Chapter 44
'They'll probably look at me and whisper among themselves again, won't they? Let them do what they want.'
Thanks to Idel, Linnea regained some self-confidence. She deliberately straightened her shoulders and touched only a little of the tea and food placed in front of her.
Curiosity seemed to be boiling inside her, but she did not look around and instead focused on the conversations the other ladies at the table were having, occasionally smiling in approval.
Although the stares she was examining did not lessen, the discomfort had somehow decreased.
'True, if I didn't care about others, it would be a little easier!'
Linnea felt as if she had made a great discovery, and her mood improved.
But upon reflection, it wasn't that she felt comfortable simply because she didn't care about the stares. The mockery and ridicule directed at her had disappeared.
'Do they have nothing to criticize? Was what Idell Lee chose the right answer?'
Feeling more at ease, Linnea's anxiety lessened, and her perspective broadened. She began to notice what other girls her age were wearing, and she could watch people dancing quietly.
Whenever she faced disapproving looks, her shoulders instinctively tense up, but Linnea made an effort to appear unfazed.
Before you knew it, it was almost 11 PM.
'Today wasn't too bad.'
Unlike yesterday, when she felt she was being completely foolish, today she thought: 'I wasn't bad.'
As she was thinking about saying goodbye to the hostess, Camille, and going home before it was too late, the lady sitting next to her spoke quietly.
“The dress suits you well today, young lady. Your skin looks more radiant.”
“Oh…! Thank you.”
Her heart raced as if it were about to burst from her ribcage. But it wasn't just her. Another woman entered.
“You’ve chosen the right necklace too. These days, young girls seem to think that piling on accessories makes them look good, but at your age, it’s easy for the jewelry itself to overwhelm them.”
At that, the women around them laughed quietly.
Linnea almost froze, thinking the remark had been directed at her since the previous day, but she followed Idell's advice to "act without getting upset" and was able to join in the laughter.
Then, from a distance, an elderly woman with a stern appearance looked at Linnea and spoke.
“You’d better keep the person who helped you get dressed today close to you, young lady.”
Her words hit Linnea like a sharp blow.
The conversation quickly shifted, and a few of the older women began making excuses about being tired and got up from their seats.
'I should follow them and say goodbye together. Who knows what kind of fool I'll become if I go alone?'
Linnea followed them and approached Camille.
When Camille saw the elderly ladies, she greeted them with a bright smile.
“Oh my God, Mrs. Risio! Great Lady Bryn!”
“We older people have occupied these seats long enough. We will leave now.”
“No, stay a little longer! At midnight, he’ll bring out the champagne, and we’ll start the waltz again. You must show us your dancing skills.”
Camille, almost like a playful daughter, stomped her feet gently. The older women laughed brightly at her delightful display and exchanged parting words, fully aware that her invitation to stay longer was merely a polite formality.
However, when Linnea saw this intimate scene from behind, she felt cold because of Camille's hypocrisy.
'So, she acts kindly and friendly with true nobles…! Well, she used to be that way with me too.'
At the last tea party, Camille was very kind and friendly. However, she made Linnea a complete laughingstock at the party. Her blatant mockery was hard to ignore.
Although Linnea felt like pulling at her intricately styled hair and shaking it, she remembered Idell's advice and smiled.
She straightened her back and shoulders, and approached Camille with a calm and graceful step.
“Mrs. Emerson.”
"Oh my God! Is Miss Crisis really leaving? The party only gets fun after midnight!"
Camille lowered her eyebrows, feigning disappointment, and in every way looked like the “popular lady” that Linnea had once admired.
But now that she knows Camille's true nature, she no longer seems beautiful to her.
“I’m afraid my brother will scold me if I’m too late. I have to go home now.”
"Wasn't the party fun?"
“Impossible! It’s been great fun since yesterday.”
Linnea said this casually, just trying to sound “unbothered,” but Camille paused briefly, for just one second.
Camille quickly resumed her friendly smile and took Linnea's hand.
"You'll be here tomorrow too, won't you? I'll save you a seat, so you shouldn't miss it."
