The overworked staff member delivered our cakes—a strawberry shortcake, a lemon yogurt cake, and a chocolate cake topped with a whole piece of chocolate.
Ah. I should’ve told them to leave out the chocolate cake.
But it was my fault for not mentioning it, so I could only shrug and slide the chocolate cake over to Aiden.
“I should have asked them to leave out the chocolate cake.”
“It’s fine. You like it, don’t you?”
“But my lady doesn’t,” Aiden said, looking at me.
His brows furrowed as if he were genuinely concerned over a mere chocolate cake.
‘She doesn’t like it,’ huh...?
It was strange. Someone knowing what I liked and disliked.
In my past life, no one had ever cared about my preferences. Not even me.
I had always focused on appeasing my parents, carefully considering what they liked and disliked, what my younger sibling wanted. I had never been given the space to care about my own tastes.
Slowly, I picked up my fork and took a bite of the golden-colored cake in front of me. A sweet yet tangy flavor spread across my tongue.
It was something I’d never had before—not even during tea time at the duchy.
It wasn’t too heavy, nor was it overwhelmingly sweet. As a final meal, it was just perfect.
But, ironically, I barely ate.
After taking just a bite or two from both the lemon and strawberry cakes, I passed the plates over to Aiden.
My throat felt strangely dry, making it impossible to swallow anything sweet.
It was as if my body rejected it.
Well, I suppose it only made sense. A sweet life was never meant for me.
As I watched Aiden happily eat the cakes I had given up on, I turned to the window.
Despite the warm sunlight outside, a chill ran through me. I rubbed my arms, trying to shake it off.
The place where I was supposed to meet Lady Jonas was the Rose Velvet Salon, located within the duchy’s territory.
Since I was still recovering, Lady Jonas had chosen a location within our estate to accommodate me.
Well, setting aside that, this salon was apparently quite famous—even in the capital.
“Lady Selina White!”
As soon as I stepped down from the carriage, a young lady waiting at the entrance of the salon ran toward me.
Her face was oddly familiar.
Now that I thought about it... the invitation hadn’t just been from House Jonas. There had been another name written on it.
Vi... Vi...
“Lady Vivian.”
“Oh my! You remember me!”
The young lady’s face lit up with joy, as if my recognition meant the world to her. Looks like I got her name right.
Come to think of it... she was the noble lady who approached me before that attention-seeker Mia showed up.
But Mia had been such a scene-stealer that my memory of Vivian had been completely overshadowed.
Seeing her in person again brought back a vague recollection of that day.
“Of course. Thank you for inviting me, Lady Vivian.”
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine! I’m so happy to see you again, Lady Selina! Ah, let’s head inside and talk!”
“Yes.”
To anyone else, we must have looked like complete opposites.
One side—overly lively.
The other—completely subdued.
Like an exhausted office worker walking a hyperactive puppy after work.
Slow down a little, puppy.
“The Rose Velvet Salon is closely connected to my family’s business,” Vivian chattered beside me. “Madame is absolutely brilliant—her measurements are exact, her designs are elegant, and she always sets the latest trends! I’m sure you’ll love everything here.”
Vivian never stopped talking.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
One would think she’d get thirsty from all that, but her voice never wavered.
All I had to do was nod at appropriate intervals.
Ding.
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A pleasant, refined bell chime rang out as we stepped inside.
A woman quickly approached us.
“Lady Vivian! Welcome! We’ve been expecting you! And... Lady Selina White?”
“Please, just call me Lady Selina.”
The title duchess’ daughter was far too attention-grabbing to be used in public.
Vivian’s eyes sparkled as if she had read my mind.
“Don’t worry, Lady Selina! This place is by reservation only. We only serve two clients per day.”
“That’s right,” the madame added. “Our salon caters exclusively to noble ladies, so we operate strictly by appointment. Please, take your time and enjoy.”
“...Alright.”
Was she telling the truth?
The massive salon was completely empty, aside from us.
No wandering gazes. No crowd.
It was... comfortable.
But would this be good for my plan?
In reality, it would have been easier to escape if the salon had been chaotic and crowded.
“These are our newest designs,” the madame continued. “Daring off-the-shoulder necklines paired with ornate necklaces to balance out the exposed collarbone. A perfect blend of elegance and boldness.”
“They look nice.”
Hearing my response, the madame’s smile grew wider.
Nothing worked better as free advertising than a high-ranking noble wearing her clothes.
Emboldened by my interest, she began presenting one extravagant dress after another.
Even to someone like me, with no eye for fashion, they looked undeniably luxurious.
They practically screamed high-end.
But there was a problem.
Setting aside the fact that I planned to die today... there was one thing that genuinely confused me.
“They’re all very beautiful,” I said. “But... I came here looking for a dress for a small garden party. Do people usually wear outfits this extravagant for such occasions?”
Both the madame and Vivian froze.
It seemed they had been so focused on selling dresses that they completely forgot my actual purpose for coming here.
Or maybe... they never expected me to buy only one dress.
Either way, the two of them looked visibly flustered.
Just then—
CLANG!
A loud, disruptive ringing echoed through the salon.
Since they had locked the entrance after we came in, this meant someone was violently shaking the door.
“Oh dear, what on earth?”
The madame’s expression shifted from flustered to outright alarm.
She quickly bowed her head and hurried toward the entrance.
“What could that be?”
“No idea.”
Vivian frowned slightly in concern, stretching her neck to get a better view in the direction Madame had gone. Soon, one of the attendants Vivian had brought along called out to her, trying to stop her from moving forward.
