7747-part-2
To lighten the mood, Estella decided to change the subject. She said, as if she’d just remembered something.
“Wait, if I’m being fired, where am I going to stay? I mean, I took the job at the mansion in exchange for room and board.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that, I’m not going to ask you to leave. Miss Margaret will continue to live in this mansion under the excuse of some sort of…… bridal class.”
Diego replied, tapping his fingertips on the table. He couldn’t keep Estella in the same quarters as before, not when she was his fiancée. The room wasn’t too uncomfortable to live in, but the area was definitely worker-friendly. If Estella stayed in the same quarters, there would inevitably be talk among the maids. If we were to anticipate a response, it might be something like, ‘I didn’t expect the Duke to be so stingy.’
Diego said in a nonchalant tone.
“I’ve told them to clear out a usable bedroom, so you should be able to move in tomorrow morning.”
“That’s quite a sudden decision.”
Estella marveled. The change in treatment overnight was curious, but Diego seemed to take it in a different way. He asked, as if to gauge her intentions.
“You don’t like it?”
“You could have given me a better place, so what’s not to like?”
“To be honest, I feel the same way. I wasn’t particularly attached to the room you were staying in.”
Estella’s room was quite cozy with plenty of sunlight, but in Diego’s eyes, it looked as bad as the bathroom next door to his. In reality, the latter would have cost more to decorate.
Estella, sensing Diego’s disapproval, scratched her plate in frustration. The sound of her scraping against the blades was quite eerie.
Diego’s words reminded her of the young master who had treated her so poorly that morning. Estella wondered if the resemblance between Diego and Cedric was due to the fact that they were brothers, or simply because they had more money. Despite the differences in their expressions due to their age, they both had a way of speaking that offended their listeners. They didn’t even seem to realize they’d done anything wrong.
“And the engagement is in two weeks.”
Estella’s eyes widened at Diego’s shocking words. He’d said he’d arrange the ceremony as soon as possible, but she never expected it to happen so swiftly and seamlessly. Planning a wedding in just two weeks seemed nearly impossible, especially if they aimed to uphold the standards and formalities expected at a place like the Berta Estate.
Estella asked in disbelief.
“In two weeks? Is that even possible?”
“Yes, if we scale it back a bit. We’re going to have a small ceremony in the mansion with only the most important people, so the number of attendees should be around 50……. It’s actually not a big deal if you think of it as a simple meal with a few people.”
The problem is that an engagement party is not a simple meal. Unlike Estella, who was skeptical, Diego seemed quite motivated. He said, pointing to his fingers.
“There are three main things we need to accomplish first……. We need to send out cards to our guests, pick out the food and drinks we’re going to serve at the reception, and get the outfits made for the two of us. I told them to start hiring contractors as soon as we got home yesterday, so they should already be on their way.”
“Don’t you think Madame Laura will try to kill us if we tell her we have two weeks to make the outfits?”
“Shouldn’t we be grateful that we gave her a week more time than we had before?”
Diego replied shamelessly. After all, this was the same Madame Laura who had made her an excellent dress the week before the royal ball, and she’d be able to finish this one in time.
In fact, from the employer’s perspective, there was no problem since they were spending a lot of money and it was the servants who were actually doing the work. The contractors who took the job may have been overworked, but the complaints of subcontractors rarely reach the higher-ups. Diego, who knows nothing of the troubles of ordinary citizens, asked casually.
“As for the food and liquor, I’ve told the chef to make a list of suggestions, so you can taste and choose accordingly later. Oh, and do you want to choose the flowers to decorate the ceremony?”
“No, I’ll leave that to the professionals.”
Estella replied without hesitation. It wasn’t really an engagement, after all, and she didn’t want to fuss with the flowers. They were hired by the Duchy of Berta, after all.
“We’ll have to finalize the guest list later today so Javier can send out the cards, and of course you’ll be inviting your family to the ceremony, right?”
“Do I have to?”
“Do you think the name of Duke Berta’s bride won’t be rumored back home?”
“No…….”
Estella replied, sighing heavily. It would be quite a shock to the family to hear of their daughter’s engagement from someone else’s mouth. Estella thought for a moment, then added.
“I think it would be best if we didn’t call my father, because frankly, I don’t think anything good could come of bringing him to the capital.”
“As you wish. Then I’ll just have to take your mother and younger sibling to the capital. Oh, and you can bring your friends from home.”
Estella’s brow narrowed at Diego’s next words. Diego’s words had touched a bad memory. Estella was silent for a moment before answering.
“I don’t have any friends.”
