Chapter 55

Chapter 55

“My goodness, what on earth is this line? It looks like the embroidery shop is closed, too. Shall we just go to the place we usually visit?”

“Hmm… No. I was wondering… Would you mind waiting in line with me?”

From what Mary had heard, each person was allowed to receive only one promotional sample.

If the sample turned out to be good quality, she could always give it to someone else as a gift.

With that thought in mind, Mary joined the queue.

But the moment her turn came, bells rang out on either side of her, startling her so badly that she stumbled backward.

“Congratulations, dear customer! You’re exactly our hundredth customer!”

“Ah! So close!”

“If only I’d gotten here a little earlier!”

While the staff celebrated the hundredth customer and the others lamented missing the opportunity, Mary was the only one who had no idea what was going on.

She understood their reactions a moment later, when she saw what the employees were handing her as a special gift to celebrate her being the hundredth customer.

“Today’s promotional event is being held in celebration of the marriage of the Marchioness of Blair. As our hundredth customer, you will receive this miniature osmanthus perfume, whose color is a perfect match for the Marquis Consort’s eyes!”

The crystal bottle was so beautiful and ornate that one could easily believe it had been carved from a gemstone.

The stopper was delicately carved with clusters of osmanthus buds, while the rounded perfume bottle, with its bulging base, was adorned with exquisite carvings of embroidery and lace, like a lady’s dress.

Every time the bottle was gently shaken, a delicate white ribbon embroidered with gold thread swayed beneath the stopper.

At the same time, the orange perfume inside rippled, scattering brilliant rays of light through the transparent crystal bottle.

“Th-this is really free?”

“Of course. It’s a special gift for the customers who visit our beauty salon.”

With Mary, their hundredth customer, the day’s promotional event came to an end.

As the people who had arrived too late lamented missing out on the samples, the beauty salon’s employees raised their voices.

“The perfume we just presented to our hundredth customer, along with all the lip rouge distributed today, will be available for purchase once the beauty salon officially opens! If you’ve tried the products and found them to your liking, or if you’ve thought, ‘I’d love to try one of those myself!’ then please look forward to our grand opening!”

Although the promotional event had ended, the crowd was reluctant to disperse, disappointed that they hadn’t received anything.

Pushing her way through them, Mary returned to the carriage.

Still somewhat dazed, she and the elderly coachman examined the miniature perfume together.

“My goodness… Isn’t it absolutely beautiful? I’ve never seen a perfume bottle crafted with such care.”

“Indeed. I’ve worked at the ducal residence for decades, but even I’ve never seen anything like this.”

At the coachman’s deliberate mention of the ducal residence, a few people lingering nearby clicked their tongues in disapproval.

Only then did Mary notice the hostile eyes fixed on her.

Startled, she looked around.

Seeing her reaction, someone approached her as though this were just the opportunity he’d been waiting for.

“Miss, would you sell me that perfume? I’ll give you 100,000 Larcs for it.”

“O-one hundred thousand Larcs?”

“That’s right. Here, take a look.”

The young man waved a check in front of her.

It really did say 100,000 Larcs.

‘Is this fake?’

No matter how beautiful it was, it was still only a miniature perfume.

Who would pay 100,000 Larcs for something like this?

Seeing Mary hesitate, the young man pulled another check from his pocket.

“Miss, you’re quite the negotiator! All right, 200,000 Larcs. How about that? Surely that’s enough?”

“Wait! I’ll give you 300,000 Larcs. What do you say?”

Just then, another man suddenly appeared right beside them.

At his offer, the young man who had raised the price to 200,000 Larcs shouted furiously.

“What the hell? We’re in the middle of negotiating! Why are you butting in?”

“Because you’re negotiating! Do you have any idea how badly my young lady wants that?”

“My client wants it just as badly!”

The two men argued, and before long, they were grabbing each other by the collars.

Mary took one step back, then another, retreating from them.

“Hey! Miss, wait a moment!”

“G-Grandpa! Hurry, let’s go!”

“Hyah!”

Thanks to the elderly coachman setting the carriage in motion at once, Mary managed to get away from the men safely.

Just in case, the coachman took a detour along the busier main road.

He shook his head, wearing an expression that seemed to say there was no end to the strange things in this world.

“More importantly, someone offered you 300,000 Larcs for that thing. Why didn’t you sell it?”

“But that man said his young lady wanted it, didn’t he?”

“He did. What about it?”

“Just look at it. Honestly, it’s so beautiful, isn’t it? And since it’s not for sale, it seems like the sort of thing you can’t easily get your hands on, even if you have the money right now.”

Mary gazed at the perfume bottle in her hand, her eyes sparkling.

By now, she had long since forgotten all about the book she had been so eager to read.

“In that case, I should give this perfume to our young lady!”

There were countless lovely young ladies in the capital, but the loveliest of them all was undoubtedly their own young lady.

Mary, who served Lady Annet Baldwin, daughter of the Duke of Baldwin, took great pride in that belief.

And now, eager to present the beautiful perfume bottle to her young lady as soon as possible, she urged the elderly coachman to hurry.

