The distinguished upper-class mansions of Upper Lane were all bustling with preparations to attend the famous Miss Talbot's party. Even Avondale Mansion, located sowhat apart from that bustling upper-class district, had a similar atmosphere. It was truly an exceptional occasion.
The mansion's owner did not like parties and never made a fuss even when attending them. The owner was blessed with the ability to appear as a perfectly refined gentleman with less than half the effort others put in.
However, a lady's refinent requires more delicate attention. The skirt of her dress, with pleats gathered densely like butterfly wings, swayed with each step. Annie, who had pinned up all her hair except for her bangs and adorned it with decorations matching the dress color, smiled brightly.
"Perfect!"
It was such a beautiful sight that all the fussing—making Esperanza stand still while she climbed on a chair to tend to her, worried the pleats might get wrinkled—was completely worthwhile.
"Oh, what if you sweep the ball again today? What if love letters co pouring in? What if gentlen proposing marriage surround the mansion?"
"That's unlikely..."
Esperanza laughed incredulously as she left the room. Then she casually grabbed the skirt pleats Annie had worked so hard on with one hand and went down the stairs.
Despite all the morning bustle, they ended up running a bit late. Being late to a charity party, of all things, didn't look good. While neither Esperanza nor Cider particularly valued reputation, there was no harm in maintaining it if possible.
Cider, who had been looking at a pocket watch with various complex chanisms spinning beyond just the ti-indicating hands, looked up at the sound of footsteps. He watched Esperanza coming down the stairs for a long mont, then tilted his head.
"Hmm."
"Don't act like you're seeing this for the first ti."
He had sneakily watched when the tailor was fitting the dress. However, Cider just stared without answering. Esperanza, who had scolded him, beca embarrassed instead.
"What's wrong? Did I grab the dress too tightly?"
While checking the skirt width, worried that the pleats Annie had carefully arranged might be damaged, Cider placed his finger under her chin. Her downward-tilted chin gently touched the firm finger. Esperanza's eyes widened. However, Cider had already withdrawn his hand long ago as if nothing had happened.
"It does feel a bit lacking. Mrs. Lux?"
Mrs. Lux, who had been standing to one side to see off her master's departure, imdiately approached.
"Yes, sir?"
"Bring Mother's jewelry box."
Esperanza's eyes widened. The forr Countess's jewelry box—it was obvious without asking what magnificent things must be inside.
"Is it necessary...?"
"As you said, it's not like we don't have any, and they're sitting perfectly fine at ho, so 'is it necessary?'"
Is that how it works? Esperanza blankly clutched her skirt. Mrs. Lux, beaming for so unknown reason, swiftly brought a large jewelry box. Was she lying about her knees hurting?
"We're running late, aren't we?"
"It won't take long by steam carriage. We don't need to be there from the very beginning either."
Moving from the entrance to the reception room, they opened the three-tiered jewelry box. The jewels sparkled in various colors under the reception room's lighting. They seed as unreal as glass fragnts.
"Choose whatever you like."
"Can I really touch them?"
"It's fine. How about this one?"
The necklace Cider picked out had a bright blue gem set in the center.
'It looks like sothing you'd see in a museum.'
It was so large and splendid that it felt even less real. Mrs. Lux received it and held it up to Esperanza's neck. Then, looking carefully through the mirror attached to the jewelry box, she shook her head.
"It's too flashy, Count. How about this one instead?"
"Mrs. Lux, I don't mind, but the lady won't like it."
Esperanza blinked, not understanding. Mrs. Lux clicked her tongue and put the necklace down. Cider rested his chin on his hand and spoke slowly.
"It's a necklace Mother inherited from Grandmother. And Grandmother from Great-grandmother..."
Esperanza's mouth had already fallen open at "Grandmother," and when she heard "Great-grandmother," she looked as if she might be crushed to death by the necklace's weight at any mont.
"Let's go with sothing else!"
Cider smiled crookedly. If it were for another reason, he would have quite enjoyed watching that rare expression, but what could make her react so strongly? As if she didn't even want to be associated with such things.
Mrs. Lux showed obvious disappointnt as she picked up one with slightly smaller gems. Esperanza was cautiously checking whether even that might be a 'family heirloom,' and when she thought they might really be late, she picked up a necklace with gems of a slightly deeper color. She was so careful, as if her hands might crush the jewelry box.
"What about this one?"
"It suits you well. Would you like to keep it?"
It was almost an imdiate answer. Esperanza glanced at him sideways.
"That's not what I was asking."
Cider just smiled without answering. Esperanza looked back and forth between Mrs. Lux and Cider with an uneasy feeling, then quietly put it down.
"Mrs. Lux, the lady seems to have chosen, so please put the necklace on her."
"How about if the Count does it himself?"
