THIBV - Chapter 5

Penelope used to visit Bridget often at this mansion until early this year when her husband died and she left for the Kingdom of Russel alone.

So she came back after only nine months.

Three years ago, Isaac left for abroad, leaving Bridget alone in this mansion right after their wedding...

Thanks to this, Penelope was able to visit and comfort her lonely friend in the empty mansion without worrying about anyone's eyes and came and went from there as if it were her own home.

Penelope loved this mansion.

It was a mansion purchased by the Winston family, who were wealthy enough to purchase the title of Viscount, to show off their wealth.

The garden with its large fountain was beautiful in all seasons, and the decorative stone buildings were grand and splendid.

Among them, Penelope's favorite place was the tea room on the first floor.

The tea room, which is reached by passing through a hallway covered with gorgeous patterned tiles imported from the East Continent, was an elegant place that best displayed the wealth of the Winston family, with the walls decorated with pure white panels with embossed carvings and gold dust.

'It was my dream to live in a place like this.'

How she used to envy Bridget every time she came to visit.

But now she finds herself living here.

When Isaac, who had offered to find her a place to stay, told her to just stay in the mansion, Penelope was overjoyed.

For Penelope, who had been living aloof from the social circles here anyway, there was no shame in stealing her friend's husband and settling down in that house.

Since she had become a laughing stock because of her old husband, she had no dignity or honor to protect.

'How can it be this easy?'

Even for the naive Bridget, giving her a husband and a house was easy.

Penelope liked Bridget. She had liked her before, but she liked her even more now.

'My good Bridget. Your hospitality was truly unexpected.'

Penelope, who had been sitting at the guest table and looking around the tea room as was her custom, quietly moved to the head table where Bridget would sit whenever she greeted her as a guest.

'From here, I can see the entire garden at a glance.'

The view from the top was like this.

'While I was living this disgusting marriage with that old man, Bridget was having all this fun all to herself.'

Penelope's expression as she thought that was strange.

Just then, Bridget came into the tea room.

"There you are, Penelope."

"You came, Bridget."

Penelope smiled, mimicking Bridget's manner as she greeted her guests at the head table.

Bridget glanced at her at the head table and sat down in the guest seat without saying a word.

The seats have been switched.

Penelope felt better, conscious of that fact, and asked with the utmost kindness.

"Did you find me? Why?"

"I was going to ask if you would mind moving your belongings to this mansion since you are no longer a guest. I don't think it would be convenient to only bring the things you use while traveling. You only have a few sets of clothes, right?"

"That's true."

Penelope nodded glumly.

Then she glanced sideways at Bridge 

t's dress and compared it with her own.

Bridget's dress, decorated with gorgeous silk and elegant lace, looked absolutely beautiful.

Compared to that, how is my dress?

'I've been wearing these clothes for two years and I'm sick of them.'

Since the Count of Bellingham became bedridden and unable to move at all, she was unable to buy herself any luxuries such as dresses or jewels.

This was because her stepson, who was twenty years older than Penelope, was worried that his stepmother might squander the fortune on extravagance without his father's knowledge.

The only thing the stepson was permitted to wear was mourning clothes for his father's funeral.

She was sick of this dress that reminded her of her unhappy marriage.

Penelope complained.

"All the dresses I own are worn out. Even if my husband died and I brought back the things I sent to my parents' house, none of them would be better than the ones I'm wearing now."

Then he looked at Bridget's dress with envy.

Then Bridget suggested.

"Then how many of my clothes do you want?"

Penelope's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?"

"It will take time to get a new dress made at a costume shop, so if you don't mind wearing the dresses I've been wearing, why don't you pick out a few?"

Penelope was so excited that she jumped up and down.

"Can I choose anything?"

"Yeah, whatever."

Bridget didn't mind wearing a dress.

Those were things Isaac had his butler buy for her to show off his wealth.

While Isaac was abroad, he had his butler make Bridget's dress in the most popular dress shop among noble ladies.

The dress was as gorgeous as a doll's clothes.

None of them were what Bridget wanted.

They are just expensive dresses made to not bring down the dignity of the Winston family.

Even at home, Bridget had to always dress up in cumbersome and uncomfortable dresses that looked more like party dresses.

For her, who had delicate features and a calm impression, such a flashy dress seemed excessive.

So, she often sighed when she looked at me in the mirror.

But it was fun to see Penelope coveting such things.

'You two look good together."

In her past life, she was so busy struggling to digest her stormy emotions that she didn't even realize it, but when she calmed down and started living a new life, she saw and felt things she hadn't felt before.

Bridget now seemed to understand why Penelope had met Isaac, and what Isaac had liked about Penelope.

The dress Isaac had bought seemed like it would suit the gorgeous beauty Penelope very well.

***

Penelope swept through my dressing room once.

Penelope looked quite happy as she ordered her maids to carry the dresses she had chosen.

I knew it wouldn't be a one-time thing.

Penelope must have sensed that she was going to completely strip the store from the beginning, so she only picked out a few dresses right away, but there were still several dresses that Penelope couldn't let go of and looked at with regret.

I asked Anna, who was watching Penelope receiving her Madame's clothes from the side with astonishment.

"Anna, can you bring out my wedding gifts?"

"A wedding gift?"

Immediately after my wedding, I never once wore the jewels I had received as a dowry.

It was because three years ago, I, who had resented Isaac for leaving without saying a word, had ordered Anna to get rid of it out of sight.

Anna suddenly came looking for them, puzzled by my sudden search for gifts.

The jewels were still in their gift box, buried deep in the dressing room.

Anna took out all the boxes and placed them on the table. She wiped the dust off them and asked.

"Why these all of a sudden?"

Anna looked at me suspiciously.

"You're not going to give these to Mrs. Bellingham, are you? They're too good to be wasted..."

Anna was also unhappy about giving Penelope a dress.

Of course, it was mine, so she could do whatever I wanted, but it was hard to hide her honest feelings. It was even harder because the other person was Penelope.

I snickered at the sight of Anna's body.

"Where is the person who gives gifts to others?"

"Then why...?"

I looked down at the jewels with dry eyes.

The bracelet, decorated with three rows of pearls and a large diamond, was very splendid.

The pearls, with their soft luster, twirled under my hands.

"It's such a pretty thing, it's a shame to just throw it away in the corner."

"That's right!"

Anna, who had thought so from the beginning, nodded actively.

No matter how much you hate the person who gave it to you, the jewel was not at fault.

"Would you please put it on my dresser so I can remember to use it on good days?"

"Yes, I will."

Anna displayed the beautiful set of jewelry neatly on my dressing table.

The jewels that Penelope had so envied sparkled dazzlingly under the light.

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