Lucia Chapter 79

< — Realization — > (1)

The next day, Hugo received a summon from the King and left in the afternoon . Knight Dean was decided as her escort/guard for the evening ball .

Antoine arrived just when Hugo was leaving the mansion and bowed in greeting but Hugo's gaze on her bowing figure was sharp . He didn't have time right now but he planned on visiting the boutique sometime and informing her on the requirements to take note of when making future dresses . It would be both an advice and a warning .

He considered cutting her off but the dress that Antoine made suited his wife very well . He enjoyed seeing his wife shining beautifully . It was okay to look beautiful and noble . But it should not stimulate lecherous feelings . Hugo found standards within his own contradictions .

For today, Antoine brought a blue satin dress . Today's dress was more daring that yesterday's . If Hugo saw it, he would have lost his temper and screamed for it to be taken off immediately . But unfortunately, Hugo was meeting with the King in a very heavy mood .

The top of the dress was crossed diagonally with folds . It covered from the right of the waist to the left chest, stretching to the left shoulder and over the back . Then it covered from the left of the waist to the right chest, stretching to the right shoulder and over the back . The collarbone and round shoulder-line was breathtakingly exposed . Instead of sleeves, jewel buttons with fingernail-sized blue sapphire decorated her shoulders .

Even though the lower back was less exposed compared to yesterday, the breast line was wider and deeper than yesterday's dress . It was breathtaking even though the cleavage was not exposed . The same fabric was wrapped around the waistline neatly, giving it a seemingly slender effect . The train of the dress was made of multiple layers to give it a rich feel and the back of the dress was exaggerated and drawn long for an elegant feel . The back waist was decorated with a big lace ribbon . Overall, it was a dress that gave a simple yet luxurious feeling . Lucia in the dress looked like a blue rose flower .

Looking at the mirror, Lucia thought to herself:

'He won't like it very much . '

He was a conservative husband that covered her with a shawl when her back was exposed . She couldn't cover herself with a shawl in the ballroom unlike yesterday . Looking at Antoine's expression, the woman was just thrilled with the dress she made . Lucia laughed inwardly . She had a feeling that a chance would come to turn around the contract that she signed on the first day that Antoine came .

“For the finishing touch, Duchess' jewelry . ”

Lucia had discussed with Antoine about what jewelry would fit the dress . Antoine wanted to know what jewelry the Duchess had, for reference in the direction of making future dresses . Apart from the jewelries he bought from Sepia Jewelry, Lucia only had the two diamond necklaces that he gave her as a present . Seeing them, Antoine looked like she was about to faint and declared that she would make a dress suitable for the two necklaces .

“The white diamond necklace will suit this very well . ”

The necklace that had practically been gathering dust since it was received, was put on her neck . The necklace with hundreds of dangling beady diamonds, wrapped around Lucia's white neck . It adorned her neck that looked desolate because of the deep-cut breast line and suited the dress so well that it looked like it was originally one set with the dress .

'I thought this necklace was very heavy . '

When she first got it as gift and put around on her neck, she felt like she was suffocating on the weight . But now, wearing the necklace today, it was unexpectedly not heavy . Rather, its moderate heaviness gave her a sense of stability .

Lucia arrived at the event a little while past the beginning of the ball . The noblewomen flocked around Lucia in an instant .

“Oh my goodness . Duchess . You are beautiful today as well . ”

The ladies could not take their eyes off the sparkling diamond necklace on Lucia's neck . The gap was so big that rather than envying her, they were in admiration . The noblewomen that witnessed the affection of the ducal couple yesterday did not doubt that the expensive diamond necklace contained the affection of the Duke .

“The Duchess of Taran?”

It was a slightly high toned and sharp voice . The loudly chattering women shut their mouth instantly . People split apart like dividing water and one woman made her way through the division .

A gorgeous, beautiful blonde with a haughty expression and pride in her stance . Lucia's eyes quivered slightly .

“I finally get to meet you . You went back early yesterday . ”

Katherine, blood sister of the King . The real princess and sole recipient of proper precious and noble treatment amongst the overflowing princess . The King truly loved his younger sister . Without selling her off in a strategic marriage, he married her off to a very rich Count that wasn't corrupted in the complicated political battle . It was an measure taken after grasping the nature of his extravagant, complex and careless sister .

Lucia was fortunate enough to be hired as a maid, without any work experience, by a big noble family such as the Count Alvin house . When she became a maid and greeted her Madam, her memories came to her anew . When Lucia was the Countess of Matin, Princess Katherine married the Count of Alvin . The Madam that Lucia was to serve was Princess Catherine, who had become a Countess .

