episode_0067

“Do you know about that, Eleanor?”

On the third floor of the mansion, in a large room that was not in use.

To the melody of the waltz filling the spacious room, Eleanor gracefully spun her body full of graceful curves once around.

In preparation for the ball to be held on the Foundation Day, Eleanor was moving her body to the waltz melody after a long time. Her partner, whom she faced after a long time, was Lady Rosha, the wife of the Minister of Defense.

The waltz, flowing smoothly to the beat, gradually sped up towards its end. Beneath a white blouse, Eleanor’s sky-blue high-waisted long skirt fluttered cheerfully in tune with her movements.

“What are you talking about?”

Despite her quite dynamic movements, her voice remained clear and pure without a hint of wavering.

Perhaps having grown accustomed to the lady’s body, Eleanor remained unchanged in her initial appearance even as the rhythm quickened.

The waltz slowly approached its end.

The beautiful melody, accelerating over the quickened rhythm, soon exploded gloriously. Rosha embraced Eleanor, who had momentarily fallen away from his embrace for the grand climax, looking at her with deep eyes.

“On the night of Foundation Day, if you confess your love in the Rose Palace garden during the ball, love will be realized.”

“That sounds like a silly story.”

Rosha, who had been embracing Eleanor’s waist with intense gaze, causing their faces to gradually redden with each other’s sweet breaths, the dizzying scent of bergamot, and the softness unique to women.

“But it still holds true. Even if it’s a silly story, it seems quite fitting.”

Rosha gazed at Eleanor, whose face was blushing, with a captivating smile.

“Um… Rosha. You’re a bit close…”

“Eleanor, I, too, received a confession from my husband there.”

As the music stopped, applause filled the large room in its place. Watching the two women dance from behind, the mansion’s maids looked at the intertwined pair with somewhat enchanted expressions.

Amidst the applause, Sophie and Ogenie, each holding a soft towel in their hands, approached the two women still in their finishing poses.

Even after the music stopped, Rosha, who had placed her hand on Eleanor’s waist for a while, released Eleanor from her embrace upon seeing the approaching maid.

“You said Sophie, right? Thank you.”

With a bright smile, wiping the sweat beads on her forehead with the towel handed to her, Rosha continued the earlier conversation.

“Well, Ellie, should I try to give a little nudge to the man in your heart? How about confessing then?”

“Ma’am! What kind of talk is this!”

“What are you talking about?”

The girls of the same age as Rosha showed the opposite reaction to her words.

Eleanor blushed with embarrassment and shouted loudly.

Approaching Rosha elegantly with curiosity in her voice, Ogenie asked, “Hoho. It’s a story about the night of Foundation Day, in the Rose Palace garden.”

“Oh! Is it about confessing at the Rose Palace on Foundation Day so that your love will be fulfilled forever?”

Ogenie looked at Rosha with sparkling violet eyes. Rosha, sensing a good mood in her gaze, smiled broadly and added a few more words.

“Yes. So, I thought of perhaps giving a hint to Duke Dmitri-”

“Wait a minute, Rosha! How do you know that!” Eleanor interrupted with a shout.

Outside of Dimitri and the mansion, there had been no entanglements. Of course, she had fallen victim to the venomous web of Shelobra, but only a few in the small rural village would have noticed.

“That’s right. How did you know that the young lady holds Duke Dimitri in her heart!”

“Foreigner….”

Eleanor gazed sadly at Eugenie, who was going as far as confirming such matters. However, all that awaited above her sky-blue eyes were the playful features of a childhood friend, eagerly awaiting her response.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? That mine the Beaurne family transferred to the ducal house. It may not be a particularly profitable mine, but it’s not entirely useless either. It’s just right for a marriage settlement.”

“Surely… Then.”

At Laura’s words, Eleanor looked at her with a hopeful expression.

“Perhaps keen observers might have noticed? Besides, they even invited the Duke to the townhouse at the beginning of the year. There are quite a few people concerned about the closeness between the West and the North.”

