.jpg)
She simply couldn't bring herself to shatter the illusion that her beautiful, angel-like(!) lady would ever harbor wicked thoughts.
The atrocities 'Yevgenia' had committed in the past had long since been erased from Anna's mind.
Roughly... from around the day Yevgenia returned with Raymond's blood staining the heels of her shoes.
However, Yevgenia did not back down even after seeing Anna's teary eyes.
"Fine. It seems a bit unfair for only the Imperial Times to be doing so well, so shall we go out and give some new material to those poor souls who are a step behind?"
"O-Oh, My Lady..."
"Don't worry too much, Anna. Everything is flowing exactly as I want it to."
Yevgenia's steps were light as she beamed a bright smile.
To Yevgenia, who had not yet given up on recalling the original plot, Anna's reaction had ironically provided a sort of breakthrough.
'First, as Anna suggested, I'll throw out a story along the lines of, "Um, the gift is me..." and if the atmosphere gets weird, I'll just brush it off as a joke.'
However, Yulan was not the kind of man who would be easily swayed by a laugh and a claim that it was a joke while arriving empty-handed.
Ultimately, a suitable gift was absolutely necessary to fundamentally block any room for Yulan to dig deeper.
'This is perfect timing. I can leak some news while pretending to buy things as gifts for Yuri, and at the same time, find a proper gift for Yulan. Two birds, one stone!'
The timing was so impeccable that she almost wanted to applaud Lady Benson.
Anna hurriedly followed behind Yevgenia as she left the room with a joyful stride.
"My Lady, My Lady! You must at least have breakfast before you go!"
* * *
After Anna's desperate pleas, Yevgenia finished her breakfast, changed perfectly into an outing dress, and climbed into the carriage.
It was nearly lunchtime—in fact, it would be fair to say it had already passed.
"No matter how much I think about it, isn't dressing up this much a bit excessive...?"
"Not at all, My Lady! If every single move you make is going to be in the papers... then it is a maid's duty to ensure that only your most beautiful side is captured!"
"Yes, yes. I get it. But at least the hat..."
Yevgenia tentatively tried to untie the ribbon of the stifling hat, but upon meeting Anna's earnest gaze, she lowered her hand again.
She didn't usually go shopping herself, and even when she did, she rarely dressed up from head to toe like this.
The 'Yevgenia' of old, who loved to display her hair and face—more accurately, the authority and rank revealed by them—did not prefer wearing hats.
'I lived like that my whole life, but even now that I remember my past life, hats are still a bit uncomfortable...'
That didn't mean the hat Anna had placed on her was designed to completely hide her face and hair.
The deep navy brim was wide enough to protect Yevgenia's face from the sunlight and sufficiently transparent so as not to obstruct her vision.
The netting decorating the edge of the hat, which appeared as a subtle violet depending on the light, cast wavy shadows across Yevgenia's cheeks.
The fact that even those blurred shadows felt like a painting wasn't simply because Yevgenia's face was beautiful.
"I really think choosing this dress was the right call. The hat, the gloves, and this dress—it's a set that suits you perfectly!"
"Hmm. Is that so? I didn't know I had a dress that covered the neck like this in my dress room."
Yevgenia repeatedly rubbed the nape of her neck, as if the fabric wrapping it was bothersome.
The lace fastened up to her throat and the red ruby button securing it swayed back and forth following her touch.
"Since you mentioned previously that you liked the theme of Nellium Boutique's current season, I purchased everything. So that you could wear a dress of any style you desired at any time."
"It's not bad. It's not too stifling, nor does it make me look too young."
As per Yevgenia's assessment, the design of the dress suited her quite well.
Of course, because of the long length that covered her wrists and the gloves, it might have felt a bit suffocating as no skin was exposed.
However, that only served to emphasize the pale skin faintly visible through the lace wrapping her neck and forearms.
Dressed so perfectly, Yevgenia looked like a masterpiece as she crossed her legs and gazed out the window.
Anna murmured with a look of absolute adoration.
"My Lady, wouldn't it be best to call a painter right now? You are so beautiful today that it must be recorded..."
"You're going too far, Anna. I'm just going to buy a suitable gift and come back."
Yevgenia gave a casual reply and looked outside with her arms crossed.
There weren't many people watching the slowly passing carriage.
However, among them, a few caught her eye—those who persistently scanned every corner of the carriage and stealthily followed.
'Following me even after seeing the crest of House of Martyr... that's something only reporters waiting for a scoop would do.'
Once the number of people trailing her had grown sufficiently, Yevgenia tapped on the window facing the driver's seat.
After the carriage came to a smooth stop, Yevgenia stepped out with the driver's polite escort and looked up to see a brilliant sign.
[Edwin's Jewelry]
The most expensive jewelry store in the capital, renowned for being worth every penny, and the one Yevgenia frequented most.
If it weren't urgent, she would have summoned the owner, Edwin, to the Duke's residence, but Yevgenia didn't have that kind of time right now.
'The Imperial Crown Prince's birthday banquet is the day after tomorrow. I need the physical item in my hands by tomorrow at the latest.'
Since she hadn't decided exactly what gift to buy, this was the only jewelry store capable of preparing an item that met her standards in time.
With a slight nod of her head, Anna stepped forward and opened the door.
Tinkle—
As she entered the shop to the sound of a clear bell, a man in his 40s, whose hair was half-disheveled, rushed out as if he had been waiting.
"Im-Imperial Princess! What brings you here in person?!"
"I'm looking to buy a gift. Bring me all the jewelry that arrived recently, and fountain pens, cuff links... basically, everything that would make a good gift for a man."
"Yes, yes, Imperial Princess!"
Yevgenia walked through the store with confidence, as if the place belonged to her.
Guided by the bowing employees, she arrived at the VIP room located deep within the jewelry store.
Declining both tea and dessert, she leaned back against the velvet sofa, feeling the employees moving even more frantically in the distance.
'It was a bit uncomfortable that they walked on eggshells because they knew I was a villainess, but in times like this, it's actually quite nice.'
Before long, Edwin rushed in, wiping the beads of sweat from his crown with a handkerchief.
Behind him, a series of silk-covered wagons followed.
On top of the pure white cloth, dazzling jewels sparkled as if to intimidate.
For the most part, both the size and the brilliance were satisfying enough for Yevgenia to nod.
However, the problem was...
"Edwin, why are most of the jewels either red or bright yellow? Are all the other colors sold out?"
At Yevgenia's question, Edwin broke into an even heavier sweat and spoke.
"Th-this is all... items that the Imperial Princess ordered a few months ago. At the time, you said that if I prepared as many as possible, you would purchase the ones you liked at several times the price... Um. Well, that is, the design is just a tiny bit! It might feel slightly out of season, but trends always come back around. For example, doesn't this bright topaz brooch make your hair shine as brilliantly as a blazing flame? I thought this was truly your color. Ha, hahaha..."
Edwin's desperate attempt at packaging the situation belatedly triggered a memory.
'Yevgenia' had indeed made such promises quite often.
Thinking of the amount that would return several times over, Edwin must have been beaming, making this morning's news an absolute shock to him.
Looking back, Edwin, who would have heard of 'Yevgenia's' obsessions more often and more closely than anyone else, would have found it even harder to believe her change of heart.
That was likely why he had hurriedly brought these previously crafted accessories, just in case.
Yevgenia asked with a thin smile.
"Edwin. Have you not read the newspaper today?"
.jpg)