"Of course. See you tomorrow."
Linnea, as Idel had taught her, gave a polite goodbye and followed the other elderly ladies out of the hall.
As she looked around for her family's carriage, the older women turned to look at her and smiled warmly.
“Miss Crisis, that was quite impressive.”
"Huh?"
Linnea was puzzled, but the two women laughed.
“Camille Emerson had tasted her medicine earlier. It was very satisfying.”
“That queen bee is for the girl… She’s always deceiving the innocent. She makes everyone uncomfortable.”
“To escape this treatment, you must warn her as you have just done. Otherwise she will continue to do it.”
“Exactly. Why would Miss Crisis be interested in a woman like Mrs. Emerson?”
Linnea was confused by what the two women were saying and did not understand it.
'Have you put it in its place? Have you warned her? When...?'
But Linnea knew better than to ask, “Did you do that?” because that would make her look foolish.
"Thank you... for saying that."
"Hohoho! It turns out you are very polite and a good young lady."
"Indeed. See you tomorrow, Miss Crisis."
"Good-bye."
Linnea also bowed to them and entered the carriage, feeling a little confused.
**
As darkness fell over the night and everyone was resting from the day's fatigue, Mina suddenly visited Idil's room.
“Edel! The Count is calling for you. What’s going on this time?”
Mina looked at Idil with a mixture of annoyance and suspicion, but Idil had no idea either.
When she heard that it was urgent, Edel covered the shawl that Daisy had given her over her nightgown and hurried to Laszlo's office.
Surprisingly, Linnea was there too.
Linnea's expression was somewhat predictable, while Laszlo's face looked complicated.
"Sorry to call you at such a late hour."
“No, it’s okay.”
“I was planning to call you tomorrow, but she insisted…”
Laszlo seemed to be looking at Linnea reproachfully, but Linnea kept smiling as if it had no effect on her.
When Edel saw Laszlo's smile too, she began to relax, feeling that it wasn't so bad.
“Although it may seem surprising, I would like you to become Linnea’s personal maid.”
“Me…? Do you want me to do that?”
"After thinking about it, there is no one else in the house as suitable as you for this job."
"That's right. How come we didn't think about it sooner?"
Linnea intervened.
After asking Adele for advice again about today's party, hosted by Camille Emerson, Linnea showed up in a dress and accessories chosen by Adele and looked in high spirits, just as she had been the day before.
"This is because of your inferiority complex."
“No, that’s not it! Why are you bringing this up now…!”
“If this causes more problems, I won’t let it slide, Lynn.”
The nickname that Laszlo used for Linnea hurt Idil deeply, because it was the same name as her poor little sister.
Laszlo turned his gaze back to Edel.
“Can you do that? You will move to a room next to Linnea’s, and your salary will increase. But if you don’t want to, you can refuse. I don’t want to force you.”
“No. If you allow it, I will do my best.”
“You don’t have to give your best. Just do it in moderation.”
"my brother!"
Linnea frowned at Laszlo again, and for some reason, Edel found that endearing.
'These two, they're really close.'
Linnea respected and loved her brother, and although Laszlo pretended otherwise, it was clear that he cherished Linnea.
It was a feeling Idil had never experienced before, despite having two brothers.
My brothers and I were like strangers.
They had been completely separated from each other since childhood and were educated separately, so they rarely spoke. Idil hardly knew her siblings, and they knew very little about her.
When she refused to marry the Duke of Lancaster, both brothers criticized her, just like their father.
“If you just bear with it a little, everyone can be happy! Stop being so selfish!”
Although she had never felt much familial affection, that moment severed any attachment she might have had towards them.
“…Edel? Edel?”
“Oh, yes!”
Idil snapped out of her thoughts, surprised, and raised her head.
"You must be tired from standing for so long. Let's continue this conversation tomorrow morning."
“No, it’s good to discuss this now…”
"Go back and rest. It's late."
Although Linnea looked at Laszlo with a strange look, Edel had no choice but to bow down and return to her room.