I smiled brightly at the child, who looked visibly nervous.
However, I had no intention of forcing Linea to do anything.
I simply waited for her to come out of the room on her own.
Linea mumbled with a hesitant expression.
Instead of rushing, I waited with a smile still on my face.
"..."
Linea let out a small gasp. Then, as if finally having made up her mind, she stepped out of the room and closed the door.
I smiled brightly, proud of the child for finally taking a step toward me.
“Shall we go?”
Saying that, I stood up and reached out my hand toward Linea.
Linea's gaze lingered on my palm for a moment.
"Huh?"
I tilted my head toward Linea, who was dawdling with a hesitant look.
Then, the child belatedly reached out with a thin hand and tightly grasped my hand.
'It's too small.'
I don't know much about children's developmental processes, but I knew that Linea was small for her age of 10.
I carefully held Linea's hand.
Although thin, her palms were soft and pliable.
'Cute!'
Linea's cheeks, still chubby, were so adorable!
I bit my lip tightly as I looked down at the child.
If I were a mother, I wouldn't have been able to throw it away without wildly kissing those chubby cheeks.
If I do that now, I won't be able to see even a single strand of Linea's hair in my lifetime.
"Our plan for today is to eat something delicious first, and then go see our friends!"
"Friend..."
"Yes?"
"No."
I could keenly sense from Linea's words that she seemed to be hiding something.
'Linea has no friends.'
In the extremely close-knit aristocratic society, connections were built from a young age, so there was a system where guardians introduced their children to one another and helped them make friends.
'But when my mother-in-law went to parties, she would enjoy herself to her heart's content all by herself and wouldn't care at all what Linea did.'
Furthermore, Linea had rarely been able to attend parties unless she absolutely had to go to save face.
So naturally, she had few opportunities to become close with her peers.
It was written in the original work that even if she went, she would always rotate between three dresses that looked too small, so no child would approach her first to try and become friends.
The funny thing is, the Count Delmore family wasn't well-off, but they weren't poor either.
'Of course, money isn't the measure of happiness, but you have to spend at least the minimum amount on child-rearing, right?'
If my mother-in-law just cut the luxury items she buys every month in half, she could buy Linea a decent dress.
Linea is currently being ignored by her peers because it is obvious that she is not being cared for.
Among them, the supporting character who disregarded Linea the most severely was Janice of Baron Attilini's family.
It was revealed that Jenice did not like Linea much since childhood.
More accurately, it was closer to Baron and Baroness Attilini managing their daughter's friendships from a young age.
'That ill-fated relationship continues, and later, when the two become adults, they become rivals fighting for the position of Empress.'
Of course, I didn't necessarily want Linea to marry the Crown Prince.
Ah. Of course, even more so with the Duke, who is much older and surrounded by unsavory rumors!
'If Linea meets a good person when the time comes, she can just go with them. If she doesn't want to get married, I can just support her for the rest of her life.'
I went out to the main road with Linea.
Normally, the coachman would have taken me to Countess Annexa's mansion around 2 p.m., but not today.
“Here!”
As I waved my hand toward the three carriages I had called earlier, Linea waved her hand along with me, thinking she had to do the same.
"Pfft."
Linea shyly lowered her hand because I let out a small laugh at how funny her white hand was fluttering.
"I did it because you were cute. Let's go, let's go!"
I boarded the carriage that approached us and set off for the center of the capital with Linea.
***
Robbardy, the largest commercial district in the capital's city center.
This place was truly on the fast track to the latest trends.
And the boutique Talote, which I had reserved in advance, was a place that sold dresses and accessories with designs that were currently very popular among girls from aristocratic families.
"The Count Delmore's house, booked for 11 a.m. today."
"Oh, welcome. I will guide you to Room 2."
The interior was decorated with marble and fancy chandeliers, making it the epitome of luxury.
When I entered Room 2 and sat down, a staff member spoke to me kindly.
"We will select and bring dresses in the size for Miss Delmore. Please wait a moment."
“I understand.”
While the employee went to choose a dress that would fit Linea, Linea seemed bewildered by the situation.
Linea timidly muttered at the high-end store she was visiting for the first time.
“This is..."
"I made a lot of money this time, so I wanted to dress up Linea in some pretty clothes."
Linea looked up at me as I said that and shook her head in surprise.
“Oh, no!”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
"I don't need a dress like this. I don't think it's something I can wear."
Even as he said that, his gaze was fixed on the dress on the mannequin standing inside the room.
I chuckled to myself.
There is no way young children would dislike a sparkly princess dress.
Linea’s eyes, as she glanced sideways at the pretty dress she had only watched her friends wear, also showed a subtle hint that she wanted to try it on.
But I suppose she would feel bad and burdened accepting what I buy for her.
"Oh, dear. Then what should we do? We can't even get back the money we spent to book this place today."
“Madam, is it expensive?”
"Yeah! So, could Linea just try on the clothes once?"
Linea quietly nodded at those words.
It was a pity to see her looking so downcast, but I will definitely make Linea happy!
"Thank you."
"No. It was my wish to dress Linea in pretty clothes. Thank you for granting my wish."
Upon hearing those words, Linea's white, soft cheeks twitched.
It was a look of embarrassment, yet one that did not indicate dislike of the situation.
It was then.
With a knock, the door opened, and an employee entered, pushing a mobile hanger loaded with dozens of dresses.
She began to chatter incessantly as she began to take Linea's measurements in earnest.
"It looks like our customer will only need a few minor alterations after purchasing the clothes today. Oh, your daughter is so pretty."
“I agree with that.”
I proudly boasted about Linea's cuteness, even though I didn't give birth to her.
"There isn't a single part of our Linea that isn't cute. She's round-faced, angelically pretty, and even kind."
"Oh my, I see it that way too."
Linea was at a loss for words at the back-and-forth compliments.
A fiery rosy glow gradually spread across Linea's mochi-like cheeks.
It didn't seem like she disliked it, but it was clear that she was shy.
"What color do you like for Linea? Personally, since Linea is blonde, I think sky blue or light pink would suit her well."
"The lace really suits our baby customer!"
"The ribbon is cute, too!"
Linea silently changed her clothes and came out, following my and the staff's insistence that she continue the fashion show.
"This is it! I should dress you in this for the tea party today!"
When I excitedly shouted that I had found a light pink dress that was a perfect match for Linea, the staff member agreed.
"It’s really pretty!”
"Then I guess I'll buy every dress I've seen so far. Would it be possible to have them altered and sent to the Delmore estate by 9 a.m. tomorrow?"
"Oh my goodness, customer, I'll be here as soon as it turns 9 a.m. tomorrow!"
It was only natural that the service improved since I bought several considerably expensive dresses at once.
I asked the employee for one more thing.
"And is there a dress among the designs similar to the one Linea is wearing right now that I could wear?"
At the tea party today, I had to let Linea know that I now have a reliable stepmother.
The employee took my measurements and soon returned with a few dresses.
I chose the safest option among them. I didn't really need anything expensive.
"I'll take this one. Can I wear it now?"
“Of course, Ma'am!”
I wore a light pink dress similar to Linea's and left the store after paying.
"Hands up, it's easy to get lost!"
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