“You are so pretty!”
“You look very elegant.”
I was pushed by the maids to stand in front of the mirror.
In the mirror, there was not me, but a completely unfamiliar woman. An elegant, glamorous, sophisticated, and gorgeous woman. A woman adorned in gold from head to toe.
Every time I moved my body slightly, gasps erupted from the surroundings, but the awkward feeling did not go away. I whispered in embarrassment.
“How much will it cost? I don’t know if I have enough money to buy this.”
“The Duke has already paid the full price.”
“His Excellently?”
Isabella answered happily, smoothing the folds of my dress.
“The Duke first told me that he wanted to make a few dresses for Young Lady. Since they were alterations of clothes worn by the previous duchess, they were somewhat out of style.”
“That muslin dress in particular has a very old-fashioned feel.”
I glanced at the muslin dress I had taken off. I thought it was simple, although the frills were somewhat voluminous and the shoulders were somewhat deep. Even the shape of the ribbon around the waist seemed to be in style.
Lisa smiled and answered.
“He told me that if there was anything Young Lady wanted, I should buy it regardless of the price.”
Since they both had such happy expressions, I was also getting carried away by the atmosphere, and my mood was slowly getting better.
I turned my upper body slightly and looked at myself in the mirror. I felt a little uncomfortable because I was wearing underwear for the first time, but seeing my body with all the fat gone, I thought I could bear it.
Isabella added, adjusting the hem of my skirt.
“When you enter the palace, it would be good to have five sets of dark-colored clothes, like the ones you have now. Ivory or lime green would also go well, but they would look too bright.”
“Isn’t that okay?”
“It’s not impossible, but you have to make a strong impression on the palace people at first. Save that kind of color for later.”
What a strong impression it has on the palace people. I never once thought that this plan would go through to the end.
The reason I was able to attend classes and play with dolls without complaining was because I knew that someday, all these misconceptions would be corrected.
They would soon realize that there had been a mistake, that I was not of noble blood. At least, that was what the people from the palace would say when they saw me.
I followed Isabella and smiled brightly, hiding my peaceful feelings.
“That’s great.”
I smiled as I poured the rest of the tea into the cup.
I didn't think I could smile as gracefully as I wanted to because I had been straining my chin and back to keep the book on my head from falling, but that didn't matter.
I never got tired of hearing compliments, especially when it came to manners, which was my weakest point.
“Your behavior has become noticeably calmer. If you just correct your somewhat weak pronunciation a little more, it will be perfect. Now, please raise your glass.”
I picked up the teacup, smelled the aroma, and lightly moistened my lips. Even the motion of putting it back down was neat and clean, without a single unnecessary detail.
As Isabella's face grew happier, a sense of pride surged through me. Of course. This was the result of weeks of hard work.
“Can you give me a break now?”
I was so excited that I lifted my chin and almost dropped the book on the table.
Isabella quickly put on a stern face as if to say, "When did you smile so happily?"
“I can’t praise you because you get cocky so easily. You shouldn’t let your guard down.”
“But it’s not an empty promise to say that you felt it a lot.”
When I slumped my shoulders, it was Cesare who picked me up this time.
He put down a stack of papers marked in red ink next to his teacup. It was the test I had seen that morning. Surprisingly, there were more red circles than I had expected.
“It was a Luxor College exam question from last year. It was quite difficult, but you barely passed.”
I pretended to focus on my teacup because I was so touched. I was lucky that a lot of the questions came up in the section I reviewed yesterday, and I guessed through most of the complicated history and grammar questions...
Looking at Cesare's proud face, I don't think I need to say anything.
“You’ve reduced the gap with Lady Veronica from ten years to six years. To think that you’ve accomplished this much in just one month... If you keep doing this, then the next plan will be fine.”
It was a word that sounded somehow suspicious. 'Next plan'.
“What’s next? What’s that?”
“I plan to publish Young Lady’s story in the newspaper.”
"Oh."
Isabella's eyes widened. My expression was probably not much different from hers. Cesare explained slowly.
“The Emperor has been in seclusion for a long time due to health problems. If all had gone as planned, someone from the palace should have come last week, but it has already been a week. His Majesty does not believe the evidence of the Princess that Ashkhabad presented.”
