“Millea.”
"Yes."
"Is that still the case?"
"...I'm sorry."
"Useless."
Julian, who was trying to chase Millea away, saying that she was saying things he didn't want to hear, saw Millea cowering.
He sighed and said, feeling uneasy.
"What would change? What if Bridget realized that she had been hiding the truth and that she had been protecting others more than herself up until this day? Should I dance like a scorpion or something?"
Then suddenly he smiled sharply with a cold look in his eyes.
"Aha. I guess I'll do the rascal dance. I'll show Bridget how to do it. The words of a man who's risking his life. Bridget doesn't know how I beat up a traitor."
"..."
Millea shut her mouth at the sight of Julian getting so angry and sharp just from the mention of this topic.
'Of course not now.'
What should I do?
Millea didn't want to hide the truth from Julian forever. For Julian's sake.
But she can't let Florence die at Julian's hands. For Bridget's sake.
How can she make sure that Julian and Bridget don't stab each other when the truth comes out?
'I have to find a way.'
Millea's worries deepened.
***
A few days later, Leticia took out the jewelry store's customer list in front of me.
Diane had found the names of the customers who bought the bracelets in the state.
I was a little surprised that Leticia had done what I had asked so quickly.
"You're talented, Leticia."
Leticia suddenly showed off a brilliantly sparkling square-cut sapphire necklace.
It was a necklace with a sapphire in the center, five diamonds intertwined in a chain, and small flower-shaped decorations.
"My father wanted me to like things like this rather than swords or muscles. When I begged him to give me jewels, he was glad that I came to my senses after hanging out with the ladies at the palace. I pretended to choose a necklace at the store and took the opportunity to look through the ledger."
Then she pushed the box containing the necklace toward me.
"This is a gift."
"I think it's my job to give the gift since I received the list."
"Please take care of that separately. This is a thank you for treating my sister. I brought it because I thought it would suit Mrs. Winston, so please take it."
"That's strange. I purified Miss Diane in exchange for keeping my a secret."
"Trading is about exchanging things of similar value."
The point was that my treatment of Diane was worth more than stealing the list or keeping It a secret.
"The man with the scar on his eyebrow is probably my uncle."
Leticia let out a small sigh.
"...When I was young, my uncle had a grudge against my father over a financial issue and tried to harm us. My sister was eight and I was five. Diane must have had a knack for it and hid me. But in protecting me, Diane couldn't protect herself."
At that time, Diane was kidnapped.
Fortunately, her uncle was caught by the police after two weeks and Diane was safe, but she suffered from the shock of the abuse.
That was already 15 years ago.
"My sister always said that it was okay and that she had forgotten. But I didn't know that she was still suffering from memories of that time."
Leticia clenched her fists. The hem of her skirt was tangled in her hands and crumpled.
"Since Mrs. Winston cleaned her up... my sister has been looking much better. The maids say she has been sleeping and eating well and has become more energetic. Yesterday, before going to the jewelry store, I stopped by my parents' house first, and indeed Diane's face was brighter. She seems happier these days."
By then her voice had become wet.
"It's the first time I've heard my sister say she's happy since that incident."
Leticia absentmindedly wiped away her tears and looked at me with a cold face.
I realized that her characteristically fresh face was a mask she wore to hide her emotions.
"So it is right for me to give you a gift, Madam. But that is not enough. I will repay this favor with all my heart."
My guess was correct. That's why Seraphina sent Leticia to me.
I needed Leticia, and Leticia needed me.
"You promise me loyalty, and I promise to treasure you."
The sapphire necklace became a symbol of promise.
***
One fine day, I threw a tea party and invited the ladies.
The awaited spring left met without regret as soon as I noticed the change of season. Before I knew it, it was the beginning of summer.
It was just after noon and the early afternoon tea time was quite muggy in the sun, so I offered sorbet and sweets instead of hot tea.
The invited ladies enjoyed colorful and sweet sorbet and each expressed their gratitude for my invitation.
A sorrbet in a clear glass bowl caused a temperature difference, which created water droplets on the bowl's surface.
The ladies did not want their lace gloves to get wet, so they took them off under my apron and placed them next to me.
I pretended to listen to the ladies' chitchat as I examined each of their wrists.
Diane said the sorcerer had a mole on his wrist.
'It's not here.'
There were two ladies in this place who were on the list that Leticia had given.
Because I couldn't invite everyone on the list at once, I invited only two people and other ladies to the first tea party.
There was also the Marchioness of Cavendish, who would spread the word that I had begun to meet with the ladies, and there were also ladies whom I had secretly recruited or was planning to recruit in the future.
The Countess of Dunmore, who had been listening to the eloquent Marchioness Cavendish chatter, exchanged a glance with me and then opened her mouth.
"By the way, I heard that Mrs. Winston's purifying powers are so effective in treating insomnia and minor illnesses?"
The Countess of Dunmore was the one who set the tone at today's tea party.
The Marchioness Cavendish, who had no choice but to chime in and add to any story she knew, spoke quickly.
"Did you know that now? Sir Eric of the Spencer family also got completely cured by Lady Winston's purifying treatment."
She naturally intervened and gave me a lot of praise, even though she hadn't done it before.
The ladies' ears perked up at the story of the Marchioness Cavendish, who enthusiastically praised my abilities.
The Countess of Dunmore said.
"I've been having a lot of headaches lately. Could you please take a look at them?"
I spoke meaningfully with a gentle smile.
"There is something sad about people who have this ability. People praise it as a great ability if it is useful, but they forget that it is also a talent. For example, they buy a seat to enjoy the musical talent of an opera singer and buy a work of art to appreciate the artistic talent of a painter. They pay the price with just a word of gratitude, saying that this ability is great. So I don't really know if this is such a great ability."
In short, If you're not willing to pay a high price, don't even ask.
As soon as the Countess of Dunmore made her move, the noble ladies looked at each other, each ready to ask for purification.
The Countess of Dunmore said excitedly.
"Mrs. Winston, what you say is true. Great talent deserves a great price, right? On the contrary, I am grateful that you say so so that I can repay you without feeling any debt."
She called her maid and had her bring the gift she had left in advance.
I immediately opened the box and checked the contents so that others could see it too.
There was a very expensive-looking diamond necklace in it.
It was an excessive price to pay for a headache.
The ladies realized that the headaches were just an excuse for bribery.
I was delighted and took the Countess of Dunmore's gift.
"I think that a relationship where sincerity is exchanged between people is a healthy relationship that is not one-sided. Don't you think so? It is difficult to maintain a deep relationship when there is a set recipient and giver. I promise to show my due sincerity to the Countess of Dunmore."
"Ah, so this is the place!"
The noble ladies, unaware of my disposition and unable to prepare a bribe, lamented the Countess of Dunmore's weakness and their own naivety.
Marchioness Cavendish, who was watching the situation unfold, felt her mouth ticklish...
She was anxious to spread the rumor that the King's vain mistress was gathering noble ladies and taking bribes.
Support Novellate!
interesting... what is her plan
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