Chapter 10

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"Mrs. Bentley said she would like to go with me to choose dresses and accessories, as she never had a daughter and always dreamed of doing such things. And I promised to write letters to Arv. Can I buy some stationery for that purpose?"

She asked cheerfully, now officially Edith Bentley.

Perhaps because she enjoys chatting, she tells me about the events of the day and her feelings. She shares what was fun, what was unpleasant, the good and the bad, without holding back. As I listen, I get a sense of her character.

Some might find her talkative nature annoying, but I find Edith's chatter comforting.

Since the day she touched my hand, she has naturally held hands while chatting.

Perhaps because she had only interacted with family and a few people before, she might have been starved for human warmth. The warmth and feel of her small, delicate hand are very soothing to my heart.

"Then, shall we call a merchant?"

"No, if possible, I would like to go and buy them myself. I told Arv I would send him something nice, so I want to choose it with my own eyes."

Moreover, she seems to be very devoted to her family.

It seems the Bentleys and her younger brother are good people, and they are building a good relationship.

This should be a good thing, yet a slight unease lingers in my heart.

"Is that so? Then why don't you go out tomorrow? Staying in this mansion all the time must be boring. If you let me know in advance, you are free to go out."

I pretend not to notice her feelings and give her permission to go out.

These feelings are selfish. Now, she is trying to gain what she couldn't in her past life. Experiencing various things, learning, and feeling are good for her.

It would be wrong to selfishly take that away or restrict her actions because of my feelings.

I want her to smile more and enjoy her life.

"Really? Then I want to go and buy stationery tomorrow."

"Yes, that's fine. But please take either Rita or Yuna and a guard with you."

"Guard too? Oh, are there pickpockets in the city? I've never shopped alone before, so I might get my money stolen in no time."

"I don't know the prices either," Edith added.

"You must never leave the maid and the guard," I said.

"Yes, I understand."

I gently squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back. Her smile, which seemed to be genuinely happy, was dazzling.

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The next day, after lunch, I changed into a dress.

Since I only had plain and old dresses, I borrowed a dress from Yuna, who had a similar build.

It was a popular style among town girls, with a red top, white at the chest and waist, and a corset that looked stylish. The skirt was a soft chocolate color. It was said that knee-high boots and a flower hair accessory would look good.

The shoes were a bit too big, so I chose red ribbon shoes instead.

I didn't have a hair accessory, but I had fresh flowers woven into my hair.

After applying a light makeup, I was ready.

"You look beautiful today, Miss," Rita said, looking satisfied.

"Thank you. It's thanks to Rita and Yuna."

"No, you have a good base. Have a good time today."

"Yes, I'll buy souvenirs, so look forward to them."

Yuna, who knows the city well, was coming with me.

The guard was introduced to me this morning. He was a young man with an unremarkable face and a normal build. If not for his attire and the sword he carried, he would have gone unnoticed. He would watch from a distance, not always by my side.

He was assigned by Lord Riley, so he must be excellent.

Thinking this, my anxiety about going out for the first time disappeared.

I got into the carriage with Yuna and the guard and left the mansion.

Since the main street with many shops was far away, we took the carriage and got off at the square. Yuna and I decided to walk around the shops lined up there.

There were many stalls, and many items were sold at prices that even commoners could afford.

It felt like a festival, with a mix of food and daily necessities.

I found a stall selling dried fruits and decided to buy some as souvenirs. They were easy to carry and could be eaten by the staff during their free time. After tasting them and finding them delicious, I ordered some for myself as well.

Since I bought a lot, they offered to deliver them to the mansion, which was convenient.

After that, we headed to the destination shop.

The store specializing in ink, stationery, and envelopes was in one of the buildings on the main street.

When we entered the store, there were a few people, but it wasn't crowded. I decided to look at and choose the stationery and envelopes on the shelves one by one.

There were various types, from plain to colored, with popular flowers like roses embossed, and pressed flowers of seasonal plants. Some even came with perfume, which was interesting.

I remembered that my half-sister used to sprinkle her favorite perfume on her letters.

I never had perfume, so I always sent Richard plain stationery and envelopes. The letters were mostly formal, such as seasonal greetings and requests for escort to evening parties.

"This is nice," I said, picking up a light green stationery with white lilies.

The matching envelope had a small lily in the corner, feminine but not too cute, elegant, and suitable for sending to men.

The store clerk told me it was a popular item, often bought by both women and men.

I chose a few other popular stationery and envelope sets, selected a pen and ink, and called the clerk to purchase them. The price was reasonable considering the quality.

I suddenly noticed a message card and picked it up.

It was a white card with a red ribbon border.

Seeing it, I immediately thought of the uniform of the royal guards that Lord Riley wears.

"I'll take this card too," I said to the clerk, who quickly wrapped it with the other items.