“...”
“Even if you were to become the true Princess without His Majesty’s support, you would have a hard time winning right away. You would have to wait for the results of the temple inspection and then spend the rest of the year filing a lawsuit to prove that it wasn’t rigged.”
Isabella nodded seriously and accepted Cesare's words.
“So, before that, you’re trying to charm the people of the empire in advance. Even if He is the Emperor, He must meet Young Lady at least once.”
“Yes, people love a touching story and want the protagonist of that story to do well, especially if they come from a similar background.”
Are they of similar origins? Those in power think that there is only a gap between commoners and nobles, but the reality is a bit different.
There was discrimination even among the common people. I mean, very vicious and chronic discrimination that arose from money.
I came from a back alley where I was treated as the lowest class among the commoners. If the commoners knew this, they wouldn't support me easily.
Rather, they will just be looking for an opportunity to look down on me. Maybe there will be people who will feel dissatisfied that I am a fake and that this kind of luck did not come to them.
Cesare nodded and accepted my words, seemingly noticing my curiosity.
“Of course, I will hide the fact that you're from a back alley. I will also hide the fact that you was raised by a pickpocket and a pimp. I will naturally tell the story that you lost your memory due to the shock and were raised by a kind old lady, learning manners and etiquette. Then, while searching for your family, you caught the Duke’s eye.”
I crossed my arms with a look of discontent. It was a perfectly neat dramatization, considering my situation as a rat in a cesspool.
But Olga was upset to hear herself being belittled like that from someone else's mouth.
“Olga was neither a pimp nor a pickpocket. She was someone who took care of orphans.”
“I know, but most people either don’t know the difference or don’t even care.”
“...”
“However, it would be the Young Lady’s weakness.”
As frustrating as it was, Cesare had a point. People are generally not kind to those in lower positions than themselves.
Even if they shower you with sympathy, it means they don't think of you as an equal. No one would welcome someone they looked down on suddenly rising above them.
It wasn't hard to read people's evil intentions. The people I've met in the past eighteen years have all been like this.
“If rumors spread that you are protecting Her Highness the Princess, several newspapers will request an interview. I will select two or three newspapers and schedule an appointment. There are probably no newspapers among the commoners that are friendly to the Imperial Family, but if it is a Princess who grew up among the commoners...”
“That would be a very interesting article. I agree. If you schedule it for next week or so, Young Lady’s pronunciation will be perfectly prepared.”
Isabella answered briskly.
“Yes. This alone will earn you a more favorable view than the Duke of Kairak. She has followed a perfectly aristocratic path to success.”
...So what about me? What’s my opinion?
I never knew Isabella and Cesare could get along so well.
What color dress should I wear, what makeup should I wear... The details of the plan began to be refined, leaving me out.
You want to publish my article in the newspaper? That means you're openly and actively trying to deceive my identity. Since I can't possibly be the real Princess, if you do that, all that's left is for me to be branded a great fraud.
Looking at Cesare's recent actions, it seemed like he was planning to make my bloodline real even if it turned out to be fake...
Is this okay? Is it really okay to just let things flow like this? Even though I was calm as if nothing had happened, my heart would suddenly start beating very fast repeatedly.
I felt like I had done something terribly wrong, but I had already come too far to back out. I felt a chill down my spine.
At the end of the morning training, I heard from Cesare that the Duke was looking for me.
I headed to the Duke's training grounds under Cesare's guidance. As we entered the path leading to the training grounds, Cesare gave me a stern warning.
“It’s going to be very messy. Just stick close to me and follow me.”
I soon realized why. Dozens of wooden crates were piled up in the wide open space, and the knights were busily loading something onto the carriage.
There were a dozen or so carriages and three times as many horses. I walked closely behind Cesare, who was entering the scene of chaos with brisk strides as if he was used to it.
“Huh? Sir Cesare. What brings you here?”
The voice that suddenly interrupted sounded young and refreshing. It was a boy with a nice, upturned nose.
He continued speaking cheerfully, tossing his red hair.
“You’ve been busy. Lately, you’ve been messing around with some girl or something... Uh, oh, um...”
The young man who had been talking nonsense opened his eyes wide when he saw me.
Yeah, what kind of girl is this?
