Chapter 41

On the day of Ariadne's debutante ball, it was a late summer day with a high sky and a few fluffy clouds lingering in the west. Normally, a debutante would wait in front of her vanity in her room to avoid her carefully applied makeup from smearing due to sweat, but Ariadne was directing nearly 40 servants from the crack of dawn, decorating the hall and the first-floor entrance of the Cardinal de Mare's residence, which would be used for the ball.

"Hey! People carrying the flower trees, be careful not to let them touch the floor as you bring them to the designated spots and set them up!"

If Ariadne had a slightly less refined sense of fashion and decoration, it was Sancha who brilliantly complemented it. When Ariadne described her ideas for interior decoration, which were more accurately the honest depictions or descriptions of the interiors she had seen in her previous life, Sancha could implement them in the real world just by listening to the descriptions.

"Secure the fresh flower bouquets at the pre-designated locations and move the branch decorations to the center!"

Ariadne removed the 'tapestry telling a story,' which is usually the focal point of a typical ball. Instead of new tablecloths, banister covers, and chair covers, she used a uniform white, which every household typically had, to control additional expenses. Instead, she sent people to the forest attached to the Bergamo estate to cut a large number of white lilacs. White lilacs are a type of shrub that does not grow tall, but in late summer, they are covered with abundant white flowers. She cut the branches with blooming flowers and placed them in artificial vases and flower pots, creating a forest inside the room. It was a fantastical interior design that made it seem as if the party attendees had stepped into a forest.

The only thing that made the interior of the Cardinal de Mare's residence, which would be used for the ball, resemble an indoor setting was the de Mare family's coat of arms hanging on the wall. The blue dolphin emblem and the white lilac branches had a slight sense of disharmony, but it couldn't be helped.

'I have to cater to the intentions of the person who is paying.'

The reason Cardinal de Mare allowed this ball to be held was not out of love for his clever second daughter but to boast and show off the de Mare family, which was gaining more influence in San Carlo. With the addition of a new 'product,' the second daughter 'Ariadne de Mare,' everyone was invited to come and see.

Just as a brand cannot be missing when promoting a product, the de Mare family's blue dolphin coat of arms could not be missing from today's debutante ball.

"Miss, it really is unique and luxurious after decorating it as you said!"

Sancha exclaimed in admiration. She added lilies, purchased separately from the florist, to the banister to enhance the elegance.

"The interior decoration is all white flowers, but the family coat of arms looks a bit out of place."

Ariadne found it difficult to discuss which color combinations were good or bad, but if Sancha said so, it was so.

"It would have been much more harmonious if there were more blue flowers..."

"Can't we get some now?"

"I've checked all the flower shops in town, but there's nowhere that can supply a large quantity of blue flowers. This is the best we can do for now."

Sancha added, noticing the slightly dejected look in her lady's eyes.

"Still, the all-white debutante ball is emphasized and looks beautiful. It's elegant and fantastical. Don't worry too much."

As Sancha said, the sweet scent of freshly cut flowers and live trees enveloped the entire Cardinal de Mare's residence. This style, which would become a fad in the spring of 1123, was ironically a trend originally led by the past Isabella. 1123 was also the year Ariadne was engaged to Cesar de Como in her previous life. Isabella, who always wanted to be better than Ariadne, could no longer be financially superior to her at that point. So, to prevent her fiancé from hosting a more luxurious ball, Isabella used her father's influence to cut a large number of flower trees from the Bergamo estate and use them as decorations for the ball, changing the trend.

However, this trend did not last long. As nobles cut down forests on their estates to use as decorations for balls, small shrubs were almost wiped out, and as winter approached, the lack of firewood for the common people due to the nobles' luxurious spending led to a ban from the royal palace. Even after the use of live flowers and trees was banned, the trend continued with silk-made artificial flowers and trees, but it couldn't match the fragrance and vitality, and the trend soon changed.

"It should be fine for once or twice."

While talking to Sancha about the ball decorations, Ariadne felt a sharp pain in her left ring finger for some reason.

