Chapter 42
For ordinary people living in the city, ignoring a few gossips would suffice. But in the world of the nobility, reputation was as vital as life itself.
Reputation was the foundation upon which friendships were built, marriage proposals were made, financial trust was secured, and careers were advanced.
'Contrary to what people think, Linnea is actually very perceptive. She may not understand the language or customs of high society, but she knows that she is looked down upon. She understands how important her reputation is. That is why she is about to lose it.'
She desperately wanted to do a good job, but she didn't know how.
There was no one to help her.
She had to navigate this treacherous world alone, without any idea whether her actions were right or wrong. And she feared that her mistakes would tarnish her brother's name.
Edel felt as though she understood Linnea's feelings.
"So who will go?"
When the sound of breaking things from the second floor finally subsided, Marsha looked around at the servants, her annoyance evident on her face.
Normally, Marsha acted like Linnea's personal maid, but during times like these, she always tried to send someone else in her place. Edel found Marsha's attitude disgusting.
When the other maids stepped back, avoiding eye contact, Idyll stepped forward.
"If you allow it, I will go."
Marsha's eyes narrowed, and she became suspicious of Idell's intentions.
Idle calmly explained her reasons.
“Because of past events, the young lady won’t hit me. But if someone else comes in, I can’t guarantee the same.”
Upon hearing this, Daisy and Celia quietly grasped the hem of Idil's skirt. But Idil gently squeezed their hands to reassure them and then looked at Marsha.
Although Marsha looked uneasy, she knew she couldn't send anyone else. If the maid she'd sent was harmed, she would be responsible.
"It's fine. If you're so confident, go ahead and clean it!"
Marsha exploded, even though she acted as if she was doing Idil a favor.
Edel gathered a broom, shovel, trash can and cloth before heading to Linnea's room.
When I knocked on the door, I heard a faint sound of crying from inside.
“Miss, I’m Edel. I’ll come in.”
Idil spoke in her calmest, most composed voice, then gently opened the door.
The scene inside was a disaster.
Crystal chandeliers, a replica of a famous statue, and exotic ceramic vases were shattered and scattered across the floor. Dresses that had hung neatly in the wardrobe were now strewn haphazardly throughout the room.
Linnea was there, distraught and crying.
Without saying a word, Idil began cleaning the room.
She carefully dusted off the large but mismatched dresses and rolled them up on the back of the sofa. She then wiped up the shards of glass scattered on the floor.
After some time, Linnea's voice broke out in her sighs, although Idle wasn't sure she had heard it correctly at first.
“…they want me to come tomorrow. To brighten up the party again.” Linnea gasped.
“They are awful women. They ignore me, they make fun of me. But they never insult me to my face.”
Idil nodded.
Such behavior was common in noble society, but for Linnea, who lived as a commoner citizen, this behavior must have seemed cowardly.
At least if they insult her to her face, she can pull their hair.
"It must have been really hard for you."
"…Yes."
Linnea managed to say one word, then she started crying again.
Edel sighed softly and continued her work. First, she had to clean up all the dangerous shards so that Linnea wouldn't hurt herself.
Once the floor was clear of glass, she mopped up the spilled water from the broken vases.
The large trash can she had brought with her was now filled with shards of broken things, along with fresh flowers that had not yet wilted.
When the room was finally somewhat clean, Idel cautiously approached Linnea, who was still crying, and spoke quietly.
“Miss, you should take a shower and get some rest.”
“No. If I fall asleep and wake up, I’ll have to go back there. I don’t want to.”
Linnea's misery and despair were so obvious that Idil could practically see them.
Gently, Idell placed her hand on Linnea's shoulder.
“If you don’t go, they will gossip about you even more. They won’t accept an excuse like illness. You will need to face them and act like nothing happened.”
“Why? Why do I have to do that?” Linnea’s voice was filled with frustration.
"Why have you been doing that all this time?"
Linnea clenched her teeth, taken aback by the unexpected question.
This was not the first time she had returned home humiliated.
