“I thought this color of dress would suit you well since you have fair skin, and it seems my thoughts were correct. Young lady, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

As Mercian came out guided by the clerk, the madam approached her with a satisfied look, adjusting the bottom of her dress while asking. Mercian shook her head and replied.

“No. It feels comfortable as if it was tailored for me. I love it so much.”

“Hohoho, I thought so. We happened to have a few dresses that fit your size, so I showed them to you. But just in case, let’s take your measurements one more time.”

“Ah. Alright…”

“Viscountess, what do you think? Doesn’t it suit her so well?”

“Mer?”

Is that really Mer’s appearance?

After Lucienne finished choosing her dress, Penelope, who had been sitting with a bored expression, looked at Mercian coming out guided by the clerk with surprised eyes for a moment, then nodded unconsciously and answered the madam’s question.

“I see. It suits her better than I expected. Madam’s skills are quite good. To make such an ordinary-looking child change so much. Don’t you think so, Lucy?”

“That’s right. Well, expensive dresses are indeed good.”

What? They just put a dress on me, but now they’re giving Mer special treatment because she’s going to be a duchess?

Lucienne felt irritated seeing Mercian’s appearance changing with hairstyle and makeup every time she changed dresses, unlike when she herself tried on dresses.

If I had worn that dress, it would have suited me much better than Mer.

Unable to express her annoyance towards Mercian as usual because they were outside, Lucienne smiled brightly and said to Penelope.

“Mother, she’s suitable to marry into a duke’s family. We can’t even dream of buying such luxurious dresses in multiple pieces. Mer, you should thank Mother. Without her, could you have ever worn such dresses in your life?”

“Lucy, you really understand my heart well. Now then, we’ve chosen Lucy’s dresses and accessories, and we’ve also chosen Mer’s wedding dress and other dresses, so let’s head back. Madam, thank you so much for today. Please pack all these dresses and send them to the viscount’s house.”

The madam smiled and replied to Penelope’s words.

“Viscountess, I will do so. Then, I’ll send all the dresses chosen by the first young lady to the viscount’s house. And I’ll send the second young lady’s wedding dress and these dresses directly to the duke’s house. Also, young lady, I know your measurements now, so I’ll make a few more and send them to the duke’s house. If you find any dress uncomfortable or not to your liking later, please send it back to the boutique.”

What? They’re sending these dresses to the duke’s house?

Penelope, who had planned to give the dresses to Lucienne when they arrived at the viscount’s house, spoke to the madam with a confused expression.

“Ah. No, please send this dress that Mer tried on to the viscount’s house as well. She’s only worn one piece so far. We need to try on the rest of the dresses to see if they fit.”

“I’m sorry, madam, but that would be difficult. It seems you’ve forgotten the purpose of your visit here today because you chose so many dresses for the first young lady. You came to this boutique today not for the first young lady, but for the second young lady’s wedding dress fitting and to show the dresses prepared by the Duke for the second young lady. And the Duke specifically instructed us to bring the dresses for the second young lady, including the wedding dress, to the duke’s house. The sizes are all the same, so if the purple dress fit earlier, the other dresses should fit the second young lady well too.”

The Duke personally asked to bring them to the duke’s house?

“Well, it’s not like I’m trying to sell the dresses, I just want to have Mer try them on again. This feels a bit off.”

“I apologize, madam. The Duke gave such strict orders. As you know, the Duke is paying for both the first young lady’s dresses and the second young lady’s dresses today.”

Looking at the madam’s troubled expression, Penelope spoke with an undisguised unpleasant look.

“Well. It can’t be helped then. Let’s go.”

As Penelope stood up, upset that she couldn’t take the dresses as she wished, Mercian and Lucienne also stood up and left the boutique.

Beanomann Viscount’s House.

“That boutique madam, how ridiculous. Putting on airs over a wedding dress and a few other dresses? And Mer, I understand about the wedding dress, but that dress you wore earlier would clearly suit Lucy better than you. You should have offered to give it to Lucy before I even mentioned it. That dress would have been perfect for Lucy to wear to the ball two months from now…”

As soon as they entered the house after returning to the viscount’s residence, Penelope started scolding Mercian.

“Are you saying it’s my fault for not giving the dress to Lucy?”

“Yes, couldn’t you see right away that the dress was perfect for Lucy?”

Feeling wronged by Penelope’s scolding, Mercian felt indignant.

Today at the boutique, all she had bought were 3 dresses that were said to have been pre-ordered by the duke’s house, excluding the wedding dress. Compared to that, Lucienne had purchased over 20 dresses, and now she’s coveting even these mere 3 dresses?

It’s my wedding that’s happening now, but how can they show no interest in my marriage at all while only worrying about a ball that’s more than two months away…

Even if they don’t like me, I’m about to leave this viscount’s house soon. Can’t they worry about me even a little?

“Mom, are you serious?”

