Chapter 78

“Rizzz!”

Diane, who had been searching around the second floor, spotted the blonde and ran up to Nerys, grabbing her hand and fuming.

“Why did you come up first! We were supposed to look together! You said you’d help me choose my jewelry! Come on, let’s go look at your clothes!”

Her words didn’t make any sense. They came to buy jewelry, so why rush to look at clothes?

But Nerys had expected Diane to act this way, so she spoke firmly.

“I already picked out my outfit and placed the order. Let’s head back down to the first floor and check out your jewelry. Did you buy the emerald?”

“What? You already chose something? But if we went to our merchant group’s boutique, I could’ve found something really nice for you!”

Hearing that Nerys had already signed the contract, Diane started voicing her true thoughts, stamping her feet in frustration.

Of course, Diane had planned to chip in for Nerys’s outfit. She was so pretty that even plain clothes made her stand out, but wouldn’t it be even better if she wore something truly beautiful to match that face?

If Diane offered to buy her the clothes, Nerys wouldn’t accept. She had long since stopped taking even Diane’s hand-me-downs.

Diane could still vividly remember how heartbroken she felt when Nerys, trying to repay a favor, gave her a gemstone—something that must have been a huge burden for her to afford.

So Diane’s plan was to go to the Mackinnon boutique, which had a branch in the store, and ask them to make a dress at material cost, using her status as the merchant’s daughter.

Naturally, the labor cost the boutique should’ve received would be separately covered by the merchant group.

Her goal was to dress Nerys in a stunning, top-quality gown and bring her to the graduation ball as her proudest companion.

But Diane’s grand plans had been shattered.

And since Nerys had clearly seen through Diane’s intentions, she’d made sure to place the order quickly. Shaking her head, she linked arms with her friend.

“I really like this place. Let’s go.”

Betty, who had trailed behind her lady, lowered her head in embarrassment. Alecto, watching the two girls walk away, glared daggers at their backs. Just before Alecto could think of something to say—

“Oh my.”

A soft voice called out.

Right next to Madam Crois’ boutique was an upscale salon known for carrying the most expensive outfits in the entire store. A girl with honey-blonde hair had just stepped out of that shop and stopped in her tracks upon seeing Nerys and Diane.

Megara Lykeandros, who had recently turned eighteen, was sometimes breathtakingly beautiful.

Her pretty features as a child had grown into an alluring face. Her slim figure—neither too tall nor short—resembled an idealized sculpture from ancient times.

She used to occasionally show her true temper in her expression, but now, a smile never left her face.

Sometimes kind, sometimes graceful—that smile could take on many forms.

If someone wanted to condense the entire high society’s ideal of beauty into one person, it would be Megara.

Her violet eyes swept over Nerys and Diane, still linked arm in arm.

Diane raised one eyebrow. Among their classmates, only Nerys and Diane were not overshadowed by Megara’s presence.

In that instant, a sharp tension settled between the three of them like a heavy curtain.

“Al.”

So, had Megara not broken eye contact with them and called out to Alecto before the tension solidified, the situation might have played out differently.

Megara spoke warmly into Madam Crois’ boutique, as if Nerys and Diane didn’t even exist.

“Did you like the outfit you tried on? Should I take a look too?”

“M-Meggie.”

Alecto responded with a helpless look she had developed over the years, using Megara’s nickname. Megara gave her a bright smile.

“Hmm? Should I?”

“N-No, it’s done.”

Alecto quickly stepped out of the boutique. Megara walked a couple of steps with Alecto trailing behind like a lady-in-waiting.

Then, as if something had suddenly occurred to her, she turned around to glance at Nerys and Diane and gave a slight nod.

The way she tossed out that greeting was clearly mocking. Diane bristled with indignation, but Nerys showed no reaction. The two girls whispered quietly as they descended to the first floor.

Alecto, who had glanced back at them, whispered something to Megara. Without changing her expression, Megara gave a small nod and continued walking.

A boutique employee let out a sigh of relief.

“I thought they were about to fight.”

“Watch your mouth.”

Even though the main actors had left, you never knew who might overhear and spread gossip. Madam Crois quickly scolded the staff and began tidying up the boutique.

One of the employees, who had set aside the sketch of the design Nerys had picked out, suddenly asked:

“That young lady had such beautiful violet eyes—why didn’t she choose a purple fabric? Does she prefer green?”

It was common sense that people with beautiful eye colors often wore clothes or jewelry that highlighted them.

Even that famous girl who just passed by, Megara Lykeandros, was wearing purple—exactly matching her violet eyes.

Madam Crois clicked her tongue.

“Because out of all the fabrics we put out, the green one was the best.”

“But it’s the plainest, isn’t it? Just like the outfit she was wearing. I thought maybe she chose it because it was cheaper.”

“Iz, I thought I taught you better than that.”

Tsk tsk. At her mentor and employer’s disapproving tone, the staff member blushed slightly. Madam Crois shook her head and explained.

“The fabric of the outfit she was wearing earlier—I saw it once when I was in the capital. That subtle, even sheen isn’t something that can be produced by ordinary craftsmanship. The fabric alone probably costs more than Lady Isalani’s dress. It’s too fine to be hidden under lace or embellishments.”

The employee’s jaw dropped. She knew how expensive Alecto Isalani’s pink dress was, with all its crystal beads and frills.

“Then the fact that the footman guided her here…”

Madam Crois’ boutique was one of the top-tier salons even within this store. They used only the finest selected fabrics and had skilled designers, attracting many regular clients.

Alecto had been introduced here under those very same credentials.

The staff was still wondering why that plain-looking blonde young lady had been guided here. Madam Crois clicked her tongue once again.

“She just has a better eye than you. Purple is a universally liked color, so everyone will be wearing it. You saw Lady Lykeandros’ outfit, didn’t you? Even if you wear a typical shade of purple, it’s like showing up with a business card saying, ‘Ah, you’re Miss Nerys Truydd.’ It would be a waste of her eye color. And to match that exact shade of violet in her eyes, the fabric alone would cost its weight in gold—that’s not something a student can afford.”

Gold as heavy as the fabric itself! The staff member’s jaw dropped once more.

“Anyway, stop with the useless chatter and get to work. If we didn’t have that green fabric, she probably wouldn’t have ordered from our shop at all. She seems to only wear really good fabrics, even if they don’t stand out.”

The two of them set aside the design sketch and began organizing the fabrics. As they waited for the next customer, they got back to work processing the current orders.

Completely unaware that someone was secretly watching them.

* * *

A necklace strung with multiple rows of dazzling, radiant ruby beads.

A brooch with a rectangular emerald encircled by small boat-shaped white diamonds.

A pendant with a teardrop pearl hanging from a crescent-shaped gold ornament.

Diane’s jewelry box was filled with treasures that would normally only appear in noble family portraits. Yet she showed no pride in them—only a matter-of-fact attitude as she urged Betty again.

“This doesn’t suit you! Next!”

She was a perfectionist to the extreme. She kept placing, removing, attaching, removing, trying on, and removing one piece after another. Every color, design, and style of jewelry was carefully considered, only to be discarded just as quickly by her ever-changing standards.

Eventually, Nerys—who was the one trying all of these on—exaggerated her fatigue.

It was the day of the ball. Could they really afford to waste time like this? Staring at herself in the mirror over and over was mentally exhausting.

“Let’s just pick something, Diane. How long are we going to keep doing this? You know I’ve barely slept the past few nights, right?”

One of the requirements for early graduation was maintaining perfect grades until the final term. Nerys had also been busy wrapping up her affairs at the Academy, and lately, she felt as if even two bodies wouldn’t be enough to manage everything.

But Diane wasn’t about to give in so easily.

“Not until we find something that suits you perfectly!”

Of course. Nerys sent a pleading look to Betty. Betty smiled and pretended not to notice. Once Diane got stubborn about something, who could ever stop her?

They must’ve tried on at least twelve different bracelets and fifteen different necklaces. Nerys sighed.

Diane grumbled energetically. Her chestnut hair had been styled into lovely waves for the graduation ball that evening.

“Why hasn’t the dress arrived yet? I get that we ordered in a rush, so it might be late, but still, it should’ve come before today! What would you have done without me? What kind of jewelry would you have worn? You can’t pick properly without trying it on with the dress first!”

“I wouldn’t have worn any jewelry.”

Nerys pointed out the flaw in Diane’s logic. In truth, she was being tactful. If it hadn’t been for Diane, Nerys wouldn’t have gone to the ball at all. Entry tickets had to be purchased separately, and they weren’t cheap.

Diane raised a puzzled eyebrow.

“Huh? Didn’t the young duke send you one?”

The graduation ball was open to students aged seventeen and up, and this year was Valentin’s first time attending. Nellusion had sent Nerys a ruby necklace under the pretense of it being a joint gift alongside Valentin’s.

Unfortunately, Diane had been with her when she opened it. Nerys answered calmly.

“I sent it back. It felt too burdensome.”

“Why? That much is okay to accept.”

That kind of innocent remark could only come from someone unaware of Nellusion’s true nature. He never gave anything without expecting something in return.

Nerys couldn’t stand the idea of Nellusion using that necklace as an excuse to drag her family into future discussions. Just thinking about it gave her chills. Two weeks ago, when she first received it, she nearly failed to keep a neutral expression.

If Diane hadn’t been there admiring the necklace, she might’ve flung the box across the room.

Thankfully, the servant from House Elandria who brought the gift had lingered, as if expecting a thank-you message to take back. That gave Nerys the perfect excuse to return the unwanted gift immediately.

She shook her head.

– “No thanks. Valentin will probably say something too.”

– “It didn’t even seem that expensive though. But if you’re uncomfortable, then there’s nothing to be done.”

As the daughter of a wealthy merchant, Diane’s standards were naturally much higher than most. But even Nerys agreed.

After being adopted into the Elandria family and seeing the kind of jewels reserved for a crown princess, that ruby necklace was nothing special.

Nellusion probably calculated that as well—choosing something of decent quality that was flashy enough to make a statement, yet cheap enough to pretend it was no big deal. The kind of gift you could say, “Don’t worry, it’s nothing,” about.

In fact, the servant who had collected the returned gift had said something along those lines, but Nerys had refused it outright. She simply didn’t want anything to do with House Elandria.

“Haa, everything looks beautiful, but nothing feels quite right. What should I do?”

Diane sighed as she moved a brooch away from Nerys’s neck.

Diane’s dorm had its own powder room, decorated solely for the purpose of getting ready. The two girls sat in front of a massive mirror, large enough to reflect them both, framed in silver.

Surrounded by dreamlike dresses and glittering accessories. Wearing nothing but gauzy, cream-soft linen slips.

The day of the graduation ball had arrived in the blink of an eye.

It still felt strange to Nerys, sitting there like this. Part of her feared that if she pinched her cheek, she might suddenly wake up back in her old life.

Back then, too, Nerys had attended a graduation ball.

When she was seventeen and eighteen, she didn’t have the money to buy a ticket, and didn’t want to attend alone. But when she was nineteen, someone had delivered a ticket to her dorm room.