Translator: Nox

Chapter 50

<Chapter 50> The Last Ball (1)

"Tell me quickly. Say you'll accept the proposal. Hurry!"

The anger that had flared like a fire in her heart withered helplessly before fear. If she lost the use of her hand like this, how would she live in the future? Her internal organs shrank in fear.

"Uncle! Please... hic... Yes, I understand. As you wish, as you wish! So, please...!"

Soon, the foot that had been crushing her fingers was lifted. Miss Pendleton clutched her hand and trembled all over as if convulsing. A rush of blood returned to her hand, and she felt nothing but a tingling, stiff sensation. It was as if the crushed part had turned into a piece of wood.

Gerald Pendleton went back to his chair, took a new cigar from the cigar box, and lit it.

"Take care to dress well tomorrow. You may leave now."

Miss Pendleton staggered out of the study. Her trampled hand was stained crimson with shoe prints. Miss Pendleton went straight to her room and threw herself onto the bed. Then, she buried her face in the pillow and sobbed.

Misery washed over her like a tidal wave. The event that had just occurred flung open the floodgates connecting it to past memories. How rigid her uncle's mistreatment had been in her childhood, and how powerless she herself had been. For over a decade since leaving Pendleton Estate, she had lived to escape the past.

As a top student who never missed first place in her seven years at boarding school. As an upright Lady and a helpful friend in society for twelve years, she had tried to prove herself. To prove how useful a human being she was, unlike Gerald Pendleton's contempt.

But the violence just now merged her childhood and present, which she had desperately tried to separate, into one.

She felt like she was eight years old again, being hit with an ashtray and running to the nursery in tears.

It was as if she was nine years old, falsely accused of stealing her uncle's porcelain ornaments and unfairly beaten.

It was as if she had returned to being ten years old, hurt by the curses her uncle spewed out and soaking her bed with tears.

She thought she would never give in again. She swore she would protect herself now. But again... again...

She writhed. Her heart felt like it was about to burst. She felt powerless, wronged, angry, and hated herself. The pain of not being able to save herself from the repeated abuse seemed to tear her apart.

There was a knock on the door. As if telling her to stop wallowing in pain.

She lifted her tear-stained face. She wondered if it might be her uncle, but if he were to come in, he wouldn't be so polite. She staggered to the door. She unlatched it and opened it to find Ann standing in front of the door with a worried look on her face. In her hands, she held a small tray with a bowl of soup on it.

Ann said with a dejected face.

"I'm sorry... I eavesdropped in front of the study door."

Miss Pendleton forced a smile on her pale face.

"Thank you, Ann."

"Um, may I come in for a moment?"

"No, I want to be alone."

Miss Pendleton gently turned her away, and Ann nodded and held out the tray. Miss Pendleton didn't think she could swallow even a sip of water, let alone soup, but she didn't want to refuse Ann's kindness.

Miss Pendleton took the tray. But, the moment she grabbed the tray, her entire right hand throbbed with sharp pain.

"Ah!"

She reflexively dropped the tray.

Clang-

The soup bowl rolled on the floor.

Surprised, Ann saw Miss Pendleton clutching her right hand. She quickly grabbed Miss Pendleton's arm and checked. Her entire right hand was swollen and bruised with dark red marks.

Ann looked at Miss Pendleton with a horrified expression.

"Could you get the first aid kit, Ann?"

Ann left the room without a word and went downstairs to get the first aid kit. When Ann returned, Miss Pendleton was using her good hand to clean up the spilled soup bowl on the floor.

Ann quickly stopped her, cleaned the floor herself, and then went with Miss Pendleton to her dressing table. When Miss Pendleton sat down on the dressing table chair, Ann knelt down beneath her and began to apply ointment and bandage her hand.

Ann was as careful as possible, but every time Ann's fingers brushed against her, Miss Pendleton winced and groaned softly. Ann's heart ached at the sight of her mistress.

Why, why did her Lady have to be treated like this? Why did this kind and precious Lady have to?

Ann fumed inwardly, but her hands were endlessly careful as she bandaged Miss Pendleton's hand.

"Still, it doesn't seem like any bones are broken. That's a relief, at least."

Ann bit her lip and looked up at Miss Pendleton. She looked like she was about to cry any minute.

"What do you mean? He did such a terrible thing to such a small and delicate hand! Do you know how loud your Lady's scream was? I thought that bastard was strangling your Lady!"

Miss Pendleton smiled faintly. After thinking for a moment, she said.

"It's a relief it wasn't my neck. There aren't many dresses that can cover a neck, you see. I can go to the Ball as long as I cover my hand with gloves."

Ann looked at Miss Pendleton with a dumbfounded expression.

"Are you going to the Ball?"

"I need to see Mr. Price."

Ann thought of the pot-bellied middle-aged gentleman, Mr. Price, and contorted her face as if disgusted.

"Surely, you're not going to listen to Lord Pendleton? Are you really going to accept his proposal!"

Miss Pendleton stared at Ann.

"You heard everything, didn't you?"

Ann was silent. She looked somewhat guilty. Miss Pendleton chuckled.

"It's a relief Uncle didn't catch you. You would have been severely punished if he had."

"I'm not scared."

"Can you say that after seeing my hand?"