#.

“Sigh…. Even if the lady had noticed, there was no need to boldly acknowledge it like that, Foreigner.”

“Oh, Miss. Why are you so embarrassed? It’s not something to hide that a lady admires a fine gentleman. Moreover, if you are Lady Laura, you can offer help in various ways.”

“I-I don’t know…. No matter what you say, it’s embarrassing….”

Snuggling into her arms, the cute platinum-haired lady pouted cutely, full of innocence. Skillfully handling the lady’s tantrum, the maid with violet eyes wiped the sweat beads on her forehead gently with a handkerchief.

The two women were cuddling like affectionate sisters, smiling at each other. Watching them, Laura smiled softly.

Lady Eleanor Arène de Beaurne had certainly undergone a transformation. She seemed so different from when Laura first met her in late winter, claiming to have lost her memory.

Despite losing her memory, certain habits seemed to linger in her body.

Her movements were stiff and rigid, lacking the grace expected of a noble lady. It wasn’t just her beautiful appearance; her manner of speaking, moving, and her personality were off.

Even though she must have retained some habits, her movements were rigid, almost masculine, making one wonder if her delicate body could withstand such stiffness.

Despite being the same woman, she felt shy under her own touch.

Of course, finding her shyness adorable, Laura couldn’t help but cross a line. Eleanor’s gaze and attitude towards her seemed reminiscent of boys awakening to girls during their early adolescence.

Eleanor had been like that until recently.

However, the Eleanor facing her today was more beautiful and feminine than any noble lady Laura had ever seen.

Her movements were gentle and graceful, occasionally revealing the curves of a woman without hesitation.

Her demeanor reflected this change.

Although she still seemed self-conscious, her gaze was different, not like before when she was conscious of men.

Watching Eleanor scold Eugenie loudly, Laura subtly raised the corners of her mouth.

If there was anything different about her, it was twofold.

Beside her, Eugenie, the clever maid with ivory hair, now seemed to care for her as if she were a beloved younger sister.

And at her words that she had taken Dimitri to heart, she blushed but did not particularly refute her feelings.

The saying that love changes a girl was not wrong.

Lorsua gently raised the cup of cold tea in front of her, holding it in her hand and bringing it to her lips.

“So, Eleonore. What style of dress are you going to choose for the upcoming national ball? A glamorous off-shoulder dress? Or an elegant dress showing off your curves?”

At Lorsua’s words, the two sisters stopped their bickering and looked at her.

“Well… I was just planning on wearing one of the dresses at the mansion.”

“W-what are you talking about, miss!”

At Eleonore’s indifferent words, the maid sitting beside her, Eugenie, widened her violet eyes in shock.

“You’re going to wear a dress worn by the ladies of the Beauren family again?”

Seeing Eugenie’s stern gaze, Eleonore subtly tucked her tail.

“No… I was thinking of wearing the dress we picked out together before mother went downstairs.”

“Even so! What will you do if rumors spread? The national ball is approaching, and yet you haven’t even chosen a dress from the Beauren family!”

Watching the violet-eyed lady deal firmly with the sulking miss, Lorsua nodded slightly.

“Eli, Eugenie is right. Society women make a big fuss over such trivial rumors.”

“I don’t really care about society-”

“Miss! It’s not just your problem! They spread rumors about how up north, they lavish attention on the youngest daughter, calling her precious, yet they won’t even buy a new dress for the youngest daughter of the viscount, what will happen if such rumors circulate!”

Honestly, when she first saw Eleonore, she was lacking in many ways as a woman and as the beloved of a viscount.

Although she didn’t show any signs of harsh words that might come from the famous Lady Lorsua, she was genuinely concerned.

However, contrary to her worries, Eleonore had grown quite a bit as a woman, and having such a child by her side.

Lorsua smiled broadly, still looking at the two squabbling young ladies.

“Ah, you two. Shall we take a look at the dress that the Countess Etie purchased?”

Lorsua now felt she could relax a bit.