CHAPTER 89………………………………….
89. The Villainess (1)
“Your Highness is still in a deep sleep.”
At the butler’s report, the Dowager smiled brightly at Anje.
“Isn’t this truly remarkable?”
The Dowager looked deeply moved.
For Anje, who had no way of knowing why the Duke’s insomnia had suddenly improved, it was also a rather burdensome expression.
“I think there might be some misunderstanding, Madam.”
Watching the Dowager’s reaction carefully, Anje spoke. She couldn’t even understand why the Duke had fallen asleep leaning against her during her visit.
Most importantly, the improvement in the Duke’s insomnia had nothing to do with Anje.
Yet, somehow, the Dowager seemed to think that the disappearance of his insomnia was thanks to Anje.
“It’s all thanks to you. I’m so grateful. In that case, we’ve already had breakfast, so why don’t we start getting ready to go out together? How about buying a few light summer dresses and then going for tea? Or we could take a stroll along the riverside outside the city. I hear the roses planted along the river are blooming beautifully. You haven’t been there yet, have you?”
“Unfortunately, I already have a prior engagement with Lord Algernon.”
Mariana, putting a meringue cookie topped with dried strawberries into her mouth, cast a meaningful glance at Anje.
‘No matter what happens, you must marry His Grace, Duke Algernon.’
Mariana remembered clearly what Anje had said last night.
She had already been troubled recently by the Duke’s ambiguous attitude. What was the point of letting her enjoy herself with Algernon while providing a carriage and sometimes even pocket money?
Could it be that he simply meant her younger sister, who was somewhat late in marriageable age, should just date? And if she let Algernon slip away?
Mariana knew she would never meet another man like Algernon in this life. She could wear her newly acquired pink diamond necklace, but she lacked the courage to go against the subtle opposition of her house’s master, her elder brother.
In that context, Anje’s advice had been a great help to Mariana. It was true that everyone lined up to get relationship advice from Anje.
“Your advice was really helpful. Thank you.”
Patting Anje’s hand lightly, Mariana smiled warmly.
Hearing this, Anje fidgeted nervously, shifting in her seat.
According to her original plan, she should have been riding the carriage away from the Duke’s mansion by now. So what on earth was she doing here?
If the Duke woke up and saw her, he would surely think she had selfishly stayed behind because of the inconvenience of the penalty fee. That thought hurt Anje’s pride. She had never hesitated to bow before clients, even though she didn’t let pride feed her, so this was strange.
“I’ll get going first. Lord Algernon is waiting.”
The Dowager clicked her tongue at Mariana, who fluttered her skirt like a gentle breeze as she left the dining room.
“They say raising daughters is useless, tsk! I guess that’s why.”
Then she smiled warmly at Anje.
“You’ll be fine, won’t you, Anje? Joseph is sleeping, so a brief outing should be fine. I’ll tell Lord Elliot separately.”
Feeling she should finish packing her own things instead of just standing there, Anje spoke cautiously.
“Madam, there’s something I need to tell you… I’ll only be around until today…”
“You’re not thinking of leaving me alone, are you?”
“Well, that’s…”
“Since the sun is strong today, let’s postpone the riverside walk. How about seeing a play instead? It’s popular among young people these days, and the actors are quite impressive.”
At the mention of a play, Anje’s face brightened. Her thoughts of packing and leaving had already vanished.
Having once snuck into a theater for a mission, Anje had fallen deeply in love with the charm of theater.
The grand stage sets resembling reality, the beautiful actors, and the vibrant orchestra music were enough to captivate her completely.
However, missions requiring sneaking into theaters didn’t come often. Tickets were hard to obtain, and in Anje’s opinion, the prices were absurdly high.
“If you’re too busy, I understand…”
Grasping the Dowager’s hand as she tried to back away, Anje said,
“I’ll go. Shall I prepare now?”
“What’s there to prepare? You already look lovely.”
Looking briefly upstairs, the Dowager smiled brightly.
“Let’s go just like this.”
“Just like this…?”
Anje scanned herself in confusion.
The newly tailored dress fit her perfectly and was not outdated, but it was still a plain design meant for wearing at home.
Besides, she had only splashed water on her face this morning, so of course, she wasn’t wearing any makeup.
The Dowager, who usually insisted that a noble must be perfectly dressed before even stepping out of the mansion, really meant it was fine to go like this?
Even if going to the theater, she might encounter other nobles. How could she go in this state?
Shaking her head, Anje said,
“I’ll quickly change into a proper dress and come back.”
But the Dowager swiftly grabbed her wrist, forcing Anje to sit back down.
“We’re going out shopping anyway, aren’t we? You can change into the new summer dress then. And while we’re out, we can look at accessories too. At your age, you’re beautiful without makeup, so you don’t need to worry.”
Hearing the Dowager, Anje, who had always assessed her appearance objectively, looked skeptical.
“I appreciate the compliment, but I should at least put something on. Like this…”
“It’s fine!”
By then, the Dowager had already dressed and applied makeup perfectly.
Led by the Dowager, Anje climbed into the carriage in a daze and tilted her head. She had never seen her so casual before. Why was she acting this way?
At that moment:
“Move the bookshelves here! You all move the young lady’s dresses!”
Clattering sounds of falling furniture mixed with the housekeeper’s voice made Anje’s eyes widen.
It was clearly coming from the direction of her room.
“Wait! Something strange is happening in my room…”
But the carriage had already departed. Hastily, Anje knelt on the seat and looked back at the mansion through the window.
“Oh! That’s just a small renovation. Nothing serious. By the time we return, it should be all neat. It’s dangerous to stay there. Sit here, dear.”
The Dowager’s tender use of “dear” made Anje’s hair stand on end.
Something was definitely wrong.
“Are you not tired of black?”
Seeing the black muslin dress in Anje’s hands, the Dowager shuddered.
That black!
It had to be a form of revenge. Otherwise, why would she always pick black among all the beautiful dresses in the wardrobe?
“I want to clear up a misunderstanding. That dreadful dress you wore when you first arrived, and which you still wear while working — I never chose it. It was all Lord Elliot’s doing. Though he did commission a renowned designer to make it after careful consideration.”
Shivering, the Dowager snatched the dress from Anje’s hands and threw it away.
A passing store clerk quickly caught it and neatly returned it to its place.
But Anje retrieved the dress again.
“Black is the most practical color for work. I think Lord Elliot made a wise choice. Ink splashes don’t show, and it clearly identifies me as your aide. No other staff in the mansion wears black.”
She held the dress against herself.
“The weather’s getting hotter, so I couldn’t wear this anymore. It’s just as well. Strangely, Lord Elliot packed clothes for the other staff, but not mine.”
Though grumbling, Anje pondered. Was it right to insist on this dress if she had decided to quit? The Dowager was right; it wasn’t aesthetically impressive.
Did she really want to quit this job?
“I’ll buy it myself.”
“Tsk! That’s unacceptable. Give it here.”
The Dowager snatched the black dress from Anje, clicking her tongue in disapproval.
“If it’s for that purpose, I should buy it all the more. But we’re not that picky. So, you don’t have to wear such… an ugly dress.”
