Chapter 52
“Daphne… I understand why you’re suspicious, but…”
Mother opened her mouth to explain, but I couldn’t hear her out.
Because Father cut in.
“Wait, dear. Let me explain.”
“Yes. I’d like to hear it.”
“I understand you too. I think it’s natural you’d have doubts. But at that time, the best we could do for you was to give you medicine.”
“…Was that really all?”
“Yes. The maid checked your fever in the morning, and her face brightened. She said your fever had gone down, and that the medicine from the night before must have worked. You overcame a disease with a horrendous fatality rate and survived. Though… you did suffer the side effect of losing your past memories.”
No matter how I pressed them, the conversation circled back to the same point.
Do my parents really believe I was cured just by taking medicine?
I studied their faces—faces I had looked upon as family for so long.
My beloved mother and father… I know the expressions they make when they lie.
They really don’t know.
It wasn’t the look of someone hiding something from me.
Frustration weighed on my chest, but I realized I couldn’t get any more out of them. And it wasn’t as though young Milo would know anything about this matter either.
If I was being honest… it was probably me who was acting strangely, suddenly prickly over a dream.
Let’s drop it.
I apologized for waking them so suddenly and said I’d been on edge from too much work.
Despite my rudeness, my parents told me it was fine.
I left the room, though the uneasy feeling still clung to me. Or rather, I was about to leave when—
“Daphne.”
Mother called me again from behind.
I froze and turned my head slightly.
“Yes?”
“At that time, you had the flu. It wasn’t nearly as hard to treat as you think. When you woke, you were too weak and dazed, so we couldn’t explain properly.”
“…What?”
It sounded like an excuse that made no sense.
For some reason, Mother looked as if she felt obligated to say this.
“So, it’s better not to go around saying you had ‘Sudrik.’ You never know. You might end up with misunderstandings like this again.”
Her words only made me more suspicious.
She spoke kindly, soothingly, but it was the sort of tone used when trying to brainwash someone.
I smiled and replied that I understood. Then quickly slipped out of the room.
I don’t believe this. My parents are hiding something too.
In the past, I might have brushed it off as part of the “world of adults.” But this was my matter.
If she hadn’t warned me so insistently, maybe I could have ignored it. But now I couldn’t shake the suspicion that the illness I once suffered wasn’t what it seemed.
Perhaps…
Edin’s face surfaced in my mind.
He was the only person I thought I might be able to talk to about my illness.
I shook my head.
I had turned away from despair countless times already. If I let my thoughts go that way now, I would only end up hurt.
At the very least, he’s not someone I should grow closer to over something that concerns me personally.
Whatever it was, I had always solved problems on my own. Why suddenly reach out now?
A laugh slipped out. I had nearly acted unlike myself—and made a fool of myself in the process.
This isn’t something that needs to be solved right away.
I decided to keep my composure and deal with the work before me first. Perhaps someday I’d look into the fever, but for now, it was wiser to focus on the tasks at hand. I had to believe that.
“Lady Daphne, a separate gift has arrived.”
“I’ll look at it later. Could you set it in the back of the shop?”
“Well… I’ve already put it on the table. It’s a bit large. Judging from the size of the box, it looks like a dress.”
Berry peeked through the door of the workshop and spoke cautiously.
I set aside the dress I was sewing and followed her out.
“A dress? For whom?”
“For you, Lady Daphne. The sender is His Grace, the Duke of Richebarden.”
Berry carefully pronounced Edin’s surname, glancing at me nervously.
Perhaps because he wasn’t someone she liked much.
I quickly changed the subject.
“I’ll open it alone, Berry. Could you go back to your work? Hmm, I’d like you to pick out some jewelry that would suit the lady coming for her fitting in an hour.”
“Understood.”
Berry gave a quick reply and slipped into the fitting room, her steps unusually light.
So when Edin sent something magic-related, her curiosity got the better of her, but this time she didn’t like it and just showed it plainly. Honestly, her reactions really do depend on her interests.
She was still young—too honest, perhaps.
I thought about Berry as I walked toward the table.
Untying the green ribbon on the large box, I opened it.
As she had guessed, there was a dress inside.
What on earth…
Why would he suddenly send me a dress?
I picked up the card laid on top.
⌜You work hard every day, and I feel I haven’t done enough for you.
When I saw this fabric, it immediately reminded me of you.
I hope you like it.
–Edin⌟
Hadn’t he already given me more than enough gifts to the point of burden?
Honestly, this was just too much.
As if I’m not unsettled enough these days…
Clutching the card, I took a deep breath.
Come to think of it, hadn’t there been people gossiping that Edin’s recent commission for women’s clothing meant his marriage with Luana was already certain?
But the dress turned out to be mine.
…I don’t want to wear it.
I had never felt so ungrateful about receiving a gift. It only made me feel gloomier.
I tore off the thin wrapping and pulled the dress out of the box.
It was a truly beautiful cream-colored dress.
To be honest, it was exactly my taste. The layers of frills weren’t excessive, and the little details were charming.
It really would suit me.
Normally, I wore extravagant dresses and heavier makeup to project a mature, commanding aura—so people wouldn’t dismiss me for my lack of years of experience.
But this dress was clean, elegant, completely different from what I usually wore.
How did he know this was my preferred style?
That fact irritated me strangely.
Annoyed, I shoved the dress back into the box, wrinkling it in the process.
Ugh, but it’s so well-made. Folding it like this will ruin it. The seamstress must have worked so hard…!
Damn this occupational habit.
Grumbling, I pulled the dress back out again.
It was too big to carry into the workshop, so instead, I carefully folded it in half and placed it back in the box.
What on earth am I doing?
Thankfully no one had seen my behavior just now.
I let out a long sigh and closed the box tightly. I’d move it to the corner of the workshop with Salvia later.
Still, the box stirred up conflict in me.
Should I at least send him thanks? No, maybe I should just return it.
I didn’t want to accept Edin’s kindness. Both because I needed to suppress my feelings for him and because I was never the type to welcome someone else’s generosity easily.
He even included a corset tailored to my measurements. So if I don’t wear it, no one else can either. Why keep a dress I won’t use?
After some thought, I picked up a postcard.
⌜Hello. I received your gift.
I’m sorry, but I must decline.
It’s too much of a favor.
And frankly, it makes me uncomfortable.
I’ll return it.
Please give it to someone who would suit it better than me.
And I do hope to see you again soon.
–Daphne⌟
Hmm. That should be enough.
I decided to send the dress back after closing the shop for the day.
But I still wondered whether it was right to return Edin’s thoughtful gesture like this.
Still… I couldn’t deny it was the loveliest dress I had ever seen—aside from the ones I had designed myself.
