Lady Odette appeared at a time favored by humble guests.
It was the right time to be buried among the crowds, neither early nor late. Unfortunately, the highly popular Odette was not given such good fortune…
"Hello. Do you remember me? We exchanged greetings at the ball that night." Ella von Klein, who was eagerly waiting, hurriedly ran to the entrance of the reception hall and preoccupied the beggar princess.
"Ah yes."
A faint smile appeared on Odette's lips after thinking for a moment.
"The lady is the daughter of Count Klein and the fiancée of Mr. Franz Klauswitz. Am I right?"
"That's right! You must have been very busy, but you remember me so precisely. It's really very kind of you."
Deliberately raising her voice in admiration, Ella led Odette in the direction of her flock.
Fortunately, today, thanks to not being accompanied by the picky old lady, Ella was able to more easily acquire the protagonist of every conversation.
Lady Odette was different as the rumors had it.
She was solitary, not unlike the circumstances that drove her to the edge of the cliff, but she did not feel particularly arrogant about such an aspect of her life.
Odette was mostly a listener, but when it was necessary, she engaged in conversation in a courteous and amiable manner. She was like a specimen of a model lady.
"I was worried that winter had returned, but I am very glad that the weather has improved again."
It was around the end of the conversation that the young daughter of Count Brandt, who was watching from behind, gave her first comment.
"That's a really beautiful dress. It suits you well."
Claudine von Brandt, who slowly rose from her seat, approached Odette. Ella took a step back and studied the air between the two ladies.
"It looks like Reine's clothes. I love that dress shop too. It's where the seamstresses know how to properly handle chiffon and silk."
Claudine looked at Odette's dress and said something out of the ordinary. Embarrassed by the name she had never heard before, Ella looked around with her wide eyes. The other ladies' expressions were not much different.
Could it be a trap?
Ella's eyes began to sparkle with anticipation as she studied Claudine's face.
There was no way that a poor woman like Odette, who was no better than an ordinary commoner, could have custom-made clothes from a high-end costume shop.
The dress she was wearing today definitely looked like the work of a skilled seamstress, but upon closer inspection, the added little touches were noticeable. It was proof that the clothes were not made for Odette herself.
"No wonder. They usually overlook me when I go there."
A young lady who had moved closer to Ella whispered.
"His Majesty is not too kind. He's using her as a chess piece to protect the Princess. It would have been nice if he had provided some useful clothes."
"It was such a rushed proposal that there was no time to spare. Popular dress shops have to be reserved at least two seasons in advance."
Ella protected Odette out of respect for the Klauswitz family, but she also knew well. Even the most demanding shops would not dare to disobey the imperial orders.
The reason why the royal family did not intervene even though they were able to help easily was because they judged that it was not worth it.
"Thank you for the compliment, Lady Brandt."
Odette eventually spoke up. The attention of the ladies, who had been whispering while holding back their laughter, turned to the poor woman who had been put to the test again.
She would be greatly humiliated if she responded recklessly. However, revealing one's ignorance and poverty was also undignified.
Whatever answer she gave, it seemed difficult to escape her being ridiculed.
"Actually, my discernment and taste in clothes are still immature, so I am getting help from a chaperone. Fortunately, the countess's niece has the same body type as mine, so I am having the good fortune of trying on clothes from various dress shops in advance. And I'll think about the shop's name Lady Brandt told me as a priority."
Odette smiled and answered brazenly. She seemed to be bluffing, but it was hard to dismiss it as a lie.
While the troubled women were frowning, not knowing who should be judged the winner, the officers of the Army appeared. They were ready for the game that was about to begin.
"I have to go."
Young lady Brandt, who discovered her cousin, smiled naturally and said goodbye. The previous conversation seemed to have already been forgotten.
"Then let's meet again soon, Lady Odette."
Claudine von Brandt passed Odette with a fairly favorable greeting.
"Oh, and it was Sabine. "
Claudine von Brandt, who turned her head abruptly, added a word with a strange smile.
"That dress. It's from Sabine's clothing shop. I've mistaken the name earlier. Please kindly understand."
"Of course. I will remember it with an open heart."
It was clear that it was a deliberate mistake, but Odette did not express it. Smiling, Lady Brandt left to the shade of the Army team.
"Franz!"
A pleasant voice rang out while Odette moistened her lips with the cold lemonade.
Ella von Klein's fiancé had just arrived.
"Why are you so late? I was just about to get upset."
