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After the two finished eating, Cindy turned to Irene and said:
“I have received a letter from Madame Crevel, asking if you would be free to visit her workshop today if possible.”
“Really? This is great! I was just thinking about where to go and what to do to have fun.”
“What about studying? Isn’t vacation a time to strive towards higher goals instead of having fun?”
"No, no, I can't hear you! Don't listen, Evie!"
Irene responded as she covered her ears with her hands, then extended her hands to cover Evie's ears in a playful motion.
“Irene, I think what Cindy says is kind of true...”
Cindy looked at the scene and laughed, then turned around and said she was going to go prepare the cart.
—
Madame Crevel's workshop was located in a building connected to the shop that Irene and Evie visited on the first day.
“This is the private wing, and from here only distinguished customers are allowed in. This place is mostly reserved for those who wish to have clothes made to order.”
Crevel's clothes were very expensive. Even for the nobility, only the very wealthy could afford to tailor several pieces of Crevel clothing.
However, Crevel was not opening the doors of this place to everyone who had money.
“Oh, you're here, miss!”
As soon as the two girls entered, Crevel ran towards them as if she had been waiting for them, and greeted them warmly.
Then, as she looked at the hairpins adorning their heads, a deep smile of satisfaction appeared on her face.
“Thanks to you both and always wearing these pins, do you know how many orders I received in just one week?”
“Hmm, so shouldn’t you pay me for promotion?”
“No wonder you, the daughter of the Terrence family, always talk straight! How about I give you two new hair accessories that I won’t sell to anyone but you, as promotional payment?”
“As I expected, Crevel knows how to manage her business!”
Suddenly, Irene shot a furtive glance at Crevel, who responded with an approving look, winking so that Evie wouldn't notice.
In fact, their meeting today was because of Evie's dress for the fall party. Not only the formal dress for the ceremony, but also the clothes that will be worn before the main ceremony begins.
"Of course, I'll be the one to buy it for her! This will promote Crevel too!"
Irene clenched her fist excitedly.
Such things are even better when given as a surprise gift, so Evie must know nothing.
“His Majesty the Emperor may give Evie clothes and other gifts, but the first gift is the one that sticks in the memory, right?”
Of course, Irene could have waited a bit out of respect for the Emperor before preparing the gift, but she would never have done that.
"weekly!"
In the last week, after Evie returned from visiting Arthur and Luska's house, Irene had planned to spend time with her at home preparing for the second semester, but those plans evaporated.
“So, he should at least accept this!”
Determined to enact her little revenge, Irene blurted out a neatly woven lie she had thought up beforehand:
“Ezerella, I’m going to go get some new clothes measured, are you waiting for me here?”
“Okay, okay!”
As soon as Evie answered, Irene and Crevel quickly ran into a room inside the workshop and closed the door.
Evie was left alone in the workshop, so she walked around and looked around.
Crevelle's workshop was full of amazing things: carefully arranged various fabrics, leathers, clothing patterns, and decorative materials.
Everything was pleasant to look at.
“When I grow up, I want to make clothes!”
Evie imagined this as she walked around, and if Professor Mallis had heard her he would have held his head with a groan.
Suddenly, a loud voice was heard from outside:
“I came a little early, so how can I not meet Crevel? What’s the matter?”
It was a girl's voice, high and sharp, a voice Evie knew well.
Evie approached the door and peered into the hallway.
As she expected, Iserella was standing there at the bottom of the stairs at the end of the hallway.
“So, Iserella buys her clothes from here too.”
This was not surprising, as she was the daughter of a count.
“I shouldn't meet her.”
Evie thought she had to go back quickly to tell Irene about Izerella's presence.
But as she turned around, Iserella caught a glimpse of something moving, and she looked up and saw Effie, then exclaimed with a surprised face:
"You! Why are you here?"
Iserella quickly approached Evie, looking at her with obvious distaste.
Evie thought about running away for a moment, but changed her mind and decided to confront her.
You didn't do anything wrong, so why run away?
"Welcome."
“Ha, hello? How rude of you to talk to me like that? Doesn’t your smart mind remember the punishment I received because of you?”
Iserella stood in front of Evie, looking at her with a look filled with hatred.
But Evie didn't break down, she stood firm and responded with a steady look.
When Iserella saw that Evie did not retreat as before, she looked confused, and bit her lip.
“Hmph, you don’t seem to see anything since His Majesty the Emperor is your guardian, but I wonder how long this will last!”
As Izerella looked at Evie from head to toe, a smile appeared on her face.
“Enjoy now, His Majesty will be returning soon and...”
Suddenly, a strange voice interrupted her from behind them:
“Iz, what are you doing there?”
Ezerella quickly turned around and saw a girl coming up the stairs. She shouted:
“Lady Eve!”
Eve?
A name Evie had never heard before at the academy.
“Is she Eserella’s friend?”
But Iserella called her “Lady Eve,” meaning she was a person of higher status. Who are you?
Evie turned her head to see the girl she called Izerella.
“Oh?”
"Oh, my God?"
Evie and the girl named Eve made a sound of surprise at the same time.
They both have golden hair and green eyes, and look about seven years old.
Eve was dressed luxuriously and elegantly, and had white gloves on her hands, which was unusual for a young girl.
Eve was a little taller than Evie, but they were both petite, so it wasn't much of a difference.
What was strange was that, despite their different features, there was something that made Evie feel that they were strangely similar.
“She looks like me!”
While Evie was thinking, Eve came closer and looked at Eppie from all sides, then said:
“This girl looks like me, doesn't she?”
Eve raised her hand and pulled Evie's hair into two braids, which had been arranged by the maids in the palace.
“!”
Evie tried to fight off Evie's hand, but Iserella quickly intervened, violently grabbing Evie's hair and pushing her away.
“لا تلمسي هذه الوضيعة، يا سيدة إيف!”
"Oh? Is it a girl you know, Iz?"
“Yes, come inside now.”
Izerella looked around anxiously, then took Eve into a side room and slammed the door shut.
Evie remained in the hallway, her hair mussed to one side, while some of the shop workers approached her in amazement.
"Are you well?"
“Yes, I'm fine, but my hair is a mess...”
“لا بأس، سنعيده كما كان. هناك، أحضروا المشط! هيا، لندخل.”
The staff realized that Isirella hated Evie very much, so they quickly took her to the room where Irene and Crevelle were, where they could protect her if Isirella returned.
As the staff arranged Evie's hair with little bells and a comb, Evie thought of the Eve she had just seen.
“Who is this girl?”
—
Iserella looked at the door anxiously, then turned to the girl who was lying on the sofa and said:
“سيدة إيف، ألم أخبركِ ألا تجذبي الانتباه كثيرًا؟”
"But I was wondering what you were talking about with that girl. I'm bored alone!"
There was a subtle tone of reproach in Eve's voice, as if she was insinuating that Izerella had left her alone.
"Anyway, who is that girl? You two don't seem to get along."
“It's…”
Iserella hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said:
“It is that lowly girl I told you about, Effie Aldine. The girl to whom, though only seven years old and merely a girl, His Majesty the Emperor has become guardian.”
“Oh, it's that girl?”
Eve nodded her head in agreement.
ثم، كأنها شعرت بالضيق، خلعت قفازاتها.
“The poor girl whom my father loves instead of me in my absence.”
On the back of Eve's hand, the imperial family crest was clearly visible.
Eve murmured with feigned sorrow:
“When I return to my parents, this girl will no longer be needed.”
°. • .✦ . ◌ ⋆ ° ✬ • ✫ ⋆｡ .° ◌ • .●