Chapter 11
Theodore got out of the carriage first and reached out his hand to me again. Despite his mature demeanor, to me—a 24-year-old inside—he was just an adorable little 12-year-old boy.
I chuckled lightly and took his hand. Theodore tilted his head slightly, looking at me with a puzzled expression.
I glanced at him briefly and stepped down from the carriage without saying anything. Though his eyes were still full of questions, I turned my attention to the bustling street around us.
The view was full of people and lined with all kinds of shops.
It didn’t quite feel like a strictly medieval European setting—some buildings and clothing had modern touches.
A fountain that looked like it belonged in a museum sat in the middle of the plaza, with children running around it, street vendors selling food, and a row of upscale-looking shops.
It was the quintessential romance-fantasy setting.
As I looked around curiously at the unfamiliar scene, Theodore tightened his grip on my hand to refocus my attention.
“Lacetia, don’t let go of my hand or you might get lost.”
Without a word, I firmly held his hand in return. I may be 24 mentally, but physically I’m seven. Playing along with this kind of thing didn’t bother me.
In my past life, I was the eldest daughter with a younger sister close in age, so I never had the chance to act childish or be pampered.
With two younger siblings, I was always the one to care and give in—I rarely ever received that kind of attention. So it felt strange to be doted on like this by Theodore.
“Let’s stop by the dress shop first.”
“Yes, brother.”
The moment I called him “brother,” Theodore’s shoulders lifted ever so slightly with joy. In a better mood, he led me to the boutique.
We stopped in front of a shop with a sign that read Shureia.
Following Theodore’s instructions for the guards to wait outside, only the two of us entered the shop.
Inside, a woman greeted us.
“It’s been a while, young master. Is this the new young lady you’ve brought with you?”
“Yes. I trust you’ve prepared the dresses for her.”
The woman, who seemed to be the shop owner, smiled and replied, “Of course. But we’ll still need to take her measurements again. Would you like to just browse designs for now?”
Theodore nodded slightly and gently pushed me forward.
“Julie, could you bring the measuring tape and take her measurements?”
“Yes, madam.”
Julie brought out a measuring tape and began measuring me from all angles.
While she was busy, Theodore stepped away and began talking with the shop owner.
“Young master, we sent the catalog to the duke’s mansion. Why visit in person instead of sending someone else?”
Covering her mouth with a fan, she added, “Of course, I’m grateful for the personal visit, but it might not be favorable for the new lady’s reputation.”
She glanced at me while saying this. I tried not to let it get to me, but my eyes kept drifting toward them.
“I thought you cherished the new young lady, but perhaps not?”
“Me?”
“Usually, a duke’s heir doesn’t personally accompany an adopted child to a boutique.”
“I’m merely following my father’s orders.”
Theodore’s face remained expressionless and blunt, just as usual.
For some reason, my chest ached at that.
How fickle the human heart is. Just moments ago, I was overwhelmed by his unconditional affection and found it odd. Yet now that someone implied he might not truly care, I felt uneasy.
As expected of child-rearing plots…
“I was wrong, then…”
“Pardon?”
Startled by my mumbling, Julie stopped measuring and looked up abruptly.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just talking to myself.”
“Young lady, you can speak comfortably with me. I’m just an employee here.”
“Okay, I will.”
Having finished the measurements, Julie guided me to the sofa and walked away.
And… their conversation still wasn’t over.
“For someone who claims that, your eyes look like you’re gazing at a precious little sister. You’ll have to lie better than that.”
Theodore’s cheeks flushed slightly, and he gave a small cough.
“At first, I was just struck by how much she resembled the sister I lost. It hasn’t been that long since she disappeared… And I’m still angry at Father for suddenly bringing home a new girl while we don’t even know if Rose is alive.”
Theodore spoke with difficulty, fidgeting with his clothes, and the shop owner silently watched him.
“But then I remembered how much I regretted being cold to her before. I thought, ‘I won’t make the same mistake again.’ She was too young to understand back then…”
“So you’re being kind to the new lady out of guilt toward your sister?”
“Th-that’s…”
Caught off guard by the sharp question, Theodore’s eyes wavered.
“I don’t know why, but I feel like I have to be good to her. Otherwise, I get this nagging anxiety.”
As she watched Theodore tremble from his vague fears, the shop owner finally spoke.
“Young master, may I speak not as the boutique owner, but as someone older than you? And as a friend of the Duchess—of Lady Elia?”
Theodore silently nodded.
“Please don’t.”
His eyes widened at the unexpected words.
She met his gaze and continued firmly.
“Don’t try to atone in the wrong place.”
“…”
“It’s disrespectful to both Rose and the new lady. Don’t see one in place of the other.”
Theodore seemed lost in thought after hearing that.
“If you’re not going to love her for who she truly is…”
His eyes turned to Lacetia, sitting on the sofa, flipping through a catalog.
“Yeah… But it’s hard not to think of Rose when I’ve only just met her.”
The shop owner smiled gently at him.
“There’s no need to rush. Just, in the end, please see her for who she really is.”
“…”
“And one last thing—don’t feel guilty for being distant to Lady Rose when she was young.”
“…”
“You were just a child yourself, having just lost your mother. You were too young to care for anyone else. Rose, the new lady, and you… you were all just kids. You do understand that, don’t you?”
“Yes… I’ll remember that.”
Hiding a faintly bitter smile, Theodore turned and walked toward his new little sister.
“Are you done with the measurements?”
Finally, their long conversation was over.
I had tried to eavesdrop as much as I could, but I only caught fragments.
All I heard was something about a “girl who resembles his sister” and “angry at his father.”
I hated how my ears always caught insults so clearly but missed important things like this.
Part of me felt upset at Theodore, too. If he resented me enough to be angry with his father, why didn’t he show it?
No… maybe I should be grateful that he hid it instead.
But hidden resentment always hurts more than open hostility when you find out later.
At least I had people I truly loved in my original world. Here, these people were just like employers. The deal was: I reminded them of someone they lost, which eased their guilt, and in exchange, they provided me with food, clothing, and shelter.
I was already fulfilling my part of the contract just by existing. So there was no need to feel guilty. I’d just use the duke’s wealth to the fullest until their real daughter returned.
Theodore came over and picked up another catalog beside me.
“Time to choose your dress.”
I thought I was good at reading people, but now I wasn’t so sure.
What was Theodore thinking when he looked at me?
“If there’s anything you like, just let Madam know.”
When I didn’t answer and just stared at him, he asked, “Don’t you like it here?”
“No. I’m just having a hard time choosing—there are so many pretty ones.”
“There’s no need to choose. Just order them all.”
He said it like it was no big deal and encouraged me to buy everything.
“No, I wasn’t debating whether to buy, but how many colors to get.”
At my words, Madam’s face lit up. She immediately signaled Julie to bring more catalogs.
“As expected, the young lady has a bold spirit! Julie! Hurry! Bring every catalog we have!”
Julie rushed to the back and returned struggling to carry a huge stack of catalogs, piling them on the table.
The table was overflowing. It seemed they had brought every catalog the boutique owned.
And so, after selecting about 250 dresses and countless accessories, we finally left the Shureia boutique.
