#03

During the morning hours without customers, the sales staff stood in their places, nodding off. The department store on a rainy morning was enveloped in silence as if someone had caught time and stopped it. Soon, unable to endure the silence, the bored department store sparrows moved their light lips in an attempt to stay awake.

“Did you hear?”

“What now?”

“My cousin works under Marquis Paine. I heard the Marquis agreed to invest a large sum of money in our boss and develop that land in the back.”

“Were they always that close?”

“I heard they talked separately at the funeral.”

The manager of the ready-made clothing section cleared his throat, interrupting the sales staff’s gossip. He could see the boss and her secretary Cedric walking around the store in the distance.

Just then, a customer who had finished shopping at the lace section next door entered the ready-made clothing section. She asked to see coats and pointed to one person to assist her. It was one of the loose-lipped sparrows.

“Show me travel coats. I usually prefer custom-made clothes, but this time I want to buy ready-made clothes that you recommend.”

“You have good taste. We just received many beautiful coats, madam.”

The sales assistant brought colorful coats to show the customer. After touching all the fabrics with interest, the customer lowered her voice and asked.

“So. Did they only talk about business? Was there nothing else?”

“Pardon?”

The customer became irritated at the sales assistant who didn’t understand.

“I mean, Marquis Paine and the store owner here. Was there nothing else between them? Haven’t you heard anything else?”

“Ah….. I also heard that the boss will be visiting the Marquis’s mansion frequently from now on. I don’t know the details.”

The sales assistant fumbled her words in a fluster. Unlike her, the customer’s eyes flashed with delight. As she aged, nothing pleased her ears more than the romance stories or scandals of unmarried nobles.

“Oh my, this is so tantalizing. I’ll have to ask directly.”

“No, that would put me in a difficult position.”

Leaving the flustered sales assistant behind, the customer waved at Charlotte who was walking over.

“Charlotte. I’d like to have a cup of tea with you after such a long time.”

The customer was Countess Roland, one of the initial investors in the department store.

* * *

I heard she couldn’t go out lately because her knees hurt. I was surprised to meet Mrs. Roland on such a rainy day at the department store.

“What brings you here?”

“What brings me here? I came to see you. And do some shopping while I’m at it.”

Placing her hand on my shoulder, the lady naturally walked toward the manager’s office. As she did so, she glared at Cedric with disapproving eyes and waved her hand for him to walk far away.

“Won’t you find a job elsewhere? Seeing you still beside Charlotte, you must not be very capable.”

“That can’t be true. It’s because I’m so capable that the boss won’t let me go.”

“Hmph. I’ve never seen a handsome man who’s good at his job. Except for my nephew.”

Mrs. Roland still disliked Cedric. She said she didn’t like him from the moment she first saw him. The lady had consistently advised me to extract what I could from Cedric and then dismiss him. She claimed it was advice filled with years of experience.

Cedric, now quite accustomed to the lady’s criticism, responded nonchalantly.

“Your nephew agreed to invest a large sum in the Liv Department Store yesterday.”

“I know. I just heard. That boy has great business acumen. Don’t you think he and our Charlotte would make a great match?”

“People will criticize him if he pursues another woman right after his fiancée’s death.”

“This man never backs down. Charlotte, fire your secretary and hire someone else. Why do you keep such a black-hearted man by your side?”

I just chuckled listening to the two. Indeed, after watching a fire, the next most entertaining thing is watching a fight.

“I was actually planning to promote one of the good sales staff. Cedric seems burdened handling both secretarial and general manager duties for the department store.”

“Hmm. I wasn’t burdened. I just wanted someone else under me.”

Mrs. Roland linked arms with me and said,

“Good. Train that person well and just fire this man. Since I’m already out, shall we have lunch together? It would be nice to call my nephew who works nearby to join us.”

“Our boss has a tight afternoon schedule……”

“Ah, I didn’t ask you. Go and bring us some tea.”

I gestured to Cedric to tactfully stay away.

Mrs. Roland, who naturally entered the manager’s office, sat on the plush sofa and leaned back. She still made sounds of discomfort as if something was bothering her.

“Is your knee alright?”

“Not at all. Especially on rainy days like this, it aches.”

“You could have gone out on a sunny day.”

The lady looked at my face for a moment.

“Charlotte. From the beginning, I wanted you and my nephew to be together. If Laura hadn’t interfered, you would have been Michael’s fiancée.”

“That’s all in the past.”

“I’m sorry if it seems like I’m speaking ill of the dead, but Laura was a very suspicious child. When I had someone investigate, she wasn’t even from a provincial noble family but an orphan. Besides that, I caught her lying to me. A big one.”

A lie?

Seeing my surprised expression, Mrs. Roland waved her hand.

