So he had passed them on to his daughter. That was the only efficient way to utilize the earrings.
Unlike the Duke, who showed no reaction, flames ignited in Lizzy’s eyes. One could almost hear the grinding of her teeth.
How dare she provoke me.
Lizzy shot a piercing glance at Ariella and smiled sadly.
“A birthday gift, huh… I’m envious. I’ve never received a gift because I couldn’t remember my birthday.”
It seemed like Ariella received gifts every year, didn’t it? David tilted his head, oblivious. Whether it was true or not, the sight of Lizzy lowering her head and swallowing her sadness looked quite pitiful.
“Um… Father. Could you perhaps give me a gift as well? I would like to receive something from you too.”
A father who had found his lost daughter after twenty years would surely nod his head out of pity. In a typical case, that is.
However, the Duke was not a typical father, and his response remained indifferent.
“Didn’t I just have a dress fitted for you?”
A dress for the debutante as a gift? Why was he being so stingy when he had plenty of money?
Lizzy suppressed her irritation and continued her act.
“Um, I think something small would be better than a dress.”
“Something small?”
“Yes, I want to always carry the gift you give me. Oh, how about earrings like Arrie’s? Then I could wear them all the time…”
Though she said it was something small, it ultimately meant she was asking for jewelry.
Lizzy looked up at her father with a lovely face. Her violet eyes sparkled as if they were studded with stars again.
However, instead of smiling warmly at her, Duke Bedford slammed his hand on the table with a knife in his right hand.
“Do you have any idea how much money is going into your debutante ball right now?”
“Yes, yes?”
“I heard that you said you would take care of everything, but the budget is already almost gone. If Arrie had been in charge, there would have been plenty of money left over. How extravagant must you have been for it to be gone already! And yet, you still want me to buy you earrings?”
The small sense of indignation that began to brew only grew larger as the words continued.
Before long, the furious Duke of Bedford unleashed his fiery anger. Even David, who had long been accustomed to him, seemed to think it was futile to intervene and averted his gaze.
‘See, trying to evoke sympathy doesn’t work.’
Ariella expressed her regret inwardly as she sliced the roasted vegetables.
Lizzy’s face flushed red. However, the only words she could muster were an apology.
“I’m sorry, Father. I spoke without knowing my place…”
“…Tsk! It would be better to let Arrie handle the debutante ball preparations right now.”
“No, please! I was wrong, Father. It won’t happen again. There aren’t many items that will require a budget from now on… Besides, as a noblewoman, I will have to manage the household, and I want to learn a lot from this opportunity. Also, it would be too cruel to let Arrie handle my ball preparations. So please, let me continue. I beg you.”
Her lips involuntarily curled into a smile. Ariella hurriedly picked up a napkin to pretend to wipe her mouth.
‘Lizzy, you’re really becoming me!’
I was wrong. I won’t do it again. Those were the words she had always clung to, for only by saying them could her father’s anger subside.
But at some point, her habitual words had shifted to Lizzy’s lips. Seeing it with her own eyes made it all the more real.
Transforming Lizzy into ‘Ariella Bedford.’ Thus making Lizzy bear her own misfortunes. The first step of revenge had successfully concluded.
‘Now it’s time to start the next step.’
The content of the second step was to ensure that those who had instilled hatred and pain in her paid the appropriate price.
This was the sequence she had eagerly anticipated and the stage that required the most attention. A single misstep could derail the entire plan.
She contemplated many possibilities in her mind as she watched Lizzy and the Duke.
“…I understand for now. However, if I hear such things again, I will immediately have Arrie take charge of the ball.”
“Yes, Father.”
As the Duke of Bedford issued his warning, Lizzy nodded her head with great difficulty.
‘If she finds that so hard, it’s a big problem.’
Ariella clicked her tongue inwardly.
Once all the revenge was over and Ariella left Bedford, Lizzy would have to take on all the responsibilities of a noblewoman.
Preparing for the debutante ball would feel like a trivial task compared to the vast amount of work ahead.
Lizzy still seemed unaware of the weight of that burden. She was likely looking forward to a life of waking up late, wearing pretty clothes, sipping tea, and occasionally going to parties to meet her lover and friends.
