Chapter 19. Changed Future, Part III

‘Look at my clothes. I had to wear these dirty, shabby clothes.’

The young ladies’ eyes were directed at Aria’s clothes because she had created a situation that had attracted attention with her purposefully late arrival. Everyone was shocked by her humble dress, which was no different from those of the common people.

It was not without sense. Even though it was a shabby dress, she had adorned it with various decorations to distract the eyes. Though, it was hard to say if the decorations were classy.

Her appearance was so different from the rumor that all the young ladies in the garden were speechless. Sarah, who had come to her senses at last, greeted Aria and urged the other young ladies to be courteous. Only then, did the young ladies, realizing how rude they had been, hastened to greet Aria.

Aria greeted them with a shy smile that blushed her cheeks. She looked like a young lily, the seal of the Roscents, leaving a lovely impression in everyone’s heart.

“Now that we’re all here, shall we start?”

It was late, but a full-fledged tea party began as Aria took her place. Rose tea, which was a product from a faraway foreign land, was prepared, and sweet cookies and cakes filled the table.

Aria, who had never participated in alcohol-free gatherings since she was young, observed everything with interest. Her presence was interpreted in a slightly different way to that of the other young ladies. Her simple dress also played a part in that.

‘Why is it so simple, like a commoner’s? Is this her first time seeing cookies and cakes?’

It couldn’t be, but Aria’s attire and demeanor made them think so. In the end, a young lady, unable to bear her curiosity, asked Aria. “Lady Roscent, is this your first tea party?”

“Yes, it’s my first time. Cookies and cakes are really pretty.”

“Oh, my God.”

There was a sigh of admiration from someone’s mouth. It represented both surprise and pity. It had been a year since she had joined the family of the count, so they wondered how she had never attended a tea party.

Young girls from noble families normally enjoyed tea parties in their own mansions. Those were also events aimed at preparing them for their advancement into society. In families with sisters, they held a small gathering together, and in families with none, they invited a close friend.

Sarah had no sisters, so she had often invited someone close to her and held her tea party that, much like she was doing that day. The tea party fell silent thought they were supposed to be talking to one another.

At that point, a common question came into the minds of the young ladies. It was the small question of whether the rumors that had caused a stir in the public were false. Aria’s behavior, her attitude, her manner of speaking, and her bright laughter seemed to say so.

The same was true of Sarah’s words. Before Aria arrived, Sarah had requested mercy, for Aria was nothing like the rumors. Not everyone had believed her because Sarah was kind and friendly by nature, but actually, she seemed right.

‘Because people believe in what they see.’

Aria smiled brightly as they looked at one another with stiff expressions. The tea party was only beginning.

* * *

The tea party was ripe, and the young ladies showed great interest in Aria, asking her the usual questions. For example: How did she usually live in the mansion of the family of count? How did she feel about having been a commoner and about what she was wearing that day?

It was very rude to ask about someone’s privacy, but there was no big problem thanks to Aria’s soft-spoken attitude, which did not disapprove of any of the questions. She answered them all to the possible extent.

“Oh, my God! By the way, since all your clothes were burned, is the dress you are wearing today one that you bought recently?”

“Yes… I was very sorry to buy something so expensive, but I still bought it from the boutique that I admired when I was a commoner. I knew nothing except for that place… But, it was my first time going in, so I was very touched.”

The young ladies were pleased to hear that she had bought as many as ten dresses. They would not be worth a single piece of their simple hair decorations because they had come from a commoner’s boutique, but the young ladies’ hearts became warm from seeing her cheeks flushed and listening to her words that were spoken with a happy demeanor.

“Didn’t anyone introduce you to another boutique? For example… Lady Mielle?” asked a young lady, who combed her hair finely to one side. Before she spoke Mielle’s name, she looked around, opening her mouth very carefully.

Aria was filled with a great deal of satisfaction because she could finally comment on Mielle, but she expressed a very sad look. She looked like a wounded bird that had fallen from its nest, so the young lady covered her mouth with her hand, feeling that she had made a mistake.

‘Let’s make a very small fire, a little starting ember. Even if the fire is as small as a grain of sand, it will soon grow in size to swallow a huge mountain.’

“I couldn’t bother her. I think… Mielle is a little different from me…”

Aria, with her head slightly, paused and took a sip of the rose tea. Her expression, where she narrowed the middle of her forehead a little, made her look very lonely.

“Though I’m in the count’s family now… I come from a different background. Mielle is smart, pretty, and lovely, so I’m sure it’ll be a problem if she hangs out with me. I’m afraid I’m going to bring her down.”

Aria finished her speech while fiddling with the cookies. No one was able to open their mouths because everyone there had thought Aria would bring Mielle down at one point.

Rumors had already been spread to that effect, and the young ladies there had not doubted them until they saw Aria. Moreover, the rumors had become vicious, as everyone who had encountered Aria several times had given her a harsh evaluation. Even if those people were to meet her again, it was clear that they would start doubting Aria rather than accept she changed.

‘So, you guys have to work hard.’

After the tea party, they had to go back to their own mansions and tell the others the experience they had had that day. Simply the fact that she was nice and innocent was not enough. They had to have some other evidence.

‘Why does the loving and holy Mielle not reach out to poor Aria first? Aria is so lovely, nice and naive, unlike the gossip surrounding her.’

Although Mielle was still young, it was strange for her to leave her new sister, who had a calm and affectionate personality, alone, unlike her peers. Of course, they needed tangible proof because the young women’s family members wouldn’t easily believe them otherwise.

“Let’s stop talking about this. It’s my first time meeting people the same age as me, so I just want to tell you happy tales.”

Aria, who tried to smile to change the mood, told Jessie to hand out the handkerchiefs. Jessie handed out a case with her embroidered handkerchief to each of the young ladies. When they opened the cases that were as simple as Aria’s dress, they each found a handkerchief embroidered with a beautiful tulip.

“I learned how to make them from Teacher Sarah. I don’t know if you’ll like them.”

Sarah blushed at the word teacher. The handkerchief, which was embroidered with a red, vivid tulip, was enough to instantly make the dull mood in the garden friendly. Aria was still young and had only been in the count’s family for a year, so it seemed unbelievable that she had made such great embroidery gifts.

The faces of the young ladies, who were staring intently at the tulip embroidery, brimmed with admiration, and smiles bloomed as fresh as tulips. At that point, Aria felt that all of her work for the day was done, so her heart also lightened.

Truth was that those little efforts took a toll on her. They took a while and were boring, so she didn’t really want to do them, but she was a bit more motivated when she thought that Mielle had gone through the same bothersome process.