Chapter 129. How Could You Do This!
Madame Mariella looked at the two people across from her with a very strange gaze.
She meant the woman who was rolling her eyes around as if uncomfortable in this seat, and the man stuck closely by her side, Raymond von Cheister.
She had already noticed they weren’t in an ordinary relationship when they visited the boutique last time, but even so, wasn’t this the main residence of the Duke?
Unless her mind had gone strange, the two of them shouldn’t be so affectionately close in this place where the Grand Duchess resided… it truly felt bizarre.
But well, did that matter?
Mariella quickly brushed the thoughts from her mind and flashed a bright smile.
“The reason you sought me out is…”
As she cautiously opened the conversation, the Duke’s gaze slowly moved forward.
“I intend to order some clothes.”
It was the statement she had expected.
Because other than that, there would be no reason for Duke Cheister to call for her personally.
Of course, the owner of those clothes would be the same person as last time.
Although it wounded her pride to have to make a dress for a mere maid, she could tuck those feelings away as much as needed when she thought of the massive service fee she received from the Duke last time.
“Are you referring to outdoor wear like last time?”
The reason she assumed it would be like last time was, of course, considering the status of the person who would wear the clothes.
In fact, the clothes Mariella was most confident in were the glamorous and sophisticated dresses worn by noble ladies, but what reason would the maid before her eyes have to wear such clothes?
So, Mariella thought that this time, too, she would naturally just have to make a few sets of pretty outdoor wear suitable for that level.
However, the Duke’s expression after hearing her words was somewhat strange.
A face that looked dissatisfied for some reason.
Seeing his slightly furrowed brow, Madame Mariella reflexively swallowed hard.
“Not that kind.”
“…”
“I mean the kind of clothes that are your specialty.”
“If you mean my specialty…”
At her stupidly repeated question, the sound of a tongue-clicking “Tsk” eventually came from the Duke’s mouth.
However, Mariella also felt it was unfair.
As mentioned before, her specialty referred to the kind of dresses worn by noble ladies; wasn’t it natural to be doubtful whether he was actually telling her to make such things?
Whether he understood those feelings or not, the Duke continued his words calmly again.
“I mean every type of dress a lady should naturally possess—from daily life to social gatherings, and even official occasions.”
“E-every type a lady should possess…”
Raymond nodded shortly toward the person who was stammering as if possessed.
“Considering the seasons, it won’t be just one or two sets. That is why I called you here personally.”
Seeing the corners of his mouth curve up softly, Madame Mariella swallowed hard once again.
Usually, the high-society women of Ruvake kept dozens or even hundreds of dresses piled in their dressing rooms.
Of course, those who owned hundreds were a very small minority that could be counted on one hand, but the important fact here was that everyone still owned several dozen.
Except for some clothes inherited from sisters, most of them were clothes collected one or two at a time each season.
The reason was that the cost of custom-ordering a dress was more expensive than one might think.
That was why she was surprised.
At his words that he would order clothes amounting to dozens at once, not just one or two.
“Th-then, when should I begin?”
Perhaps because it was such a vast amount of work, she had no sense of where to even start.
Madame Mariella calmed her fluttering heart as much as possible and waited for the other party’s answer.
The Duke stared blankly at the woman sitting next to him for a moment.
“First, let’s start with a few sets of clothes that can be worn right now.”
At the words ‘right now,’ Madame Mariella stood up from her seat without delay.
“Then, I shall first take measurements and proceed with a detailed consultation. Oh, by the way, the name is…”
Mariella stared intently at the two faces back and forth.
In fact, she hadn’t asked before because there was no need, but she couldn’t do that anymore.
Because although the person who ordered the clothes was Duke Cheister, the person who would wear the dozens of clothes she would make was the woman in front of her.
The one who answered that question was Duke Cheister.
“Deborah.”
Having uttered those short words, the Duke looked back at the face of the woman sitting next to him.
“Deborah Coleman.”
Madame Mariella thought for a moment that the sweet voice resonating low was like the sound of a song.
A man tenderly calling the other’s name, and a woman quietly taking that man into her eyes.
At that moment, while she was blankly watching the affection felt in their gazes toward each other.
*Bang!*
At the sudden roar, Madame Mariella’s body jolted.
She was so startled that her racing heart felt like it might pour out of her mouth.
Thinking what kind of person would commit such a rude act, Mariella’s gaze moved quickly toward the direction of the sound.
And she saw it.
The face of the Cheister Young Lady entering with a terrifying expression.
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“How could you do this! How!!”
Cecilia, unable to contain her rage, let out a sound that was almost a scream.
“Because of whom do you think Mother is lying there like that right now, how can you not even look in on her once!”
“Cecilia… first, calm down—”
Edward, standing behind her, tried to hold her arm to stop the infuriated Cecilia, but it was no use.
Cecilia, who violently shook off Edward’s arm, glared at Raymond and Deborah with eyes full of venom.
“In this situation right now, was making clothes for that kind of girl so important? Brother, have you really gone mad?”
At the words that were increasing in intensity, the faces of those watching turned pale.
A hair-trigger situation where no one knew what might happen.
In that precarious situation, Deborah was focusing only on the man’s presence.
While looking anxiously at his profile, which was filled with tension.
“Leave now.”
A moment later, words like a warning flowed from his mouth.
If it were anyone else, he would have dragged them out long ago, but despite those words that crossed the line, he was enduring this much because it was Cecilia.
But the unfortunate thing was that Cecilia’s state was not rational enough to notice such a thing.
“Please, get a grip. Even though you know that girl is an orphan, how…”
Cecilia’s blue eyes, which were pouring words toward Raymond, glared at Deborah standing next to him with the momentum to kill.
“Brother knows better than anyone how dirty and vulgar those things are. Because of that woman, do you know what a hellish life we lived, so why her of all people.”
At the relentless pouring of accusations, Raymond’s patience finally ground away.
“That mouth—”
At the voice flowing out chillingly, the air in the room froze cold in an instant.
“Shut it.”
A threat that if she said one more word there, he would not leave her be.
Only then did Cecilia’s blue eyes begin to shake violently.
Lips tightly closed, unable to endure the resentment, and a trembling chin.
Watching the two siblings, who looked exactly alike, glaring at each other as if to kill, Edward let out a long sigh.
How did the siblings who were so close end up in this state?
Because Edward had watched the two for a long time, that pity felt even greater.
However, he knew well that such an emotional confrontation was not good regardless.
Above all, he knew that stimulating Raymond in this way would only worsen the situation.
Cecilia likely didn’t know that either, but perhaps as much as she had trusted and relied on her brother more than anyone else in the world, the sense of betrayal was likely that much greater.
Edward thought so as he wrapped one hand around Cecilia’s trembling shoulders.
In the meantime, Deborah slowly raised her hand and quietly stroked Raymond’s arm.
A touch moving gently, as if to soothe the razor-sharp anger.
At that cautious movement, the cold air swirling in Raymond’s eyes began to gradually subside.
Of all things, Cecilia caught sight of that moment.
‘A wicked girl who holds my brother in her hand and shakes him.’
‘A dirty evil spirit who turned the House of Cheister into a mess and smashed a happy family in an instant.’
In Cecilia’s eyes, Deborah looked like that.
“Let’s go out for now, Ce—”
It happened in an instant.
Cecilia, shaking off the arm wrapped around her shoulders, walked quickly toward Deborah, who was standing a few steps away.
*Slap!*
The moment Cecilia’s high-raised hand fiercely struck Deborah’s cheek, the air in the drawing room split—just like that—in half.
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