Princess Katherine was an unforgettable person . Lucia had always looked on enviously at Katherine who was loved by her brother and raised her head high in the social circle . It was not pessimism about why their circumstances were different even though they were both princesses . Lucia did not have time to build her self-esteem as a princess . She was not aware of herself as a princess . Lucia was not envious of Katherine's life as a luxurious princess but of the fact that Katherine had a family she could rely on .

Katherine naturally did not recognize Lucia . Even if she did, she was in a position to feign ignorance . The Countess of Matin, Vivian, was a fugitive member of a family of rebellious criminals . Even though she wasn't being chased because there was no trace of her, she couldn't reveal herself openly .

Katherine was quite a picky master but she was not overly particular . In her own way, private and public matters were distinctly separated . Well-acquainted with the habits of the noblewomen due to her experience, Lucia worked silently and diligently with tact . Thanks to that, she won Katherine's trust and was placed in charge of waiting on her on everything and following her to numerous parties . Lucia received the jealousy of other maids but she was able to work steadily with high pay .

Katherine, at the time, was the queen of the social circle . There was no one that dared to challenge Katherine who was backed by her husband's riches and the strong power of her family . Except for one person: The Duchess of Taran . Therefore, Katherine was antagonistic towards the Duchess of Taran . Katherine was the source of the marriage secret of the Ducal Taran couple .

“Greetings to the Princess . I am Vivian . ”

Lucia bowed her head in greeting . The noblewomen who were secretly anticipating a fight between the two princesses were disappointed . They didn't think the Duchess of Taran would easily step down first .

Katherine looked at Lucia with a strange gaze and closed her fan .

“You don't need to be so formal . In any case, Duchess is a Princess as well . Argumentatively, it's better to be 'Duchess' than 'Princess' . ”

There was no hostility in her cold voice . Katherine sensed at a glance that the Duchess was not a threat to her position in the social circle . Although Katherine could give up the Duke of Taran, she could not give up her seat as the queen of the social circle .

“We don't even know about each other . But still, we are sisters . To be fair, I still don't know anyone else . Nor do I plan on finding out . ” (Katherine)

“Actually, I also don't know anyone but His Majesty and you, Princess . ” (Lucia)

“You don't need to know other than that . ”

Lucia smiled a little .

Katherine was not that cold unlike how she sounded . In the dream, Lucia had saved enough money to buy a small house and quit her job as a maid . When she told the head maid that she was quitting, Katherine later called Lucia, a mere servant, to think it over again . She didn't offer it again when Lucia confirmed her intention to quit but on the night before she left, Katherine asked Lucia to have a drink with her . Lucia was really surprised back then .

She sat on the sofa opposite her Madam and received a wine glass personally from her Madam . Katherine had already had a few glasses before Lucia came so she was a little intoxicated . 'What will you do when you quit, do you have a family, are you going to marry', she mumbled, asking about this and that . Then she said:

[When I went to parties, there was a child I always watched . I don't know when it started, but the child that kept coming to parties stood out to me . ] (TN: not a literal child, someone younger)

Lucia listened silently to Katherine's incoherent speech .

[I never shared a word with the child . But every time I saw the child, I felt strange . The child had heavy wooden expression that didn't suit the merry party atmosphere and it was irritating . I thought I didn't like the child . ]

Katherine's grumbles grew longer as she tilted her wine glass .

[Then from one day onwards, I did not see the child . When I looked into it, the child was my sister . I heard she was swept up in His Majesty's cleanup of his political enemies . When I heard she had gone missing with her life and death unknown…How do I put this?]

Katherine stopped talking and gave a sigh-like laugh . Lucia was indifferently listening to Katherine's words but gradually, her eyes began to tremble .

[I don't know . I'm also not sure what my feelings were . 'I should have talked to her' . I had such thought . She isn't that much younger than me but in my memory, she hasn't changed from how I last saw her so I end up referring to her as child . If she was alive, she would have been much older . I heard she was found dead sometime after she went missing . ]

Listening to Katherine, Lucia realized why no one was chasing after her . She didn't know how it happened but Countess Vivian was processed as dead .

[Speaking of you . You look a lot like that child . So I keep thinking about her . ]

Katherine, who drunkenly closed her eyes, did not see Lucia who was trembling like she was about to cry .

[She had very pretty reddish brown hair… . whenever I see your black hair, I think… . ]

Katherine did not complete her sentence and fell asleep on the sofa . Lucia called another maid and together, they carried their Madam to bed . She cleaned up the mess from the bout of drinking, and on her last day, it was almost dawn when she returned to her bedroom .

Lucia cried until the crack of dawn . It was the first time she cried so much since her mother died . She understood why she could be hired, without any recommendation or work experience, as a maid of the Count Alvin household . It was likely because of Katherine's interference .

Lucia always thought that she was an abandoned existence, unwelcome anywhere . But there was someone who remembered her and hurt for her . It comforted her greatly .

Chapter end