~CHAPTER 9~
Dianu Ortensa was feeling gloomy.
She usually did whenever she had to spend money.
“…Isn’t there a way to fix it?”
“If we stitch it, the marks will show. If we embroider it from end to end, we might cover it up, but…”
Cora shook her head.
That meant the item wasn’t worth such effort.
Dianu picked up the ribbon lying on her vanity with two fingers.
The satin ribbon was almost torn in two.
It dangled pitifully, hanging by a tiny patch that hadn’t ripped away.
“I’m so sorry, Lady Dianu. I must have tied it too tightly.”
“No, it’s fine. It was old anyway. It was only a matter of time.”
She had been using it since her school days, so it had long outlived its lifespan.
It wasn’t something to be sentimental about.
The problem was that this was the last ribbon she had left.
She usually didn’t spend money on appearances.
There was no point in dressing up to attract men when she couldn’t even marry.
But ribbons were necessary.
Her thick, long hair was her pride, yet she couldn’t walk around the imperial palace with it loose.
“Cora, how do people usually buy things in the palace?”
“There’s a trading company that supplies Oak Palace. If you tell them what you need, they’ll bring several options. Her Highness doesn’t like choosing things herself, so the head maid usually takes care of jewelry and such.”
That made things complicated.
The merchants dealing with the palace wouldn’t be selling cheap goods.
Dianu didn’t need something expensive or fancy—just a neat ribbon to tie her hair.
If this were the Grand Duchess’s house, I could just buy one from a city shop…
She still had the gold coins Grand Duchess Erbinjel had given her as travel expenses, but it felt wasteful to spend them on something like a ribbon.
While Dianu frowned and thought it over, Cora cautiously suggested,
“How about asking one of Her Highness’s maids?”
“A maid?”
Dianu had known of their existence since her first visit to Oak Palace.
But even after moving there, she’d had almost no interaction with them.
She had only seen them a few times standing quietly behind Countess Ornin.
Is it alright to borrow something from a lady I’m not even close to?
She hesitated.
They might think she was being bothersome or presumptuous.
But if I saw another young lady in trouble, I’d lend her one without a second thought. And palace maids must have ribbons in abundance.
Having come to that conclusion, Dianu asked,
“Are any of the maids in Oak Palace right now?”
“I saw Miss Bertona entering earlier. She’s in charge of Her Highness’s correspondence.”
“Then I should visit her to say hello. Help me fix my hair neatly with pins for now.”
Dianu tossed aside the ruined ribbon.
I shouldn’t have given that gentleman a ribbon as a gift back then…
It was too late to regret it now.
***
Baroness Aldebaron’s daughter, Bertona, was in the princess’s reception room.
Just as Cora had said, she was wrestling with a mountain of letters.
Since the princess had suspended all her public activities, the amount of correspondence flooding into Oak Palace must have been enormous.
Seeing her frown and open one envelope after another, Dianu felt a bit sorry for her.
“Excuse me, Miss Aldebaron?”
After lingering by the door for a while, Dianu finally called out carefully.
The maid briefly glanced at her before returning her eyes to the letter she was opening.
That was awkward.
Bertona had clearly noticed her.
Dianu raised her voice a little more firmly.
“Miss Aldebaron. I’m sorry to interrupt, but could you spare me a moment?”
“If you know I’m busy, why are you disturbing me?”
Dianu’s mouth fell open at the sharp tone.
If she truly couldn’t pause what she was doing, she could have just said so.
If it was really urgent, Dianu would have waited or come back later.
But such a rude attitude toward someone she barely knew was astonishing.
Isn’t she Bertona Aldebaron—or is she Bertona Velua?
Judging by her attitude, one could mistake her for the spoiled daughter of the Duke of Velua himself.
Dianu wanted to turn and leave right away, but for Countess Ornin’s sake, she decided to tolerate the insolence just this once.
She forced a bright smile.
“I didn’t realize you were so busy. I’ll come back when you have time.”
Still, her original plan was gone.
After this, she wouldn’t borrow even a single bean from such a woman, let alone a ribbon.
Dianu turned to leave, but a sharp voice hit her back.
“I really don’t understand what the head maid was thinking—assigning a woman who looks after children to be Her Highness’s tutor.”
Dianu froze.
The mocking voice went on.
