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Chapter 96
“Ah, that was fun. Right, Evie?”
“Yes, y-yeah…”
Irene looked satisfied for the first time, feeling proud as she looked at the stack of clothes.
Next to her, Evie’s eyes were spinning.
How many outfits have we seen today?
Even just the ones Irene had tried on herself must have been over a hundred.
And those were just casual clothes, easy to wear. The much more important and expensive outfits were ordered separately after looking at Madame Crèvelle’s sketches and temporary samples.
Every time, Evie gave her honest advice.
“Irene, your hair shines like moonlight, so silver or even black would look pretty too. And this ribbon! Blue suits you better.”
“That bag looks too big for you, Irene. A smaller one would be cuter!”
Each time, Crèvelle would look at Evie as if thinking, “You have good taste, don’t you?”
And every time they tried on or carried what Evie suggested, it really did look better to Irene herself.
There weren’t many people who would speak so honestly.
Everyone else would just say it looked pretty no matter what Irene wore, trying not to upset her. So, sometimes she deliberately wore colors that were awful on her, and everyone still said it looked nice.
But not Evie.
“Ah, that’s not pretty!”
When Irene picked up a bag that obviously didn’t suit her, Evie immediately reacted and put it down.
Evie is so honest!
Irene recalled her sister’s words:
“Irene, be friends with someone who tells you their true thoughts. That kind of person will see you as Irene, not just as Terence’s daughter.”
At the time, she thought, would someone like that even exist?
Sometimes, people would make sharp comments: “That doesn’t look good,” or “Don’t do this.” At first, she wondered if she should be friends with such people. But soon, Irene realized something.
They were always trying to find flaws.
They never said anything genuinely good.
That wasn’t honesty; it was rudeness disguised as honesty.
But Evie was different.
Even amid piles of items, she carefully looked at everything and picked out what she thought was the prettiest for Irene. And she smiled as if she were happier seeing Irene wear it than wearing it herself.
Found you, my friend.
Irene’s lips curled into a small, satisfied smile.
The gifted academy’s summer break was five weeks long.
Two weeks at my house, one week at Arsel’s, one week at Luskane’s, and then back at my house for the last week.
Two weeks, one week, one week.
No matter how she thought about it, it was a perfectly fair schedule.
Although she secretly wanted to give Arsel and Luskane only three days each, doing so would have led to resentment for the rest of the semester.
So, a week each is merciful. You should be grateful.
Irene shrugged as if she had generously granted the time herself.
Then she turned back and took Evie’s still-dizzy arm.
“Tired?”
“A-a little…”
“Then let’s go eat something delicious.”
Holding Evie’s arm, Irene led her downstairs.
Below, Madame Crèvelle was checking the items and instructing the staff to load them onto the carriage.
“You’ve come down. Were you satisfied with today’s shopping?”
“Of course. But you must be busy with the autumn banquet soon, right?”
“Yes. We accepted bookings right after last year’s autumn banquet, so by early this year, we stopped taking any more. Fortunately, it’s not unbearably busy.”
“I see. Then can we make one more outfit?”
Crèvelle squinted at Irene.
“For a small outfit, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“I love you, Crèvelle.”
“Oh, nonsense. Thanks to making last year’s young lady’s dresses, we gained a lot. This autumn’s banquet is the first official royal event, so many people will see it. Also…”
Crèvelle whispered to Irene.
“Evie’s guardian is His Majesty, isn’t it?”
“Yes. So… you know.”
“Of course, haha. I already have many design ideas I want to try on her. I’ll send sketches to the Terence estate in a few days. Or you can visit the shop again, or come to my studio; you’re welcome anytime.”
“Really? Then I’ll go with Evie to your studio.”
Irene looked at Evie.
“She hasn’t explored the capital much yet, so I want to go around with her.”
“Then all the more welcome. Just tell me a convenient day. I’ll prepare everything and wait.”
“Then we can reserve nearby eateries too…”
“For desserts, this place is perfect…”
Thus, the two secretly arranged Evie’s schedule, whispering behind her back.
“Goodbye!”
Evie waved for a long time at Madame Crèvelle, who waved back.
As they left, Crèvelle thanked them for coming and gifted both of them hairpins with ribbons of the same design and color.
When Irene pinned it on her hair and Evie did the same, the small glass bead at the end of the ribbon sparkled in the sunlight.
Such a beautiful gift…
Even though she hadn’t bought anything, Evie felt happy to receive it.
But Irene quickly pinned it onto Evie’s hair and then herself.
Evie quietly closed her mouth, feeling both apologetic and happy to have the same thing as Irene.
“Now, let’s go eat something delicious to reward Evie for all her hard work today.”
“Delicious?”
