Chapter 43
“Didn’t you say to act as if nothing is wrong and confront them?”
To be honest, even now, I'm not sure I can follow exactly what Edel asked me to do. I feel like I'll become overly anxious about how others will see me again, and I might back down.
Until now, I'd worn expensive, flashy clothes and jewelry to hide this fear, but the dress Idell wore was as revealing as possible. The only piece of jewelry was a single necklace.
'What should I do? I have to decide quickly…'
Even if I start preparing now, I will have gotten closer to it.
Marsha came over an hour ago to tell me it was time to get dressed.
But Linnea sent her away and has been thinking about it ever since. For some reason, she couldn't forget Idil's voice from the night before.
'Yes. Maybe the way I was doing things was wrong. I might get harassed again this time, but things won't change just because it happens again.'
Linnea took a deep breath and called Idel.
“She called me, ma’am.”
But even when Idel bowed to her and greeted her, Linnea could not respond immediately, and bit her lip instead.
Meanwhile, the clock hands kept ticking away.
Linnea, who had been impatiently tapping her fingers on the armrest of the chair, finally made her decision.
"I'll leave the clothes for you today. That's why I did this trick, isn't it?"
Linnea pointed to the tea table.
“If I end up embarrassed again today, I won’t let you get away with this either… But will you keep doing that?”
“If you allow me, I will do my best.”
Despite the threat, Idell remained unfazed, which strangely gave Linnea some confidence. Linnea stood up and stretched her arms slightly to the side.
"Then begin. There is no time."
"Yes, ma'am."
Edel lifted her arms and helped Linnea remove her nightgown. Then she quickly dressed her in underwear and a corset.
That's when Linnea realized how bad the service she had received from Marsha.
'It doesn't make me uncomfortable. It's not too tight either.'
When Marsha was dressing her, she would sometimes scratch her with her fingernails, and the fabric would crease and press against her skin. When tightening the corset, Marsha would pull so hard that Linnea was sometimes afraid she might suffocate.
But Idel pulled it hard without causing pain.
"Is there anything uncomfortable?"
“No, not at all.”
"Then I will dress you now."
"oh well."
Each quiet, kind word slowly eased the anxiety in Linnea's heart.
So, she started talking to Idil.
"Why... did you choose this dress?"
I asked the question that he was most curious about.
“I’m not sure if this will bother you, ma’am, but in my opinion, this design suits you better.”
"In what way?"
“Madam, you are tall and have a strong build. Very tall…”
"Are you calling me 'big' now?"
Wrinkles appeared on Linnea's forehead.
But Idil shook her head and continued talking.
“You are very slim, so I thought a simple but elegant design might suit you.”
"Thin? Me? Not huge?"
“There is no part of your body where the description ‘huge’ is appropriate. If you stand up straight and hold your head high, you will look confident and eye-catching.”
This was the first time Linnea had heard such words. Her cheeks flushed slightly.
“But in society, young, fair-skinned women with large breasts and narrow waists are very popular, aren’t they? I’ve heard that at my age, it’s better to look attractive.”
“I’m not sure who told you that, but in the social circles I’ve experienced since I was 14, there has never been such a rule.”
"Really? So what kind of woman is popular?"
“Women who highlight their strengths. Women like these always succeed.”
Idyll smiled slightly.
Although she was also a woman, Linnea's heart fluttered at that smile.
Although Idell quickly returned to her usual expression, the image of her smile remained. Linnea began to feel as though she could show a little vulnerability.
"Do I have any strengths?"
“You have many strengths, but you were trying to go against them, and that’s why things were difficult for you.”
As Edel tightened the laces at the back of the dress, she spoke. Her hands worked carefully, not too quickly, but cautiously, to adjust Linnea's clothing.
"Look in the mirror, madam."
Edel's gentle touch startled her, and Linnea quickly turned to face the mirror.
What stood before her was a completely different version of herself.
