[Chapter 009] A Dangerous Invitation? The Glory of the Family!

Yona stared blankly at her mistress. The head maid, Mazi, did the same. Her posture was straight, her voice low and deep. Her mistress was scolding one of the servants who had come out of the dress shop, as if she were a 'lady' from a noble family. She wasn't being unreasonable or malicious as usual, she was 'reprimanding' him. Adrienne went directly in front of each dress, corresponding to each item on the bill, and pointed out everything.

"S-grade emerald?"

"Yes, yes, definitely… ."

"Definitely?"

Matthias had already been reprimanded for several dresses, but he tried to deny it again. Adrienne directly tapped a large green jewel on the chest of the dress with her finger.

"You mean this looks like an S-grade emerald to you."

"I, I just transport them, I don't know much about the grades, Madam."

"Then I'll tell you."

Adrienne bent over towards the man, who was half-bent at the waist, bringing her face close to his. Matthias flinched when he met her sparkling, pale green eyes. He had never seen a lady's face this close before, and this was the first time he had seen a lady's gaze filled with hostility.

"Look carefully."

"Yes, yes."

"The highest grade emeralds are this color."

Adrienne pointed to her eyes and said that. The darkest green emerald gemstones are cut and cut again, and then a special liquid is poured in and polished to create the highest grade of pale green emeralds, which hold the purest teal color. Matthias knew it. He had someone remove the original emeralds and replace them with lower-grade ones. And the original emeralds were definitely very similar in color to the Countess of Acacia's eyes.

"Yes, yes… ."

"I can't believe it."

Adrienne sighed softly and looked at the rest of the dresses. They were all gorgeous and beautiful, but some of the jewels on them were subtly different from the order form. Some of the dresses had jewels that were closer to raw stones, unattractive ones, all over them. She quickly skimmed the order form, and it was full of scribbles that simply said, 'the most expensive.' It was the kind of order that people who didn't know much would make. Or people who didn't need to worry about the price. Of course, Blier would be the former. She didn't know much, so she wanted the best, the most expensive. But Adrienne, who had to maintain her dignity as a lady from a young age, without a mother to teach her these things, was different. She had followed her brother's fiancée, Bianca, and learned to have a discerning eye, and she had developed an eye for choosing good things rationally. Even though the Duke of Pireta was the richest in the east, she didn't want to be robbed because she 'didn't know.'

"Oh, I must have brought the wrong ones, Madam. I will bring Madam's dresses back, newly made, by this evening."

"That's fine."

Matthias breathed a sigh of relief as the lady quietly shook her head. Madame Leblond was a well-known designer in the capital, and the ladies wanted to be friends with her. She wouldn't complain to her about a staff member's mistake. And as soon as he thought that, the Countess of Acacia smiled and said,

"I'll have the price of the ones with the lower-grade jewels deducted and returned, and I'll have to apologize to Madame personally."

"Yes?!"

Matthias's employer, Madame Leblond, has absolutely no idea about this. She has no idea that he's been switching out jewels on some of the ladies' dresses to make a little extra money. But if this lady asks the dress shop for a refund for that reason, it's only a matter of time before Madame Leblond finds out. He clasped his trembling hands together politely and pleaded.

"Oh, it's entirely my fault, Madam. Please forgive me and leave it to me! I will speak to the jeweler who supplied these jewels, and of course, I will speak to Madame personally and get a proper dress back!"

He has to switch the jewels back before Madame finds out. That was the only thought that dominated Matthias's mind. There's still a chance to fix it. If he just takes these hangers back and has the jewels switched out again!

"No, I'm not unhappy with the dresses. It's just that the jewels are being priced way too high for their grade, so I just want the difference back. It's just a matter of having it deposited into my account, there's no need for unnecessary trouble. But it's a matter of trust, so if Madame is too busy, a written apology would be fine."

***

"Madam Mazi, did you see the face of that employee?"

"He looked like he was about to die. Madam, if you didn't like the dresses, you could have returned them and received a higher-grade dress as an apology, why did you do that?"

Mazi's face was incredibly bright, as if she were saying 'serves him right' while asking why. Because of my changed appearance, Mazi, who had sometimes drawn a line by calling me 'Madam, Madam,' was now calling me 'Madam' and being affectionate towards me.