“I’m sorry for telling you this now. Actually, when she first met me, she said she was Daniel Liv’s illegitimate child. That’s why you two looked alike, she said.”

“Il-illegitimate child?!”

“Yes. She showed me a necklace with Daniel’s name on it, so I was momentarily fooled. By the time I learned the truth, Laura and my nephew had already announced their engagement. My goodness, everything that came out of Laura’s mouth was a complete lie.”

I felt as if someone had hit the back of my head hard.

So Laura, with her own mouth, went around saying she was my father’s illegitimate child? And what’s this about a necklace? Could it be?

“That necklace, was it book-shaped, gold-plated, with a pendant that could be opened to place a small portrait inside? With a rose pattern engraved on the outside?”

“I saw it years ago so I don’t remember exactly, but I think what you described is right. Have you seen it too?”

“It’s my father’s necklace. More precisely, it’s one of the items that disappeared from our house.”

Inside the pendant was a portrait of my deceased mother. I searched for it so much after losing it. It was a necklace my father cherished, so he didn’t take it to the battlefield but kept it at home. I can’t tell you how much I pestered the servants managing the house when it disappeared.

‘Laura stole it?’

Not only did she steal it, but she also pretended to be my father’s illegitimate child with that item. It gave me chills. No, considering my father’s promiscuous behavior after becoming famous, perhaps Laura’s words might be true?

“Why didn’t you tell me right away back then?”

Mrs. Roland sighed deeply and avoided my eyes, seemingly apologetic.

“I kept quiet thinking it might tarnish my nephew’s reputation. Michael also asked me to stay silent. I’m sorry. I wanted to warn you later not to be friends with Laura, but she cut ties with you first. I thought my nephew would break off the engagement if I told him the truth. But their relationship was unexpectedly good, so the reaction I expected didn’t come. I’ve been troubled all this time.”

The lady held my hand and patted it.

“I’m really sorry I couldn’t tell you the truth back then. That’s why I agreed when you asked for investment. Actually, at that time, I thought your business was absurd. I didn’t know it would establish itself so grandly.”

“……”

Mrs. Roland turned her gaze to the well-decorated office interior.

“I’m really proud of you. The deceased Daniel must also be proud of you in heaven.”

I wonder how my shocked expression appeared to others.

I didn’t resent Mrs. Roland for finally revealing the truth to me. However, I felt a huge disconnect between the Laura I knew and her behavior as described by others.

Mrs. Roland, sensing my mood, hurriedly tried to get up.

“Let’s have lunch another time. I’ll invite you to my home sometime.”

“Wait a moment. In your eyes, what kind of person was my fri…… no, Laura?”

The lady briefly met my eyes and then slowly opened her mouth.

“What about you? Do you think Laura was someone worth being friends with?”

“I’m not sure, honestly. People call Laura a villainess, but to me, she was my lifesaver. She was also a friend who understood my feelings better than anyone else…. When she got engaged to Michael and cut ties with me, I was really hurt. I wondered if it was because our social status had changed, or if I had done something wrong. And then when I heard my friend had died, the feeling was…… indescribably strange.”

“Charlotte. If it’s hard, come to my mansion. I’ll listen to you anytime. Looking at you now, you don’t seem to have the strength to properly process anything negative I might say about Laura. So for now, just keep her as a good friend in your memory. I think that would be more helpful for you right now.”

Just then, Cedric entered the office carrying a tray with porcelain teacups. He showed a subtle expression as he observed our faces.

“I’ve prepared Earl Grey tea, which you like.”

“You drink it. I don’t want to drink anything you’ve made, fearing there might be laxatives in it.”

“Countess, your language gets rougher with each passing year.”

“Are you saying I’m getting ugly with age?”

“Of course not.”

“I only act this way with you, so if you don’t like seeing me, get a job elsewhere. Don’t stick around our Charlotte unnecessarily.”

Cedric just smiled awkwardly without answering.

I hastily bid farewell to the lady.

“I’ll make time if you invite me. Let’s continue this conversation then.”

The lady looked at me with pity.

“Alright. I’ll be ready. I hope the truth I know doesn’t hurt you too much.”

“Thank you for always caring about me.”

After Mrs. Roland left, Cedric placed a warm teacup in front of me, who was sitting dazed, and sat across from me. He took a sip of the tea originally prepared for the lady.

Judging by the way he was setting the mood, that man clearly had something to say to me. Finally, being impatient, I asked first.

“What? Do you have something to say?”

“What did the Countess tell you that made your expression such a mess?”

“What’s wrong with my expression?”

“It’s the expression of someone who looks like they might burst into tears if touched even slightly.”

Cedric is the only person in this department store with the courage to speak to me so directly. For me, who doesn’t have many friends, Cedric has often taken on Laura’s role.