1.1.3

“By the way, Lady Selgier, did you enjoy your trip last week?”

Feeling the atmosphere lighten, Milia changed the subject. Clara, understanding her intent, replied cheerfully.

“Yes, just as I’d heard, Sainberry was a wonderful place.”

Sainberry was a resort city far from Lohandra, famous for its hot springs.

“Did you stay at the Sainberry Hotel?”

“Of course.”

Sainberry Hotel was the most famous lodging in the area, and a single night’s stay cost a fortune. Thus, only nobles and wealthy people usually stayed there.

“I heard every room at the Sainberry Hotel has an outdoor hot spring.”

Sierra, Milia’s friend, asked shyly.

“No, only the two-person rooms have attached outdoor hot springs.”

“I see. I’ve only been with my family, so I used the communal bath.”

“The private outdoor hot spring was quite nice. You should try it next time.”

The eyes of the young ladies around grew wide. From Clara’s words, it was clear she had stayed in a two-person room.

“Who did you… go with?”

Catherine asked. Clara gave a sly, meaningful smile and lowered her eyes. She didn’t answer, but everyone in the room instantly understood what her smile meant.

‘She went with Duke Aliph!’

The ladies’ faces flushed. Catherine began to fan herself, and even Milia glanced shyly at Clara, her face red.

“But the two of you aren’t married yet……”

Sierra, her face bright red, asked cautiously. No matter how engaged, ladies of noble families were taught to be modest. At least, that’s what they were taught. Yet, at the same time, they wondered—

‘If it’s Lady Selgier… she might have experience.’

Perhaps reading their thoughts, Clara finally burst out laughing.

“This is why Lohandra can’t keep up. That’s why people in the capital keep calling it a country bumpkin place.”

Clara threw out the word ‘country bumpkin’—something only commoners would use—without hesitation. Yet, thanks to her elegant manner and sweet voice, it didn’t sound vulgar at all.

“So, in the c-capital… if you’re engaged, then… that… that…”

One of the young ladies hesitantly began. Clara looked at her kindly.

“Yes, that’s right. Unlike provincial Lohandra, in the capital, it’s natural.”

“P-provincial……”

Lohandra was a small provincial city just beginning to grow, not quite deserving of being called a backwater. Two- and three-story buildings had started to appear in the city center, and the once-dirt roads were now being paved with blocks.

However, compared to the capital, Caincridge, it was much smaller and at least ten years behind in trends. Most people lived off dairy farming, and the estates of Lohandra’s nobles barely managed to survive on dairy as well. Fortunately, thanks to the Aliph Dukedom establishing a textile factory in Lohandra, money began to circulate, and the city became prosperous. The small town even began to take on the appearance of a bustling district. As the region developed, the country folk naturally started to long for city life. They craved sophistication and wanted to follow the trends of the capital. Words like ‘provincial,’ ‘backwater,’ and ‘country’ became detested.

That’s why, for the young ladies of Lohandra who dreamed of a refined urban life, Clara’s words were truth and law. If Clara said so, then it was so. Clara was a sophisticated noble from the capital and would soon become part of the Aliph Dukedom, the leading family of Lohandra.

“I-I actually…”

At the moment when all attention was focused on Clara, Sophie Crayble, who had been quietly listening beside Milia, opened her mouth.

“Yes?”

Sophie’s voice was so soft that only Milia could understand her. Even then, the end of her words was so muffled that it was hard to catch.

“Well, um, that is…”

“Miss Crayble?”

Sophie Crayble’s face turned bright red. Her voice trembled with nervousness.

“Take your time, it’s okay.”

Milia placed her hand gently over Sophie’s to help her calm down. With some effort, Sophie finally managed to speak.

“I-I also spent the n-night with Sir Kailo!”

At Sophie’s sudden confession, every young lady in the lounge turned their gaze to her.

“Miss Crayble? With Sir Leviwan?”

“Oh my goodness!”

The eyes of the other young ladies sparkled with interest. Milia was surprised as well. It was hard to believe that quiet, reserved Sophie would say such a thing. At that moment, Clara intervened.

“With Kailo?”

Her voice was strangely sharp.

“Pardon? Ah, yes, yes. With Sir Kailo.”

As Clara stared at Sophie with an expressionless gaze, Sophie lowered her head to avoid Clara’s eyes. Milia saw it then—the fierce, almost savage glare Clara shot at Sophie… But in the blink of an eye, Clara’s face returned to its usual smiling expression.