But she still attends every party she is invited to, and endures more humiliation each time.
There was only one reason.
“Because I’m afraid they’ll insult my brother because of me.”
Linnea's voice echoed as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
“But now… even if I leave, they will continue to insult him. No matter what I do, they will continue to ignore me and talk behind my back. What should I do?”
Idel gently patted Linnea's back.
Although Linnea was perceived as spoiled and hysterical, she was a fragile woman who cared deeply for her brother.
“First, you need to reset your reputation to ‘zero’.”
"Reset it to zero? How am I supposed to do that?"
“Tomorrow, go to the party and sit as if nothing happened. Nod your head a little when other people talk, sip some tea, and then leave on time. If someone asks you to dance, you can, but don’t talk too much while dancing.”
"And then?"
Linnea's voice carried a tone of despair.
“Make sure you greet Mrs. Emerson, the hostess, politely. Don’t show any sign that you’re thinking about what happened today. That’s all you need to do tomorrow.”
Linnea, whose eyes were tightly closed, nodded after a long pause.
Edel realized that making this decision required a lot of courage.
"Okay, I will."
“If you want to avoid facial swelling tomorrow, you should take a warm bath with essential oils and get a good night’s sleep.”
Linnea nodded again.
Idil pulled the bell rope for her and called out to Marsha.
Marsha looked very surprised when she saw Linnea standing next to Idil.
“The young lady wishes to take a bath. Miss, please follow Mrs. Bohin. I will finish tidying the room.”
Linnea rose without saying a word, as if all her strength had left her, and followed Marsha. When Marsha left the room, she looked at Idil with a shocked expression.
Idil was left alone, and she separated the wet dresses lying on the sofa, hung the dry dresses in the closet, and left the wet dresses to dry.
Then she carefully examined Linnea's wardrobe.
“Wearing these dresses would certainly invite gossip.”
It was unclear whether the intention was to flaunt her expenses or simply to favor flashy clothing, but most of Linnea's dresses were heavily decorated with ribbons, ruffles, lace and even all kinds of jewelry.
But upon closer examination, it wasn't of very high quality. The mixture of good and bad materials showed that someone had deliberately deceived Linnea.
Edel sorted through the dresses, most of which looked barely worn, until she found one that suited Linnea better.
“Linya is tall and has a strong build, so something like this would suit her better.”
The dress she chose was a pale, light green muslin evening gown.
It revealed only a little of the shoulders, and the neckline wasn't too low, so it didn't appear overly revealing. It was trimmed with matching lace at the shoulders and chest, without any other embellishments. But the fabric was of excellent quality; anyone with a discerning eye could recognize it as fine muslin.
Unlike other dresses, which seemed to scream for attention with either cute or sexy designs, these dresses were mature without being too extreme.
"Whoever chose this, thank God he is here."
Idil placed the dress on the tea table and opened Linnea's jewelry box.
There was a chance she would be accused of theft, but she wasn't afraid.
"Hmm... apart from a few pieces, the quality of the jewelry isn't great either."
Hoping that Linnea would not be deceived too much, Idel took out a teardrop-shaped emerald necklace.
At least the emeralds near the front had good color and clarity, while the larger stones were about 4 to 5 carats, so there shouldn't be too many complaints.
She placed the necklace in an empty jewelry box and put it on top of the dress.
"Will she be angry, thinking that I've crossed the line?"
But Edel wanted to help Linnea in any way possible.
Hoping that Linnea would understand her sincerity, Edel grabbed the trash can and left Linnea's room.
* * *
'What should I do…'
Linnea was unable to make a decision about the dress and necklace on the tea table, even after staring at them for the thousandth time since last night.
When she came back from her bath, there was a dress she had completely forgotten about and a necklace she didn't particularly like, lying on the tea table.
It was clear that Idel had left them there.
"Why did you cry like that in front of her yesterday?"
Linnea was upset and embarrassed when she remembered the previous night.
But she cannot deny that Idell's calm voice was a great comfort to her.