If Lizzy’s goal was merely to debut in society, then Ariella had studied without even sleeping three hours a day for survival.
This was something Lizzy, who had only seen Ariella after she turned fifteen, could not comprehend.
Thus, even though other teachers had given similar answers, she believed all of it to be a lie. That Ariella had schemed to sabotage her.
‘Hmph, holding on pathetically… Do you think I will just let myself be bullied like before?’
Realistically, it was impossible to catch up to the progress the teachers spoke of before the debutante ball began.
However, it was not an option for Lizzy to quietly give up on the debutante ball. If that was the case, she had to find another way, not the straightforward one.
After all, one must counter a scheme with a scheme.
First, she would contact Aaron. Then, she would gently coax Damien into helping her. And after that…
“Gianna. Could you come here for a moment?”
“Yes, Miss!”
Gianna, who had been leisurely watching the outside from the window, rushed over. It was quite annoying to see her pretending to be tired now after having been so relaxed.
Lizzy smiled brightly, hiding her true feelings, and spoke.
“Gianna, I think you are very reliable. You have done a lot for me.”
“I’m just grateful that you recognize it, Miss!”
“Of course I know. But you see, the housekeeper said that once I am properly recognized as Ariella Bedford, I should hire a maid or have a close servant… Both you and Aurora treat me well, so it’s a dilemma. I have to choose just one…”
Gianna flinched and glanced back with a stiff face. At that moment, Aurora seemed preoccupied with chatting with the guard in front of Lizzy’s door.
Confirming this, Gianna quickly lowered her voice.
“Miss, Aurora is too fat and clumsy; it would be embarrassing to take her around.”
Look at her, criticizing without hesitation, even though they had been close since childhood.
Lizzy felt quite pleased with the sight of her easily betraying a friend for her own benefit. It felt good to acknowledge that she was not the only wicked one.
“Hmm, it’s a bit difficult to decide on that… I would like it if you could prove that you can do anything for me.”
“Prove? What do you mean by that…?”
“Well, let’s see. Ah, I guess I can check if you can fulfill my request. It’s a bit bad and dangerous, though.”
What do you think, would you like to try? Lizzy added with a wink.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Gianna nodded.
“I’ll do it, Miss! Just tell me what to do.”
“Okay, then for now…”
***
In contrast to the various schemes circulating in Lizzy’s room, Ariella’s room was quiet.
Ariella sipped tea, embodying the ideal of a lady as taught by Madam Geoffrey, while Amira waited nearby, working on lace.
Whenever Ariella’s cup was empty, Amira would quickly come over to refill it with warm tea.
It was a cozy time. However, soon a short knock broke the comfortable silence.
Knock, knock.
“It’s Adam.”
“Yes, come in.”
Upon Ariella’s permission, Adam cautiously entered the room.
“I have some preliminary findings to report. …Is it alright to speak now?”
He glanced at Amira. It was a question of whether it was okay to speak in her presence.
Amira, picking up on the cue, stood up.
“I’ll step out for a moment! If you need anything, just call for me.”
“No, that’s not necessary. Adam, please report.”
When Ariella shook her head, Amira looked surprised. Her blue eyes soon filled with emotion.
Unfortunately, contrary to her expectations, Ariella still did not trust Amira.
Amira was quite a decent maid. She was quick in her actions and genuinely kind.
She did not look down on or disregard Ariella, and during her free time, instead of gossiping about her mistress, she would sit in a corner of the room and work on lace like earlier.
Above all, Ariella particularly liked that she had not worked in this mansion for even a year yet.
However, trust and that were separate matters.
Seeing that Lizzy had not passed on her and Adam’s conversation, she might not be a spy after all… but it was still uncertain.
The reason for not sending her out now was simply that there was no important information to be heard today. If she were a spy, pretending to trust her would also be a good strategy.
“First, I will report on Lizzy. Lizzy first appeared in the Tolkan slums nine years ago when she was thirteen. That was about two years before she met you and entered the Duke’s residence.”
“Yes.”
“She survived by doing various errand jobs in the slums. It seems she managed to stay alive thanks to a thug who looked out for her. They occasionally kept in touch even after she entered the Duke’s residence. However, there are no records of their exchanges, so we are still investigating.”