“Come to think of it, the two of you are engaged.”

At Clara’s words, Sophie slowly nodded, her shy face still red.

“P-please keep it a secret. If he finds out I talked about this… he might not like it.”

Sophie’s trembling voice made it clear she was worried this story would reach Kailo. At the same time, Milia wondered why Sophie was telling them this at all.

“I-I’m only telling you all because… we’re friends!”

Sophie clutched the hem of her dress and pleaded to the other girls. Milia clearly heard the whispers of the other young ladies around her.

“When were we ever friends?”

“So ridiculous.”

Even after entering Lohandra’s social scene, Sophie always seemed to remain on the outside. She tried her best to fit in with the other girls, but her timid nature made it difficult. The more she tried, the more the noble girls ignored her, and she continued to make mistakes, shrinking further into herself. The ones who ignored and laughed at Sophie the most were, ironically, Robelia’s group, whom she hung out with.

‘What’s the point of wearing expensive things? A nouveau riche will always be a nouveau riche, no matter how hard she tries.’

‘Did you see her dress today? Is she trying to copy the one Lady Selgier wore last time?’

‘If you’re going to copy, at least do it right. Did you see that weird pink color? Such a show-off!’

Milia could not understand why Robelia and her friends gossiped about Sophie yet still kept her around. As Milia watched the dejected Sophie, Clara’s sharp laughter rang out.

“Where did it happen? At your house, Miss Crayble? Or in Kailo’s room?”

Clara, usually so kind and composed, now seemed unusually agitated and reckless.

“Huh? Miss Crayble? Why don’t you explain?”

At Clara’s prompting, all the girls in the lounge focused their attention on Sophie. Clara smiled brightly, waiting for Sophie’s answer.

“As his childhood friend, I’m really curious. What’s Kailo like in bed?”

Clara’s bold remarks were nothing new, so no one paid much attention to her words. Their only interest was in what Sophie would say next. As Sophie hesitated, Clara quietly moved closer and sat beside her. Her delicate hand touched Sophie’s slender thigh.

“For example, does he have any peculiar habits?”

As her hand slid further inward, a startled Sophie squeezed her legs together.

“No, um… nothing like that…”

Embarrassed, Sophie couldn’t look Clara in the eye and bowed her head even lower.

“There was nothing.”

Perhaps because Sophie had shrunk so much, Clara removed her hand from Sophie’s thigh.

“I see, nothing at all.”

To Milia, Clara seemed as composed as ever.

‘Maybe I imagined it.’

Milia shook her head.

‘No, it couldn’t be. That doesn’t make sense.’

When Milia saw the sharp look in Clara’s eyes, an instinctive thought crossed her mind. But she quickly denied it. Clara had no reason to be like that.

‘Lady Selgier being jealous of Miss Crayble? That’s just ridiculous.’

* * *

Because she was waiting for Theofield, Milia couldn’t go home alone. They had come in the same carriage.

“This is so boring. Why are there orders to come and go like it’s the military?”

Today’s party was attended by many of Theofield’s colleagues and superiors. Theofield had told her to wait somewhere appropriate, saying the soldiers had things to discuss among themselves.

“Don’t soldiers ever get a day off?”

To see Theofield acting so disciplined just because he met a superior outside… Milia had been dissatisfied ever since Theofield entered the military academy. Now that he was a soldier, it was even worse.

“If only Theo had been born a girl, we could talk about dresses and have fun together…”

Milia had no real complaints about her life, but if there was one small regret, it was that Theofield was a man.

“Why did he have to be born a man and go through all that trouble?”

Milia let out a long sigh.

‘If Theofield had been born a girl, he wouldn’t have had to go to the academy or the army. We could have gone to parties, gotten dresses, gone shopping, and had even more fun.’

Milia felt a little sad that her closest friend was not the same gender. Especially, it seemed such a waste that Theofield hadn’t been born a girl. Even when they played with dolls as children, Theofield was always more absorbed than Milia, taking the game seriously.

‘Didn’t he make a doll dress himself when we were ten? Along with a uniform for the boy doll.’

Those dolls still remained, one at Milia’s house and one at Theofield’s. The dress-wearing doll was at Theofield’s, the one in uniform at Milia’s. Theofield was not only good at sewing, but skilled at making anything.

‘If Theo had been born a girl, he would have been such a proper lady.’

Milia lay down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. The couch’s high back almost swallowed her body.