episode_0011

The mansion was as noisy in the afternoon as it had been in the rather tumultuous morning.

Somewhere, women arriving in several carriages filled the mansion with a variety of dresses tucked under their arms as they strolled through its halls.

A room adjacent to Eleanor’s bedroom on the second floor, which had been empty until recently, had transformed into a showroom for the wardrobe.

Observing this spectacle from outside the door, Eleanor gazed at the increasing number of dresses with a bewildered expression.

It was undeniably a spacious room similar in size to her own bedroom, but…

Seeing the large room filled with dresses made her stomach churn.

Surely they weren’t planning to make her try on all these dresses?

Please, please tell me that’s not the case.

Does this young lady understand her feelings or not?

Sophie, standing dutifully by Eleanor’s side, had her eyes wide open, marveling at the dresses filling the room with an absent-minded expression, contrasting her usual composed demeanor.

“Miss! Please take a look at that ivory dress. How can lace look so exquisite on it! Oh, and the silver dress just brought in would complement your fair skin beautifully!”

No, it would have been better if she had just watched quietly.

Eleanor looked at the excited Sophie and let out a small sigh.

Should she just claim to be unwell and send them away?

It’s not like that statement would be entirely false.

Her platinum blonde hair swayed gently from side to side.

Both Sophie and the women in the room were eyeing the dresses being brought in with such interest that even if she tried to voice her thoughts, the words wouldn’t come out.

Alright, let’s just try on a few and decide quickly!

After all, it would be a dress for me to wear. I can’t risk ending up in a strange dress by leaving it to others’ hands and sending them away.

Her platinum blonde hair swayed softly up and down.

Making up her mind in solitude, Eleanor cautiously approached the room that had turned into a dressing room and went over to Etienne, who was engrossed in conversation with a middle-aged woman.

“I apologize for calling you in such a hurry. This is something that should have been done with more leisure.”

For someone speaking to a subordinate, Etienne offered a rather polite apology.

In response to Madame Baek’s apology, the woman in front of her smiled warmly.

“No, Madame. It’s more of an honor for us to be entrusted with your daughter’s precious debutante dress.”

“That’s reassuring to hear.”

“While time is pressing, your daughter’s appearance is indeed exceptional as rumored, so it shouldn’t take too long. We’ve gathered all the dresses in the dressing room, so if you make a decision today, we should have plenty of time to meet the deadline.”

Goosebumps rose on Eleanor’s slender arms beneath the sky-blue blouse.

Of course, as a woman, one should be pleased to be considered beautiful, but Eleanor still found such compliments overly cloying.

Brushing her arms over the blouse absentmindedly, Eleanor stood close to her mother.

Feeling a presence beside her, Etienne’s brown hair swayed gently.

As her daughter approached her side, Etienne took Eleanor’s arm and introduced her to the middle-aged woman she had been conversing with.

“Elli, this is Mrs. Olivia, a well-known seamstress in the capital. You’ll likely meet her often in the future, so greet her properly.”

Upon Etienne’s words, Eleanor politely greeted the woman.

“I am Eleanor Arène de Beauregard, the youngest daughter of Viscount Beauregard.”

“I’m just a humble seamstress making ends meet, Olivia. You are even more beautiful than the rumors suggest, Miss. Thanks to you, I feel like I’ll enjoy working again after a long time.”

“Thank you for the compliment, madam. When will the fitting be possible?”

“Now that we’re almost ready, please have a seat while I clear the people out.”

Madam said this and made her way through the busy women.

Soon, Etienne’s left arm intertwined with Eleonore’s right arm.

Feeling the soft touch of her chest against her blouse, Eleonore turned her head gently towards her mother who had her arms crossed.

“Elli, must it have been exhausting moving around all morning?”

She wanted to misbehave like she did on the bed last night. However, considering there were quite a few watching eyes, Eleonore managed her expression and spoke softly.

“Yes. I’m a bit tired. Mother, do I have to try on all the dresses here?”

“I’d love to see our pretty daughter in all of them, but…”

At the slight raise of her mother’s lips, Eleonore felt a strange chill.