“You look very elegant.”
I was pushed by the maids to stand in front of the mirror.
In the mirror, there was not me, but a completely unfamiliar woman. An elegant, glamorous, sophisticated, and gorgeous woman. A woman adorned in gold from head to toe.
Every time I moved my body slightly, gasps erupted from the surroundings, but the awkward feeling did not go away. I whispered in embarrassment.
“How much will it cost? I don’t know if I have enough money to buy this.”
“The Duke has already paid the full price.”
“His Excellently?”
Isabella answered happily, smoothing the folds of my dress.
“The Duke first told me that he wanted to make a few dresses for Young Lady. Since they were alterations of clothes worn by the previous duchess, they were somewhat out of style.”
“That muslin dress in particular has a very old-fashioned feel.”
I glanced at the muslin dress I had taken off. I thought it was simple, although the frills were somewhat voluminous and the shoulders were somewhat deep. Even the shape of the ribbon around the waist seemed to be in style.
Lisa smiled and answered.
“He told me that if there was anything Young Lady wanted, I should buy it regardless of the price.”
Since they both had such happy expressions, I was also getting carried away by the atmosphere, and my mood was slowly getting better.
I turned my upper body slightly and looked at myself in the mirror. I felt a little uncomfortable because I was wearing underwear for the first time, but seeing my body with all the fat gone, I thought I could bear it.
Isabella added, adjusting the hem of my skirt.
“When you enter the palace, it would be good to have five sets of dark-colored clothes, like the ones you have now. Ivory or lime green would also go well, but they would look too bright.”
“Isn’t that okay?”
“It’s not impossible, but you have to make a strong impression on the palace people at first. Save that kind of color for later.”
What a strong impression it has on the palace people. I never once thought that this plan would go through to the end.
The reason I was able to attend classes and play with dolls without complaining was because I knew that someday, all these misconceptions would be corrected.
They would soon realize that there had been a mistake, that I was not of noble blood. At least, that was what the people from the palace would say when they saw me.
I followed Isabella and smiled brightly, hiding my peaceful feelings.
***
“That’s great.”
I smiled as I poured the rest of the tea into the cup.
I didn't think I could smile as gracefully as I wanted to because I had been straining my chin and back to keep the book on my head from falling, but that didn't matter.
I never got tired of hearing compliments, especially when it came to manners, which was my weakest point.
“Your behavior has become noticeably calmer. If you just correct your somewhat weak pronunciation a little more, it will be perfect. Now, please raise your glass.”
I picked up the teacup, smelled the aroma, and lightly moistened my lips. Even the motion of putting it back down was neat and clean, without a single unnecessary detail.
As Isabella's face grew happier, a sense of pride surged through me. Of course. This was the result of weeks of hard work.
“Can you give me a break now?”
I was so excited that I lifted my chin and almost dropped the book on the table.
Isabella quickly put on a stern face as if to say, "When did you smile so happily?"
“I can’t praise you because you get cocky so easily. You shouldn’t let your guard down.”
“But it’s not an empty promise to say that you felt it a lot.”
When I slumped my shoulders, it was Cesare who picked me up this time.
He put down a stack of papers marked in red ink next to his teacup. It was the test I had seen that morning. Surprisingly, there were more red circles than I had expected.
“It was a Luxor College exam question from last year. It was quite difficult, but you barely passed.”
I pretended to focus on my teacup because I was so touched. I was lucky that a lot of the questions came up in the section I reviewed yesterday, and I guessed through most of the complicated history and grammar questions...
Looking at Cesare's proud face, I don't think I need to say anything.
“You’ve reduced the gap with Lady Veronica from ten years to six years. To think that you’ve accomplished this much in just one month... If you keep doing this, then the next plan will be fine.”
It was a word that sounded somehow suspicious. 'Next plan'.
“What’s next? What’s that?”
“I plan to publish Young Lady’s story in the newspaper.”
"Oh."
Isabella's eyes widened. My expression was probably not much different from hers. Cesare explained slowly.
“The Emperor has been in seclusion for a long time due to health problems. If all had gone as planned, someone from the palace should have come last week, but it has already been a week. His Majesty does not believe the evidence of the Princess that Ashkhabad presented.”
