THE THREE INEVITABLE COINCIDENCES (5)
Raw provider: Tsalispark
Translator: Rhyme
Editor: SilverAndGold
“Hello.”
In comparison to the boisterous woman- Cheryl, the woman in front of them was very silent.
The woman’s long black hair hid her face. Beth wiggled her hands and looked straight into her eyes. Claire gazed at the woman with equal attention, and both of them just dawdled without speaking.
Beth just glanced at the woman with both of her hands collected behind her back. If this situation was not changed by an outside force, then the sun will set twice with no progress.
“Hello, Miss Brian. I am Beth who is assigned to take care of Miss. I beg your pardon, since Miss is young, can I talk to you as her deputy?”
“Ah, Y-Yes It’s alright.”
It was common practice for mothers or aunts to help the young children when they purchase or order clothes. But as the Countess clearly refused to act as Claire’s guardian and no other aunt existed. So that role smoothly landed in Beth’s hands.
Dana put her big bag onto the broad table and opened it with a Click.
The inside of the bag was organized in a meticulous manner as if to show her sincerity. Each and every sample was ironed stiff and crisp.There were some old markings that could be seen in the Catalogue.
With a wavering expression she hesitantly handed the catalogue towards Beth.
There are not many dresses for younger children.
As Beth turned page by page, she felt a little disappointed because of the lesser number of varieties. Nothing could be done – Dana Brian’s workshop had only been opened for a year. The problem was not because of her lack of faith in herself, rather because of money.
It was a stark contrast to Cheryl who came along with a number of assistants and mannequin to show the samples, though Beth didn’t care that Dana was just a poor and no-name designer.
If there was no one who lifted up Dana, she would accept her friend’s help and set up a small workshop in the capital and meet Cecil there.
She couldn’t let that happen.
Beth closed the catalogue in her hand and directly looked at Dana.
“I want to order all the available dresses for young children here.”
“Eh?”
“Yes?”
Claire’s eyes bulged out and looked at Beth after she heard her words. Dana didn’t even have anything to say. She just stared at Beth with her eyes saying What did that maid just say?
With a What did I say for you to look at me like that? attitude, Beth watched them both and added. “Ah, I said the wrong thing, my apologies.”
“It…it was like that?”
Hiccup.
Claire was just an audience for the happenings in front of her, similar to a sheep that watched a typhoon, just that her eyes clearly showed her anxiousness.
Because of the sudden turn of events, Dana hiccuped again. Rarely were noble ladies asked to make dresses with inadequate budget, but still she never was forced to give any noble face.
“Miss. Brian, I would like to invite you to work as an exclusive designer for our Miss. I wish to make a Dress Salon with our Miss’ name.”
“Be…Beth…..”
Claire looked at Beth with round eyes. Her eyes said ‘I don’t know what to do about it.’ Claire felt anxious when she thought about how Beth would get in trouble by Earl Gordon so she became more nervous as she unconsciously twisted her fingers.
“It was ordered by the Elder Master. He wants to make up for the days Miss did not wear enough dresses. As the situation is so, it will be better to open a Salon.”
Of course there was no such order, but everything was originally Claire’s in the first place. So Beth planned to suck out little by little his assets and hand them over to Claire.
To invest in Dana was also for a better future.
“Next time I will find you with the contract, Miss Brian.”
Hereby, Beth changed one of the aspects of the future.
Dana was a permanent resident of Earl Gordon’s Fief. In the original work, Dana made dresses for Cecil. But when Claire came to know of it she became angry as Dana made a dress for another noble family when Dana herself was a part of Earl Gordon’s Fief. Infuriated, Claire punished Dana who died from a lingering illness which accelerated Claire’s death flag.
Satisfied by the fact that she had decreased the death probability of Claire, Beth looked at Dana.
Due to the offer which exceeded her expectation, Dana felt her leg going weak. She walked with difficulty out of Earl mansion on her shaky legs. After Dana’s horse carriage went out of her sight, Beth went towards the office as she held the bill.
“WHAT IS THIS!?!” After he saw the bill, Earl Gordon shouted with bulged eyes.
