“Good. Then would you like to talk with me for a moment? Oh, where are Amira and the head maid right now?”
Gulping, Courtney swallowed her anticipation.
Both Head Maid Maria and Amira were known to be Ariella’s people. It was clear that mentioning them was not out of genuine curiosity about their whereabouts.
Since it was something she had always wanted, her hesitation was brief.
“Just in time, the head maid is busy, and Amira went for a walk with the lady. Isn’t that great?”
“Right, that’s great.”
With a tired expression, Aurora smiled faintly and led Courtney to a place where people wouldn’t pass by.
***
“How can she think so transparently?”
Amira tilted her head, genuinely curious as she looked at the firmly closed door. This was after Courtney had hurriedly left, claiming she had urgent business.
“She must have gone to report that the lady has someone she exchanges letters with, right? She seemed very eager to sneak a peek at the letter’s contents.”
Ariella chuckled in agreement.
“Isn’t it great? She moves just as we want her to.”
The smile that had been kind toward Courtney just moments ago vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold sneer.
As she said, Courtney was indeed moving just as they intended. The information they wanted to pass on to Lizzy was quickly flying through Courtney’s feet. The fact that Ariella was secretly exchanging letters with someone was also among that information.
“Then why don’t you show us the contents? After all, it’s a letter we fabricated.”
“If I let you easily check the contents, Lizzy will become suspicious. I’ve only given a little leeway to the maid I’ve reluctantly opened up to. Courtney should only feel that much.”
Although Ariella had a reputation for being soft on her maid, Lizzy was no fool, and she wouldn’t take Courtney’s words at face value. She would likely be as suspicious as possible and selectively choose the necessary information. Having been burned once, it was clear she would be on guard.
‘Well, she does seem quite anxious about the debutante ball that’s only a week away.’
Ariella pressed her forehead, recalling Lizzy and the butlers who had been pushing her every day for the past few days. Just thinking about it made her head throb.
“This is ridiculous! How am I supposed to prepare for the debutante ball with this budget? Arrie, I know you don’t like me, but we need to separate public and private matters, don’t you think? If you truly love this Abercorn, that is.”
The day after the attack, Lizzy came to Ariella and shouted like this. Acting as if she had no connection to the attack.
“Well, if you hadn’t spent this much on dresses and decorations for the ball, it would have certainly helped Abercorn. Why on earth did you buy so much silk and lace that are only used for high-end dresses? To think you’re planning to decorate the ball with this, it’s either brave or foolish.”
Ariella retorted without backing down. Naturally, Lizzy’s eyes turned furious when Ariella mocked her igLizzynce.
“How dare you criticize me! What do you know so well—!”
“Well, I know quite a bit. As you know, I’ve prepared such events more than once or twice. Thanks to that, I can manage the ball with the remaining budget. Isn’t that fortunate? You don’t have to say thank you. Now, take a look. This is the newly drafted budget. I’ve already gotten my father’s approval.”
“You…!”
“Why, do you want me to speak to Father again? Are you not satisfied with this, Lizzy?”
However, once the Duke of Abercorn was mentioned, Lizzy had nothing more to say.
After the attack, the Duke had become very sensitive and easily angered over trivial matters. It had been quite a task to talk to the capital police to wrap this up nicely and quell the rumors that were circulating.
If she were to ask him to allocate more funds for the debutante ball, the outcome was predictable. It would be a miracle if the ball wasn’t canceled.
In the end, Lizzy gritted her teeth and retreated.
She would probably have the butlers try to find flaws in the plan Ariella had drafted. But as confidently as she had spoken, Ariella was someone who was well-versed in organizing various events, and it was unlikely that she would leave any flaws in the budget.
Sometimes, she felt a desire to secretly create a big hole and ruin the ball. However, one cannot ruin things out of a moment’s greed.
The debutante ball had to proceed properly. It didn’t need to be perfect, but it couldn’t show any major flaws.
‘Only then can the guests at the ball focus solely on Lizzy’s downfall.’
Ariella smiled as she swept her bangs aside.
“Miss, have you received any letters from ‘him’?”
Amira’s bright voice broke her thoughts.
