The mother-in-law was puzzled by the sound she had never heard before.
"What are you talking about?"
"So, having come into a large sum of money overnight, I recently succeeded in an investment."
I pointed at the man across from me.
"That man right there is the manager who serves only VIPs at Boutique Talote, a place I've been frequenting lately."
"So?"
I said to my mother-in-law, who looked increasingly confused about where the story was leading.
"You know there is a very hard-to-find dress sold only to VIPs with a high track record, right?"
"...I know. Isn't it what I want?"
"That's right. So, I've been building up my sales record for quite some time now to buy one for my mother."
I lifted the hem of my dress slightly, as if to show it off.
And with a really disappointed expression, I pouted and shook my head.
"But now that I've finally built up enough credits to buy a dress, oh my goodness! Mary."
I let out a small sigh and glared at Mary.
"To frame me with such a ridiculous accusation just because you suspected the relationship between me and the manager—aren't you ashamed? I was the only one who cooperated with you, even regularly giving you silver coins!"
“What do you mean?”
"When I gave you money, you told me in advance about the mistress's schedule or your plans to play a trick on me, didn't you?"
I tilted my head nonchalantly.
"Otherwise, how would I know your name? I don't know the names of any of the other maids."
The mother-in-law's eyes instantly filled with suspicion.
They were not bound by a relationship of trust. Since they were entangled solely out of the necessity to use each other, betrayal and distrust were easy.
Even if it just throws in a tiny bit of possibility.
"Mother, that manager is practically the one who controls who gets that dress, so to treat him like this!"
I scolded Mary.
"Can't you let me go right now and apologize?"
"B-but that can't be true. No, this person definitely never said anything like that."
And finally, the man opened his mouth toward the mother-in-law, who was standing there with a look on her face that showed she still didn't know who to trust between Mary and me.
"It is all true. Countess Delmore earnestly requested it, so I assured her that I would try to arrange a dress, but..."
The manager spoke in a cold voice.
"I don't think it will work."
Then Mary pressed him with a look that said, 'Eh?'
"No, you clearly told me you were on close terms with Asha Delmore and came here willingly, didn't you? Why are you changing your story?"
"I am indeed Ruben Carlen, the manager of Boutique Talote in Lombardy. Here is my business card as well."
He took a business card out of his inner pocket and handed it to his mother-in-law.
"I will pass this dress on to the next person, but other dresses are available anytime, so please feel free to visit."
Then, Ruben politely bowed to my mother-in-law as if his role were finished and left the Count's mansion.
My gaze briefly met Ruben's as he passed by.
I just gave him a light nod.
In the midst of this, Mary was pleading her innocence.
"No! I definitely saw the two of them meeting alone and being affectionate at 7 a.m. this morning! I saw everything, including them returning later and taking Miss Linea out again at 9 a.m."
"I met briefly at 7 a.m. and asked if they were definitely delivering the dress to us. Today is the day the dress is being received."
I held up two fingers and continued speaking.
"There were only two sets in the capital. Countess Annexa had already claimed one, and we were able to get the remaining one..."
Saying that, I trailed off.
The faces of the mother-in-law and Mary were distorted pleasingly, reflecting different emotions.
I let out a small, deep sigh, as if to show off.
It was then.
The reason I heard my mother-in-law's lion's roar in my ears.
"Hey!"
At the same time, my lips formed an arc.
So, all of this goes back to 7 p.m. yesterday.
***
After finishing my communication with Carcel, I asked Linea.
"I'll be right back. Linea, would you like to grab a snack at that dessert shop over there? I'll be right back."
"Okay!"
After ordering a brownie and ice cream, and asking a shop owner I already knew to get Linea for me, I entered a nearby alley.
As business hours were slowly beginning, the street was still quiet.
“Master!”
As I smiled broadly and acknowledged him, the Master let out a low sigh.
"Yes."
It seemed he had noticed that I had something else to say.
"I have a favor to ask. Can I come into the kitchen for a moment?"
So I went all the way into the kitchen's ingredient storage and abruptly asked the master for a favor.
"Please connect me with Talote's manager."
"Why?"
"Because I have information to sell. It’s information he’s been looking for for a long time."
The eyes hidden behind the Master's mask looked puzzled.
I gave him an additional explanation.
"I found out where the ex-lover Talote's manager is so desperate to find. And since I'll be paid something other than money, connect them as soon as possible."
How did you know?
This is information from one of the stories related to Linea.
Actually, Linea ends up solving all the problems for the supporting characters here and there. It wasn't her intention, though.
True to the heroine of a Cinderella story, Linea does good deeds and leaves with a smile without expecting anything in return.
But I'm a snob, so I can't do that.
So the Master contacted the manager that day, and the manager replied that they could meet at 7 a.m. tomorrow.
The man, who had seemed suspicious of me, received the information. And afterwards, he agreed to act as I wanted when the time came.
'My mother-in-law is extremely greedy and craves attention, so there is nothing better than Talote's limited-edition dresses.'
It's also something that was wanted several times in the story.
Amusingly, the mother-in-law was boxing in the air, thinking of Countess Annexa as her rival all by herself.
So, I was going to buy 'that' dress that Countess Annexa bought, but I couldn't because of Mary?
'She'll torment Mary to death and kick her out.'
Now, it is Mary, not me, who will have her future blocked by the spreading malicious scandal.
My mother-in-law is truly a natural talent when it comes to that.
As I expected, my mother-in-law reached out her hand toward Mary, with a face turning red and blue with anger.
"You said with your own mouth that that guy is my daughter-in-law's lover!"
"I, I actually thought so. I really did say that."
Mary's flustered words are also true.
What is written in this notebook is information I planted for myself to see, and that man told Mary, who was following him, that we were 'intimate' just as I had instructed.
Seeing how willingly he joined my play, he might have found his ex-lover.
'It was a look on his face as if he was about to run over and check it out right away.'
It was a beautiful love story about supporting characters, about how Linea brought together his first love from his teens, who had broken up due to parental opposition, and then coincidentally met the two of them 10 years later.
'I never thought it would be used like this.'
I smiled and said.
"Mother, I'll buy it for you next time if the opportunity arises. That is, if such an 'opportunity' exists."
I took Linea's hand and went upstairs, avoiding my mother-in-law, who was already frantically tearing Mary's hair out.
It seemed like we were already on their radar.
Torn hair flew through the air, and screams rang out.
And Linea remained quiet even after I came up, washed her, dried her hair, and even dressed her in pajamas.
She is the kind of child who would usually laugh when I played with her hair while washing her.
Both Linea and I were well prepared.
I patted Linea's chest as she lay in bed and asked.
"Are you very tired, baby?"
Then Linea shook her head.
"Then why are you so quiet today? Huh?"
Feeling mischievous, I slipped my hand under the blanket and started tickling Linea's side.
"Is something wrong? Can't you tell me?"
I was secretly worried that my mother-in-law might have triggered a trauma again because she yelled today.
Did my feelings connect? Linea eventually burst into giggles.
"Whyyy, are you keeping secrets between us? Huh?"
"If I tell you... I'm afraid it might burden my mother."
"Me? What do you mean!"
After I persistently pried into her, Linea finally opened up her heart.
"I really thought Grandma was going to kick Mom out today."
"I won't be kicked out for that. I have to get my Linea out; what kind of mom gets tired that easily? I have to dig deep and escape with Linea."
At those words, Linea was speechless for a moment.
I opened my eyes wide.
“Why?”
However, instead of speaking, Linea immediately turned her head away and buried her face deep into the pillow.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment