Chapter 80: Adoration
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 80: Adoration
Meisel stared into the mirror, draped in a lavish, apricot-colored dress.
The jewel embellishments along the hem clinked together with a pleasant, crystalline sound, but she wasn't quite satisfied.
“The center looks too empty. We need more jewels.”
Behind her, the two young ladies-in-waiting swallowed small sighs.
Meisel, who usually wouldn't give them the time of day, had suddenly invited these daughters of mere barons. They had wondered why, only to realize she simply needed someone to flatter her and act as servants while she was at the boutique.
‘High-ranking ladies wouldn’t bother following her to a place like this.’
The two were exhausted, having spent hours providing a constant stream of "How lovely!" and "Simply divine!" as Meisel agonized over every single ornament.
“Summer fabric is quite thin, after all… if we add any more weight, the hem might tear,” Madame Ramondria replied. Unlike the miserable-looking young ladies, her professional composure remained perfectly smooth.
“What do you think?”
Meisel glanced back at the two noblewomen. They immediately brightened, sitting up straight.
“You look absolutely stunning!”
“Truly, Lady Meisel is the only person in the entire Empire who could pull off a dress like this.”
Meisel pondered their praise.
This was the first year since the Grand Duchess’s arrival, so there would surely be a banquet or a ball this summer. She needed to be fully prepared.
Before her future role as the Grand Duchess, she was already the face of the North; it was only right that she presented the most striking appearance.
‘This should be far more extravagant than the dress the Grand Duchess wore back then.’
She wanted to push it further, but the weight her waist was already supporting was no joke.
“Fine, let’s go with this.”
Ultimately, Meisel decided she would just have to pick out a matching necklace instead. She finished the fitting with that slight compromise.
It was just as she stepped behind the partition to change that she heard Madame greeting someone outside.
“Lady Cecilia.”
“Madame!”
The familiar, irritating voice of Cecilia Terito drifted over.
“Could you bring all the sketches when you come to the lakeside later? Her Highness the Consort said she’ll need them for the meeting.”
“Of course. But you could have sent a messenger instead of coming all this way yourself…”
“I was on my way to the lake anyway, so I thought I’d stop by. Oh… it’s been a while.”
Meisel heard the two noblewomen who had accompanied her exchanging awkward, stiff greetings with Cecilia.
‘Damn. This is a perfect chance to hear news from the Grand Duke’s Castle.’
There was nothing from the previous incident that could lead back to Meisel. Even though she had told the Merchant Association President to gather people, she hadn't revealed her specific plan. As long as Marzella kept her mouth shut, it would pass quietly.
‘Though Marzella seemed scared out of her wits.’
Since then, Marzella had been out of contact, making it difficult to know what was happening inside the castle. It would be great if she could pry something out of Cecilia.
“Hurry up,” Meisel hissed at the staff helping her change. She peered through a small gap in the partition to see what she could.
‘What is this?’
“Lady Cecilia!”
The boutique staff standing before Cecilia were making a huge fuss, acting as if they were meeting a celebrity.
‘What’s wrong with them?’
They always looked like they were at a funeral when they stood in front of her.
Madame scolded the staff with a stern look. “That’s enough. You’re making Lady Cecilia uncomfortable.”
“No, I’m fine. But why…?”
Cecilia looked just as puzzled, seemingly unsure of what was going on, when one of the staff members stepped forward.
“Lady Cecilia, are you really ‘Cecil’?”
“From Cecil’s Recipes!”
The staff members' eyes sparkled as they asked.
“We heard that you’re the one who writes them. Is that true?”
“Ah. Well, in a way. The recipes belong to different people, but…”
As Cecilia nodded, the staff let out little squeals of delight and pulled out scrapbooks one by one.
“We’re all huge fans of Cecil’s Recipes!”
At those unexpected words, Cecilia’s cheeks flushed with a grin.
“I cut out every single recipe and keep them.”
“I’ve collected every single one since the very first column!”
“Especially the honey meat pie! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made it.”
The staff bustled about, competing to show their scrapbooks to Cecilia.
Madame chimed in with a tone that suggested she couldn't help but indulge them. “They all heard the rumor somewhere and have been waiting anxiously for you to visit, Lady Cecilia.”
“Really? I’m so happy to hear that.”
Meisel let out a scoff of disbelief.
Even for ignorant commoners, this was too much. Adoring someone like Cecilia instead of her?
Before the laces on her back were even fully tightened, Meisel shoved the partition aside with a loud clatter.
“Oh, Lady Cecilia! It’s been a long time.”
She offered a deliberately bright greeting, but Cecilia’s expression instantly hardened into a mask of ice.
“...The nerve...”
For a moment, a chill ran down Meisel’s spine. Cecilia was staring at her as if she knew exactly what Meisel had done.
As Meisel hesitated, unsure of how to react, Cecilia gave a slight, polite curtsy.
“...Lady Meisel.”
Looking again, her expression wasn't much different from her usual cynical self.
Was it just her imagination?
‘I must be on edge.’
Relieved, Meisel smiled thinly and scanned Cecilia from head to toe.
“I heard you became a lady-in-waiting…”
To think she had become the Grand Duchess’s lady-in-waiting and yet hadn't changed a bit. That was a talent in its own right.
“I haven't seen your face at any gatherings lately, so I had no idea how you were doing.”
“I’ve been quite busy.”
“I suppose so. You have to assist Her Highness, and since the social season is still new to her, it must be the same for you… there must be so much to learn.”
Meisel looked at Cecilia with a face full of pity.
“It must be very difficult. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I’ll help you.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine.”
Cecilia wore a nonchalant expression, as if she had absolutely no need for anything Meisel could offer.
‘That look again! That damn face is what makes me so angry!’
Meisel felt a surge of irritation bubbling in her gut.
The reason she hated Cecilia was clear.
Society, networking, trends… Cecilia always acted indifferent or detached toward everything Meisel staked her life on. It grated on Meisel’s pride in a strange way. It felt as though all the reputation and effort she had built up was being dismissed as trivial.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Meisel curled one side of her lip. “As a lady-in-waiting, there’s a lot you need to know about dresses and jewels, but you’ve never really had much interest in those things, have you?”
“It’s fine. Her Highness doesn't have much interest in those things either.”
Is she bragging about that?
Cecilia shrugged. “She’s far too busy with important matters.”
“Important matters?” one of the noblewomen listening in asked, unable to contain her curiosity. “Are you talking about that new shopping district?”
“That’s right. It’s a project Her Highness is planning herself.”
Thinking it was an opportunity to get into Meisel’s good graces, the other noblewoman spoke up with a sneer.
“Honestly, just between us… is Her Highness really the one doing the work?”
“Of course. She’s at the lakeside right now, personally overseeing the site.”
“But surely… someone like her couldn't possibly handle such a massive undertaking…”
“How rude. Are you daring to doubt the Grand Duchess?”
Cecilia snapped, catching the implication the noblewoman had tried to gloss over.
“Her Highness possesses an extraordinary brilliance that ordinary ladies like us couldn't even imagine.”
“Well, I wouldn't go that far…”
“Do you think the position of the Mistress of Blenheim is a seat just anyone can fill? Even the administrators of the Grand Duke’s Castle seek Her Highness’s guidance.”
“W-well, anyway, it’s not like Her Highness is doing it alone, right? The Grand Duke is there, and the administrators… it’s hard to call it Her Highness’s project…” the noblewoman rambled, glancing nervously at Meisel.
“Are you saying you won't acknowledge it unless Her Highness hammers every single nail in the shopping district herself?”
Cecilia knit her brows in disbelief.
“Of course there are many people working on it. Even Madame here is helping with the interior decorations. But the one drawing the grand blueprint for how the district will be built and operated is Her Highness.”
“Madame too?”
All eyes turned to Madame Ramondria. She gave a slight, polite bow. Her face remained as expressionless as ever, but for some reason, there was a faint trace of pride in her eyes.
“The Grand Duke is providing full support with all the necessary manpower and resources,” Cecilia added. “It feels as though if Her Highness asked for the sea instead of a lake, he’d find a way to give it to her.”
“I-I see.”
Cecilia, knowing exactly where Meisel’s sore spots were, continued to needle her until the noblewoman, realizing she was losing the argument, fell silent.
Meisel bit her lip hard.
After staring Meisel down for a moment, Cecilia changed the subject.
“Oh, and we’ll be holding an Eve Festival before the official opening of the shopping district.”
“An Eve Festival?”
“Invitations should be sent out soon.”
“Oh, really?”
A faint glimmer of anticipation appeared on the noblewomen's faces. Regardless of their personal feelings, the new shopping district was the center of all gossip. If Cecilia offered an invitation, even out of mere politeness, they had no intention of refusing.
Meisel’s face also brightened.
‘The Grand Duke will surely attend, won't he? I’ll have to order a new outdoor dress.’
“If you’re interested, keep an eye on Northern News,” Cecilia said, her eyes curving into a mischievous, annoying arc. “We plan to send out several dozen invitations to the subscribers as well.”
She paused, then added pointedly, “Though, of course, you’d have to be lucky enough to win one.”
The message was clear: there were no invitations intended for them.