Translator: Jis...o...b..>Proofreader: Arie Bee

Chapter 5

It did not take that long to embroider a small family crest on the corner of a handkerchief. It was also because there was a good teacher that helped out with it. Sarah fixed the parts that looked a little off.

The black handkerchief with the family crest, a lily, embroidered in silver was so perfect that it could be sold in the market for a high price and it would still be sold quickly.

Aria took the completed handkerchief and folded it into her drawer, then asked Sarah if she would help her make another one.

"What shape would you like to embroider?"

"A rose."

"A…… rose?"

A rose was the seal of Duke Frederick. The golden petals were also a representation of the royal blood running in their family.

Aria took our a red cloth and golden thread. As Aria handed her the same things and smiled, Sarah asked with a worried look on her face.

"Do you know what the golden rose symbolizes?"

"Of course. It's the seal of Duke Frederick."

The heir to that household was also the man Mielle had an unrequited love for.

Had they gotten together in the past? She tried going through her memories but could not find a clear answer. She remembered that they had gotten engaged, but could not recall if they had gotten married.

Aria planned on gifting a handkerchief to the heir of the duke before Mielle could. One that was embroidered with the seal of his household, at that.

There was no need to question if he would accept the handkerchief. She was planning on handing it to him when he couldn't refuse. Just like what Mielle had done in the past.

She knew there was no way he would suddenly start liking her because of a handkerchief. The handkerchief was simply a starting point.

It wasn't much but it would help start the conversation between them. Because she had an ability even greater than the embroidery on the handkerchief, the handkerchief was merely a way for her to start using her ability.

Sarah hesitated in replying after hearing Aria's clear, light response. The seal of Duke Frederick was often used because of its beauty and the people's respect for their family, but it was a little different if it was being used by a n.o.ble girl who was not married.

And it was a handkerchief too. And there was a chance that Aria's sister, Mielle, may end up in a relations.h.i.+p with the heir of the duke.

Because Aria had to be careful of her actions more than anyone, she had to be talked out of it if she harboured any feelings for the son of Duke Frederick.

Even if she did not harboured any feelings for him, she would definitely create rumours if she did this. She was already suffering from other rumours. If Aria was to embroider a rose on the handkerchief and gift it to the son of Duke Frederick, Sarah was sure she would suffer so much to the point that she would not be able to leave the house.

'She's too beautiful and kind to go through all of that…….'

Sarah believed that if a bright and pretty girl like Aria was to end up like that, her heart would be too troubled to sleep at night.

She had first thought initially that Aria would control the social circle when she grew up, but now she had different thoughts.

She believed that a girl this innocent and kind would not be able to survive the terrifying cave of social circles.

Sarah grabbed Aria's hand. Aria's sparkling green eyes looked up at her. Aria's innocent eyes were not suitable for the social circles' dirty and ugly mud pool.

Sarah spoke carefully after thinking of how she would speak without possibly hurting Aria's feelings.

"……Are you planning on giving it to the Duke?"

"No."

"Then……. Are you going to give it to Sir Oscar?"

Aria felt Sarah's hands trembling slightly.

Aria could guess what was going on. Sarah probably feared that Aria, who was pretending to be innocent and kind, would get hurt between all the compet.i.tion for Oscar.

'What she doesn't know is that I'm the dirtiest of them all.'

Although it was true that she was used in the past, it was also true that she was the one who carried out all her evil deeds. If she was truly a kind girl, she would not have done any of those deeds even if others have encouraged her behaviour.

And even in her new life that she had, her only thoughts were to take revenge on Mielle, not to live a kind life.

This was why Aria had to hide her dark thoughts and smile brightly. She couldn't fall in a trap like the past by stupidly showing off all her thoughts.

Aria shook her head.

"No. The seal of the Duke's family was so pretty and I've always wanted to try making it. I don't even know who the people you mentioned are, Sarah."

She actually knew about them very well. Since she had at one point tried to seduce Oscar. She could not even make an attempt due to his cold look, but it was true that she had met with him quite often.

Sarah loosened her expression at Aria's response, relieved. Her hardened expression had now returned to her compa.s.sionate one.

Since it was true that the Duke Frederick's seal was beautiful, she seemed to believe that it was just because it was pretty, just like Aria had said.

Sarah did not suspect anything more from Aria's pure heart and explained to her about the Duke's family seal. She must've also done an embroidery on the seal before because she told Aria about the parts she had to be aware about.

"A rose is one of the more difficult shapes to make. The shape will become distorted if the angle is off by even a little bit. So you must hold it well in the middle and must embroider around the middle like you're wrapping it."

Just like Sarah said, embroidering a rose pattern was very exhausting. If it even went a little bit out the wrong way, the whole pattern would lose its look.