“Ungrateful for His Majesty’s mercy and just lazing around all day…”
“…”
“And that hair—what kind of mess is that? So unkempt.”
Dianu slowly closed and opened her eyes, forcing her breathing to stay calm.
It was better to endure it.
She had to.
That woman was a royal maid and a noble of the imperial palace.
As someone meant to guide and educate the princess, Dianu couldn’t afford to make an enemy of her.
But I’ve already made one, haven’t I?
If someone criticized your actions or words, you could still change their mind.
But if someone despised your very existence, there was no fixing that.
Dianu slowly turned around.
Bertona met her gaze with open defiance, then scowled when Dianu smiled sweetly.
“You seem very confident in your own usefulness, Miss Aldebaron.”
“…What did you just say?”
Then Dianu switched to Arasas tongue.
<If you envy my idle position so much, why not petition His Majesty? Say you could teach Arasas better than a mere tutor like me.>
Bertona’s face flushed red.
Even if she didn’t understand every word, she surely caught a few of them.
Most noble ladies from Catalos weren’t exactly fluent in foreign languages unless they studied seriously.
Dianu gave the glaring maid a graceful bow and turned to leave.
But there was no satisfaction in it at all.
***
Something surprising happened the next morning.
As usual, Dianu woke up early and got dressed with Cora’s help.
Her hair was pinned up neatly again.
When she came into the reception room, an imperial attendant was waiting.
He bowed politely.
“His Majesty the Emperor has sent a gift for Lady Dianu Ortensa.”
“A gift…?”
When something came from the Emperor, it wasn’t really a “gift.”
It was more properly called a bestowal.
And the attendant surely knew that, which meant the Emperor himself had instructed him to use the word “gift.”
“He also sent this letter.”
The attendant handed a small package to Cora and a letter to Dianu.
It was a simple card without an envelope, written in elegant handwriting even Dianu could admire.
It read:
Lady Dianu Ortensa,
I remembered how much you enjoyed the tea last time.
Please do not forget what that tea stands for.
The rest is my small token of sincerity.
– Rision Catalos
The meaning of the tea…
That must refer to the possible reconciliation between Arasas and Catalos.
But she didn’t know what “the rest” meant.
Holding back her curiosity, Dianu told the attendant,
“I’ll write a reply. Could you wait a moment?”
“His Majesty said he would prefer to receive your thanks in person. He also said the doors of the Imperial Palace are always open to you, Lady Ortensa.”
Still feeling flustered, Dianu dismissed the attendant and looked at Cora holding the package.
“Could you unwrap it?”
“Yes.”
“No—never mind. I’ll do it myself.”
Taking the parcel, she went to her bedroom, and Cora followed her in.
Dianu sat at the small table and unwrapped it.
Cora gasped as she peeked inside.
Beside a glass jar of tea leaves lay a long silk ribbon embroidered with golden thread.
It was so long she’d need to fold it several times.
The color matched the blue of Dianu’s eyes.
She felt both thrilled and uneasy.
He couldn’t possibly know… but still, what an uncanny coincidence.
As she stared down at the ribbon, Cora said,
“It’s such a beautiful ribbon!”
“Ah… yes, it is.”
“If you braid it into your hair, it’ll look stunning. It’ll go perfectly with your blue dress, too. You don’t wear much jewelry, so this alone will make a lovely ornament.”
Cora sat her before the vanity and began braiding her hair anew.
Just as she said, the wavy brown hair intertwined with the long ribbon looked elegant and radiant.
Dianu ran her fingers over the end of the ribbon, feeling strange.
For a moment, she thought she looked like a real noble lady.
“It suits you perfectly, my lady. I didn’t know His Majesty was so thoughtful.”
“…Do you think so?”
“You’re beautiful, Lady Dianu, but you always dress so simply. Perhaps His Majesty noticed that.”
Maybe he had thought it unseemly for the princess’s tutor to look too plain.
Even as she told herself that, a small doubt lingered in her heart.
‘Lady Ortensa.’
That gentle smile and warm gaze had clearly held kindness.
And now, with a gift like this—it was only natural to wonder what kind of kindness it truly was.
When an unmarried, handsome man treats a woman well, it’s easy to get the wrong idea.
She smiled faintly.
But surely even the Emperor would forgive a little flutter in my heart.
