149 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 149
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I had seen that face before. It was the expression I saw after my stepfather died and I was able to spend money freely without any restrictions. A hideous face distorted by greed was now visible on Mother.
She must be thinking of trying something with the Crown Prince, since I've been with him a lot lately.
Of course, the future Emperor is better than a knight. She was able to seize the position of Countess with just the word "love," so she must have thought the Crown Princess would be easy to handle as well.
I sighed at this absurd intention. If she had experienced the Crown Prince even once, she wouldn't think so easily. She rolled her eyes as if she had to do something, which was quite pathetic.
"So you have to do well, got it?"
Even though people can change in an instant, Mother, who had returned to the 'woman' I knew, was more extreme than before.
It would be good to maintain this attitude when dealing with Roena, but if it led to direct interference with me, it would be a seriously difficult situation. So, I needed to make it clear. I replied coldly in a seemingly cool voice.
"No, that's entirely up to His Highness."
"What?"
"Whether I do well or not is up to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. My opinion is not needed there."
"Sissae?"
Mother's eyes widen. She has a face that says she doesn't understand at all. I calmly continued.
"So, stop paying attention to it around here."
At my clear refusal, Mother's face clouds over. Her trembling eyes ripple with a faint fear.
"If I were foolish enough to be taken away by Roena, I wouldn't have been in conflict with Mother all along. So, please let me do well on my own. Watching is actually helping me."
"I'm worried about you..."
"I know, why wouldn't I?"
I went closer to Mother and kissed her on the cheek. Then, I gently stroked her belly hidden under her dress and whispered in a friendly voice.
"Just focus on my sibling coming out now. So that the Bishvarts Family's heir can be born healthy."
In fact, there were endless things Mother could help with. If she moved using the baby in her belly, melting my stepfather would be nothing. Maybe she could extract the real information that had been accumulated through commerce.
But not yet. I had to remain silent until I confirmed that the baby to be born had male genitalia between its legs. There was no need to be greedy and suffer losses.
I wasn't even sure if Mother would wisely carry out my request. So, I asked her to focus on prenatal care.
Fortunately, Mother seemed to understand my words and nodded, saying she understood. As her belly gradually became heavier, her range of activity would be extremely limited, so there was nothing to worry about for the time being.
I smiled and kissed Mother on the cheek again. The taste of the cosmetics touching my lips was so disgustingly bitter that I felt like I was going to vomit.
The information that my stepfather gave me was just filtered dregs, but it was useful in its own way. Using it, I greeted the young lady I met for the first time kindly and led the conversation according to her tastes, and before I knew it, I was surrounded by people.
When I was talking to others, Lüce Roshan would just stand next to me and listen silently. With a satisfied smile, as if watching a child taking its first steps. This was also why she would cover her face with a fan and pretend not to notice when others blatantly tried to approach her.
People admired Lady Roshan's attitude and envied me very much. They thought that after becoming Sir Ayres's lover, I had gained a loyal friend that was impossible to hope for in society, and even talked with the Crown Prince.
They seemed jealous that the ideal image they desired appeared in a lowly being who had only been a Countess's daughter for a year.
They desperately observed me to find out what had captivated them, and tried to imitate my attitude, tone, and even my gait. They were under the illusion that if they acted like me, they could be in my position now. It was ridiculous.
"It's a fresh change. Everyone is looking at only you, Sis. You're becoming the trend itself."
Lüce Roshan nodded as if she was very satisfied with the small breeze blowing in society. Then, she picked up a necklace she had been eyeing and brought it to my neck.
The store owner next to her was making a fuss, saying it suited me well, but her gaze, looking at me with a calm expression, was as sharp as a craftsman's.
The jewelry store in the middle of the afternoon, when the heat was heavy, was very crowded with noble young ladies trying to buy accessories.
Since each of them was accompanied by maids and knights, there was no room to set foot, even though a small two-story mansion had been completely converted into a store.
If I had come in alone, I would have been mixed up in the chaos like those people seen from below. Because I visited with Lady Roshan, I was enjoying the luxury of sitting in a seat prepared on the second floor and leisurely choosing the finest accessories.
Lady Roshan, who appeared to me in the same way as usual, as if the awkward atmosphere of the past was just a dream, carefully checked each accessory she put on my body and took them upon herself as gifts. As if asking for reconciliation. The earrings I was wearing now were also given by Roshan.
After holding the necklace to my neck for a long time, she frowned slightly. Perhaps she didn't like it, as her hand dropping the necklace on the table was merciless.
"A different gemstone necklace would suit you better than this. I wish there was a design that suited Sis's beautiful neckline, but is there anything else? There are only mediocre items that don't live up to the reputation. I'm disappointed."
At Lüce Roshan's words, the owner bowed his head and said he would find something else. His face, dripping with sweat, was pale white.
"No, I'll have to go and see it myself. I can't trust the owner's eye at all."
I stared at Roshan with wide eyes. It was unheard of for a woman of her status to go out to check the goods herself.
The power of the Roshan family was such that countless items could be lined up at her feet with just a nod. But she said she wouldn't spare such effort for me. She said she would personally pick out items that suited me, not a maid.
It was amazing. Aside from the Imperial Family, who else in the world would use the Roshan family's young lady like this? It was no wonder that the owner's eyes turned strangely towards me for a moment.
"W-Would you? Would you be alright?"