'Must be from fatigue.'

At 8 a.m., an unexpected gift arrived.

"Miss Ariadne, there are three carriages at the front gate. They say they're from the royal palace..."

At the butler Niccolo's words, Ariadne hurried to the entrance. It was strange, as the only person she expected from the royal palace was the prince. When she arrived at the entrance and saw the items that had arrived, she covered her mouth with both hands in surprise. Purple hydrangeas filled the entrance of the de Mare residence. The three open-top carriages that brought the purple hydrangeas were filled with so many flowers that it was a spectacular sight, enough to make a person feel as if they were stepping into a cloud.

Sancha, standing behind Ariadne, was almost screaming in excitement.

"This is a message from the prince."

The royal page who drove the carriages handed Ariadne a letter from Alfonso. Ariadne and Alfonso had exchanged so many notes that she could draw the royal palace's gold-embossed emblem with her eyes closed.

"Dear Ariadne,

I remember the scene where purple hydrangeas bloomed among the white flowers. I hope you remember the hydrangeas from that day. I'll arrive soon, see you in a bit.

- Alfonso."

"What is all this?"

Sancha, who had followed Ariadne out, exclaimed in surprise.

"They're so beautiful, Miss! They match our family coat of arms perfectly!"

This was a thoughtful gift from Alfonso, who learned from their letter exchanges that Ariadne had ordered only a minimal amount of lilies from the florist due to budget constraints. Since there were no blue hydrangeas in the city's shops, they must have been supplied from the royal palace's greenhouse. The warm gesture of providing her with what she needed without a word moved her deeply. However, Ariadne unconsciously held back her emotions, fearing that if she succumbed to the warmth, she would never want to return to her cold, solitary world. If the golden prince noticed her mediocrity, she would be alone again, and the loneliness would be unbearable.

So, she playfully teased Sancha.

"You should dislike this."

"What? Why?"

"The ball starts in a few hours, and you need to weave all these into the decorations before then."

"Wh-What?!"

Sancha's mouth dropped open, and she ran around the entrance like a chick.

"Will the maids help me if I ask them?"

"Do you have that many close friends?"

"Two or three... What should I do?"

Ariadne had a plan.

"We need to grease the wheels."

Ariadne found the butler Niccolo. He was unloading the hydrangeas from the carriages and quickly came over when Ariadne called him.

"Yes, Miss."

Ariadne praised him with a smile.

"Niccolo, I've always been in your debt, but I haven't had the chance to thank you."

"Oh, what are you saying."

Although his words were polite, the butler Niccolo looked at Ariadne with a worried expression, as if he was bracing himself for some out-of-the-ordinary request.

Ariadne reached into her pocket and pulled out a gold coin. It was a 96% pure 1 ducat (about 1 million won) gold coin minted in the Republic of Porto.

"Sancha needs to borrow the maids for about two hours to help with the decorations. Could you mobilize them and explain the situation to my mother? This is more of a token of appreciation and a request for continued cooperation."

Niccolo's eyes sparkled. He had received small amounts of money for providing various conveniences, but this lady was on a different level. Although he didn't want to get involved with the second lady, who was a bastard and tightly controlled by Lucrezia, the fact that she offered a gold coin as a first gesture made him willing to exchange favors. Besides, it was the day of the ball that Cardinal de Mare was particularly concerned about. Even if he mobilized the maids in a hurry, Lucrezia wouldn't make a big fuss.

"I should do this without any reward!"

Niccolo quickly took the gold coin and put it in his pocket.

"Come on, Sancha! Go up to the third floor and wake up all the lazy ones!"

While Sancha temporarily became the boss of the third-floor maids for the interior decoration, Ariadne returned to her room on the second floor to get ready. Sancha wanted to help with Ariadne's preparation as well, but it was impossible to do both.

"Miss, sit here!"

Ariadne's preparation was assisted by the newly hired maids, Anna and Maria. Anna was in charge of the hairstyle and makeup, while Maria handled the dress. Anna had previously worked as a lady's maid for the daughter of the household where she was employed and had a knack for it.