They decided to do the rose pattern embroidery on their next lesson because they had already spent more than half the day embroidering the Roscente crest.

* * *

That night, the Count had pulled his schedule ahead and returned home, so the whole family could eat together for the first time in a while.

Mielle kept on talking about how hard she had been studying like a lark, and Kain said he had to return to the dorms because his break was over.

"It's already time."

"I'm planning on leaving on the weekend."

That's great to hear. Aria smiled but no one was paying attention to her, so she was not found out.

Aria watched how the happy family was acting very quietly. They were having a good time without her, and her mother was somewhat included as well.

To keep Aria out of the conversation, Mielle continued to pick out topics that Aria did not know.

'Even though she's only thirteen.'

Aria almost cried in grat.i.tude that Mielle knew so much about her father's business.

"So why don't you invest in leather, father? The fas.h.i.+onable ladies already have leather inside their dresses. It acts as a corset to the waist in a new, refres.h.i.+ng method."

"Leather's popularity was growing since two years ago. It is a little late, but it may be good to acquire some good quality leather like you said."

Count Roscenete agreed with Mielle with a satisfied expression. It was cute to see a small girl stating her opinions calmly.

But unlike Mielle and the Count's interpretation, leather doesn't come into trend for years. No, it doesn't come into trend forever.

Leather was heavy and stiff so it was hard to put something underneath to make thicker, and it is not worn much because it was uncomfortable for the people wearing it.

There were also a limited variety of shapes and colours, and had a terrible smell that went against the tastes of the n.o.ble ladies who created trends.

Aria wiped her mouth and slowly began to speak after listening to the sweet father-daughter conversation. It was time for her to speak of the first future she knew.

"Father, may I have a word as well?"

"You, Aria? Alright, let's hear it."

Everyone's gaze landed on Aria as she joined in on the conversation after being quiet for so long. Gazes that were surprised, making fun of her, or worried. Amongst those gazes Aria said confidently.

"Leather is definitely in trend in some n.o.ble ladies, and since it has been used for so long it will continue to be used. But will it really go in trend?"

The count's eyes held interest as Aria, who only screamed before, started speaking in a calm matter.

Words that didn't seem like they were coming from a child and an expression full of confidence. Her organized manner in speaking even though she had barely been educated was enough to make everyone interested in what she had to say.

Just like Mielle said, leather was in trend among a few n.o.ble ladies, but it would never spread and end at that small number.

The count had also learned of the disadvantages of leather and did not invest in it, and did not plan to do it any time in the future.

He had simply agreed because his cute daughter had spoken on the matter. He simply thought she was narrow minded because she was young.

But Aria was different. She had so much confidence for some reason. The count put aside her age and birth, and looked forward to her next words as a businessman.

"There's a limit on leather. Even if you dye it, it comes out easily and it does not dye easily. This is why there was no progress in its popularity in the past few years. Even though trends are easily started and ended among n.o.bles."

"Hmm, you're right about that."

The count agreed, rubbing his chin.

"And from what I've heard……."

Aria turned her gaze towards Mielle. She smiled brightly at Mielle. Mielle bit her lips in anger that her opinion had been shot down even before Aria had begun speaking about hers.

In the past, as Aria had experienced, something other than leather comes into trend and the person who starts this trend appears.

She is someone very n.o.ble and amazing, and everything she wears becomes a trend.

Because she knew everything she wore became a trend, she made sure that information on her clothing never got out until she wore it officially.

But it was different for Aria who had already experienced the future. She knew everything.

If she had worn leather, leather would have been in trend, but thankfully she had not worn leather.

"I heard that the princess, who just came back from the northern territory, bought a huge amount of fur."

"……fur?"

"Yes. There's a rumor that several carriages full of fur went into the palace. Unlike leather, it can be in many colors, and it's soft and has no smell depending on the was.h.i.+ng method."

No one had actually heard or seen the carriages, but it was true.

The princess who returned from north really did purchase a huge amount of fur, and she will create a trend by wearing a different type of fur in every party.

The purchasing and processing of fur was complicated and took a long time, so by the time it was in trend it would be too late to get your hands on them.

Good quality fur was limited, so the first people to get them would take them all. If the princess wore it, the trend would spread all over the empire.

If Aria was telling the truth the count needed to get good quality fur right away, and still needed to check if she was not telling the truth.

The count thought there was logic to her words, and ordered a servant to check if it was true. If the princess had really bought a huge amount of fur, he needed to move immediately.

Isn't he an amazing merchant? Believing the words of a child from lowly birth.

Aria smiled widely in satisfaction.

END OF CHAPTER 5.