Diego was taken aback by her answer. He had assumed she had a few close friends from home. He hadn’t realized that his good intentions would trigger bad memories. Diego said in a hushed voice.
“I don’t think your personality is that bad.”
“Fastidious young ladies who could fit in with their social status used to scorn my father. Our house would sink into deep financial trouble every few years, but after my father squandered away the entire fortune, no one invited us to any high-society parties anymore.”
Actually, I wouldn’t have gone even if they had invited me. Estella added with a sigh. Diego crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow.
“But it’s one thing to turn them down, it’s another to not be invited at all.”
“Exactly, which is why I don’t need to invite any of my friends from back home, because I don’t really want to see them again.”
Estella shrugged.
There are some things you just don’t get as a matter of birth. Diego knew from experience that no matter how much you fill your mind with other things, the void looms large.
It was a pity. Estella was an objectively good person.
As if to comfort her, Diego said.
“I’m sure everyone will regret it as soon as they hear you’re engaged.”
“I’ll be lucky if my stomach doesn’t hurt1often used metaphorically to express gratitude or relief when certain negative circumstances or outcomes are avoided or prevented..”
“Isn’t that a given?”
Diego, who smirked and countered, called over the butler who had been waiting behind him. A man whom they hadn’t seen enter before was holding a tray filled with letters. Estella thought it was meant for Diego, but the butler approached Estella instead. Estella turned to Diego and asked.
“What is this?”
“It’s an invitation addressed to you. I told them to bring it to the dining room as soon as it was sorted.”
“No, how did they know that I am staying in this mansion…….”
Estella trailed off at the end of her sentence. After all, her actions had been a scheme, knowing well that her identity would spread throughout the capital. She hadn’t particularly hidden her real name, making it easy for people to dig up information about her. Estella could already imagine that overnight, she had become the most famous Cinderella in the Kingdom of Mesquida.
She lifted the letter and looked at the sender. The names were more likely to be women than men. When she opened one of them, she saw an invitation to a tea party. Everyone was intrigued that the Duke of Estella was finally going to meet his match. Unsurprisingly, most of the invitations came from the younger members of the family rather than the head of the household. Even those seemed to be more exploratory than genuine socializing.
Diego gestured to the stack of letters with his chin.
“Choose one or two places from those and go out. There should be some close friends of the same gender who will accompany you during the engagement ceremony.”
Indeed, if the bride were to be isolated alone, it would appear awkward. However, with the purpose of the invitation being so blatantly evident, Estella’s enthusiasm could only wane.
Even dealing with innocent noble maidens from the countryside was challenging enough, but now she had to face the self-proclaimed elites of influential families. Even if Diego provided a strong background, those who had been noble since birth would undoubtedly take issue with Estella’s origins. Estella muttered weakly.
“Do you think I can get to know them well enough to invite them to the ceremony after meeting them once or twice?”
“It would be difficult, but not impossible. There is a specific reason for deliberately reducing the number of people invited.”
Estella looked puzzled by the answer. Diego swallowed his dessert pudding neatly.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure everyone at that tea party will be clamoring to be invited to the engagement. Shall we make a bet if you’re not convinced?”
* * *
“Look at that. I told you it would work out, didn’t I?”
Madame Laura said as soon as she opened the door and walked in. She seemed quite pleased that her prediction had come true. She’d probably had that look on her face since Diego told her he needed an outfit for their engagement. Madame Laura’s anticipation, which she had treated as an excitement, had been deflected. Estella smiled awkwardly and turned away.
“It just so happens that we’re on a tight schedule this time, so next time I ask you, I’ll be as generous with time as possible.”
“No, it’s our job to provide you with the requested attire on the specified date. And since we have expedited the schedule, you don’t need to feel disappointed.”
Madame Laura smiled and took off her hat. Like the parade of hangers she’d seen last time, she was followed by her staff, who brought in a beautiful array of fabrics. Madame Laura coughed as she caught Estella’s eye on the pile of fabrics. She smiled and offered her congratulations.
“It’s early, but congratulations on your engagement. I don’t know how the Little Duke must feel that he’s in such a hurry.”
For a woman whose profession was to beautify people, Madame Laura was a woman of great romance. Her sparkling eyes seemed to be expecting the love story of the century. Estella had no story to tell.
The proposal she received was far from romantic. Last time, she received a ring made out of a ripped contract and this time, she heard a proposal that held Adriana’s well-being hostage. There was no compulsion, but Estella considered this to be close to an unfair agreement. Considering her track record, it was merely a friendly banter exchanged between her and Diego.
