“Yes. The rouge definitely highlights her tiny lips, and her proud smile looks very noble.”

Jennie had served a number of ladies before coming to Claymore and knew how to compliment well. She used every word she knew to praise Elise’s beauty.

Her tongue that hadn’t easily moved in front of noble ladies moved freely this time. It was because she really meant what she was saying. She wasn’t just flattering her.

“Yes, she will look even prettier if she smiles proudly with more confidence,” the other maids also agreed with Jennie and added.

Rubica was happier than anyone else at hearing that and said, “Yes, right?”

She continued to nod to their compliments, but she didn’t shriek again. She was back to being the calm and wise duchess.

‘… what was that?’

‘She was probably just a little excited for a moment.’

‘Yes. Actually, I was a little surprised too. I couldn’t believe my own eyes even after seeing her being changed.’

The maids exchanged glances and silently reached a conclusion while Rubica was still happily looking at the shy Elise, so she didn’t notice what the others were doing.

“Then…”

Getting so much attention made the girl get more and more nervous. They were all kind to her, but she still found it too much.

“Should I take it off now?”

She thought this was some kind of doll play. Although she hadn’t officially started working as the lady-in-waiting, she decided she had at least given some fun to her mistress. To be honest, although she had been nervous, she enjoyed it. However, she couldn’t stay that way any longer. She had neither the money nor power to buy such an expensive dress. She feared she might end up wanting to have it if she were to wear it just a bit longer. It would be better to take it off.

“Take it off?”

Rubica widened her eyes and asked back. Her auburn eyes momentarily glowed in the light.

“It’s your dress, I cannot keep wearing it…”

“You have it!”

Rubica cut her short so that she wouldn’t be able to say more negative things. Her fairy was supposed to take what others gave her. That’s what fitted her. Looking down and the hesitating attitude only diminished her beauty.

“Have it? But Your Grace, how can I dare to have your dress?”

“This dress isn’t right for me, I would never wear it even if I keep it. But it looks so good on you. It’s like it was made just for you. I think it would also be better for the dress to be worn by someone who looks good in it than to rot in my closet.”

However, it was too much. It was too expensive. She was not worth it. Elise wanted to tell her anxiety to Rubica, but she feared it might offend her. Even Ann couldn’t see her like that anymore and spoke, “Ms. Elise, you should take it.”

“But…”

“It is common for a mistress to pass on her dresses to her ladies-in-waiting. Now you are the lady-in-waiting of Claymore. What you wear is related to the family’s honor and pride. Her Grace has graciously given you a gift, so you should gladly take it.”

Still, the dress was way too expensive. Elise gulped hard as she looked at herself in the mirror. There were rubies decorated on the stomacher, although they were small. Moreover, the fabric must have been imported. The Kingdom of Seritos wasn’t capable of making such fabric. It was a dress that befitted the daughter of a prestigious family, not a lady-in-waiting. After all, it had come out from the duchess’ closet.

However, what Ann was saying also made sense. Ladies-in-waiting had a duty to wear dresses good enough not to defame their mistress.

Unfortunately, Elise couldn’t afford to buy such dresses. She was going to be paid, but such a dress was probably worth more than her wages for four months.

“Thank… you, Your Grace. I’m sorry for trying to refuse your generosity.”

“No, no.”

Rubica had been listening to Ann and came to her senses at hearing Elise speak to her. She realized Ann was telling Elise to think of her poverty and accept the dress as nicely as possible.

However, Rubica had just been excited about the girl’s beauty she had finally managed to find. So, she just wanted her to wear the dress she had found. She hadn’t thought about her being poor and how she should dress as a lady-in-waiting. Rubica felt ashamed. She had not cared about the girl’s situation despite her age. She just easily lost her reason in front of beauty even with her old age.

“I’m glad you’re accepting it. Please wear it often.”

Elise slightly smiled at hearing that. That smile was proud and enchanting like a night fairy’s smile.

‘She will catch everyone’s attention in society.’

Her heart pounded. She could almost already see people staring at Elise’s beauty. She couldn’t wait to see that.

However, she couldn’t hold a luxurious ball during the agricultural season. If it was going to just diminish her fame, she wouldn’t have cared. But the host and all the guests of a ball held in the agricultural season would be punished. So, no one would come at all in the first place. That was a law unique to Seritos that other kingdoms didn’t have.

As the kingdom always lacked food, it turned a blind eye on all the other extravagance of the aristocrats but didn’t forgive holding balls in the agricultural season. Rubica also liked that law as it showed the king cared about his people at least a little bit.

“Oh, I wish winter was already here.”

“Winter?”

“So that I could see you dance in that dress at balls. Everyone would be so surprised to see you.”

However, the girl only frowned. She had no good memory of any balls. She had always waited alone behind walls to be asked to dance, but no man offered her a hand. There were only miserable and embarrassing memories. She never wanted to go to balls again if she could.

“Your Grace, but I’m always a wallflower* during balls. I need a partner to dance. I will… never be able to dance.”

“It might have been true before, but now…”

Rubica sounded firm, and the maids nodded as well. They were sure many noblemen in the capital would be following the girl around.

“They will regret not recognizing your beauty sooner.”

“It might be hard for you to be at Her Grace’s side because of all your suitors.”

They all spoke in one voice, and Elise was shocked. She couldn’t even be sure if they were all talking about her, or someone else.

“Elise, are you a good dancer?”

“Oh, um, I’m not that good at dancing.”

“Then start practicing. You will have to dance a lot starting this winter.”

And then, dancing was immediately added to the lessons Elise was supposed to take from now right on the spot.

‘Oh, I wish winter would come quickly! I am definitely taking Elise with me when I go to the capital no matter what.’

Rubica determinedly told herself. People were going to be so shocked to see the girl, who they had once ignored, had transformed into a beautiful flower. They would have to apologize to her for their foolishness. It just felt so good to imagine all that.

***

While Rubica was being busy with renovating the annex and hiring Elise as her lady-in-waiting, there was a man who was just as busy as her. Lord Sesar was delightedly smiling at seeing his greenhouse being built. It was located in a corner of the mansion’s garden, slightly away from west-north. He had decided to live in a small hut right next to the greenhouse.

“Are these all the saplings you have brought today?”

“Yes, these are all the vine roses we can find.”

Sesar took out a magnifying glass and carefully examined the various roses planted in pots. Various colors and huge buds, they were all roses famous for their beauty. He had spent almost as much as his entire wealth to get that many roses.

His work was costing a lot. He wouldn’t even have dared to try it if Rubica hadn’t invested in his research, and Sesar didn’t waste that money. He found every bad or ill rose and took it out. The merchant already lost his nerves to see he was much more thorough than he had expected.

“Hmm…”

Sesar finished examining the plants and smacked. The merchant was worried as he was hesitating instead of taking out the gold coins from his pouch and paying. Most clients he had met till now had been flower shop owners. Sesar also looked no different from them. Long boots that came up to his knees and dirt on his clothes. He even had dirt on his white beard. However, Sesar was completely different. He was doing a lot of strange thing like ordering bits of various plants instead of buying a huge amount of one plant saplings. The merchant really didn’t know how to handle him.

‘… it would be bad if he cancels his order.’

The order’s price had been set higher than the average market price. Moreover, the trustworthy Claymore Family was going to pay that money. The merchant had thought he had met great fortune when he first got the job. He even opened an expensive bottle of wine that night. However, he sweated hard at seeing Sesar being much harder to deal with than he had imagined. It looked like there wasn’t such a thing as easy money in the world.

*Wallflower: a girl who is never asked to dance.