"It's better than working twice. Sis, please wait here. I'll be right back."
Lady Roshan got up from her seat and told the owner to lead the way. At the same time, she ordered the store maid who was attending to me to bring more drinks.
It was no use trying to dissuade her. Her eyes were burning as if she was determined to put a decent necklace on my neck today and finish shopping.
Left alone in an instant, I slowly blinked, looking at the accessories scattered messily on the table.
It was truly strange that the lower floor was noisy while the upper floor was quiet. Lady Roshan's attitude of stubbornly insisting on strange things was also one of the factors that made me feel uneasy.
It was awkward that she suddenly appeared without notice and told me to go buy jewelry. It's not like I haven't received gifts or gone shopping with her before, but somehow I felt different today. Was it because we broke up strangely back then?
Therefore, if someone hadn't greeted me, I would have thought I was being overly sensitive and would have brushed it off.
"It's been a while, Bischwartz Young Lady."
Turning my head at the familiar voice, I saw Perinnil, no, the Baroness of Flanders standing there. Unlike before, she had a sharper and more haggard face than the last time I saw her.
She looked quite different from the past, when she was armed with cat-like cunning and acted arrogantly. The eyes that sparkled with desire were clouded as if shrouded in fog.
She was very tired at a glance. Like a maid who had been doing hard labor. Even though she was a woman who had been favored by the Emperor for a moment, what she was wearing and how she was adorned didn't look very good. Her attire when she was a prostitute looked better.
I heard that she was given a small house in the capital and kicked out, so her financial situation must not be very good. I guess she didn't bring all the jewelry she had been given?
In fact, most of the Emperor's abandoned concubines lead such shabby lives. They spend as much as they did when they were in the Imperial Palace, so it's difficult to live within the given budget.
There was also a limit to the allowance given by the men who were intrigued by the name of being the Emperor's concubine. So, they gradually sell the paintings on the wall, sell the furniture, and eventually hand over all the silverware in the kitchen.
Then, when they finally run out of money to buy even a loaf of bread, they tear off the jewels on their dresses and sell them little by little.
Judging from Perinnil's appearance, she hasn't sold the silver tableware yet. Her clothes have become a bit countrified, but the jewels on them were genuine, even if the stones were small.
It was no different from a low-quality item in the world of nobles, but accessories that commoners could only dream of were attached to a outdated dress.
"Yes. It's been a while, Baroness."
"I'm finally able to see you."
The Baroness of Flanders let out a sigh of relief at my answer and walked over with hurried steps. Her skin, seen up close, looked rough, unlike a prostitute with the title of Baroness, and all sorts of strange things were popping up.
Although it was hidden by makeup, the slightly dark eye sockets made her look like a patient. The strangely soft tone, as if she had lost her spirit, trembled thinly as if she had no strength.
"If I hadn't been able to see you today, it would have been a really big deal. I'm so glad."
"What do you mean?"
"Young Lady, please help me."
"What are you doing now? Let go of this hand."
"No, I can't. Please listen to me. Please, I beg you."
Perinnil, who suddenly grabbed my hand and shouted loudly to help me and save me, seemed out of her mind. Rolling her eyes and biting her lips was telling the scale of her anxiety.
"I don't understand what's going on at all. And are we in a position to give and receive help?"
"I, I made a mistake, and I need the Young Lady's help to offset it. I'll do anything if you help me."
I stared blankly at her as she looked around in fear and hurriedly handed me a piece of paper that seemed to have been torn.
"If you come this way, I'll do anything, anything."
And without waiting for an answer, she ran away as if fleeing to the other side. I stared blankly at her retreating figure. I felt strange because it didn't seem like the Perinnil I knew. The prostitute who used to smile seductively as if she would devour men was gone.
Chatoul harasses her every time she goes to social events, so is that why she's so deflated?
As soon as the Baroness disappeared, Lady Roshan burst in with the jewelry store owner. It was perfect timing. I slyly hid the note in my hand, and she tilted her head at the situation where there were only jewels on the table and asked me.
"What about the drinks?"
Ah, come to think of it, the maid didn't come in. I glanced up at the owner, who was fidgeting with a face that had turned pale as if he was about to faint.
"She didn't come."
"Oh dear, it seems like my words were taken lightly?"
At her words, the owner bowed and ran away, saying he would go and check. Not forgetting to carefully place the necklace he had brought on the table.
I looked at the necklace that Lady Roshan had brought. The item with a simple yet elegant design was definitely a top-quality item worth going to get in person.
The carefully cut gemstones bloomed like flowers, making it very beautiful. The quality was so good that I couldn't help but open my mouth, as if it could be presented to the Imperial Family. It was not something that an ordinary noble young lady would dare to wear.
Yet, Lady Roshan very naturally picked up the necklace and brought it to my neck. She released the buckle with an elegant gesture, put it on my neck, and gently fastened it. As if it was natural for me to wear it. Her face was filled with a satisfied smile as she looked at me wearing the necklace.
"It suits you well after all. It was worth choosing. Did anything happen while I was gone?"
Lady Roshan asked. She was pretending to have a nonchalant tone, but it contained a subtle nuance. At that moment, the piece of paper I had hidden rustled, asserting its existence.
I tried to put on a natural smile and shook my head. I should say that I met Perinnil, but strangely, it felt like I shouldn't.
