Chapter 25

Touching the silver dress hanging on the portable rack before her with her fingertips, Judith swallowed a sigh. The garment, covered in sequins, sparkled enough to make her eyes ache. If she walked into the party hall wearing such a thing, everyone’s attention would turn to her. Most of the clothes hanging on the racks were the same, differing only in color, all covered in sequins. They were clothes Judith could never handle.

“Miss Loewe. Would you come this way?”

“Yes……”

Elijah had clearly staked everything on tonight’s party. To think she had even arranged for five people from a famous beauty salon just to transform Judith. The skilled workers Elijah had chosen stared at Judith with bright eyes, as though she were something delectable. In this situation, there was no way Judith could ask for a simple one-piece dress or suit instead of a party gown.

In a state of resignation, Judith followed behind the people dragging her here and there. Becoming beautiful was no easy task. The unfamiliar hands tugging at her hair and rubbing at her face felt only awkward. If she could, she would have liked to cut this miserable stretch of time out altogether. Judith squeezed her eyes shut and began counting numbers. It was a trick she often used when trying to let Grandmother’s nagging or people’s jeers pass over her. If she counted numbers, the sounds around her sank away and her heart became calm. At the exact moment she reached one thousand two hundred thirty-four, one of the people handling Judith like a doll jolted her back.

“Miss Loewe, would you look in the mirror?”

“Ah, yes.”

Judith slowly opened the eyes she had kept shut. The woman reflected in the mirror blinked back at her. The people Elijah had sent were clearly magicians. In a short time, they had transformed Judith, who usually hid away in the lab like some shabby, soot-covered thing, into a glittering princess. Judith looked at herself in the mirror and clicked her tongue in disbelief. Is this really me? They say not to be fooled by makeup, but. She had become a completely different person.

“If there’s anything lacking, would you tell us?”

“No. I’m very satisfied. Is this really me?”

Judith lifted her shoulders in a shrug and wrinkled the bridge of her nose. Seeing the woman in the mirror copy her movements, she muttered quietly to herself that it must really be her after all. The workers Elijah had sent wore satisfied smiles and helped Judith to her feet.

“Miss, you have a long, graceful figure, so I think a mermaid line would suit you. What do you think?”

One of the women standing by the rack took out a pale lemon-colored dress and held it up beside Judith. The dress on the hanger had a daring design unlike anything Judith had ever worn. Judith swallowed dryly. They wanted her to wear this?

“Would you like to try it on?”

She ought to have refused, but the assistant stepping up beside her was quicker. Skillfully taking the dress, she dragged Judith behind a screen. Before Judith could even stammer out a protest, she was standing there in a dress that showed her figure exactly. The assistant pulled Judith over and stood her before a full-length mirror. The people watching Judith from around the room covered their mouths with both hands and smiled brightly.

“It suits you so well. What do you think, Miss?”

“Well……”

Her shoulders were left bare, and the dress, beginning high across the chest, clung tightly to her waist and hips. The silk that constricted even her thighs then spread wide from the knees down, ending beautifully at her feet in lace. The line of the chest was adorned with small diamond decorations so bright they almost hurt the eyes. She felt like a mermaid princess from a fairy tale.

“Isn’t it a little too revealing?”

“What are you saying? You look absolutely beautiful.”

Looking at herself so awkwardly, Judith bit the soft flesh inside her mouth. Isn’t this much too suggestive? She had seen many women at various parties wearing dresses that clung to their figures, but seeing herself dressed like this felt awkward and embarrassing. Judith reached up to rub her shoulder and bent her waist slightly.

“You need to hold your back straight. That way you’ll look proud and attractive. We’ll drape a scarf over you made of the same material as the hem. And rather than dangling earrings, something that sits close against the earlobe would be better. Your lip color should be a little lighter.”

At the instructions of the one who looked to be the leader, the staff moved in perfect unison. After only a few more touches, Judith was reborn like a goddess descended from the heavens. She was beautiful enough to make the housekeeper, who came in carrying tea and snacks for the staff, tear up.