“Shall I go check, my lady?”
Aiden whispered to me for the first time in a while.
“No, it’s fine.”
Why bother making a fuss? We’d find out soon enough anyway.
“I’m sorry, but that won’t be possible! We already have guests inside! Your reservation is in three hours!”
“Shut up! I don’t have time to wait! I’ll go in first—who do you think you are to stop me?!”
See? I told you we’d find out soon enough.
A shrill, screeching voice tore through the air.
And it was one I knew far too well.
Fate, curse, or just plain bad luck, Selina and that woman must have been deeply intertwined in the original story.
Not me. Selina.
“There are already customers inside!”
“I’m a customer too! Shut up and take me in!”
Vivian, who had clearly recognized the voice, furrowed her brows and shot me a quick glance.
Why was she looking at me like that?
It wasn’t as if we were ex-lovers.
I slowly got up from my seat.
“Lady Selina?”
Vivian called out from beside me, but I simply continued on my way.
She quickly leaped to her feet and trotted after me. Aiden, of course, followed without a word.
The maid and knight Vivian had brought along also fell in line behind us.
And just like that, I suddenly found myself leading a small army as I walked toward the source of the commotion.
“Get out of my way, you useless hag!”
“Ahh! L—Lady, this is—”
“This is what? You’re running some shabby little salon, and you dare to talk back to me?”
The closer I got, the louder the grating voice became.
Ah. Still the same.
Still loud enough to make my ears bleed.
She must have heard our footsteps approaching because her voice suddenly cut off.
The moment I saw the flash of fiery red hair, it was clear she had seen me, too.
Her face, initially twisted in rage, rapidly drained of color.
Her eyes darted between Madame, who was sprawled on the floor, and me.
Since she didn’t seem to have any intention of greeting me first, I decided to extend the courtesy myself.
After all, basic manners dictated that a proper greeting was necessary.
“Well, we meet again, Lady Mia Lascelle.”
For the first time in a long while, I saw someone visibly trembling at the sight of me.
Her pupils quivered—just like before.
Selina’s Medusa-like aura was still as effective as ever.
I took one more step forward, and only then did Mia jolt, snapping back to attention.
“G—greetings... L—Lady Selina White... Have... you been well?”
I shrugged in response and turned to the still-shaken Madame, who was collapsed on the floor.
Reaching out, I helped her to her feet.
“Yes, well enough.”
Though right now, thanks to you, my ears feel like they’re about to start bleeding.
Mia, still standing stiffly, rolled her eyes as if she understood exactly what I meant.
“A-ah... That’s... good to hear.”
An awkward silence settled over us—one that felt almost as suffocating as if we had been ex-lovers suddenly trapped in the same room.
Then, Vivian made her move.
“Oh my! Lady Mia Lascelle, how have you been?”
And here we go again.
Another three-way battle was about to begin.
Well, the situation was a little different this time...
Vivian was practically bursting with excitement.
Selina White.
The noble lady who never responded to anyone.
The noble lady who had once dismissed her with cold, one-word replies.
That very same Selina White had not only accepted her invitation to a garden party, but also agreed to go shopping together.
She had pretended not to care before, but now...!
Vivian felt profoundly moved by her own foresight—not leaving for the capital right away had been the right decision after all.
She had even danced around her room after receiving Selina’s reply.
Not to mention, she had kissed her reflection in the mirror three times.
And now, at this very moment—she was about to get her revenge for last time.
She stood next to Selina now.
Not Mia.
Her.
Vivian Jonas.
“...Ah. Lady Vivian. You’re here too.”
Mia’s face immediately darkened, her brow furrowing.
But Vivian didn’t mind at all.
If anything, the fact that she had caused Mia’s expression to wrinkle like that was exhilarating.
Power. This feeling of power was exhilarating!
“It’s been a while! The last time we saw each other was at the Crown Prince and Imperial Princess’s engagement ceremony, wasn’t it? You haven’t returned to your territory yet?”
“No, not yet. The social season is approaching, so I’ve been staying at my family’s estate in the capital. Lady Vivian, are you still in the White Duchy?”
“Well, the duchy is quite nice, so I decided to stay a little longer. And just in time too! Lady Selina invited me to go dress shopping with her.”
“...Ah.”
Mia’s gaze flickered toward Selina, then quickly turned away.
Vivian didn’t miss the moment of hesitation—and promptly inched closer to Selina.
Mia’s smug expression twisted as she absentmindedly curled her fingers around a strand of her red hair.
How did I end up in this situation?
That spot beside Selina should have been mine...
And it was all because of that filthy beggar.
Then, her eyes landed on the blonde man standing behind Selina.
Aiden.
Crunch.
A faint grinding noise echoed through the silence.
The moment Mia realized she was audibly grinding her teeth, she flinched.
Vivian, sensing weakness, clapped her hands together and stepped forward.
“Oh my, my lady! If you keep grinding your teeth like that, they’ll all wear down!”
This little...!
Mia’s eyebrows twitched violently at Vivian’s smug face, standing so confidently beside Selina.
Perhaps... it was time to retreat.
Standing here in silence, unable to turn the situation in her favor, was infuriating.
And that damn Selina—just standing there, quietly watching.
She wasn’t shaking with anger like before.
She wasn’t screaming accusations like before.
She was just calmly observing.
Mia’s stomach churned.
“She’s lost it. In a completely different way than before.”
And who knew what kind of deranged nonsense she’d come up with next to try and put her in the wrong.