My Childhood Friend is Like a Stone - Chapter 18

Chapter 4. Just bluffing (2) 

“Yes?”

He could see the startled face. He didn’t know how the gun was fired with that little courage.

“If anything happens between Mademoiselle Cassinell and me, shoot me.”

“No, Lieutenant. How can I— Of course I’m not saying I’m going to shoot you.”

“I’m saying it won’t happen.” Cyril, who was watching his confused subordinate, gave a helpful explanation.

“Isn’t it a little too much—?” mumbled the 2nd lieutenant, but Cyril didn’t seem to mind. Adrienne and he were now friends without hesitation. He could have helped Adrienne if she had asked for his help with her love.

He most likely believes it. Cyril shifted his gaze away from the gun that had slipped from his grip. With no intention of pointing the gun at him in the future.

******

It would not be an exaggeration to say that making a debutante is a war. More than half a year ago, a noble family with an adult daughter began planning to attend an Imperial ball. The enthusiasm was understandable, as reservations for the famous dressing room in the capital were almost fully booked a year in advance.

To stand out even a little among the countless aristocrats, great preparation was required.

There was no possibility to choose anything in vain, from the dresses worn that day to the accessories.

“That’s enough, Adrienne, and it looks amazing to me.”

Countess Bluea said to Adrienne, who had changed her third dress. She felt sorry for her niece, who had lost her closest companion due to her mother’s absence, and decided to work to be a chaperone.

“Madam, I still have a few more dresses ready—”

“Whatever my niece wears, she looks stunning. At least in my opinion.”

It seemed sweet at first, but when she looked closer, she realized it wasn’t. Bluea had a daughter the same age as Adrienne. In other words, she was in charge of two chaperones at the same time.

Daughter and niece. It was obvious to whom the heart of the Countess Bluea would be drawn more. The Countess, who had been listed in the famous dressing room for almost a year for her daughter, did not call Adrienne to the capital until much later.

Not just the famous dressing room, but also the fairly well-received designers, were completely booked at the moment. Because the designers were so busy being called around, getting a new dress was nearly impossible.

Eventually, all of the dresses in the dressing room’s corner, such as out-of-style dresses and experimental clothes that were too difficult to challenge, were dragged out.

Everything in front of her was to find a suitable dress and have it fixed. Even Bluea didn’t appear to be worth spending a lot of time on.

“Adrienne, what do you think?”

“This is enough for me, Aunt.”

“Look. My niece’s eyes are excellent.”

She even told her to bring her accessories that matched her dress, all with a happy expression on her face. That way, she won’t have to pay a tenth of what she’s already spent on her daughter. Bluea’s father, Count Cassinel, gave her money, which she most likely spent on her cousin Mademoiselle Bluea.

Adrienne nodded silently in agreement with what she said, despite the fact that she didn’t realize it. She didn’t have a lot of greed for her debutante, that’s why.

‘If Reid takes care of his wife well—’ 

The Bluea family had no children except for a daughter, unlike Adrienne, who had a consolation lead. It was also a heartbreaking reason for her to try to make her daughter stand out while keeping her niece Adrienne under control.

Moreover, unlike the Bluea family, Cassinel was in a position to belong to the current ten great aristocrats.

There was no need to spark the interest of the great aristocrats for the debut party because they only married other great aristocrats.

The only regret was the blood-like money from the family’s safe, but it was difficult to find a chaperone who was higher than Bluea, so it was well worth the money.

“By the way, Adrianna.”

“Yes?”

While the owner was away for a while, Countess Blue spoke. It was a friendly nickname when they were together.

“Sir Thesar is back. Why don’t we make room since Laura is also in the capital?”

She was curious as to why she was suddenly using nicknames, and as she expected, there was a reason. What does Laura’s presence in the capital have to do with Cyril’s return, Mademoiselle Bluea?

It hasn’t been a year or two for Laura to whine to build a bridge between Cyril and herself, but seeing her mother come forward, she doesn’t seem to have much time to spare.

“—Well. Cyril is so busy, so I don’t know. It would be great to see him all together after a long time.”

“Isn’t that what you believe? Of course, he’s busy, but there’s no way he can’t eat at least once. It’s something you could suggest. You’ve known each other since you were children.”