“You’ll get plenty of better dresses once you go to the duke’s house, so you can’t even give up this much for your sister? And honestly, you must feel it too – if you look that good in it, imagine how much prettier Lucy would look.”

Lucienne brought tea to Penelope and said.

“Mother, let it go. She’s a selfish child anyway. Even if it’s only for 6 months, she probably wanted to brag about becoming a duchess. So stop it. Getting angry will only upset you, Mother.”

“You’re right, I only have Lucy. Don’t worry. I’ll buy you a much better dress than the one Mer wore today.”

Selfish? Me?

“Lucy, if you’re that envious of me becoming a duchess, it’s not too late. Lucy, you marry in my place.”

Mercian could no longer contain her anger at Penelope and Lucienne’s conversation.

“What?”

“If you envy this marriage so much, you do it Lucy. I have nothing to lose. Why am I even doing this marriage? I’m only 20, I have a bright future ahead of me. Do you think I’d die if I couldn’t get married? Come to think of it, you’re 2 years older than me, so you should be more desperate to get married, right? So I’ll give it up for you. Marry the duke. I won’t stop you.”

“Are you cursing me now? How could you tell your sister to marry a terminally ill man? I knew you didn’t like me much, but I never thought you’d utter such a curse.”

A curse? You’re calling this a curse?

This isn’t even a hundredth of the words you’ve said to me while pretending to be kind and considerate to others outside, but dumping all your stress on me when we get home.

Mercian was dumbfounded by Lucienne’s words.

Although Penelope and Lucienne treated Mercian as a lazy, gluttonous black sheep, in reality, Mercian was the most diligent and hardworking person in the viscount’s house.

After Charles died and the viscount’s family fortunes declined, even the last remaining maid was let go, and Mercian took on all the chores in the house. But instead of thanking her, Penelope and Lucienne would often get angry at her for not doing the work properly.

On days when Mercian couldn’t hold back anymore and tried to make even a single excuse, Lucienne would start crying and complaining to Penelope, and Penelope would get angry at Mercian without even trying to understand the situation.

Mercian, who had just endured it all because she knew nothing would change even if she spoke up and it would only tire her out more, could no longer hold back her anger at Lucienne’s unreasonable words and shouted.

“Sister, shall I utter a real curse for you?”

Lucienne stepped back in fear for a moment at Mercian’s fierce gaze.

Usually, Mercian would not react no matter what Lucienne said, but once she got really angry, no one in the viscount’s house could say anything to her until she calmed down on her own. Knowing this, Lucienne quickly hid behind Penelope and shouted.

“M-Mer, you really need to fix that temper. If you act like this at the duke’s house later, you might get divorced even before the duke dies. Being kicked out by your dying husband would be more miserable than leaving the duke’s house after he dies, right?”

Who’s the one uttering curses at their own sister now, telling me to fix my temper?

Mercian tried hard to suppress her anger and glared at Lucienne hiding behind Penelope as she spoke.

“A dying husband? Lucy, that’s enough. There’s really a limit to how much I can endure.”

“Did you just say you’re enduring? Mother, look at Mer. Just because that madam at the boutique praised her a bit, she’s talking as if she’s really become a duchess. Mer, please come to your senses. You’re not a real duchess, you’re just a 6-month time-limited duchess, how dare you act so haughty. I didn’t want to say this, but do you think you’ll be treated properly as a duchess in that snobbish duke’s house when you don’t even know proper noble etiquette? You’ll be lucky if the servants and maids don’t look down on you. Mer, your sister will give you some sincere advice, so don’t regret it when you come back to the viscount’s house empty-handed after 6 months. Please come to your senses, okay? We went to fit dresses in a good mood, and now we’re just upset for nothing!”

Lucienne, seemingly scared of Mercian glaring at her, rushed up to her room without looking back as soon as she finished speaking.

“You really don’t have a single likable thing about you from head to toe. Your poor sensitive sister, I’m worried she might get an upset stomach because of you. If Lucy gets seriously ill because of you, I won’t let it slide, so watch yourself!”

After scolding Mercian and worriedly following Lucienne to her room, Mercian unconsciously slumped down in her seat.

Can’t you think from my perspective even once?

Wanting to gain Penelope’s approval, she had taken on all the difficult chores in the house without complaining even once, and did whatever she was told, but all she received in return was criticism, contempt, and indifference.

No matter how hard I try, for mom, Lucy is her only daughter.

Alright, I really need to stop now.

I won’t beg for love or attention from mom anymore.

Mercian wiped away the tears that were flowing against her will and muttered.

I guess I should think of it as repaying the grace of raising me with the dowry and the rest of the money.

After 6 months, I’ll leave the duke’s house and go somewhere where no one knows me.

And there, I’ll live freely without anyone’s interference!

Mercian made this promise to herself, crying silently for a long time, afraid someone might hear her.

One week later.

The wedding of Mercian Beanomann, the viscount’s daughter, and Duke Ruan Canoloup was held.