The pampered young lady spoke with inconceivable delight as she held her fiancé's arm.
After responding appropriately, Franz Klauswitz greeted his fiancée's friends with a gentle smile on his face. The man with dark brown curly hair and gloomy gray eyes looked more like a keen artist than heir to a business family. It was hard to believe he had the same father as Bastian Klauswitz.
Finally, when it was his turn to greet Odette, Franz's expression darkened noticeably.
"It is an honor to see you again, Lady Odette."
After looking down at his shoe for a long time, Franz gave a rather awkward greeting. His gaze, which felt as if a cold, wet fog was settling down, was uncomfortable, but Odette did not show it.
"Hello. Nice to meet you, Mr. Klauswitz."
At the same time as she replied with a polite greeting, players from the Admiralty entered the stadium.
Having been saved from trouble thanks to this, Odette turned her head and looked at the other side of the white, sun-drenched lawn.
The young officers, very tall, strong, and fit, gave the impression of being like the animals they were commanding. More than anyone else, Bastian, that man was like that.
After checking the condition of the horses to be matched with, they approached the reception area with brisk strides.
Odette let out a quiet sigh and straightened her neck and back. It seemed to be the tight corset that tightened her chest, making her breath catch even as she remained still under the awning. It was an inevitable choice to wear clothes that didn't fit properly.
Stepping under the awning, Bastian naturally approached Odette. When their eyes met, he smiled. It was a smile that resembled the noon sun.
***
He was a beautiful man like a military god.
Sandrine loved and hated Bastian Klauswitz for that reason. Just like now. Bastian was enjoying the reception with the chosen bride by the emperor. He was sweet enough to believe that he was a real lover.
"It looks like they will have a wedding this year. Don't you agree, Lady Sandrine?"
A young woman with an innocent face made a clumsy provocation. Sandrine readily nodded her head and smiled brightly.
"Let's hope so. Bastian's life will be much more stable if he gets a good wife before he leaves for his next assignment."
"To have such thoughtful thoughts, after all, Sandrine is really kind."
"A feeling we should naturally have as friends who have shared a deep friendship."
Sandrine was bold as ever, even when she was telling a blatant lie. Thanks to that, the one who provoked her was rather embarrassed.
Perhaps deciding that there would be no benefit to continuing this conversation, she hurriedly changed the subject. It was the kind of chatter that young ladies of society love, proud of their husbands and young children.
Thanks to this, Sandrine was able to withdraw from the conversation and was once again absorbed in watching the couple. Even at the moment when she felt like putting Princess Isabelle, who had brought about such a disaster, on a stake, her smile was as gentle as ever.
Actually, it wasn't that she didn't understand the princess very much. Because she knew better than anyone else in the world how crazy to feel about wanting to have that man. It was just that she wasn't stupid enough to do something like the Princess did. That was both fortunate and unfortunate. Even though she was not married.
A long sigh escaped her as she suddenly pictured her husband's face.
As it turned out, Count Lenart, who was crazy about sodomy, was the worst husband, but she couldn't hate him. Thanks to him, she could take hold of his weaknesses and demand a divorce with impunity, and that flaw made it possible for her to have Bastian Klauswitz.
With that thought, Sandrine could forgive him for the screw up. It would be unreasonable to hold on to his petty side, who was slowly dragging out the divorce case in order to reduce her alimony by even a single penny.
How long had it been since she looked and looked again?
Then Bastian turned his head. Looking at his face, Sandrine's hatred turned into love again. Even if her pride was hurt, it could not be helped.
Sandrine pointed in the direction of the waiting room with a wink. There was no doubt that Bastian wouldn't correctly grasp its meaning.
"Oh, I need to take a break for a while."
Sandrine deliberately spilled the sherry in her hand, making an appropriate excuse. She hurriedly left the reception hall, appeasing the ladies with their faces full of feigned concern. As she stood at the end of the hallway in the cool building, her heart began to race like it was going to explode.
The man would definitely come.
Sandrine had no doubts, and that belief soon became a reality.
She began to hear strong footsteps from across the hallway. It was impossible to see his face because of the backlight, but Sandrine could still recognize Bastian at a glance.
"Don't you have something to tell me?"
Sandrine's voice was as soft as the wind in today's clear spring weather as she asked Bastian, who eventually turned to the corner.
"I have something to ask you."
Sandrine, who was leaning against the wall, straightened her body and took a big step forward to Bastian.
The terribly beautiful man was smiling shamelessly and nonchalantly.