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☾ eleven ☾

'How cute–is it because she's still in her teens?'

The long letter could be summed up as follows:

< Dear Lady Floyen,

It is quite a warm and sunny day today.

To hear that the beautiful and elegant Lady Floyen accepted my invitation, I've been in a good mood ever since.

I was also delighted to receive such a beautiful and carefully decorated letter.

I am eagerly waiting for my birthday to see you, milady!

Oh, and if Lady Floyen is alright with it, I would love for you to address me as simply "Rose" when we meet.

However, if my words have made you uncomfortable, please forgive me with your gracious heart.

I am looking forward to the day we meet.

Sincerely,

Rose >

Rose had written me almost 3 pages worth of compliments and described, in great detail, how magnificent her upcoming party was going to be.

'Seeing how she wrote about her expectations so candidly, there's no doubt she's expecting something from me.'

Letting out a sigh, I carefully put away the letter before turning to Marilyn.

"Please prepare for an outing, I need to go downtown."

"Pardon? Was there something you needed? If you just give us the word, we can call and bring in a merchant here, milady."

"No, it's because I want to go and pick out something in person."

Although Marilyn continued to give me a curious look, I remained stubborn.

'Rose will surely be disappointed if I get her something without much thought, so even if it's bothersome, I'll have to go pick something out myself.'

We weren't even very close so the intent behind her excessive flattery was clear.

'She most likely wants me to bring a special gift.'

Due to my status as a duke's daughter, it wasn't strange for people to have certain expectations of me. 

It's just that those expectations were a bit burdensome.

I left the house while pondering over what kind of gift would be appropriate.

_

High society was noisy once again with the latest gossip on Juvellian.

"Oh my, isn't it shocking news that that arrogant Lady Floyen didn't ignore an invitation for once?"

"Yes, it's quite fascinating...With the exception of the Imperial family, she has never accepted an invitation from anyone before"

"The daughter of Count Arlo seemed pretty ordinary to me, I wonder what kind of charm she holds that made Lady Floyen act like that?"

"Not to mention, many ladies have started decorating their letters with pressed flowers and ribbons."

"I wonder if Lady Floyen knows she's the one who started that trend?"

A young man, who was quietly listening in to the conversations between the ladies, turned around and walked away.

'Count Arlo, was it?'

Exiting the banquet hall, he quickly stepped into a waiting carriage.