As the years passed, both Ariella and Lizzy eventually came of age.
Having grown up enjoying the privileges of being Ariella’s close aide, Lizzy became even more beautiful. Her voluptuous figure, soft skin, and well-kept hair were all traits more befitting a lady of high status than a maid from the slums.
Whenever Lizzy fluttered her long eyelashes and her large eyes sparkled, the servants would rush to take care of her share of the work. Sometimes, even Ariella’s acquaintances would find themselves intrigued by Lizzy.
However, Lizzy did not respond at all to the attention of those young men.
It was as if her interests lay elsewhere entirely.
“Miss, when you go to see His Highness the Crown Prince, wear this instead of those earrings. He prefers jewelry made of gold.”
On a day when spring rain fell silently.
As Ariella sat in front of the mirror, preparing to meet her fiancé Aaron, Lizzy suddenly thrust a pair of earrings at her.
Gold earrings set with large diamonds. Among her jewelry, it was one of the more expensive pieces.
Ariella slowly rolled her eyes to look at Lizzy. At that, Lizzy’s face turned somewhat flushed, and she hurriedly waved her hands.
“Oh! Please don’t misunderstand, Miss! I just thought they would look good on you…”
“Misunderstand?”
Ariella tilted her head slightly.
What could there be to misunderstand?
Her calm expression seemed to say so.
Even though her maid knew her fiancé’s tastes, which she herself did not, Ariella did not suspect or interrogate Lizzy. She merely held the earrings up to her ears as Lizzy had suggested.
This meant that she trusted Lizzy to that extent, but for some reason, Lizzy did not seem entirely pleased with that trust.
“Ha.”
Lizzy let out a short sound that was either a scoff or a sigh through her twisted lips. Then she shook her head as if to dismiss it.
Soon, her plump lips curved into a slant, drawing a line.
“Oh my, Miss. Now that I see it again, I think those earrings don’t suit you at all.”
Saying this, she stepped closer to Ariella.
Thwack!
A sharp sensation brushed against the tips of Ariella’s fingers. Lizzy had snatched the earrings from Ariella’s hand.
Not stopping there, she held the dazzling earrings up to her own ears.
“How about it? They suit me much better, right?”
Lizzy asked with her characteristic charming smile.
Ariella, momentarily at a loss for words, stared blankly at the earrings dangling from beneath Lizzy’s earlobe.
The long, dangling style of the earrings suited Lizzy, whose jaw was short and cheeks pleasantly plump. As she said, they seemed to fit Lizzy better than Ariella.
However, this was not the time to be concerned about jewelry design.
A cool gaze lingered on Lizzy’s face.
As the atmosphere suddenly turned cold, Lizzy instinctively flinched, but soon regained her composure.
Years of experience had taught her.
Even if she crossed the line, Ariella would only look at her like this, never truly getting angry. Even the cold gaze would quickly dissipate with a few playful gestures.
“Miss, can you give these to me? Please, pretty please?”
Lizzy pouted her innocent face, blinking her large eyes like a young, cute animal, tilting her head. As expected, Ariella gathered her gaze after a small sigh.
“That’s not possible.”
“Why not? You don’t even wear them.”
“They were a birthday gift from my father. They were also given by the royal family.”
Even though it wasn’t the gift she had wanted, she couldn’t just dispose of something given by the royal family of Abercorn.
Even aside from that, Ariella would not give Lizzy anything excessively expensive. Owning precious items meant bearing the corresponding risks.
“…I’ll buy you something similar soon.”
“No, that’s okay.”
I don’t need something similar, Lizzy added as she placed the earrings back on the vanity. Then she smiled as if it truly didn’t matter.
With a bright smile, Lizzy leaned down, bringing her face close to Ariella’s. As their cheeks nearly touched, Ariella turned her gaze to the mirror.
“By the way, Miss. I just realized… don’t we look quite alike?”
It was such a sudden change of topic. Ariella raised an eyebrow and looked at Lizzy in the mirror.
The smiling Lizzy and her own bewildered expression filled her view.
The two women reflected in the mirror bore a striking resemblance.
Whereas the differences between a noble lady and a girl from the slums had been clear before, now they seemed so similar that they could be sisters born of the same womb.
If one were to find differences, it would be that Ariella’s skin was a bit whiter, her hair and eyes lighter in color, and while Ariella had a slender and elegant impression, Lizzy exuded a plump and cute charm.
