Chapter 43
She looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if she’d just heard something surprising.
“Sew it? The skirt?”
“Of course. Aren’t you sad because your favorite dress got torn?”
“Well…”
Her lips parted slightly. I smiled gently and said,
“I can stitch it so neatly you won’t even see the tear. Don’t worry.”
She hesitated, probably unsure whether to believe in my sewing skills. But I wasn’t just saying it — I really could make it look flawless. I wasn’t only good at knitting and embroidery; I was confident in sewing, too.
I took Pepe out of my pocket and sat him neatly on a nearby rock. Then, I pulled out the needle and thread that were stored inside. As I carefully laid out my tools, she looked at me with fascination.
“You… seem to sew quite well. You even carry a sewing kit.”
“Oh, it’s more of a hobby. But yes, I do enjoy it.”
I threaded the needle with practiced ease, carefully aligning the torn edges of the fabric before pushing the needle through. At first, I couldn’t understand how it had ripped so badly — even if it caught on a thorn, this was too much — but once I touched it, I realized why.
‘It’s so soft… what kind of fabric is this?’
It was light and delicate. That’s why it tore easily when it caught on a thorn.
‘I can’t pull the thread too tight, or it’ll pucker. I’ll have to watch carefully as I stitch.’
As my hands moved quietly, sliding the needle through the cloth, the woman spoke softly.
“I know how to embroider, but I’ve never actually sewn clothes before.”
At the mention of embroidery, I brightened up. I turned to her with a big smile.
“Oh, you embroider? Then this won’t be difficult for you — they’re quite similar.”
“It does look that way.”
Her tone sounded quite refined, even haughty, but I could tell she wasn’t being condescending. Her eyes were fixed intently on the needle as it moved between the layers of fabric. After watching for a while, she asked,
“My name is Vivian. What’s yours?”
“I’m Yvonne.”
“Yvonne.”
She repeated my name several times, as if to memorize it. I pointed to the basket I’d set down beside her.
“Aren’t you hungry? There are fruit sandwiches in that basket. You might get bored waiting, so please help yourself.”
“Oh, no, that’s—”
Just as she began to refuse, her stomach let out a loud growl. Vivian’s face turned bright red, and she gave a small nod.
“Then… excuse me.”
I almost laughed but pretended not to hear, not wanting to embarrass her.
Inside the basket were neatly arranged fruit sandwiches — made using Madam Marsha’s special recipe.
Among the colorful varieties, Vivian picked one filled with halved strawberries and kiwis. Holding it delicately with both hands, she took a bite.
“Ah!”
The edge of the bread split open, and the fruit nearly fell out. She looked at me in distress, as if asking how she was supposed to eat this. I smiled.
“That’s because I got greedy and added lots of cream.”
“Th-then how am I supposed to eat it?”
“You have to open your mouth wide and take a big bite — like this, ‘Waaang!’”
“‘Waaang?’”
Vivian swallowed nervously, then, with a determined expression, opened her mouth wide and bit into the sandwich.
White cream stuck to her lips like a mustache. The sandwich was so full that she struggled to chew, covering her mouth with her palm as she munched. Then, in a slightly muffled tone, she muttered,
“…It’s delicious.”
Her words made me beam.
“Right? I like strawberries best, but I also love ones mixed with other fruits.”
Strawberries and whipped cream — truly a perfect match. The sweeter and softer the cream, the better it pairs with strawberries.
Vivian examined the sandwich curiously.
“This is the first time I’ve taken such a big bite. I always worried my parents would scold me if I ate like this — they’d say it’s unseemly.”
I tilted my head.
“Why would they scold you?”
“Because it looks improper.”
“I think it’s cute — like a squirrel.”
“Squirrel…”
Her face flushed at my comment. I smiled and returned my focus to sewing.
Though I said it so casually, I had been raised the same way. Countess Clyne was also very strict about manners.
‘I only got to try fruit sandwiches because Madam Marsha made them once. I thought it was something you could only eat in heaven.’
Sweet and tangy, yet so simple.
‘And it’s easy to make — plus filling.’
After learning how to make them from Madam Marsha, I made them often — though this was the first time I’d ever shared them with someone else.
‘Vivian seems to be tasting one for the first time too. That’s kind of nice.’
It felt satisfying to share something delicious with another person. My shoulders lifted in quiet pride.
After finishing the sandwich, Vivian looked much more relaxed. She smiled.
“I thought today would be awful, but thanks to you, I feel a lot better. Thank you.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
It made me happy to know I’d helped someone. I snipped off the thread and smoothed the stitched area. I’d worried the fabric might pucker, but thankfully, it was smooth.
“There, all done. Good thing it wasn’t too badly torn.”
“Thank you.”
“It looks perfect, doesn’t it?”
Vivian blinked in surprise as she looked down at her skirt, then stood up.
“It’s amazing! You made it look completely seamless.”
I couldn’t help smiling quietly at her astonishment. Then, curiosity got the better of me.
“What brings you to the duke’s estate? Did you have an appointment with someone?”
There was a hint of expectation in my question.
‘Maybe she’s the butler’s daughter?’
If she was, that meant she often visited the estate — maybe I’d get to see her again. I’d been longing for someone my age to talk to, so meeting her made me unexpectedly happy.
‘She’s so polite and well-mannered — it fits.’
After all, the butler was the most proper person in the mansion, so it seemed logical.
“I just heard there was some construction going on and wanted to see what was being done. The garden has changed so much that I got distracted and snagged my dress on a branch.”
“It’s quite different, isn’t it?”
“Yes, completely. It’s hardly recognizable. Though I only ever passed by in a carriage before, so I didn’t see it in detail…”
From her answer, it seemed she wasn’t related to the butler — servants’ children didn’t ride in carriages.
‘Then maybe she’s connected to the duke himself.’
Carefully, I asked,
“You must know the duke well, then?”
“W-well, not that well… He’s actually a close friend of my brother’s.”
“Ah, I see.”
That explained her composure — even sitting in the garden, her posture was impeccable.
‘If she’s the sister of one of the duke’s friends, she must be from a high-ranking noble family.’
She might not like it if I tried to be too friendly.
So, I gave up on my idea of befriending her and began putting my sewing things away. As I tucked Pepe back into my pocket, Vivian pointed curiously.
“What’s that?”
“This?”
She had noticed my little Pepe. I lifted his arms up in a “hurrah” pose and smiled.
“It’s a crocheted doll. Cute, right?”
“Crocheted doll? Where can I buy one?”
“I made it myself.”
“You—made it? You can make something like that?”
“Of course. Not just dragons — I can make chicks, raccoons, anything.”
“Wow…”
Vivian’s cheeks flushed red, her eyes sparkling like stars. Clearly, she’d fallen in love with the little doll. I couldn’t help but grin.
“Would you like to learn? Since you can embroider, you’ll pick it up quickly! We could start with something simple, like a round little chick.”
“You’d teach me?”
“It’s not that hard. And I’d be happy if more people got interested in crocheting.”
“I—I…”
Vivian’s face, bright with excitement, suddenly turned thoughtful as hesitation spread across her features.
