Chapter 19

Elena tried to maintain proper posture. She could feel the gazes of everyone in the salon focused on her and Hazel. Her pale face flushed softly.

Hazel smiled watching her.

“You don’t need to try so hard.”

“Pardon?”

She asked back with a tense face.

“We just came to buy one dress. You don’t need to freeze up and try not to make mistakes.”

“But my mistakes would damage your reputation, ma’am. I don’t want to make mistakes.”

This stubborn righteousness was endearing rather than frustrating.

‘She really is different from today’s youth.’

Hazel drank her tea with a satisfied expression.

How long had they waited? The salon’s madam appeared dragging a rack full of dresses. The rack swayed under the weight of the heavy, splendid dresses hanging on it.

Elena watched this and slowly exhaled. She said to Hazel with a resigned expression.

“It seems the dress for me isn’t ready yet.”

“Hmm?”

Hazel tilted her head.

“Because there’s no way I could handle that many dresses.”

She smiled brightly. It was an absolute denial. Understanding what she meant, Hazel let out a quiet laugh.

“Madam.”

“Yes, Lady Hazel.”

“Please take good care of this. I’ll be acting as this girl’s chaperone for a while to help her.”

“Chaperone?”

Before Elena could ask back, the madam pulled her up from her seat. Forcibly lifted, she shook her head.

“There must be some misunderstanding… Lady Hazel!”

Hazel waved lightly to her as she was dragged in by the madam’s hand. Help with education, debut her in society, buy her dresses. This much should count as a chaperone, right?

Or is something else a chaperone?

Sip.

Lady Hazel sipped her tea with a leisurely expression.

“Kyaa! No! I really can’t!”

Small screaming sounds came from inside, but to Hazel’s ears they were just sweet singing.

As she was flipping through a magazine, the curtain opened and Elena was dragged out by the madam’s hand. She stood before Hazel with a face that looked like her soul had been sucked out.

Hazel looked over her appearance through her glasses.

“Your figure is so pretty. Plus your skin is fair, so you’d look good in any dress. This dress has a shoulder-revealing design, but instead of boldly exposing the shoulders, the chest part is set high to add purity.”

“It suits you well. You can wear this to tea parties.”

“T-tea parties?”

“Practice is as important as theoretical study. To become a good tutor, practical experience is also important. I have no intention of doing my assigned work carelessly. Elena, you just need to trust and follow me.”

She stared at Hazel with a pale face. The scale of things was getting bigger than she had thought. She swallowed. Of course, she knew that high-paying jobs weren’t easy, but…

“Put the next dress on her, madam. Oh, and we also need the debutante dress I ordered. This girl has circumstances that delayed her debut, so I want it to be perfect instead.”

“I’ve noted what you mentioned, ma’am.”

The madam clapped her hands. Then staff members brought the largest and heaviest-looking dress from the rack.

“Ooh.”

It was a bell-shaped dress layered with bright blue silk, emphasizing the waist with pearls and Swarovski crystals decorating the hem. White lace adorned the top for a pure atmosphere, and thin sheer fabric lightly covered the shoulders.

And it was decorated with jewels along the chest line and a blue rose corsage – a dress that looked expensive and beautiful to anyone. She stared at it with wide eyes.

“Finally something interesting appears. Try that one on first.”

“L-Lady Hazel…!”

“Elena.”

Hazel smiled brightly.

“Not many nobles would hire a girl who hasn’t even had her debutante ball as a tutor.”

She gestured. Elena was dragged back in by the madam’s hand, pale as a sheet. Hazel leaned back on the sofa with a leisurely expression. Honestly, she couldn’t accept a girl who hadn’t even had her debutante ball as Maxim’s match.

‘Very smooth indeed.’

Since Empress Riana had also acknowledged Elena’s existence, people’s attention would turn to her. Hazel glanced around. The gazes of customers already in the salon were fixed on them.

Stories about Elena would spread through their mouths. Since Princess Hazel had firmly established herself as Elena’s chaperone, most young ladies wouldn’t dare treat her carelessly.

Hazel had never once granted the requests of noble young ladies asking her to be their chaperone. There would surely be those who envied Elena.

But she felt confident Elena could overcome it well.

Lady Hazel flipped through a few more pages of her magazine. And after finishing a cup of tea and splitting a cookie in half, the curtain opened again.

“Ooh!”

Hazel put down her cookie and clapped her hands. She smiled broadly and said, “Indeed, madam has good taste. Elena, you’ll be able to capture every man’s gaze. People will all praise you as the blue rose.”

“Ma’am…”

She called her with a voice that sounded like crying.

From the weight of this dress to its texture and the decorations attached, everything was extraordinary. She was certain it would be an unimaginably expensive price. Even pulling together every excuse, she couldn’t accept something so far beyond her station.

However, Hazel didn’t let her say anything more.

After that, the madam followed Hazel’s orders and had her try on dozens of outfits. Hazel paid for most of them, and while Elena was shocked, she ultimately couldn’t stop her. She was concerned about Hazel’s public reputation.

Watching Elena fidget restlessly and break out in cold sweat, Hazel chuckled.

‘Indeed. She’s not like today’s youth.’

Elena’s insides were burning black with worry. The amount Hazel spent on her clothes today was something she could barely repay even working for 10 years.

She couldn’t bring herself to stop Hazel in front of people, so only after getting in the carriage did she carefully say to her, “C-could we return the dresses?”

“Why? Don’t you like them? It might be because we prepared them a bit hastily. But they seemed quite wearable.”

“It’s not that… No matter what, how could I accept such things? Ma’am, I learned that one shouldn’t accept favors that cannot be repaid. So that I can repay your kindness…”

“My dear, Elena.”

Hazel called her affectionately. She put on her characteristically fragile expression and patted her hand. Then she said sadly with a sorrowful expression, “Don’t I actually not have a daughter? I learned for the first time that such fun exists. I’m lonely with only one son, so even when I went shopping, I was always alone.”

She had intentionally gone alone. Because she didn’t want to associate with those who bothered her. But Hazel left out such stories. Editing stories to her advantage was one of her abilities.

“I had such fun today, but it seems Elena didn’t.”

Her mouth was sealed shut.

“…If you return those dresses, it would feel like returning my joy too. Do you still have to do that? Please think of it as this old woman’s gift.”

Though the empress would pay for it.

Elena was completely fooled by Hazel’s tearful acting. She was Elena’s benefactor. Even if it burdened her heart, she had no right to make Hazel sad.

She chewed her lips.

“…Then I’ll make handkerchiefs for you.”

“Handkerchiefs?”

“Yes. I’ll embroider your name and favorite flowers on them. As many as the number of dresses I received. Would that be alright?”

It was also the best Elena could do. Hazel smiled brightly. She hadn’t imagined receiving such a cute and adorable repayment. She said in a delighted voice, “That would be wonderful, Elena. I actually love roses. And I also like blue hydrangeas.”

She listened quietly. Looking at that purely shining face, Hazel wore a gentle smile. It would be nice if she could embrace Maxim with such tenderness too.

“Let’s eat dinner with Maxim tonight before going home. He said he might return late tonight because he’s busy.”

“Won’t I be a bother?”

“Well, it’s what he does to make a living. Hmph.”

Hazel was doing her best today as a cupid to bring the two together.