Death Can’t Sleep - Chapter 78
‘Twice?’
Amarion felt dizzy and touched her forehead.
The money she had spent so far was enough to buy food for tens of thousands of people. She was afraid to even imagine spending more than this.
The butler, maids, and servants seemed to be used to this kind of spending, but she wasn’t. As a poor northerner, she carried a Chimera tooth to avoid having to buy a sword until the end of the subjugation.
“Amarion?”
Suddenly, Catalina appeared. Amarion quickly smiled.
“Catalina! What are you doing?”
“…I was just wondering if the preparations were going well.”
She laughed awkwardly.
Amarion blinked.
Today, Catalina was a little strange. With her hair pinned up and glasses on, it looked like she was doing work for her company, so Amarion doubted she’d come down to ask such a trivial question. Didn’t she value time more than gold?
But before she could ask, Catalina put on a cheerful face and asked earnestly.
“The banquet starts in two days, right? Has the dress you ordered arrived?”
“It will arrive tomorrow. He said that he would bring Catalina’s dress too.”
“Oh, I’m looking forward to it!”
She smiled softly.
She chatted with Amarion casually for a while. About the ingredients to be used on the day of the banquet, the dress code of the servants, and the insignia on the flags.
Towards the end of their conversation, hesitation appeared on Catalina’s face.
“I… Amarion.”
“What?”
“…No, I’ve taken up too much of your time already. See you at dinner.”
She smiled and headed up the stairs.
‘What?’
Diederick called Amarion as she tilted her head.
“Madame, Mary is looking for you.”
“Ah, yes! I’ll be there!”
Amarion quickly cleared her thoughts and followed the butler.
* ＊ ＊
Catalina was not around for a long time after that. It seemed that she was suddenly very busy with work.
‘What’s going on? I hope it’s not anything bad…’
But Amarion didn’t have time to care. The ball was quickly approaching.
From the banquet hall to the stables, the castle shone brightly, and the nobles who lived far away arrived one by one. The glass flowers that adorned the banquet hall shone like ice cubes. It was dazzling to look at them. Everything was perfect, from the food to the guest rooms, the bedding to the attendants.
But her true work as hostess started now.
On the eve of the ball, she nervously entered the audience room with her maids.
“Now, let’s start.”
Mary said seriously. It was unfamiliar for Amarion to see Mary in a dress other than the uniform she always wore. It was the same for the other maids. They looked beautiful in their colorful dresses.
But Mary was still as loyal as a knight. She clenched her fists.
“Everything is perfect. You just have to get a head start.”
“Head start?
“Yes. In a moment, nobles who have arrived from all over the country will come in to see you…”
Mary frowned.
“I know now that status and birth don’t really matter, but there are still a lot of rude people in the social world, right? There are a lot of visitors from outside of Morte, so there may be people who are rude to Madame!”
“Yes…”
Amarion just nodded.
‘Have I heard anything from Catalina about the situation in the Capital? No, it should be fine now…’
But the maids were serious. The social world was a battlefield that couldn’t be conquered with a sword, so it seemed that they were trying to protect her in their own way.
Amarion took the advice of her maids and sat stiffly.
The maids were fanning themselves, turning pages of a sophisticated book or petting a barn cat. Amarion didn’t know, but it looked like they were doing their best to create the appearance of a dignified Grand Duchy.
‘Will this really work? Won’t I look awkward?’
She had no time to think.
“I will begin!”
The servant said.
Amarion nodded her head, as stiff as a piece of wood. The servant began to read his list.
“The first visitor is Julianna Fidelburg, daughter of Count Fidelburg!”
Mary, unfurling her feather fan, opened her mouth wide.
At the same time, the door opened. A familiar face in an elegant ivory dress approached. She bent her knees.
“I greet the hostess of Morte.”
“Julianna!”
Amarion was so happy that she forgot etiquette and jumped up.
Julianna, whom she had not seen in a long time, looked different. Amarion had always seen her in a modest dress and a messy apron, but she was very beautiful in a ruffled dress with embellishments that matched her slender arms and long hair.
She quickly beckoned for Julianna to come closer.
“Nice to see you again! When did you arrive?”
“I arrived with my father this morning. My father is with his highness at the moment.”
“How is the situation in Fidelburg?”
“Thanks to the two of you, recovery is almost complete. Sir Ulan and many others have asked me to thank you.”
Amarion smiled brightly and nodded. Victor updated her every day on the villages she had visited, but hearing about it like this made her feel even more relieved.
When their conversation was over, Mary rushed forward. They seemed to be very close because they had worked in the barracks together for a long time.
“It’s been a while, Miss Mary. You look beautiful in that dress!”
“Thank you! Lady Julianna looks beautiful, too.”
“We’ve always seen each other in dirty and messy clothes.”
“I know!”
The two women laughed. Julianna smiled kindly.
“Ah, I got the herbal medicine book I mentioned before. The man who stopped by the estate had it.”
“Really!? I searched everywhere and couldn’t find a copy!”
Mary exclaimed excitedly. Julianna nodded her head seriously.
“I read a little bit. The herbs are organized according to their efficacy, not their geographic characteristics.”
“Incredible! Then if you compare it to the Northern Herbal Dictionary…”
“Hmm.”
Amarion exchanged glances with the maids. Mary, who was eager to rip apart anyone who came in moments ago, was completely absorbed in idle chatter.
Strangely, Amarion was relieved. She signaled to the servant.
“Please let the next person in.”
The servant started reading his list again.
Thankfully, the guests entered more peacefully than expected.
All the visiting nobles were courteous, and there were many who, like the Norvant couple, were honored to be invited. Those who had not met in a long time gathered in groups around the room and engaged in lively conversation.
An elderly lady even had tears in her eyes.
“I wondered if I would ever see the lights of the Starlight Salon come on again in my lifetime, and here I am. Thank you, My Lady.”
She grabbed Amarion’s hand and smiled.
“Do not worry. We will continue to provide opportunities like this in the future.”
‘The lights in the salon will not go out. I will always be the hostess of this castle. It won’t be easy, but I’m going to have to host a banquet and charity event every year. I can use my sword to kill monsters if needed…’
‘As much as the people loved me, I’ll love Morte. Wielding my sword a little, peacefully and happily.’
Amarion made a decision for the first time without knowing the future ahead.
＊ ＊ ＊
Finally, the day of the ball dawned.
After calming her nerves with a cold drink, she tried on her new dress.
Surprisingly, it was really comfortable. Because it was a material that clung to the body, although it showed off her curves, she looked quite elegant. It felt light because she wasn’t wearing a corset.
Lace and embellishments tastefully decorated the garment below the knees. The maids exclaimed.
“You look so beautiful, Madame!”
“Like a mermaid!”
‘A mermaid?’
‘Mermaids are quite cruel monsters unlike those in novels. Contrary to its harmless appearance, it is a monster that enjoys drowning people in the sea…’
Amarion groaned fiercely. Meanwhile, the maids skillfully combed her hair and pinned it up. A dazzlingly gorgeous diamond necklace was hung around her neck, and a tiara, which was a gift from Victor’s late mother, was placed on her head. After she put on long silk gloves, she was ready.
Amarion looked at herself in the mirror.
“…I think it’s too much.”
“Absolutely not!”
The maids panicked.
“Madame will be the most beautiful woman in the ballroom today.”
“Tomorrow, everyone will be busy trying to find the seamstress who made this dress, right?”
“I know they will.”
A maid interjected.
“I have already ordered a dress in the same style.”
“What? You are so shameless!”
The maids began to quarrel again.
Amarion smiled awkwardly and left the dressing room.
