Chapter 31

"Thank you very much for the other day, Miss Roten."

"…No, I should be the one to apologize. At the tea party before, when I saw you and Sir Percival enter… I wanted to apologize to you, so I was standing nearby. Then… the atmosphere turned bad, and I acted on impulse. Don't worry about it."

With that, she returned a handkerchief that had been washed and ironed.

Despite looking somewhat sad, Miss Roten seemed to have come to terms with something. I took a deep breath and ventured forward.

"Um… May I call you Miss Media?"

"Of course… Miss Mimosa."

"That's good."

I wasn't sure if we could call ourselves friends yet, but it was a step forward.

I had the maid carry the box of the replacement dress that the lady had prepared for that day, along with a small box containing a handkerchief I had embroidered as a token of my gratitude.

"This is because the lady ruined the dress that day… She chose it, so I think it will suit you, Miss Media."

"Oh…! It's too much… But, hehe, if I think of it as a gift from Mr. Alex Cheryl, I want to treasure it as a family heirloom."

"I understand…! I couldn't manage my budget well, so I only had plain dresses… But the dresses the lady chose for me were all beautiful, and I cherish them all!"

"The descriptions of the costumes in the books are also beautiful. The sense of style in the outfits and even the small teacups at tea parties…"

"Yes, I think the admiration I have for the characters in the books is due to Mr. Cheryl's sense of style."

We looked at each other and, feeling a bit embarrassed by how engrossed we had been in our conversation, laughed together.

"What's in this box…?"

"Um… It's a token of my gratitude. I embroidered it with Miss Media in mind."

"Oh, may I open it?"

"Of course."

Miss Media carefully opened the small box, which was a fraction of the size of the dress box. Her eyes widened as she gently took out the handkerchief and unfolded it.

Women carry handkerchiefs only when attending tea parties or shopping alone. If a man is present, there's no need to carry one, but I don't want her to carry anything embarrassing in such situations.

I watched her intently as she examined the handkerchief, worried if she would like it. For some reason, her eyes sparkled, and she looked at me.

"It's wonderful…! When I ruined the tablecloth… I was really sorry. But I knew your embroidery was excellent… I was frustrated that I couldn't acknowledge it. But seeing this handkerchief, which you embroidered with me in mind… I understand now."

What did she understand? I tilted my head slightly.

"Countess Alexandra Cheryl saw in you the potential to become the belle of the social scene. You are a bud… Not many people know about you yet, but this embroidery is a work of art!"

"Please calm down, Miss Media. Me… the belle of the social scene…!"

However, Miss Media showed no signs of calming down. After praising the handkerchief, she explained to me what it meant to be the belle of the social scene.

I didn't think it was such a grand thing… But hearing her words, I felt a mix of surprise and gratitude.