The items were carefully wrapped in cloth and placed in a gift box, which Yuna received.

Since I had bought what I wanted, we decided to stroll around the city a bit before heading back. I wanted to try buying and eating street food.

Just as I was about to go out, the door in front of me opened on its own.

The familiar honey blonde hair appeared in my vision, and when I looked down, I met the emerald green eyes of the person standing there.

...I didn't expect to run into Felis here.

The excitement I felt earlier vanished, and I became calm.

She looked up at me with a puzzled expression, then stared at my face and widened her emerald green eyes in surprise.

"Wait, could it be... Miss...?!"

She didn't say it out loud, but I could see her lips move, saying, "No way."

But then she looked at me from head to toe and laughed through her nose.

"You may look different, but you're still as plain as ever. Hasn't your fiancé even given you a dress? Well, I suppose no one would be happy to accept someone like you."

I looked down at Felis, who was giggling.

In the past, I was afraid of this half-sister, but I am different now.

"Hehe, that's not true. Lord Riley has bought me many dresses and shoes. It's just that there are so many that it takes some time for them to arrive. You don't need to worry; my relationship with my fiancé is good."

I smiled back, and Felis' eyes widened again.

In the past, I never defied or talked back to her. It's no wonder she was surprised. But I need her to know that I have changed.

Felis took a slight step back, sensing something from my unwavering smile.

But then she clenched her lips and glared at me.

"You're not even loved by Father!"

She raised her hand to strike me, but I didn't run or dodge.

There was no need to.

"I won't allow anyone to lay a hand on Miss," the guard said.

Because Lord Riley had assigned a guard to protect me.

The guard caught her hand mid-swing, and Felis' face showed surprise and panic.

She easily shook off the guard's hand.

"Who are you? Get out of the way!"

"I can't do that. I am Miss Edith's guard."

"Guard?"

Felis frowned at the guard's words.

"What are you talking about? Miss was disowned by the viscount's family and is now a commoner. Why would a commoner have a guard?"

Ah, Felis is mistaken.

It's true that I was disowned by the Aringham viscount's family a few days ago.

She thinks I became Lord Riley's fiancée while still a commoner.

The guard frowned at Felis' words.

"What are you saying? The lady here is Edith Bentley, the eldest daughter of the Bentley family. She is not a commoner at all."

Felis opened her mouth in shock, muttering, "Bentley family...?"

So I gave her a deliberately polite curtsy.

"Let me introduce myself again. I am Edith Bentley, the eldest daughter of the Bentley family. It's been a few days, Miss Aringham."

I spoke in a gentle tone, as if explaining to a child, and Felis' face turned red.

"V... Viscountess...? Miss is a viscountess...?"

"Yes. And please stop calling me 'Miss.' We are no longer sisters. I am the eldest daughter of the Bentley family, and my only sibling is my dear younger brother. You are the daughter of the Aringham family. It's unpleasant to be called 'Miss' by a viscountess I'm not close to."

As I said this, hiding my face with a fan, her red face turned pale, then red again.

The people in the store couldn't help but giggle at her obvious reaction.

Her reaction was so similar to her stepmother's that I couldn't help but laugh too.

Felis, realizing she was being laughed at by the people around us and me, her face a mix of shock, anger, and embarrassment, seemed to realize that it would be wrong to yell at or hit me.

That's right, I am now a viscountess, and she is a viscountess. It would be a serious offense for someone of a lower rank to attack someone of a higher rank unprovoked.

"Hmph, what do you know, after being dumped by your fiancé! I feel sick, so I'm leaving!!"

But it seems she doesn't fully understand this.

She rudely opened the store's door and stormed out without permission from a higher rank.

...She must have received lady's education since coming to the viscount's family, but perhaps she forgot. Or maybe she thinks she can do anything to me. The latter seems more likely.

"Miss, are you alright?"

After Felis left, the guard looked at me with concern.

"Yes, thanks to you, I'm fine. Thank you for protecting me. I really appreciate it."

"No, it's my duty. If you wish to continue exploring the city, I would be honored to accompany you, but what do you think?"

I shook my head at the guard, who bowed slightly.

"I'll pass. I'm not in the mood, so I'll go home today."

"Understood. I will call a carriage, so please wait a moment."

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

I watched the guard leave to call a carriage and apologized to the store clerk and the people in the store for the commotion. Then I waited with Yuna in a corner of the store.

I didn't want to run into Felis or anyone I knew again.

Despite buying some nice stationery and message cards, my mood was dampened.

I sighed.

...I want to go home quickly. I want to see Lord Riley. I want to touch his large hand. If he holds me tightly in his big arms, maybe this unpleasant feeling will go away.

After a while, I got into the carriage that the guard had called, and we headed straight for the mansion without a word.

When Lord Riley comes home, I'll be extra affectionate today.