“Then we’ll open an account under your na at the Temvel Bank. Through that account, we’ll send you additional allowances to ensure you lack nothing.”
“I’m already fine with what I have now,” Penelope said, blinking in surprise.
The treasurer shook his head firmly.
“My Lady, as I’ve said before, you are the face of our estate. You must live abundantly wherever you go so that we can have peace of mind.”
“Exactly. And don’t rely too much on the wizard, either. To be frank, you never know what might happen between a man and a woman,” one of the retainers interjected bluntly.
“Isn’t that going a bit too far? Why are you suddenly jumping to conclusions?” another retorted.
“Oh, co on, you’re thinking the sa thing. Don’t try to deny it…”
The retainers began bickering again, their voices a mix of concern and affection for Penelope.
Listening to their heartfelt words, Penelope felt a warm sense of comfort fill her chest.
***
And so, the much-anticipated day arrived.
It was the day Penelope was to begin her court etiquette lessons with Lady Linda.
Penelope woke up early, washed herself thoroughly, and donned the teal dress sent from Lirot’s Atelier.
“I shouldn’t have too much trouble, since I’m already familiar with noble etiquette.”
Despite her confident thought, Penelope couldn’t help but feel a twinge of nervousness.
The nobles of the capital always seed aloof and haughty, a deanor Penelope wasn’t used to.
“I definitely got a taste of that at the atelier yesterday.”
Even as they stood in front of Penelope, they had whispered and snickered amongst themselves, their disdain plain to see. Such behavior would have been unthinkable in Halo Territory.
Having lived in a rural estate her entire life, Penelope realized adapting to the capital’s aristocrats wouldn’t be easy.
How much ti had passed while she waited?
The butler, Martin, knocked on the drawing room door and announced, “Lady Linda has arrived.”
“Please show her in. Oh, and could you prepare so tea as well?”
“Understood.”
With a polite bow, Martin exited the room, leaving Penelope to feel her heart pounding in her chest.
The door to the drawing room opened, and in walked an impossibly beautiful woman.
Penelope rose to her feet imdiately.
The woman greeted her with a gentle smile.
“Hello, Lady Penelope.”
“It’s a pleasure to et you, Lady Linda.”
Penelope curtsied slightly as she returned the greeting.
“My goodness! She doesn’t look real!”
Penelope’s heart raced even faster, overwheld by Lady Linda’s stunning beauty.
Her lustrous black hair, her flawless forehead leading to an elegant nose, her large, double-lidded violet eyes, and her crimson, flower-like lips—everything about her was breathtaking.
“It’s such a pleasure to finally et you. I’ve been looking forward to this day.”
“The honor is all mine,” Penelope replied, almost entranced.
Lady Linda smiled gracefully and said, “It must have been a long journey from Halo Territory to here. Shall we sit down?”
“Yes, of course.”
Penelope sat down stiffly, feeling like a piece of scrap tal. Lady Linda chuckled softly at her awkwardness before taking a seat across from her.
Monts later, Martin entered with tea and cakes, placing them carefully in front of the two won before leaving the room.
Gradually, Penelope began to feel her nerves settle.
Lady Linda sipped her tea with a level of elegance befitting soone teaching court etiquette. Every one of her movents was srizing.
However, as Penelope observed her closely, a peculiar thought crossed her mind.
“How is soone this young teaching court etiquette? It’s usually experienced noblewon who take on such roles.”
And then another thought followed.
“She’s far too beautiful.”
It might have sounded ridiculous to anyone else, but Penelope found Lady Linda’s beauty suspicious. It simply didn’t make sense for soone this stunning to be assigned as her etiquette tutor.
“If not for her black hair, I might’ve mistaken her for the heroine… wait.”
Penelope froze. In the original story, the heroine’s eyes were described as violet.
She quickly dismissed the thought, shaking her head internally.
“No, that’s ridiculous. Violet eyes don’t automatically an soone’s the heroine.”
Even so, she felt a cold sweat trickling down the back of her neck.
The possibility that there could be two such stunning won on this continent seed increasingly far-fetched.
“What has you so deep in thought?”
“Oh, I was just thinking about how beautiful you are, Lady Linda.”
“That’s a complint I’ll never tire of hearing.”
“Haha, the cake looks delicious. Please, have so.”
Penelope smiled brightly and offered a slice of cake. Lady Linda took a graceful bite, her movents picture-perfect.
Penelope decided to broach the subject.
“So, you’re here today to teach what I need to know before attending the imperial banquet, correct?”
Lady Linda smiled faintly and nodded.
“As the lord of an estate, there’s much you’ll need to know before attending a banquet of this scale.”
“Of course, that makes sense,” Penelope said, nodding. She felt a cold sweat running down her spine.
“Haha, this feels like a disaster waiting to happen.”
It was the heroine. She had finally made her appearance.
Penelope felt a shiver run through her entire body. She had instinctively sensed this mont was inevitable.
At the sa ti, a question nagged at her.
“But why on earth did the heroine co all the way here to et ?”
Even if they were destined to cross paths eventually, given the Empress’s invitation to the banquet, there was no reason for the heroine to seek her out personally.
“What could be so urgent that she felt the need to approach now?”
Penelope sipped her tea, trying her best to maintain a composed smile.
The fact that she knew the heroine’s true identity and viewed her with caution had to remain a secret.
“That’s information I can’t let slip under any circumstances! Just act clueless! Play dumb!”
Penelope swallowed nervously.
When she’d first struck gold with the railroad stocks, she’d thought she could endure anything the heroine might throw her way. But now that they were face to face, all she wanted to do was flee.
And for good reason—Penelope knew the heroine was soone she could never afford to make an enemy of.
A single word from the heroine could ruin her completely.
“That’s not going to happen! Stay alive, extra!”
Penelope straightened her posture just as the heroine set down her fork and began to speak.
“I’ve heard that you haven’t been managing Halo Territory for very long, Lady Penelope.”
“That’s correct. My husband passed away suddenly, so I had no choice but to take charge of the estate.”
Penelope lowered her gaze, her expression tinged with sorrow. The mory of everything she’d been through made it easy to fall into the role.
Fortunately, Elizabeth didn’t seem to find anything amiss in her deanor.
“That must have been so difficult for you. Taking on such responsibility so suddenly couldn’t have been easy.”
“Thankfully, I’ve had many people helping along the way. It’s been challenging, but I’m managing. I was so honored when Her Majesty the Empress invited to the imperial banquet. My retainers are incredibly proud as well.”
“That’s truly wonderful to hear.”
Elizabeth’s expression brightened subtly.
Penelope internally snapped her fingers.
“That’s it. That’s the angle.”
The positive reaction reassured her, easing her nerves.
It was clear that Elizabeth wasn’t viewing her with suspicion.
In fact, Elizabeth went so far as to praise her.
“Even with help, managing an estate is no small feat. You’ve done remarkably well.”
“At first, it was so overwhelming that I thought I might give up…”
“And yet?”
Elizabeth prompted, her violet eyes shimring with a wave of interest.
Suddenly, Penelope felt a chill run down her spine.
“What is this about?”
Elizabeth’s reaction was difficult to interpret. It felt like she was waiting for a specific answer, though Penelope had no idea what it could be.
Instead of dwelling on it, Penelope decided to continue speaking.
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