“...”
“Even if you were to become the true Princess without His Majesty’s support, you would have a hard time winning right away. You would have to wait for the results of the temple inspection and then spend the rest of the year filing a lawsuit to prove that it wasn’t rigged.”
Isabella nodded seriously and accepted Cesare's words.
“So, before that, you’re trying to charm the people of the empire in advance. Even if He is the Emperor, He must meet Young Lady at least once.”
“Yes, people love a touching story and want the protagonist of that story to do well, especially if they come from a similar background.”
Are they of similar origins? Those in power think that there is only a gap between commoners and nobles, but the reality is a bit different.
There was discrimination even among the common people. I mean, very vicious and chronic discrimination that arose from money.
I came from a back alley where I was treated as the lowest class among the commoners. If the commoners knew this, they wouldn't support me easily.
Rather, they will just be looking for an opportunity to look down on me. Maybe there will be people who will feel dissatisfied that I am a fake and that this kind of luck did not come to them.
Cesare nodded and accepted my words, seemingly noticing my curiosity.
“Of course, I will hide the fact that you're from a back alley. I will also hide the fact that you was raised by a pickpocket and a pimp. I will naturally tell the story that you lost your memory due to the shock and were raised by a kind old lady, learning manners and etiquette. Then, while searching for your family, you caught the Duke’s eye.”
I crossed my arms with a look of discontent. It was a perfectly neat dramatization, considering my situation as a rat in a cesspool.
But Olga was upset to hear herself being belittled like that from someone else's mouth.
“Olga was neither a pimp nor a pickpocket. She was someone who took care of orphans.”
“I know, but most people either don’t know the difference or don’t even care.”
“...”
“However, it would be the Young Lady’s weakness.”
As frustrating as it was, Cesare had a point. People are generally not kind to those in lower positions than themselves.
Even if they shower you with sympathy, it means they don't think of you as an equal. No one would welcome someone they looked down on suddenly rising above them.
It wasn't hard to read people's evil intentions. The people I've met in the past eighteen years have all been like this.
“If rumors spread that you are protecting Her Highness the Princess, several newspapers will request an interview. I will select two or three newspapers and schedule an appointment. There are probably no newspapers among the commoners that are friendly to the Imperial Family, but if it is a Princess who grew up among the commoners...”
“That would be a very interesting article. I agree. If you schedule it for next week or so, Young Lady’s pronunciation will be perfectly prepared.”
Isabella answered briskly.
“Yes. This alone will earn you a more favorable view than the Duke of Kairak. She has followed a perfectly aristocratic path to success.”
...So what about me? What’s my opinion?
I never knew Isabella and Cesare could get along so well.
What color dress should I wear, what makeup should I wear... The details of the plan began to be refined, leaving me out.
You want to publish my article in the newspaper? That means you're openly and actively trying to deceive my identity. Since I can't possibly be the real Princess, if you do that, all that's left is for me to be branded a great fraud.
Looking at Cesare's recent actions, it seemed like he was planning to make my bloodline real even if it turned out to be fake...
Is this okay? Is it really okay to just let things flow like this? Even though I was calm as if nothing had happened, my heart would suddenly start beating very fast repeatedly.
I felt like I had done something terribly wrong, but I had already come too far to back out. I felt a chill down my spine.
***
At the end of the morning training, I heard from Cesare that the Duke was looking for me.
I headed to the Duke's training grounds under Cesare's guidance. As we entered the path leading to the training grounds, Cesare gave me a stern warning.
“It’s going to be very messy. Just stick close to me and follow me.”
I soon realized why. Dozens of wooden crates were piled up in the wide open space, and the knights were busily loading something onto the carriage.
There were a dozen or so carriages and three times as many horses. I walked closely behind Cesare, who was entering the scene of chaos with brisk strides as if he was used to it.
“Huh? Sir Cesare. What brings you here?”
The voice that suddenly interrupted sounded young and refreshing. It was a boy with a nice, upturned nose.
He continued speaking cheerfully, tossing his red hair.
“You’ve been busy. Lately, you’ve been messing around with some girl or something... Uh, oh, um...”
The young man who had been talking nonsense opened his eyes wide when he saw me.
Yeah, what kind of girl is this?
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