Chapter 33
“Are you very tired?”
“A little?”
She was exhausted from staying up all night handling overdue tasks.
“But still, now that the tea party is over, at least one important task is complete.”
After presenting her bag to the young ladies for the first time, an official unveiling event was scheduled for the upcoming marquis’s house banquet a few days later.
“By the way, why reveal it to the young ladies first?”
“Huh?”
Soo asked, curious.
“Well, actually, the price of the bag you made is comparable to most jewelry. So why reveal it to the young ladies instead of the ladies or gentlemen?”
“Oh, that?”
Belia smiled faintly, still keeping her eyes closed.
“All the young ladies attending today’s tea party are the ones who support me.”
“Is that important?”
“Of course. When the bag is shown at the banquet, that banquet will ultimately become a review session for the bag. Some might praise it as beautiful, but others might say it isn’t.”
“I suppose so.”
“If someone of high rank declares, ‘This is unacceptable!’ others will follow that opinion. Since bags are generally considered for commoners, that probability is even higher.”
“But the young ladies are different?”
Belia nodded.
“They are. For one, they’re young. If they see the bag and find it beautiful and appealing, they’ll be less resistant to accepting it. Besides, you know the rumors about me these days, right?”
“Rumors about you? Um… the socialite rivaling Princess Doltan? Or a secret meeting with His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince? Something like that?”
“A secret meeting? The rumors seem to get more sensational by the day… Anyway, because of such rumors, when the young ladies return to their households after today’s tea party, the ladies will likely ask about the tea party and about me.”
“Ah, I see. So the young ladies are promoting it to the ladies in advance?”
“If you call it promotion, then yes, and showing a positive reaction is just a bonus.”
Belia smiled brightly.
“Which mother wouldn’t be interested if her beloved daughter chatters excitedly about a bag and wants to buy it?”
Seeing Belia smile playfully, Soo smiled as well while fixing her final hair accessory.
“You’ve grown up, Miss.”
“Suddenly?”
“Just… that’s all.”
Compared to the previously somber Belia, Soo liked her current self much more as her personal maid.
Although busy and tired from work, Belia was sparkling in Soo’s eyes more than ever these days.
“Oh, by the way, a letter for you arrived.”
“A letter?”
Soo brought the letter she had received earlier in the morning.
“Well, the sender wasn’t clear, so I almost threw it away. But since you said to keep all letters, I didn’t.”
“It’s not from the royal family, right?”
“No, it’s not. You’ve instructed that if any letters from the royal family arrive, they must be brought to you immediately. If it had come, I would have already given it to you. I left it here…”
Soo waited daily for letters from Carlton, as Alendo said he would immediately notify her if one arrived.
She couldn’t follow only Carlton’s news indefinitely, so these days she didn’t go to the palace except when meeting with Canaria.
“It must have dropped on the floor while cleaning earlier. Here you go, Miss.”
Belia examined the envelope Soo handed her.
Judging by the rough paper, it hardly seemed to have come from a noble family.
As Soo said, there was no sender listed.
“If it seems like a strange letter, you don’t have to read it. Shall I throw it away?”
“No. There’s probably nothing important in a letter anyway.”
Belia opened the envelope without hesitation.
The first line, written in an unfamiliar handwriting, began with a familiar name.
[Sending this after receiving news from Alendo.
I’m glad you arrived safely.
I’ll probably see you soon.
I’m fine.]
“Ah—”
Belia’s eyes widened.
It was certainly a letter from the person she had been waiting for most recently.
“He’s safe!”
Belia jumped to her feet.
“Huh? Miss! You need to stay still!”
Ignoring the startled Soo, Belia smiled broadly.
Her heart raced.
“Soon?”
Belia focused again on the part of the letter that said they would meet soon.
“Coming to the Empire? When will he come?”
“Huh? Is this from someone you know?”
“Ah, yes.”
“He must be someone you’re glad to see. I’ve never seen you smile like that before, Miss.”
Hearing Soo’s words, Belia touched her cheek and looked in the mirror.
She blushed slightly, and Belia was embarrassed by her own reaction.
