with your business, I’ll be leaving first.”

“…Alright.”

Despite calling her over, Monica was too busy checking the catalog to pay attention.

“Then I’ll….”

As Lorraine stood up naturally, thinking this was her chance, Monica shook her head firmly.

“No, Lorraine. You still have work to do.”

With a forlorn face, she had to sit back down and watch Edwin leave without looking back.

Lorraine didn’t know.

What kind of secret dealings were going on between Edwin and Monica.

「Just hold on to her unconditionally.」

At the abrupt statement, Edwin frowned and said.

「What are you talking about all of a sudden….」

Monica shook her head with a face that seemed to ask if she really needed to explain this.

After glancing at the partition, she licked her lips once and spoke.

「To develop the relationship, you see.」

As her voice grew softer, the atmosphere became even more secretive.

「You have to make them care somehow.」

Edwin didn’t know what this sudden talk was about, but he decided to keep his mouth shut for now.

At times like this, keeping quiet was the best strategy.

「All this advice will be beneficial, so even if you don’t understand now, keep it in mind for the future.」

Monica, who had winked, returned to her posture of looking at the design sketches.

Edwin, who was staring blankly at his mother’s sly face, thought that she should have been an actress no matter how he considered it.