“With the time constraint and our dear child not feeling well, let’s just try on a few dresses that suit her best.”

Etienne and Olivia sat down, marking the beginning of Eleonore’s debutante dress survival.

The two judges looked at the array of dresses, engaging in a heated discussion from colors to lace, ruffle details, and more.

Meanwhile, the person supposed to try on the dresses sat in the hastily arranged dressing room chair, waiting helplessly as the final candidate.

As some time passed,

Five dresses selected as the final candidates were presented to Eleonore.

She skimmed through those dresses a couple of times. Frankly, aside from slight color variations, one dress seemed like another.

Well, what do I know about dresses when I never cared about women’s clothing?

Eleonore wrapped her achy lower abdomen and rose from her seat to greet the gallery waiting outside the dressing room.

Though she stood up, there was nothing specific for Eleonore to do.

As always, dressing her was the job of the subordinates.

The only difference today was that among the familiar faces, there were a few women mixed in with Olivia.

Thus began the transformation, and Eleonore clicked her tongue.

In fact, having watched maids dress her for a little over a month, Eleonore was now somewhat awake to women’s clothing.

After using the restroom, she could now tidy up her blouse and skirt by herself.

Even the undergarment that resembled a bra, she felt confident enough to put on alone.

However, the dress being put on her now was on a different level compared to the women’s clothes she had worn before.

From the start, not a single convenience was considered.

Reflected in the mirror, the platinum blonde lady didn’t seem to be putting on the dress; rather, it looked like the dress was being put on her.

“Wow! Look at the lady’s smooth skin. How do you manage to be so flawless and soft without a single blemish?”

“They say meals in Bearen are extravagant, no wonder your waist is so slim.”

“Hehe. Not a single flaw on our lady, inside or out.”

Moreover, the surrounding comments, especially the gossip from Sophie and familiar faces, were quite irritating.

Thanks to that, the dull ache in her lower abdomen felt like someone was stabbing her with a knife.

Ah! Could this be stress-induced colitis? Yeah, that would make sense.

Eleonore absentmindedly massaged her slender lower abdomen.

“That’s right. You don’t need to cinch your waist, miss.”

Oh… Fortunately, that’s what I heard in the middle.

After continuous efforts from the female comrades surrounding her, Eleanor was able to wear her first dress safely.

Of course, since it was still in the fitting stage, she felt a bit uneasy about the waist seam pinned with a safety pin.

Wearing fairly high heels that matched the dress, Eleanor held Sophie’s hand and could walk towards the galleries beyond the partition.

Before she knew it, there were quite a few people gathered in the room.

Mrs. Olivia and her entourage, along with the maids who had diligently dressed Eleanor just moments ago. And even other servants from the mansion who had gathered upon hearing the rumors.

The people gathered in the room were filled with admiration at Eleanor’s appearance.

The pure white dress on her fair skin made Eleanor’s slender figure look even more innocent.

The gently visible collarbone above the deeply cut neckline enhanced the beginning fragrance of a blossoming woman.

However, not everyone shared the same sentiment.

“It seems like the shoulders are too exaggerated.”

The bold design that slightly revealed the collarbone and upper chest did not seem to please Mrs. Etienne Beauchamp, and Eleanor, her daughter, nodded in agreement with her mother’s words.

“I agree, Mother. How can I stand in front of others wearing just this flimsy piece of cloth?”

On the other hand, Mrs. Olivia, who was dissatisfied, chuckled and began spouting phrases she had heard from department store clerks before.

“Madam, this style is currently popular among the young ladies of the capital. Besides, our young lady here has a modestly sized chest, not too large or too small, so she doesn’t appear vulgar or anything of the sort.”

Even Eleanor’s mother seemed swayed by Mrs. Beauchamp’s persuasion.

Etienne tilted her head left and right, asking for her daughter’s opinion.

“Hmm. Ellie, what do you think?”

Eleanor promptly replied, “The dress is indeed beautiful, but… to be honest, this level of exposure makes me a bit uncomfortable.”

“I don’t like it, I really don’t! I’m not going to wear this!”