“Yes. They don’t serve this at the academy.”
Saying this, Irene led them to a nearby cafeteria.
Perhaps already informed, the general manager greeted Irene politely and guided them to the best seat at the terrace on the second floor, overlooking the street.
“Can I order for us? There’s something I really want you to try.”
“Yes, please.”
The menu had many unfamiliar items to Evie.
While Irene ordered, Evie enjoyed the cool breeze under the parasol.
After ordering, Irene also closed her eyes and enjoyed the wind.
“Ah, this is nice. I don’t dislike the academy, but sometimes I want to go out like this.”
“Do you come here often?”
“Yes. I love delicious food and seeing new things. What about you, Evie?”
“I…”
What do I like?
Evie thought carefully.
“Um… playing with you, Arsel, and Luskane?”
“No, not that. What do you do when you’re alone? Like hobbies.”
“Hmm…”
Hobbies. Things I like.
Then she remembered what she had written when entering the academy.
“Cleaning?”
“….”
“Or gardening? Helping younger kids with meals?”
With each answer, Irene’s expression stiffened.
“That’s not a hobby. That’s something you have to do.”
“But it’s fun…”
At that moment, the café staff placed two large cups in front of them.
The glass cups, shaped like morning glories, contained layers of ingredients: cereal, jelly, ice cream, chocolate chips…
On top was a strangely shaped plant.
“What’s this?”
“It’s called pineapple. We don’t get it at the academy. It’s a fruit from the south.”
I’ve heard the name. I’ve seen it in pictures, but seeing it in person feels different.
“It looks like it grows on a tree, but it actually grows on a plant close to the ground. Anyway, it looks kind of silly. But it’s very sweet and sour.”
Saying this, Irene scooped the pineapple sorbet with cream and fed it to Evie.
Munch, munch.
After swallowing, Evie squinted as if it were sour, then opened her eyes wide.
“How is it? Delicious, right?”
“Delicious!”
It was a strange flavor: tangy and refreshing, yet sweet and full of flavor.
“Again. Ah—”
“Ah—”
Clearly enjoying it, Evie opened her mouth eagerly for the next spoonful.
Seeing Evie enjoy the new taste, Irene resolved:
Good. I’ll help her find a hobby this summer.
Determined to prepare the best, Irene called the staff.
Shortly after, the staff returned with two letters and handed them to a messenger, who quickly began delivering them.
Returning home, Luskane had already trained with his brothers for hours and was sprawled on his bed.
“I’m… I’m dying…”
His brothers had relentlessly pushed him because he had gotten slow over the academy break.
Is this living?
He wanted to return to the academy and relax with Evie, just messing around at the dining hall.
“Not possible though…”
Luskane sighed. His brothers were right; he had gotten too relaxed and sluggish.
And this is supposed to be the son of the famous Ragselb knightly family…
At least this is the thing I’m best at.
When he briefly felt discouraged comparing himself to Arsel, he remembered Evie eagerly telling him that he had many things he was good at.
Ah, that little one… she’s surprisingly perceptive.
Smiling at the thought of Evie, Luskane chuckled.
Now, what should we do when Evie comes to visit?
There wasn’t much at the Ragselb estate that a little girl like her would enjoy. She couldn’t exactly wield a sword.
At that moment, a servant knocked.
“What is it?”
“An urgent letter arrived for you, young master. It’s from someone named Irene Terence…”
“Ehh?”
Luskane made a strange sound, his expression twisted.
Why send a letter all of a sudden?
Worried something might have happened to Evie, he quickly opened the envelope and read the first line:
It’s me. Irene Terence. Prepare your horses.
Luskane was dumbfounded.
Are you a thief?
His eyes moved to the next line:
Evie will be riding. Please prepare the renowned horses of the Ragselb estate.
He jumped up and ran downstairs.
“Father! Brother! Lend me some horses!”
At the same time, Arsel also received a letter from Irene:
May I borrow the beautiful library of the Kellan Duke family for Evie? And if possible, I’d like to visit the music classroom run by the Duchess of Kellan, a patron of the capital’s music scene.
“….”
That’s unexpected.
Of course, the Kellan library was far grander and more classical than the Terence estate, with many more books.
But it wasn’t necessary to go out of the way. And she even wanted to visit her mother’s private music classroom? This wasn’t the kind of thing Irene would do if she knew Arsel would hate it.
Then Arsel read the next line:
I want to help Evie find a hobby. I don’t know what she likes, so I want to try everything.
Immediately, Arsel stood up, went to his mother’s room, and knocked on the door.
“Who… oh, Arsel. What is it?”
“Mother, I have a request for you.”
The Duchess looked at her son, unable to speak.
Arsel making a request? Aside from when he was very young, this had never happened.