The moment the preparations were finished, the Müller family chauffeur knocked at the door. It was the result of Elijah, who knew Judith well, carefully setting the board so Judith would have no chance to escape.

Led by the chauffeur’s hand, Judith was settled into the Müller family sedan. All of this had happened in only two hours since leaving the lab. Wearing a dazed face, Judith looked out the window. Beneath the cloudy sky, the grand Meyer mansion came into view. A large black dog lay sleeping in the garden. Its master was probably sprawled somewhere inside the mansion. Since the incident at the hospital, she had not seen him face to face.

Seeing that he had not come bothering her, it seemed he had finally understood her words. Judith turned her gaze away from the Meyer mansion. A child bundled in a thick coat, hat, and gloves toddled along holding someone’s hand. Seeing the child made her feel that winter truly had come.

* * *

The banquet hall, decorated around a huge Christmas tree, was crowded with people. Unable to withstand Elijah’s pestering, Judith had hidden herself in a corner seat even before the banquet began and was secretly observing the distinguished guests.

“Look carefully. That man over there is the historian I mentioned before. And the one beside him doesn’t have any particular profession, but he comes from a good family. He has a lot of money too. The drawback is that women are never absent from around him, but well, since he has money, shouldn’t that much at least be taken into consideration?”

“Ha.”

Elijah sipped her drink and narrowed her eyes as she looked the men over. For a bride-to-be, it was quite a sly gaze.

“Shouldn’t you be going to see Mr. Müller?”

“He says his face is a disaster, so he won’t be coming out of the bedroom. He told me to go enjoy myself, so tonight I’m free.”

“Free?”

“Yes. So trust this older sister of yours. I’ve got a pretty good eye for men.”

I can’t trust that. Judith knew well enough that she had met the eldest son of the Müller family for his money. There was no way she had any eye for men. Judith picked up a piece of finger food and popped it into her mouth, then chewed slowly as she rubbed at her sleepy eyes. She had been pouring herself into document restoration day and night for several days, and now all the fatigue had hit her at once.

“Judith. Are you even listening to me?”

“Hm?”

Blinking, Judith stared blankly up at Elijah, who had grabbed her arm and was urging her along.

“Ah, this is a disaster. Some woman has latched onto the historian. What have you been doing, sitting there blankly all this time? Judith!”

“Yaaawn.”

Yawning, Judith looked at the back of the historian, who had entered the dancers with a petite woman in his hand. They suit each other rather well. Unable to overcome her exhaustion, Judith muttered in a crooked voice. Forget men—she wanted to dive straight into bed.

“King Pirap’s old book. Are you just going to give up on it like this?”

“Ah, right. The old book.”

Only then did Judith seem to come back to herself, opening her eyes wide.

“Who invited that person?”

As Judith shook her head in an effort to wake herself up, Elijah’s sulky voice hit her ears sharply. Judith slowly turned her head and shifted her gaze toward the place where the crowd had gathered. Since it was mostly women there, some handsome man must have appeared.

“Is there any coffee?”

“Listen to yourself.”

“Ha. I’ll go to the restroom for a bit and wake up.”

“Fine. It’s probably better if you disappear for a moment right now. Go quickly.”

Elijah took Judith’s cheeks in both hands and turned her gaze elsewhere. Without even understanding what was happening, Judith rose from her seat and was naturally nudged away. The moment she stepped out of the banquet hall into the corridor, she could breathe again. As expected, places crowded with people were not to her taste. Leaning against the wall, Judith looked down at the uncomfortable dress and shoes. Should I just run home? The temptation that arose for an instant was sweet. Staying here did not seem likely to help her find a man anyway. Men had eyes too. Women full of charm would naturally appeal to them more than a Judith as stiff as stone. She could hear her resolve to find a man within two weeks collapsing. Now that she stood on the battlefield itself, reality had become clear.

-To be continued in Volume 2