"If it were me, I would have thrown whatever that bastard threw right back at him. I would have smashed his face so he couldn't even see where his hand was attached."

Miss Pendleton laughed out loud. Talking to Ann gradually made her feel better from the mood she was in.

But Ann's heart ached even more at the sight of Miss Pendleton's weak smile. She had served her for eight years. To her, who had been humiliated by all sorts of stingy and ill-tempered masters, Miss Pendleton was the best mistress. There was no mistress as kind and generous as her.

Ann stroked Miss Pendleton's bandaged hand.

"My Lady. You're not going to accept Mr. Price's proposal, are you? You're still capable of living alone. You're not like me, a woman who's never even been near a school. You know Latin and Greek. You're going to leave Pendleton Estate and become a governess as planned, right? Yes?"

Miss Pendleton looked in the mirror. In the mirror, bloodshot eyes and a swollen face were staring back at her.

"Ann, pick out a dress for me. A design so flashy that it can hide this hideous face tomorrow."

"My Lady, really...!"

Miss Pendleton turned her head from the mirror and smiled at Ann.

"Don't worry. I won't be changing my name to Laura Price. I just want to look perfect tomorrow. Because it will be the last Ball of my social life."

"The last... Ball?"

"Yes. I can't live as Laura Pendleton anymore. Unless it's Laura Sheldon."

Laura Sheldon? Ann looked at her mistress questioningly.

"Sheldon is my father's surname."

"Your father's surname... Then, my Lady, you're not going to marry Mr. Price...?"

"I won't. That kind of marriage."

Miss Pendleton turned her head and looked in the mirror.

"I'm going to live freely and honorably now. Like Laura Sheldon."

* * *

The next day, Miss Pendleton left the mansion looking completely different from usual. It wasn't the silver-gray silk dress or the navy muslin dress that she usually enjoyed wearing to Balls. It was a dress she had worn when she debuted in society and had never worn since.

A sky-blue high-quality silk dress with snow-white flowers embroidered with silver thread. A sapphire bracelet that wrapped around her wrist sparkled dazzlingly on snow-white silk gloves. Her hair, which was usually styled with a hairnet, was decorated with beautiful lilies, daffodils, and pearl ornaments.

Miss Pendleton headed to the Ball in a white four-wheeled carriage with the family crest engraved on it. She first politely greeted Mrs. Lance, who was greeting guests at the entrance, and then entered the hall.

As she entered, people's eyes turned to her. It was the first time Miss Pendleton, who had been hiding in plain sight with a plain appearance until now, had dressed up so much. Some of them didn't recognize her as Miss Pendleton and even approached her to ask her to dance.

Miss Pendleton's plan worked. The flashy decorations distracted from her bloodshot eyes and shadowed under-eyes. No one noticed that she hadn't slept properly all night because she had been applying cold compresses to her swollen face.

Miss Pendleton refused all the gentlemen who asked her to dance. She slowly walked to one side of the ballroom, looking for Mr. Price and Miss Jenson.

"Miss Pendleton!"

Miss Pendleton turned around at the voice coming from one side. Miss Lance was surrounded by her friends and waving at her. Miss Pendleton approached her.

Miss Lance and her friends were surprised at the sight of Miss Pendleton approaching. They had always thought she was beautiful, but when she dressed up so flashily, she was so dazzling that they could have believed she had just debuted in society.

Miss Lance's friends looked at Miss Pendleton with displeasure. It was because Miss Pendleton was too beautiful. As much as Dora Lance, who was their pride and today's protagonist, or perhaps even more. The one who should be the most beautiful at today's Ball is Miss Lance.

They whispered to each other, anxious that the attention of the people focused on Miss Lance would be reduced because of Miss Pendleton's beauty.

But unlike her friends, Miss Lance was purely impressed by Miss Pendleton's appearance.

"How did you dress up so beautifully? My goodness. I almost didn't recognize you!"

"It's Miss Lance's Ball, so I had to pay attention. By the way, Miss Lance, you look very beautiful too. You look like today's protagonist."

Miss Lance, who was wearing a voluminous green dress and decorating her hair with fresh roses, laughed heartily.

"I've been so busy since this morning because of the decorations. Curling, braiding, putting up, putting flowers in my hair, tightening my waist, putting on my dress, spraying perfume all day long! I really can't do it twice!"

Miss Lance shook her head as if she was fed up. She was overflowing with pride as the only daughter of the family hosting today's Ball. Miss Pendleton said the words that pleased a Lady the most to such Miss Lance. It was to ask detailed questions about the decorations she had put so much effort into.

"This dress is new to me, but it's very beautiful. It suits Miss Lance's eye color well. Did you perhaps have it brought in from overseas?"

As expected, Miss Lance's face brightened.

"I'm glad you recognized it. It's an outfit tailored by the most famous tailor in France. I sent a separate pattern for the embroidery that I asked them to put in."

Miss Lance looked down at the hem of her dress. A gorgeous leaf pattern was embroidered in gold thread on the green dress. It was beautiful and suited the material of the dress.

"It's very beautiful. Miss Lance, you certainly have an eye and a sense for things."

"Oh my, you're too kind."

Miss Lance blushed, but couldn't help but show her joy at the compliment. With a few more compliments, she was soon spinning around in her place, showing off her dress as if boasting.