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chapter 16
Autumn’s Fan
Serena greeted the morning with an unusually gloomy expression. Normally, this would have been the time of excitement and joy for the Harvest Festival, but with Lucas having invaded, there was no chance to enjoy it.
“Ah! When they said the wandering knight had the Empire’s travel pass, I should have just lied and said I was sick.”
As always, regret came too late. And Serena had never been skilled at lying in the first place.
“Astel is so prosperous and joyful with the Harvest Festival, and yet, the Duke’s proxy is unwell? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Anna always says the right things.”
Serena let out a sigh, half complaint, half exhale, and looked at Anna like a child. Even Anna didn’t know where the power to cause such turmoil could come from in that pure face and those innocent eyes.
“Well, the lady is now betrothed to His Highness, the Crown Prince. Even if you were indifferent in the past, that fact doesn’t change.”
Serena knew this too. A betrothal blessed by the Pope himself in the palace chapel wasn’t something that could be broken easily. Even if she had been won as a bride due to a wager lost by the Emperor to his friend, the Duke.
“I was the penalty in a wager! A light bet between men on the battlefield!”
“If you were lacking, there wouldn’t have been a bet nor a betrothal ceremony.”
Serena puffed her cheeks in frustration.
“But I don’t like it!”
Now that she had become a noble lady, many more people bowed their heads to her than in her past life.
“It’s bothersome and I don’t like it.”
“You can’t avoid an audience with the Crown Prince. I’ve prepared a few dresses overnight.”
“Why?”
“You may not have known at first, but now that you know it’s the Crown Prince, you must dress appropriately for the audience.”
Looking at Anna’s serious face, Serena couldn’t bring herself to refuse, and she felt annoyance toward Lucas for no reason.
“Why is everyone so selfish?” Serena muttered in discontent.
People flattered you when they needed something, then turned cold when the need passed. In her past life, she had been powerless to speak even when those wounds festered.
“The Crown Prince?”
“Him and everyone! For example, His Highness, the Duke Farrell.”
“Ah… right.”
Anna received a clothes rack with dresses brought by a young maid and nodded lightly. Considering Serena’s status and Astel’s wealth, the dresses were insufficient, but more formal than usual attire, and most importantly, they suited Serena’s natural beauty.
“We’ve prepared five dresses. What do you think, Lady?”
Serena’s expression was indifferent as she looked at the dresses on the portable rack.
“Which one’s the most comfortable? Nothing that tightens the waist too much or has too much volume in the skirt.”
It was a difficult question, but Anna smiled without losing composure.
“The third dress, a blue one, has a gradient from top to bottom. Elegant silver embroidery decorates it without being excessive, making it graceful and beautiful.”
“Hm.” Serena cast a brief glance at the dress.
“Well, I suppose it will do.”
“I also think it’s suitable.”
The dress faded from almost white at the top to deeper blue at the bottom, matching Serena’s eye color. Simple yet not plain, the silver embroidery struck the perfect balance for this occasion.
“Shall we go with this one?”
“Yeah, fine.” Serena didn’t give it much thought.
“Then let’s help you get dressed. Lily, come and lend a hand.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Lily, daughter of Astel’s longtime servant, had become Serena’s maid at Anna’s request since she arrived.
“Lady, your dress.”
As the two women spread the dress for easy wearing, Serena reluctantly stepped in. The dress was lifted, and buttons were fastened one by one.
“Jewelry?”
“No need.” Anna nodded without further questions.
“But you must have a fan and gloves.”
Reflected in the tall mirror, Serena looked far more beautiful than usual. If only her frown weren’t there.
“Why?”
“It’s proper etiquette for meeting royalty. Every noblewoman and lady must have a fan and gloves.”
“It’s autumn. It gets cold at night—what fan?”
“A noblewoman speaks with her fan, not her mouth.”
Anna looked unwilling to compromise.
“…Do you have one chosen?”
“Of course.” Serena nodded reluctantly at Anna’s bright smile.