“I’ll ask if I get a chance.”

That jerk, Sir Thesar.

Adriene gritted her teeth inside and replied with a smile. Cyril, Cyril—. When will the name and her life fall apart. Every time she saw Adrienne, she brought up Cyril’s story, and she felt like a spokesperson.

‘What the hell is a spokesperson.’

It was a word that was too intimate now that they barely even communicated. She doesn’t know if she’d rather be that close—. A soft sigh came out of Adrienne’s mouth.

******

Emma, the maid from Cassinel, had never left the estate in her life and was visiting the capital for the first time.

Emma even acts as a maid for Adrienne, who does not have a maid in honor, due to her distance from other families. It wasn’t only a matter of distance, of course. In reality, during the time when the family was prosperous, a lot of people came to take Cassinel’s woman.

But many years later, Cassinel had no maid.

All of the noble maidens who had volunteered to be maids were naturally on their way to the capital.

Adrienne and a maid who was close to her were in charge of the work of a maid, such as companion and dressmaker, for a long time.

So, now that she says she’s working as a maid, does it make a difference that her responsibilities are a little wider?

“Everyone is anxious because everyone else can’t be glamorous, but Countess Bluea was too much. Knowing how much she followed the Countess during her lifetime—”

As soon as Emma arrived at the mansion, she poured out words she had endured. She seemed more upset than Adrienne, the party involved.

“She must be more concerned about Laura than me. What can I do?”

“I’m sure the Master won’t sit still if he finds out.”

“So we have to be quiet so that he can stay still. I don’t want to show up by stealing everything she doesn’t have.”

Adrienne, who replied in an easy way, threw herself into bed as soon as she changed her clothes. The remaining silk dress was limp like a snake’s skin.

Adrienne’s words were reasonable at first sight.

Of course, Cassinel was not a family that had fallen to the point of worrying today and tomorrow. Old fame was an honor, and somehow it is still in the ranks of the great nobility.

However, it was not as good as the ladies who entered and out of the palace with oil flowing on their faces. Count Cassinel has been in and out of the palace over the past few years to discuss the support of the estate, but his return was nothing but a formality.

The Emperor wanted to have his troops on all frontiers, including Cassinel. Those words were no different than telling the family to give up the land they had been protecting for a long time.

As such, the confrontation between the Emperor and the local nobleman, including Cassinel, was intensifying.

In the meantime, Cassinel even went so far as to be a great nobleman. Since he could not touch it recklessly, the emperor tried to bother Cassinel and all the great aristocrats who shared power.

“Even so. It is said that the Crown Prince is also attending this debutante, isn’t it too bad?”

“There’s nothing to be disappointed about.”

“What do you mean! I’m sure he’ll have a new fiancee in your debutante.”

Emma raised her voice by asking how she could not know such an important thing. Adrienne then recalled that it had been more than a year since the Prince lost his fiancee.

It had been more than a year since the news came that the Prince’s fiance had suddenly passed away from pneumonia.

Time went by so quickly.

“You loved the Prince, didn’t you?”

“Love—”

Adrienne murmured, still buried in the pillow. It was right, she likes the Prince. Because he was very sweet unlike anyone, kind unlike anyone, and unlike anyone who made fun of Adrienne. And unlike anyone else, she could have liked him comfortably.

So, Adrienne liked the Prince. He is like a prince in a fairy tale, without having a sense of reality that he is.

“Well. Lady was completely having a thing with Cyril. Compared to that, Prince is only a fleeting moment.”

“Emma, when did I fall for Cyril?”

Adrienne, who was responding coolly, jumped to her feet. She felt unfair in her round eyes.

“Oh my? Lady, how many times did you hold onto me saying you were going to marry Cyril when you were young?”

“That’s, because all I knew was Cyril when I was young.”

“Didn’t you cry when Cyril said ‘I’m not going to marry you, Adrienne’?”

Emma made fun of Adrienne, acting realistically as if she had gone back to that day. All those embarrassing memories to refute were true. Adrienne, who felt defeat, laid herself on the bed again. Emma smiled quietly when she saw the weak lady.

“It happened when I was young—”

“Of course. I know.”

Emma knew everything without having to say it. It was all about how much Adrienne liked Cyril and why she gave up on Cyril.