Ch#291
Fragment of the Broken Glass Slipper Side Story 4 Episode 5
We went for walks by the nearby river, and I even served as a model for the drawings Lian made.
Fortunately, the child sulked easily but forgave just as quickly.
"Cisse sister is small."
Lian, unable to hide his flushed cheeks, extended a flower he had just plucked from the garden. It was undoubtedly an adorable sight.
Only after I kissed his cheek as a token of thanks did the child finally allow me into the study.
My cute little dictator resembled me in uncanny ways. The inferiority complex stemming from his physical defect was a gloomy emotion straight out of past Cisse's playbook. Thus, it was only natural that I was weak toward Lian.
Time passed like that, and the day of Duchess Debenzel's tea party arrived.
With Mlange's help, I donned the outdated dress that had been in vogue years ago, styled my hair and makeup just as it was back then, and even selected the accompanying maid from that time. The only thing different was my lack of excitement.
When I arrived at House Debenzel, people were already glancing at each other and chuckling. Some even whined, asking if I had truly dressed like this that day.
What was astonishing was Duchess Debenzel's remarkable memory in perfectly recreating the reception room's furnishings from back then.
She didn't stop there, even summoning the Eastern merchant as if to fully recreate that day.
"You haven't forgotten that an Eastern merchant will visit shortly with rare goods, have you? It might be nice to sip tea while we wait."
Even her words were identical. People could no longer hold back and burst into open laughter.
When the merchant entered the reception room, we tried our best to act as we had that day.
We sat primly on the sofa, fanned ourselves, and Duchess Irene de Debenzel directed remarks at me—it was truly an amusing scene.
Every time our eyes met, they dissolved into peals of laughter like innocent girls. They bore no resemblance to noblewomen active in high society.
"What catches Lady Cisse's eye?"
Duchess Irene de Debenzel winked at me with a playful tone. Back then, I had been overly conscious of their gazes and played humble, so I had given a retreating answer, stepping back a pace.
"Please grant me a moment to learn from the other ladies' excellent discernment and knowledge."
Was that how I had phrased it? Duchess Debenzel smiled faintly and replied,
"Oh, I do hope it meets Lady Bischwaltz's expectations."
We admired the Eastern merchant's wares and each purchased something to our liking. Then we drank tea and chatted for a long while before heading to dinner.
I wasn't sure if the menu was identical, but the food remained impeccable as always.
Personal time after dinner was the same too. Of course, Irene de Debenzel stayed by my side.
"Be sure to lock your door tonight."
Duchess Debenzel said. Seeing my puzzled expression at the unexpected remark, she whispered as if sharing a great secret.
"Lady Sorin is plotting something."
Good heavens, she even intended to recreate that. But wasn't this a bit too excited? I nodded with an awkward smile.
"Will you give me a key so I can lock it?"
"Of course."
Up to this point, I hadn't found anything suspicious about her. The duchess had been consistently cheerful, acting solely like someone hoping her amusing tea party would end successfully.
There was no sign of any connection to Duchess Rosan. Was it truly just coincidence?
That night, Lady Sorin came to my room, but unlike before, she couldn't enter. I had locked the door beforehand with the key Duchess Debenzel provided.
Thanks to that, I slept comfortably. It was only a few short hours, but still.
The next day, we gathered in the reception room to discuss high society gossip. In the afternoon, we listened to musicians and then split into teams for rumme games—a game I had refused back then due to lack of familiarity with them.
We competed like children, desperately trying to outdo each other. When one team took the lead, we cheered loudly.
By the end of the games, everyone's faces were flushed red from excitement.
They fanned themselves and reached for water to cool the sweat beading on their foreheads.
Then, someone's offhand remark—"We should have set penalties for the games"—rekindled the fire.
Even prim and proper ladies made exceptions for pranks, wagering somewhat embarrassing penalties. Thus, they dove into the games with even greater fervor than before.
Fortunately, the team with the duchess and me won, allowing us to leisurely watch our opponents' humiliating performances.
The sight of noblewomen mimicking a ridiculous play while wearing large horse masks was a rare treat.
They would surely gossip about this for years.
The following day brought personal time again.
Some went for walks, others napped, and some painted. I was cornered by a few and chatted with them.
We started with dresses and jewels, soon flowing into recent plays and music.
As figures prominent in high society, their conversations yielded plenty of useful information.
The occasional jokes were rich too, keeping laughter constant.
Thus, I hadn't anticipated the sudden shift to knights.
"You've seen a lot of Sir Halberd, haven't you, Lady? He's House Bischwaltz's pride, after all."
Huh, what was this now? I looked at the lady who had spoken. She referred to Sir Halberd as House Bischwaltz's pride.
The familiar phrasing nearly drew a hollow laugh from me. Not just Lady Sorin—others seemed immersed in the past too.
But to recreate even this...? Weren't they enjoying it too much?
As I hesitated to reply, another seamlessly took up the thread as if she were me.
"Oh, don't ask such difficult questions. Sir Halberd is a very busy man, so she probably hasn't seen him much. Right?"
Of course, what they wanted was my active participation. If I shrank back without responding, the atmosphere would turn awkward.
I nodded with an awkward smile and racked my brain to recall what I had said that day.
I definitely replied something like this, right?
"Sir Halberd is Lady Roena's knight, so I rarely see him."
"What a shame."
"Exactly. To only guard Lady Roena."
Satisfied with my words, they beamed and soon launched into tales of currently popular knights in high society. Mostly shy stories of being escorted and dancing with them.
Occasional tales of aid emerged, but nothing remarkable enough to elicit awe. For stories brought up so ambitiously, their exploits seemed utterly mundane.
After chattering for a few minutes, the topic shifted to Sir Ailes.
He had always been popular, past or present, so he occasionally came up in conversation.
Of course, today it was because of me.
The ladies shot me playful smiles.
"Is there even a woman who could have Sir Ailes as her escort?"
"Who knows? I wonder if there's even a woman who could melt his heart."
"Right? I can't even imagine a gentle Sir Ailes."
"Does Lady Bischwaltz have a knight she admires?"
For a moment, the past flooded back. Even though I had already experienced it, déjà vu washed over me. It was strange how an eerie feeling persisted despite playing along as they wished.
"I don't know much about knights yet..."
"What about a splendid knight like Sir Ailes?"
One lady gazed at me with the eyes of a romantic girl.
"He's too exceptional for me to say. As a knight, his skills are unmatched, and his character is impeccable too."
Fragment of the Broken Glass Slipper
Novel by Yeolmae
Author: Yeolmae
Publisher: Kwon Tae-wan, Woo Cheon-je
eBook Publication Date: 2024-05-07
Production: CL Production
Address: 1108-ho, 41 Digital-ro 31-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul
This book is published as an eBook by KWBOOKS under contract with the copyright holder.
Unauthorized reproduction of this book's content without the publisher's permission is prohibited by copyright law.