Beth wanted to block her ears. But if she did that, then her fingers would be cut off. So she decided not to. Though she could leave without a finger, it will be difficult to do any work.
“It’s the bill sire.”
“Did it seem that I asked because I didn’t know that?!? I asked you to buy some clothes and accessories, not to go and open a Salon!”
“Elder Master, please calm down.”
Beth looked at the huffs and puffs of the piggy… no, Earl Gordon. She calmed him down and shamelessly opened her mouth with a very innocent demeanour.
“Don’t know how Miss heard about the worldly affairs from that narrow tower but she said it was her dream to open a Salon.”
“You should have stopped it!”
“With what strength can I stop it?… However Elder Master regards me greatly, I will still be just a working commoner girl.”
It was a lie. At that time, Beth disregarded Claire’s wary eyes and scouted Dana.
“Who knows, maybe because of that foolish Miss, the path of the Elder master can become more easy.”
“Mm?”
With a sweet voice, she talked to Earl Gordon softly and saw that his eyelids twitched. She didn’t want to face those flashing eyes, so she brought out the words he wanted to listen with raised brows and blurry eyes.
“Won’t the people be doubtful if all those casual wears were brought to Earl mansion at once? The rumors which were suppressed with a lot of efforts can reemerge.”
“That can ….”
“But if we were to bring dresses from the Salon, it would only seem like sire is making dresses for Miss who had been sick for a long time.”
“Mm…”
“Please think about it, Elder Master. It’s just a no name designer. Compared to any other designer, using this one is a big bargain. Just need to provide a piece of land and a small building. Since the Elder master leads the family with great wisdom, won’t it be like just buying a piece of cloth for sire?”
Truthfully, she didn’t know whether he was operating with wisdom or stupidity and she had no interest in that knowledge.
“Also make Miss Claire its custodian rather than a Countess. How can an 8 year old girl and a no-name designer succeed in a Salon? Even though it has the backing of Earl Gordon, still it is a difficult task to accomplish.”
“Then isn’t it akin to making Earl Gordon to make a laughing stock?”
“If the management completely fails. Then after that, if Miss claims for the secession rights, wouldn’t this be an excellent excuse to decline?”
With this one sentence of Beth, Earl’s heart became completely tilted. If she was to fail in a big way and leave with a large deficit, even if she was the daughter of the previous earl, or obtained definite evidence to prove it, it wouldn’t help her to be appointed to lead the family.
She speculated that Earl Gordon made calculations with a single look. With a professional mentality, Beth skillfully hid her indignation and just looked at him. As she stared at him with a piercing gaze, she felt like she could even see the pores on his skin. It felt bitter.
“Mm hmm, that’s right. Beth.”
“Thank you for remembering this humble ones’ name.”
It seemed like he was in a good mood, as he approached Beth with a satisfied expression and lightly patted her shoulders.
She felt a chill all over. This old damn grandpa, who is he touching?
He did not know what Beth was thinking and showed her a soft smile as he said.
“I am very generous to my employers.”
I am not your person.
“As I said before. However great I am regarded , I will still be a commoner.”
“Yes.”
“I will grant you strength.”
He pulled out some sheets of papers from the bookshelf in the office and gave it to her after he signed them.
“This…”
What Beth got, was an official letter from Earl declaring Beth as Claire’s custodian with his own handwriting and signature. Though it didn’t give as strength as Earl, still it was enough to have an effect.
“I am giving this to you because I regard you to have enough smarts even though you are from a commoner origin.”
Acting in accordance with Beth’s ideas, the press was silenced. This time too, there was nothing wrong with her words. If she wanted to climb up higher, then at that time, he could just trample her down. Anyways, she was just a commoner.
Beth’s hands, as if shocked with all this, shook as she held the paper. As she held onto the hem of her skirt tightly, she bent her body forward into a bow.
“To give such a reward, I offer you my thanks and utmost gratitude.”
You are done for...
“I have already found some guards for that Salon or whatnot so you can take care of it.”
“Yes.”
As she was finished with the conversation, Beth exited the office.
After she confirmed that no one was around, a sly, evil smile broke out on her face as she walked forward.
A few days later, in the center of the main street of the busiest place in the Earl’s province, a new Salon was set up.