"Your face really takes makeup well. Your features are perfectly symmetrical, and a bit of extra glamour will make you look perfect."

There was no need to enhance the skin, as a fifteen-year-old's skin was already perfect, smooth, and full of moisture. Anna tidied up Ariadne's thick eyebrows and the fine hairs on her forehead to create a classic beauty look, and added a touch of pale pink to her cheeks for a healthy glow.

"I'll emphasize your eyes."

Ariadne's original face had a somewhat cold expression. Her eyes were lively when emotions were expressed, but they looked harsh when she was expressionless. Anna used eyebrow ink to lower the corners of Ariadne's eyes and filled in the gaps between her sparse eyelashes, creating a more conventional beauty look. After applying the maximum allowed makeup for a noble lady in San Carlo, a painted beauty emerged.

"Wow, you're so beautiful!"

"I can't even recognize you, Miss!"

Even Maria, who was ironing the dress, stepped forward to admire Ariadne's transformed appearance. At that moment, Sancha, who had just finished the interior decoration, came in.

"Miss, you're really beautiful!"

Ariadne smiled awkwardly and shook her head at the maids' fuss.

"You'll make me think I'm really beautiful if you keep saying that. Flattery can be too much."

"It's not flattery! You really are beautiful!"

Sancha, frustrated, patted her chest. While asking Sancha about the preparations outside, Ariadne subtly inquired about her older sister.

"How is Isabella? Quiet?"

"She's making a lot of noise. Boxes have been coming in from the Collegione dress shop almost every day for a week."

Ariadne seemed relieved. Sancha, who had heard that Isabella had ordered a large number of dresses and related items from Collegione, was surprised that Ariadne wasn't upset.

"Aren't you upset that Isabella is getting her dress from Collegione? If it were me, I'd be angry. I'm the main character, so why is my sister getting a more expensive dress?"

Ariadne smiled and replied.

"It's fortunate that she's putting effort into constructive things. At least she's trying to improve herself by getting a dress. It's better than trying to harm me."

With Maria's help, Ariadne put on the first debutante dress sent from the Lazio tailor shop the previous week. It was an elegant Mikado silk dress with a pentagonal cut at the chest. Although it was a bit thick for late summer, it was made of a sturdy material that would not reveal the body's lines, reflecting Ariadne's preference. The skirt flared out in an A-line below the waist, and a slightly longer train followed, emphasizing Ariadne's tall and well-proportioned figure. Sancha took out the 'Heart of the Blue Abyss' from Ariadne's safe and hung it around her neck.

It was hard to tell whether the dress or Ariadne was shining, even from a few steps away.

"Can't tell if the dress is shining or if you are. You're so beautiful!"

Ariadne, however, seemed uncomfortable.

"The dress... The chest part feels a bit strange."

"Beautiful clothes are supposed to be uncomfortable! It's because you have a good figure."

Sancha dismissed Ariadne's complaint, thinking that she just wasn't used to wearing nice clothes.

"Is the corset tied as usual? It feels a bit loose."

Sancha stuck out her tongue.

"You're so perceptive. I tied it a bit less tightly than usual to make the dress look better. Maria said she had a good product, so I tried it."

Sancha showed a metal clasp.

"It's called a hook. It has a sharp end, so when you hang it on both ends of the corset, it holds the fabric in place! Maria's sister uses it, so she gave it to me. You don't need to tie it, so the dress won't be affected by the corset's knots! It really helps the dress look better!"

Sancha praised Maria, who seemed a bit uncomfortable with the attention.

"No, I didn't do anything..."

Sancha reassured Ariadne.

"I asked about the hooks, and Mrs. Marini said they're fine. Many young ladies use them secretly now. While they might reduce the pressure of the corset, the sturdy fabric of the dress will prevent any issues!"

As the girls chatted, a maid knocked on the door of Ariadne's room.

"Second Miss, guests are arriving one after another."

Ariadne checked her appearance in the mirror and looked at