Of course, that was not all Lizzy had planned, but the biggest issue was that the time it would take to achieve her goal was far too long.
‘If she wants to be recognized that way, it would take at least several months.’
She couldn’t wait that long. She was itching to hand over this position immediately.
Ariella shared the same desire for the Duke’s recognition as Lizzy did, but their methods differed.
There was no reason for her father to accept Lizzy with open arms.
While that might be better for Lizzy’s stable future, Ariella, who wished for Lizzy’s future to be as rough and steep as possible, was determined to not shy away from a faster method.
‘To do that… nothing is faster than becoming the talk of the town.’
Here, “people” referred to those who could influence the Duke even slightly. Not the servants whom he treated like disposable items.
If Ariella were to show at a gathering of the Cardiff nobility, the capital of the juvenile, that her relationship with Aaron was no longer the same, and subtly reveal that he had another woman, thus tarnishing Abercorn’s honor.
Her father, who was busy being conscious of the nobles, would likely conclude that Lizzy had stirred up a scandal and would be very angry, but eventually, he would have no choice but to acknowledge it, even if reluctantly.
Ariella was the fake, and Lizzy was the real one. The woman loved by the crown prince was the true princess, and thus the relationship between the royal family and Abercorn would remain strong.
Of course, she would need to make consistent efforts to persuade the Duke throughout that process, but nonetheless, it seemed like a pretty good method to start with.
Thus, Ariella hurriedly sent a letter.
The recipient was Aaron. The content was that she wished to attend the ball with him tomorrow.
He might catch on to Lizzy’s feelings, but even so, Aaron would not be able to refuse. After all, he had said to himself, ‘I still cherish you.’ While his fickle words could not be taken at face value, at least from that statement, she could be certain that he was still mindful of the Duke of Abercorn.
Sure enough, within a few hours, she received a lukewarm acceptance from him. The only disappointing aspect was that the event in question happened to be a masked ball.
‘It would be better to be noticed without a mask.’
However, this was the earliest event among those Aaron had expressed his intention to attend, so there was no other option. Coincidentally, the Duke had also just left for an inspection of the territory, making it the perfect time to stir things up.
“Amira, do we have a mask suitable for the ball in my dressing room?”
“Yes, Miss. There was a white half-mask.”
When she asked, her memory a bit hazy, the answer came immediately. It seemed she had memorized everything in the dressing room already.
Amira was the only one among the newly assigned maids who had not been dismissed. She was meticulous and careful, knowing when to step in and when to hold back, causing no disturbances.
There was no sign that she was relaying messages to Lizzy. At least not yet.
“Alright, prepare it for me to wear tomorrow.”
“Yes! Um, Miss. And…”
Amira hesitated, her lips twitching. Ariella nodded her chin, urging her to speak.
“Wouldn’t it be better to have a new dress tailored? The fabrics of the dresses we have now are too thick, and… most of them were worn last season. If you have a new one tailored in the current trendy design, I think it would suit you much better…!”
Amira quickly spilled her words while glancing at Ariella.
A new dress.
For someone who had no interest in fashion, it was not a particularly appealing suggestion. After all, she would be leaving this place soon, and having a dress made that she couldn’t even take with her would be a waste.
But what reason was there to avoid wasting it?
“That’s a good idea.”
Whenever the designer was called, Lizzy always stayed by Ariella’s side, setting everything else aside. Even during the busy times when she was secretly meeting Aaron, she never missed that day.
As a result, it was always Lizzy who chose Ariella’s dresses. She would reject everything the designer recommended, insisting that she knew best what suited Ariella, and would meddle from start to finish.
A princess of a nation should not follow trivial trends. The lady was too thin, so she needed to wear a dress with volume in the shoulders and a loose waist to compensate. If there was even a hint of cleavage, she would be called vulgar, so she had to stick to designs that came up to the neck…
