And not long after, whispers from the maids could be heard.
“……Did you just hear?”
“They said she sent the carriage back on purpose! She rode back with the Crown Prince, and Miss Ariella had to walk back alone!”
“My goodness, how pitiful. She’s lived her whole life as a noble lady.”
“But is it really true?”
“If it’s not true?”
“Well, Aurora said that Miss Ariella has been subtly belittling Lady Lizzy with lies. Isn’t this also a lie?”
“No way!”
“Let’s go ask Henrik. Then we’ll know the truth!”
The whispering group quickly dashed to the stables. Henrik, the coachman who drove Ariella’s carriage, would surely know the truth.
It wouldn’t take long for new rumors about Lizzy to spread.
‘Good, I was pitiful again today.’
Ariella took light steps toward her room.
And shortly after, she encountered Amira, who came rushing out with a cloth in one hand.
“Miss, how was the dinner party?”
She still hadn’t heard the news that her lady had walked back without a carriage. She had been too focused on cleaning the room.
Now that she was a personal maid, she didn’t have to do such chores, but there was nothing better than cleaning to clear one’s mind.
Ariella looked at Amira’s face with surprise. It had only been a few hours since she left the Duke’s residence, but somehow, Amira looked much paler than a few hours ago.
The reason was obvious. She must have been worried sick that her lady had gone out wearing the hat she made and was laughed at.
“Everyone said my style has improved. They said the hat is very pretty, too.”
“R-Really? Oh my, that’s such a relief. I was so worried…”
There was no need to reveal the truth and spoil her mood. To spare her feelings, Ariella let out a slight lie, and Amira finally seemed to relax with a deep sigh.
I’m glad she didn’t hear anything bad because of me. Saying this, Amira smiled brightly, but it also made Ariella feel a bit uneasy.
“By the way, Lizzy and Aaron also came to that dinner party.”
“What the hell! Where did they go out to!”
Bam! Amira threw the cloth she was holding to the floor and spat out a thick curse. The pure smile that had filled her face vanished in an instant.
What a remarkably quick change of attitude. Ariella swallowed her laughter and continued speaking.
“She wore the stolen hat too. She said it was a gift from someone with no fashion sense.”
“Wow! What a truly outrageous crazy bitch!”
“Pfft, that’s a bit harsh.”
In the end, she couldn’t hold back her laughter. It was a feeling she had never experienced before. It was so enjoyable to gossip about someone together. Today, she finally understood why the nobles in society enjoyed talking behind others’ backs.
“Harsh? I was holding back! Of course, it’s true that our lady has no fashion sense! So what? Did she say it harmed her? She’s just a hat thief with a big mouth!”
While Amira sharply criticized Lizzy, she couldn’t bring herself to defend Ariella’s terrible sense of style.
Is that how I am? Ariella pouted her lips.
“Ugh! How should I get my revenge? Should I burn all her hair so she can’t live without a hat for the rest of her life? But that would leave too much evidence… Or should I put a hair loss drug in the food? If I add a little every day, no one will notice.”
“That’s a good idea, but…”
Amira’s method of revenge was more brutal than Ariella had thought. The way she grinned slyly while saying no one would know sent chills down Ariella’s spine.
I should make sure not to get on Amira’s bad side from now on. Ariella secretly vowed.
“I told you earlier, I have a plan. I need your help… Will you help me?”
“Yes! Anything!”
“First, I need to get friendly with the postman who delivers packages and letters to the mansion.”
“Oh, that’s no problem! Actually, that guy, I mean, the postman Mikel, has a crush on me. He’s about ten years older than me and has a kid, so I kept my distance, but if I act a bit friendly, he’ll quickly spill his guts.”
“Well, should I be glad or sorry to hear that… Anyway, I’ll be counting on you. And I want you to order something from the Filling Heights jewelry store using someone else’s name.”
“Okay! I’ll do that! …But why Filling Heights? Are you planning to buy more jewelry?”
Ariella shook her head lightly. Soon, a smile full of anticipation bloomed on her face.
“I heard they do custom-made pieces there?”
[Bedford has found her real daughter.]
The day after the dinner party, Duke Bedford announced to the world that the ‘real’ Ariella Bedford had appeared.
This was the result of a successful deal.