Mrs. Lux's sche was very obvious. Cider didn't bother to refuse and passed the decision to Esperanza.
"Shall we?"
"Whichever way gets us going faster."
Mrs. Lux bead as she practically threw the necklace to Cider. Esperanza absent-mindedly touched her hair.
"We'll really be late at this rate."
"How about this? If we're late, I'll give you that whole box."
"I don't need it."
Cider chuckled and stood behind Esperanza. Soon a brilliant jewel draped over the deeply cut neckline of her dress. As he put on the necklace, his fingertips brushed her white nape. Esperanza's shoulders tensed. Their eyes t in the small mirror. Cider slowly curved his lips upward.
"There, all done."
"This really isn't so family heirloom, right?"
"It's Mother's personal jewelry, not the family's. I wouldn't mind giving you family pieces either, but you're the type to worry about such things."
Cider looked at Esperanza with a slightly furrowed brow, as if she were being overly dramatic.
"How absurd. Shouldn't you be the one who needs to be careful about such things, not ?"
"I don't mind."
"...Well, how generous of you."
Esperanza couldn't bring herself to touch the cold gem and rubbed her skin along its edges instead. To so readily lend out sothing like this. He said it was nothing special, but when she first ca to this house, when she was a 'guest,' he never even ntioned such things.
It would be disrespectful to the word affection to call this affectionate, but it wouldn't be entirely wrong to call it consideration.
"It's not trendy, but it's still an old piece of jewelry. Would you like
to have it altered?"
"You said it belonged to your parents."
"Jewelry is ant to be altered and reused."
"Ah, yes."
Even though he clearly knew that wasn't the point. Like a child pretending not to know after secretly eating candy, there was nothing to be done.
"Don't regret it later."
Cider offered his arm with a smile. As Esperanza reflexively took his arm and stood up, she belatedly answered while walking.
"As if I would."
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The steam carriage rattled along the paved road.
The tilted hat and heavily pleated dress were modest for ball attire. Since it was a ball held in the na of charity, flaunting peacock-like splendor was not a virtue.
What the people gathered there boasted of was a lady's warm heart and a gentleman's compassionate nature toward the poor, and this was a value that could be converted into terot units.
Surprisingly, Cider understood these implicit rules quite well. You wouldn't expect him to be interested in such things. And his unexpected attentiveness helped Esperanza, who was slow with the complex social etiquette that had to be carefully observed depending on the situation.
"Since you said it's your first charity party, let
give you one piece of advice."
"Yes, what is it?"
Esperanza rested her chin on a cushion. When she first rode in a steam carriage, there hadn't been such things, but from so point on, Avondale Mansion's steam carriage had gained two cushions. Esperanza blinked while hugging one and placing the other on her lap.
"Don't ask detailed questions about orphanage managent at charity parties."
"Why not?"
"That's the rule. Just praise Miss Talbot's kind heart."
It wasn't even a play, yet having predetermined things to say was ridiculous.
"I was planning to ask about orphanage-related matters anyway."
"Because of the slum kid?"
"Jack."
Cider shrugged as if she worried about every little thing and added:
"Right, Jack. Anyway, if you're looking for a place to entrust the kid, you'd better ask Lady Cordelia instead."
Avondale territory had been a candidate too, but was rejected because even Cider didn't know anyone suitable to take care of a child. While there would probably be orphanages if she looked, Cider, being a very lazy lord compared to Cordelia, had shattered Esperanza's trust with his answer of "There probably are, I suppose."
"Cordelia won't be up until the week after next. Can't I ask privately at that party?"
"You can't. Our primary goal is Duke Galliston, and if you start talking about such things, it would hurt the dignity of the ladies and gentlen who are doing their best for charity."
If their dignity would be hurt by such talk, didn't they lack it from the beginning?
"Then why do charity at all..."
As she grumbled and tried to bury her face completely in the cushion, Cider slipped his hand in between. Esperanza, whose face ended up buried in Cider's palm, looked up in shock. Since it was sothing he did hurriedly without thinking, Cider couldn't hide his own embarrassnt either.
"Right. Makeup! That was close. Thanks to you, it's saved."
Annie's care—spending a full hour applying various things to Esperanza's face, excited by the word 'ball'—was too precious to be carelessly ruined by such a mistake.
Cider stared blankly at the lip print on his palm. With a peculiar feeling.
The slightly sticky lip makeup remained in quite an intact shape. It was just color that had rubbed off, but it felt as if the sensation had rubbed off too. His tightly closed lips let out a light sigh.
He didn't want to be caught thinking whatever thoughts he was having.
"Cider. What's wrong?"
Cider clenched his hand with the lip print still on it into a fist to hide the trace, as if nothing had happened.
"It's nothing."
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