"No, if I wear a dress with top-grade emeralds at my current status, I'll just get unnecessary attention."

The employee's behavior was infuriating, but the outcome was quite good. I relaxed my body, which had been tense as I tried to show my authority in front of the servants. I was so taken with Blier's healthy and tireless body. It was like a dream. It felt like the time when I was healthy, even if it was just for a short time. Would the Count's family have that kind of money to spend on a debutante ball for a Countess who was already married? The Grand Duchess Adrienne's face wasn't well-known in social circles, but if she were to be seen and someone recognized her face, it would be a problem. I can't avoid the debutante ball. It's very unusual for Blier, who doesn't seem to be from a noble family, to become the wife of the old Count of Acacia without even having a debutante ball.

'And I need to use this debutante season to meet Noebian somehow.'

"It's not a good time to attract unnecessary attention. Just getting my face known is enough."

"Yes~?"

"Why… why are you looking at me like that?"

'Well, I thought you liked to be the center of attention at all times.' Mazi and Yona looked at my expression with exactly that look. I dodged them slightly as they habitually reached for their foreheads. It was somehow awkward to live as a lady, being called 'Madam' and treated affectionately, after living my whole life as a lady-in-waiting or a Grand Duchess. I gestured towards the dress hangers that had been brought in, looking at them awkwardly.

"But, looking closely, it's a bit too revealing to wear to a debutante ball, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's exactly your style, Madam."

Yona answered brightly. Ah, those dresses, with their plunging necklines, must have been Blier's mess. I put my hand to my head and thought about whether there was a shawl that would go with them. But soon, as I recalled some of the shawls in the dressing room that flashed through my mind, I imagined a dazzlingly glamorous look, no different from an opera singer. I shook my head.

"If I walk around wearing that, I won't just be inconspicuous, all eyes will be on me."

"'It's a sin not to show off such beauty,' you said, didn't you?"

Yona said, her eyes sparkling. How many embarrassing words and actions did this woman, Blier, have? It wasn't just the clothes, but to meet Noebian, who only attended major parties, there was no better debutante ball than the victory celebration I had seen in the gossip magazine earlier.

"I have to go to the victory celebration… ."

As soon as those words left my mouth, Mazi looked as if she were thinking, 'Were you dreaming of that?', and Yona looked slightly embarrassed.

"I, but… the victory celebration is tomorrow. Madam… ."

"Hmm?"

It's so soon. But at least I have a dress to wear.

"The invitation… is missing."

"What?"

I need to see Noah soon! I didn't even get an invitation? Was it because our family was too humble to be invited? I could easily get an invitation when I was the Grand Duchess, but not here, I guess.

"What about the Count?"

"Yes? The master is in his study all the time… ."

"I'll have to ask if there's any way."

I got up quickly, my heart racing, and left the reception room. The victory celebration is tomorrow! Would the Count of Acacia have the power to receive an invitation to such a major event? As I ran up the stairs, the old butler came running from the entrance of the mansion.

"Madam! Madam!! Madam, Madam!!"

I stopped and looked down. Mazi, with an excited expression, snatched the small piece of paper from the butler's hand and waved it around.

"My goodness! It's here! It's here! The invitation to the victory celebration has finally arrived at the Count of Acacia's mansion! What an honor!"

"What…?"

An invitation from the Imperial Family in the middle of the night? I thought I would have to ask the Count of Acacia to do something, somehow… .

"You can attend the ball tomorrow! My goodness, I've worked here for over 30 years, but this is the first time a Countess has been invited to such a grand ball!"

The servants all rushed out, drawn by Mazi's booming voice, trying to get a glimpse of the invitation. They couldn't open it before me, so Mazi, with a flushed face, waved the unopened invitation around and cheered. She looked genuinely happy, leading the servants around like the Pied Piper, her face flushed with excitement. I looked down at the servants who were rejoicing with her, clutching the railing with trembling hands.

'Could it be that Noebian sent it?'

I had been living in turmoil for days, and finally, I had decided to confirm it with Noebian myself.

'Noah, I'm going to hear it from you directly.'

I won't believe anyone else's words. Our time together isn't something that can be easily shattered by a few words from strangers we've never met before. Is it?

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