“The gloves are formal, so they go above the elbow. But if you prefer, elbow-length gloves would be fine too.”
“Yes, I think that would be better.”
Even with Serena’s soulless response, Anna’s smile didn’t fade.
“Wear your hair down today. I’ll put a platinum branch pin above your left ear.”
“Uh…” Serena still had no interest in being adorned. Yet, the finished Serena was the pride and joy of the women dressing her.
“Even a little adornment makes you incredibly beautiful.”
“Majestic too, right?”
“You are beautiful!” Anna insisted, and Serena finally smiled.
“But everyone says I’m majestic.”
“They don’t understand your slender and full beauty.”
By modern standards, Serena would have been a clear beauty—a supermodel even.
“Enough.”
But this was not her past life. She had been just a big woman, a strong woman, and one who received no praise because she was neither elegant nor pretty.
“I’m strong, I know that.”
Serena still hid behind such words. Former gymnast, volleyball player, substitute physical education teacher.
“Wow, she’s really big!” She had barely gotten a job as a PE teacher at a nearby middle school, as a temporary teacher.
“Watch out! She was a volleyball player—get smashed, and it’s a fracture.”
“No, she was a gymnast, right?”
“Crazy, what gymnastics with that size?”
Was there even talent? She couldn’t even confirm it. Effort and sacrifice didn’t equate to talent, that much was certain.
“You are slender and lovely, Lady. You even have a dignified presence.”
Anna’s words were genuine. At first, that alone made Serena glad she came to this world.
“Thanks, Anna. But… most people don’t see me that way.”
She thought angrily about it again. She remembered why she hated Duke Farrell.
“Ha, does the renowned martial Farrell need a strong woman like me?”
The reason the Duke proposed offended her greatly. She had almost cursed when she first heard it but restrained herself.
-“To continue the Farrell line, a strong and robust woman like you is needed.”
This was what she had heard in her first meeting with the Duke.
-“I hope you give birth to a child as courageous as you…”
Before he finished speaking, Serena, unable to hold back, spilled her teacup water on him, but he laughed heartily.
-“Yes, a brave woman is needed! I like you.”
The Duke’s reddish-brown hair and reddish Hyde eyes had followed Serena ever since.
The peace she had now came after she, as Astel’s proxy, banned him from entering her estate.
“Hmph.” Serena coughed awkwardly, feeling foolish for getting upset.
“Anyway, disliking the Duke doesn’t mean you should avoid the merchant guild. If it benefits Astel, even better.”
Serena was wise, separating personal feelings from governance. Anna nodded at the truth of her words.
“By the way, Lady, it’s almost time for the audience.”
“Ah… right.”
After a good night’s sleep, she felt light-hearted, but as long as Lucas remained, it was useless.
“Requesting the night before is better than the Duke’s visit.”
Duke Farrell had sent countless letters to provoke her anger when she prohibited his visits. Of course, those letters were now “caged” and fattened, producing excellent heirs. Serena believed in using what she could, separate from her anger.
“Then, let’s go.” Serena adjusted her uncomfortable dress hem.
“No, not yet.” Anna smiled and stared at Serena.
“Just a moment, please.”
Anna took a small box from her bosom and applied its contents to Serena’s lips with her pinky.
“Lipstick? I don’t want it!”
“No, it’s not that.”
Serena’s naturally pink lips gained a glossy, petal-like hue.
“Moisturizer,” Anna smiled.
“Because it’s autumn.”
Watching Serena nod innocently, both women fell silent, smiling.
“Here’s your fan. You know the etiquette, right?”
Serena looked at Anna awkwardly.
“Mm. I’ll hold it properly.”
The fan was essential for noblewomen, and supposedly, they could “speak” through its movements like sign language.
“Do I have to keep it open?”
“It could convey too many meanings if so.”
Having never studied social etiquette or even read a book on it, Serena didn’t know this. Fortunately, the only counterpart was the Crown Prince.
“Uh… I’ll just keep it folded for now.”
It was going to be a tense start to the day. Everyone except the two involved thought the same.