“It’s rare to find someone as tall as you with such good proportions. Moreover, you have great posture and no excess fat. Your skin is firm and healthy too.”
" truly?"
“You resemble Count Crisis in this way. You both have an excellent physique.”
Linnea grew up hearing comments like, “No man would like a woman this size,” “You need to wear pretty, flashy dresses to hide your flaws,” and “You should lose more weight” from Marsha.
So, while Idell's words were seductive, they also seemed suspicious.
"Are you lying just to make me feel better?"
Idil looked indifferently at Linnea through the mirror and replied.
“I have nothing to gain from lying.”
"Oh, um, sorry."
After apologizing, Linnea realized that their roles had been reversed, but the situation was too awkward for her to say anything else.
As if nothing had happened, Idel Linnea sat down in front of the dressing table.
“Look closely at your face in the mirror. Your usual makeup doesn’t suit you.”
"Really? I didn't know, so I let Marsha do what she wanted."
Linnea noticed that Edel seemed to be clenching her jaw and tilting her head out of curiosity.
But Idil quickly returned to her calm tone and explained.
“Your natural skin is already good, so adding more blush makes you look a little… like you’ve drunk too much. Your features are sharp, so drawing your eyebrows and eyeliner too heavily is embarrassing.”
“Oh… I thought it was commonplace…”
“To be honest, you don’t need trendy makeup. All you need to do is show off your natural charm.”
Idell applied a little toner, cream and powder to Linnea’s face, then lightly shaped her eyebrows.
The only color added was a light touch to her lips, using a shade that matched her natural lip color.
“That’s enough.”
Linnea thought her face was almost blank, but she also felt it looked much better than usual, so she didn't complain.
After finishing her makeup, Idell applied a little camellia oil to Linnea's hair, combed it neatly, and styled it by pinning half of it up and leaving the rest to fall naturally.
“I think curling the ends would be great, but I’m not very skilled at using a curling iron…”
"Then I'll ask Marsha to do that later."
Finally, Idell picked up a necklace and placed it around Linnea's neck.
“It’s a relief that this necklace goes so well with the dress. Who chose this dress and necklace?”
“Um… I’m not sure if it was just a coincidence, but I chose both.”
"Really? Did you?"
Idel looked genuinely surprised, and Linnea smiled slyly.
"Why? Is it cheap? Does it look strange?"
“No, not at all. The truth is the opposite…”
"The opposite?"
“Yes. You have a good eye for things.”
"truly?"
Now it's Linnea's turn to be surprised.
“In the past, I used to choose my own dresses and jewelry, but Marsha always said they looked ‘too common,’ so I started using whatever she chose.”
Once again, Idel's expression turned to ice. This time, it wasn't Linnea's imagination.
Linnea realized that Edel was angry with Marsha. But Edel was excellent at hiding her emotions.
“The items you have chosen are far more refined. Of course, you will still need to improve your taste, but trusting your instincts more would be a good idea.”
And with that, Idell completed Linnea's look.
Linnea stared at herself in the mirror, feeling slightly aroused.
The dress she wore was one she had carefully selected from a shop frequented by nobles in the year her brother became a count.
The necklace was also something she bought that year. At the time, the necklace seemed so expensive that she hesitated for several days before buying it.
“I remember being so excited about this necklace that I couldn’t sleep for a few days after I got it.”
But after being ignored at every party she attended and having her taste criticized even by a head waitress, she took off the dresses and jewelry she had chosen herself.
Now, the Duchess, whose impeccable style has been praised, has said that Linnea has “good taste.”
Her previously diminishing confidence began to grow little by little.
**
On the second day of Lady Emerson's party, Linnea stood outside Emerson's estate, taking several deep breaths before finally going inside.
"Act as if nothing is wrong. As if nothing happened."
Linnea repeated Idyll's words like a mantra, and sat down in her assigned seat.
As before, he was among the distinguished ladies.