“This is…”
Of course it was natural to be happy about the safety of the benefactor who saved her.
‘And at eight years old, it’s the key to discovering the secret…’
Belia paused for a moment.
“Eight years old?”
She had heard countless stories from Carlton that day but hadn’t considered anything regarding memories from when she was eight.
Recalling the last few weeks spent worrying only about Carlton, Belia paused briefly.
“…He’s my lifesaver… of course I’d feel this way…”
“Miss? What have you been doing just now? You need to go to the sponsorship event. You’ll be late.”
“Oh, right. Yes.”
Lost in thought, Belia rose from her seat at Soo’s words.
“Will you take the letter with you?”
“No, it’s fine.”
Belia set down the letter she had been holding tightly in her left hand.
“What is this, are you writing letters?”
Karin frowned, as if she had seen something she shouldn’t.
“Is this a deathbed will?”
Wrapped in bandages and holding a pen in his right hand, Carlton was deep in thought, which made Karin’s face turn pale.
“No, if you hold a pen, just write something. Have they developed paper in the Mage Tower these days? Staring at it won’t make anything appear.”
Karin clicked her tongue while preparing medicinal herbs.
A few weeks ago, he had come to the cave covered in blood, and it was only two days ago that he had regained his senses.
“Anyway, aren’t you going to explain? What’s with the wounds, and that dress all wrapped like bandages? Did you get caught raiding a salon or something?”
Ignoring Karin’s chatter, Carlton furrowed his brow.
He glanced at the stack of letters he had received from the Mage Tower that morning.
Some were official work letters from the Mage Tower, but most were from the Imperial Palace.
[What happened with Belia? Are you okay?]
Carlton picked up one of the letters he had read earlier.
It was the most recently arrived letter at the Mage Tower.
[Belia is almost collapsing from worrying about you. You ruined a perfectly fine young lady—you’re trash.]
Carlton rubbed his face.
[You should have written a letter yourself. Otherwise, you’re a man without a conscience.]
Carlton sighed deeply.
“You must get treated! And we must definitely meet again…”
He couldn’t put down the pen, repeatedly recalling Belia’s face from the last moment before she disappeared.
“Bel…”
‘We’re not at the point of calling names yet.’
He crumpled the paper he had written a single character on and picked up a fresh sheet.
“Hey, stop wasting paper. Making firewood?”
From behind him, Karin clicked her tongue in disapproval.
“Oh my.”
“How is it?”
“Was this made from woven fabric?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to the bag placed in the center of the table.
Its luxurious yet unfamiliar design immediately captured the young ladies’ attention.
“Yes, that’s right. How do you like it, Young Lady Saroni?”
“It’s so beautiful!!! I was hoping Her Highness the Princess would like it, and now you’re sending it personally!”
“Her Highness the Princess?”
The other young ladies’ eyes lit up at Young Lady Saroni’s words.
Belia smiled faintly at the reaction.
“Yes. Right? Young Lady?”
“Yes. It was given as a gift to members of the royal family.”
“Oh my, really?”
The young ladies gazed at the bag in awe.
Belia watched their reactions and gave instructions to the servant standing behind her.
“It’s made from woven fabric and decorated with jewels. Would you like to hold it?”
“Sure!”
Young Lady Saroni was the first to respond.
Belia picked up the sky-blue bag from the center and handed it to her.
It suited Young Lady Saroni, whose honey-colored blonde hair shone brightly, perfectly.
“How is it?”
“It suits me so well.”
Belia clapped her hands lightly and smiled.
Quickly adapting to the bag, Young Lady Saroni held it in various ways, showing it off to the other young ladies.
“However, it looks a bit different from what Her Highness the Princess described. She said it was somewhat large…”
“Oh, this design is different from the one given as a gift. It’s slightly smaller and easier to carry.”
It was a design carefully created for today’s meeting with the young ladies.
Unlike typical bags with leather straps or chains, this one is held directly by hand without any straps.
“The smaller size is its charm. Open it with the snap on top, and the inside is visible. You can put jewelry or personal items inside.”
The young ladies nodded in understanding as velia’s explained.