“Just how shamelessly have you been carrying on for rumors to spread throughout the entire capital?! How am I supposed to show my face in public when you’ve brought such disgrace upon us?!”

Fiona had come down to the first-floor lobby to greet her father upon his return when his thunderous roar struck like a bolt of lightning.

She flinched.

‘I want to go back to my room.’

But if she did, her father would only become even angrier.

Clutching the hem of her skirt tightly, Fiona approached Viscount Calio.

“…Welcome home, Father.”

“Spending time with a lowborn man has made you forget what honor even means… Tsk. Don’t you dare think of choosing your own husband. I’ll find someone suitable for you myself.”

So that’s why you chose a man older than you, Father?

As always, the words she wanted to say only circled inside her head.

She could feel Marie, her personal maid, watching her anxiously.

Forcing her trembling lips to move, Fiona managed a smile.

“Yes, Father.”

“If only that Lea had been half as obedient as you.”

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, Viscount Calio gave Fiona an unpleasant once-over before calling for a servant.

“Has a letter arrived from the Duke of William’s residence?”

“Y-yes, my lord. I’ve placed it in your study.”

“You should have told me sooner!”

As though it were second nature, Viscount Calio struck the servant’s shoulder with his cane.

Then he climbed the stairs and disappeared from sight.

Forgotten once again, Fiona remained standing alone where she’d been left.

She turned to the coachman who had driven her father’s carriage and asked,

“Why is Father so angry?”

“Well… He heard the rumors about the Marchioness of Blair, and that’s what’s put him in such a temper.”

If the words ‘Marchioness of Blair’ reached Viscount Calio’s ears, the entire household would be turned upside down.

Although the viscount had already gone upstairs to the second floor, the coachman lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper, just in case, and told her about the rumors currently spreading throughout the capital.

“My goodness, is that really true, sir?”

Marie, who had been listening alongside Fiona, exclaimed in astonishment.

The coachman looked startled and immediately pressed his index finger to his lips.

“Shh! Keep your voice down. It’s probably true. They say the story started among the servants at the Blair Marquessate.”

“Oh my! How scandalous… No wonder the Viscount is furious. They’re nobles, not commoners. Whatever happened to their dignity?”

“…Why? I’m envious.”

“Pardon?”

“Lady Lea married the man she loves. That’s why she’s happy now.”

But Fiona wasn’t like that.

Or rather, she had almost ended up that way.

Fortunately, the arrangement had fallen through before it was finalized, but she had nearly been sold off for money and married to a man thirty years her senior.

What filled Fiona with despair was the thought that although she’d been lucky enough to escape this time, the next arrangement might actually go through.

“…I’m not feeling well. I think I’ll go back to my room and rest.”

“Ah, yes, my lady. Please get some rest.”

The coachman removed his hat and held it against his chest, bowing respectfully.

Fiona gave him a distracted nod and returned to her room, her thoughts weighing heavily on her.

‘How much longer will I be able to stay in this house?’

Then again, even if she stayed here for a long time, she doubted it would be a good thing.

Her father treated her kindly when he was in a good mood, but when he was displeased, he would fly into a rage and shout at her.

She was thoroughly sick of having to constantly cater to his moods.

And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to defy him.

It was because of the fear lodged deep inside Fiona’s mind, like a wedge driven into place.

‘Father would surely… even if I am his daughter…’

If she could, she would leave this house and run far away.

Somewhere so distant that her father would never be able to catch her.

“My lady, is something troubling you?”

“It’s nothing. I’m just tired. …I’d like to be alone, so could you leave me for now?”

Marie studied Fiona’s face before nodding.

“Please call me whenever you need me.”

“All right.”

Fiona’s nod was little more than perfunctory.

All she wanted was for Marie to leave.

As though she understood exactly how Fiona was feeling, Marie knelt before her, where she sat on the edge of the bed.

“I still remember the kindness you’ve shown me, my lady.”

“Are you bringing that up again? Marie, that was…”

“Yes, I know. It was just a small act of charity, nothing more. But that one silver coin you gave me saved my life.”

Knowing full well how presumptuous the gesture was, Marie nevertheless clasped both of Fiona’s hands tightly in hers.

“I want to repay that kindness someday, no matter what. So, my lady, please don’t give up before even trying, thinking that nothing will change anyway… If there’s ever anything you need my help with, please tell me. I mean it.”

Fiona thought exactly what Marie had said she shouldn’t.

‘What could possibly change just because I told you?’

And yet, Marie was the only person in this household who ever said such things to Fiona.

So, despite what her mind told her, she nodded.

“All right. I will.”

Marie beamed as though those words alone had made her happy.

“Then please get some rest, my lady!”

After Marie left, the bedroom fell silent.

As though crushed beneath that silence, Fiona lay back on the bed.

Her expression was just as listless as the helpless way she gazed up at the sky beyond the window.

And yet, somewhere in a corner of her mind, a tiny seed had been planted.

‘If there’s ever anything you need my help with, please tell me.’

For now, it was so small that even Fiona herself hadn’t noticed that those words had taken root in her mind.