Thanks to the Schmiiz dress covering her wounds, Lady Melana seemed to have no idea about the events that had transpired after the ball. That was a relief. She had no desire to reveal her condition to anyone yet.
“Have I been too meddlesome? You would surely know how to handle things on your own, and I’ve rambled on. Please understand that it was just a piece of advice from someone who has lived a bit longer and is concerned for young ladies like you.”
“Of course, my lady. I was just thinking that I need to gain some weight. Thank you for your advice.”
As Ariella calmly responded, Lady Melana’s face brightened even more. After dealing with many difficult clients, she felt naturally uplifted to see a young and polite guest.
However, she soon realized that the young lady before her was not as innocent as she seemed.
“By the way, it feels a bit heavy on my heart to take such a beautiful dress for myself. Shouldn’t something so precious go to someone more deserving than me?”
At first glance, it sounded like a humble remark, but in reality, it was not.
In this juvenile society, there were hardly any women who could be considered more precious than the Abercorn princess. If one were to look for someone, it would be the empress Genevieve or the Marchioness Emily, the emperor’s sister, but they were noblewomen who did not match the design of this dress.
The only exception would be Countess Annabelle, who was treated similarly to the empress outside of official occasions and was of a similar age to Ariella.
That’s right. Ariella was probing Mrs. Melana.
Her goal was to find out when Countess Annabelle would be fitting her dress.
Given Countess Annabelle’s impatient nature, she would likely want to meet her lover as soon as possible after the fitting to show off her new outfit.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Melana was not someone to be easily swayed.
“They say every dress has its own owner. This dress is no exception. It was made specifically for Lady Ariella.”
If she couldn’t understand a simple probing, she wouldn’t have survived as the owner of a dress shop in Edinburgh’s social scene.
Having dealt with all sorts of noblewomen and establishing herself as the best in juvenile fashion, Mrs. Melana had already mastered this game of wits.
“I see. Thank you for making such a lovely dress, madam.”
Ariella decided to give up neatly. She could have probed further, but it seemed there was nothing to gain from it. Rather, it would only serve to upset Mrs. Melana.
As she stepped back willingly, Mrs. Melana raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“By the way, madam, I ask this purely out of curiosity. Are you selling the hair accessory you are wearing?”
Mrs. Melana’s discerning gaze swept over Ariella’s face. It was hard to believe that she was genuinely curious, knowing that Princess Bedford had little interest in such trinkets.
However, there was no reason to hesitate in answering.
“I’m not officially selling it yet. The long, pointed shape is quite unique, isn’t it? I brought it directly from the East. It’s great for styling your hair up like this.”
“I thought it looked unique. I don’t know much about hair accessories, but it has an elegant yet captivating feel to it. However, the ends look a bit sharp; isn’t it dangerous?”
“That’s precisely why I’m hesitant to import it officially. As you can see, the ends are quite sharp, so if you’re not careful, you could get hurt. It’s too risky to sell as a hair accessory. But the beauty of it is too precious to give up, and I’m worried about how noblewomen would react if I pushed it forward without caution.”
Ariella nodded knowingly. The noblewomen of Edinburgh would make a fuss over even the smallest scratch.
If the hair accessory caused a scrape that drew blood, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone blamed Mrs. Melana and demanded compensation.
She scrutinized the hair accessory that Mrs. Melana had tightly styled in her hair. Its Eastern and unique design seemed like something someone would absolutely adore.
“…If swung hard, this could be quite threatening.”
“Well, I don’t think there would be a need to swing a hair accessory that hard…”
“It would be perfect as a self-defense tool just in case. You could use it as a hair accessory on normal days, and if something dangerous happens, you could just pull it out and swing it.”
As she smiled slyly, Mrs. Melana’s eyes widened in surprise.
Self-defense, huh? It was an idea even the astute businesswoman hadn’t considered.
It seemed absurd yet plausible. Considering the tendency of noblewomen to willingly pay for special and beautiful items regardless of practicality, it made even more sense.