Though she wanted to plop down right there and throw a tantrum, Eleanor restrained herself as all eyes in the room were on her, and she spoke in her usual voice.

As soon as she finished speaking, her lower abdomen suddenly felt queasy.

Experiencing a sensation she had never felt before, Eleanor placed her hand on her lower abdomen over the dress.

Feeling something unsettling flowing from below, Eleanor stood frozen in place.

Sophie, who was standing beside Eleanor, was the first to notice the change and whispered softly to Eleanor, looking visibly flustered. She quickly moved behind Eleanor, shielding her back with her body.

The pure white dress began to gradually turn slightly red from within.

The people gathered in the room finally noticed the change and started murmuring amongst themselves.

And in the center stood Eleanor, frozen in place, as if time had stopped for her.

She wondered if what she was thinking of was actually happening between her legs.

Was the recent discomfort in her waist and lower abdomen related to the current situation?

The first to act was Etienne Beauchamp, who rose from her seat at her daughter’s frozen state.

“Everyone, out! You, by the door, quickly close it. Sophie, take Ellie inside behind the curtain.”

The once still room slowly began to stir into motion.

“Everyone, what are you all doing! Can’t you hear me? Hurry up and move!”

At the command of Etienne, the people gathered in the room quickly rushed outside.

And Eleanor, who had been frozen in place, began to move with Sophie’s support towards the dressing room behind the curtain.

#

The bedroom was eerily quiet.

Eleanor sat alone on the wide bed, staring blankly at the grid pattern on the ceiling.

No thoughts came to mind.

Or rather, she didn’t want to think about anything.

Not about what had happened earlier.

Nor about what was happening to her body now.

She felt nothing but injustice at the events unfolding within herself.

Her sky-blue eyes began to glisten with moisture.

The grid pattern on the ceiling soon blurred, and Eleanor turned her head, burying her face in the pillow.

In the spacious room, only the sound of Eleanor’s stifled sobs could be heard seeping through the pillows.

As her cries of injustice gradually subsided,

a knock sounded a couple of times from beyond the heavy wooden door.

Eleanor’s platinum blonde hair, buried in the pillow, shifted slightly.

Contemplating whether to raise her voice in annoyance, she decided against it, knowing that in her current state, only wailing would come out. So Eleanor buried her head in the pillow once more.

And without the owner’s permission, the bedroom door slid open silently.

“Elli, are you feeling better now?”

At the familiar voice, the blonde strands of hair twitched.

However, Eleanor, still reluctant to show her messy face even to her mother, kept her head buried in the pillow.

A warm hand gently swept over the back of Eleanor’s head.

With just that touch, the discomfort in her lower abdomen seemed to ease slightly.

“My dear, would you like to get up for a moment? Mom brought some warm cocoa and a hot water bottle.”

A faint smile escaped Eleanor.

While she might not be Eleanor anymore, the adult trapped inside her was undoubtedly there. However, she didn’t dislike her mother’s gestures and words, treating her as if she were still a child.

Eleanor lifted her buried head slightly and met the gaze of her sky-blue eyes, so similar to her own.

“Um… I’m sorry, Mother.”

“Oh, our daughter. What are you apologizing for this time, crying your heart out again? I could hear you sobbing all the way outside.”

“Oh! I wasn’t crying that much!”

Despite her words, a single tear lingered in her large eyes, rolling down her pale cheek.

Etienne smiled softly and placed her right hand on Eleanor’s left cheek.

Her warm and gentle hand tenderly wiped away the tears, tickling Eleanor’s cheek.

“I see. Yeah, that’s right. Yes, yes, that’s how it is, my daughter.”

Etienne picked up a mug from the tray on the bedside table and offered it to Eleanor.

“Here, have some warm cocoa. If you hold the hot water bottle against your lower abdomen, it might help with the pain.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

“Oh, why do you have to say it like that?”

In response to Eleanor’s words, Etienne replied with a gentle smile.

“Your sisters too. Since a girl who never had menstrual cramps suddenly experiences this, it feels like I’m finally raising my daughter properly.”

#2. It’s always harder to prepare! 完