“Father, good morning again. Did you sleep well?”
Father.
The title that Lizzy mentioned in a sweet voice was one of the changes this time.
The seating arrangement during meals was the same. Gratefully, Lizzy took the seat that had been Ariella’s next to Duke Bedford, and Ariella ended up sitting next to Lizzy.
“Good. Is the preparation for the ball going smoothly?”
“I’m working hard so as not to disappoint you, Father! Please believe me, hehe.”
“I heard someone is coming from the Corcos tailor today.”
“Oh, yes. They’re coming to finish fitting my dress. Thank you, Father. I’m really happy to be able to wear a beautiful dress.”
Lizzy clasped her hands tightly, her violet eyes sparkling as she acted cute. Duke Bedford’s lips curved into a smile as he looked at his adorable daughter, who called him father, father.
“Arrie, your dress should be well prepared too, right? Make sure to dress up specially for this ball.”
The Duke’s attention suddenly turned to Ariella.
In that moment, Lizzy’s eyebrows furrowed sharply.
Why would he care about a dress for a fake? It was clear what she was thinking.
‘There’s no need to be so wary.’
Ariella clicked her tongue inwardly. It was truly unfortunate that Lizzy still did not fully grasp her father’s character.
The reason her father was asking about her dress was simple.
This banquet was not only Lizzy’s debutante ball but also an opportunity to scout for someone to sell Ariella off.
The reason he told her to dress up nicely was akin to making sure the product was as presentable as possible to fetch a good price.
Lizzy, who wished to stand out the most, would not want that.
“No, I haven’t fitted it yet.”
“What? The ball is in three weeks, and you haven’t even fitted your dress yet? What nonsense is this?”
“I’m sorry, Father. But all the famous tailors are fully booked, so they said they can’t make my dress. It’s really strange…”
The old man’s gaze turned fierce in an instant.
Duke Bedford was not a foolish man. He could quickly discern that the situation Ariella mentioned was contrived.
Moreover, he was someone who placed great importance on efficiency. Creating maximum value with minimal effort was more important than anything else.
For someone like him, a person who disrupted that efficiency had to be crushed and eliminated, even if that person was his newly found daughter.
His sharp gaze turned unhesitatingly towards Lizzy.
“Oh, it must be because I’ve had too many fittings for my clothes here and there.”
David, who had been watching the situation from across the table, interjected just in time.
“I’m sorry, Father. It’s only natural that I should be looking forward to my real sister’s debut stage. I got so excited that I accidentally forgot to leave reservations for someone else.”
Duke Bedford, who was about to scold Lizzy, turned his head to scan David and then sighed.
‘They were already not getting along, and now that it’s been revealed she’s not the real one, he’s trying to torment her right away.’
He judged that David had pressured the tailor to make things difficult for Ariella.
If the culprit was David rather than Lizzy, the story changed. Unlike Lizzy or Ariella, David was not a product to be sold off.
“David, transfer one of your reservations to Arrie.”
“Yes, Father.”
“From now on, don’t create unnecessary disturbances.”
“Yes, I will.”
As David replied politely, Duke Bedford did not press further. After all, he had not yet suffered any loss.
“Thank you, David. You saved me. I almost couldn’t fit my dress and attend the ball.”
Ariella put on a good sister’s face and expressed her gratitude.
She had never expected to catch Lizzy with this incident. While it was surprising that David could think on his feet, it was not a big deal since he was originally someone who enjoyed tormenting others.
Meanwhile, Lizzy bit her lower lip, suppressing her dissatisfaction. The fact that Ariella was allowed to fit her dress was extremely displeasing to her.
To further ruin her mood, Ariella casually tucked a strand of hair that had been swaying by her cheek behind her ear, revealing a dazzling gold earring beneath her earlobe.
“By the way, Father, I’m thinking of wearing these earrings on the day of the ball. They were a gift from you on my last birthday.”
“Do as you wish.”
Duke Bedford’s response was indifferent. It was only natural that he would not be someone to care about his daughter’s accessories.
There was no special meaning in having given Ariella the earrings he had received from the imperial family. While it would have been nice to sell something precious for a high price, he could not dispose of a gift from the imperial family, no matter how he felt.
