Chapter 382 Oh!? The Situation Seems...
At the table where Victoria was acting like a queen, the Duke Arbal family's 6-year-old eldest son, Alfred, and their 3-year-old eldest daughter, Eugenie, were sitting quietly. It was rare to bring boys to a dressmaker's tea party, and there were no other boys Alfred's age attending.
The table was divided by social status, and the Arbal and Grandchester families were at the same table. Unfortunately, the Evans family was also there, creating a tense atmosphere between Chloe and Patricia.
'Bringing not just the young lady but also the young lord means she wants to connect with Sophia and Sara.'
As expected, Victoria turned to Sophia.
"By the way, Sophia, you're here today as Ms. Chloe and Ms. Sara's escort, right?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Then, may I introduce my children to Ms. Sara?"
"Of course."
When Sophia nodded, the golem Sara, who was sitting next to her, stood up gracefully and greeted Victoria with a perfect curtsy.
"It is a great honor, Lady of Duke Arbal."
"It hasn't been long enough to say 'long time no see,' but it's good to see you well."
"Yes, I have been doing well."
"You are like a model of good manners. I can see the excellence of your governess."
"Thank you very much. I can proudly say that Lady Duke praised my mother who taught me."
"Hehe. Ms. Rebecca's etiquette is thanks to the queen's guidance, right? I want my Genie to have the same elegance as Ms. Sara, but it's hard to find a good governess."
'Umm? Is she saying she wants Mother to be the governess?'
Sophia, who was standing behind Sara's golem, couldn't quite grasp the meaning of Victoria's words. However, Eugenie, who was mentioned by her mother, quietly stood up from the table, walked over to Sara, and made a small curtsy before introducing herself.
"I'm Eugenie. You can call me Genie."
"Nice to meet you, Lady Genie. I'm Sara Grandchester."
"I've heard Ms. Sara is really good at piano and violin. Can you play for me?"
"Yes, if that's what you wish, Lady Genie."
Victoria, Eugenie's mother, looked at her with a troubled expression as Eugenie's amethyst-like eyes sparkled. The people around them smiled at Eugenie's cute little selfishness.
"Genie, you shouldn't trouble Ms. Sara too much."
"But Mother, Ms. Sara is so beautiful, like a fairy! I want her to be my big sister!"
"Oh dear, to become Genie's big sister, Alfred will have to work hard, won't he?"
'Oh, I see how it is.'
It seems that Victoria is aiming for a connection with the Grandchester family. Bringing Alfred to the tea party might have been to help him get close to Sara.
If Sara had stayed a commoner, people might not have taken her seriously. However, it was decided that she would be recognized as a Viscount's daughter and join the nobility. As the granddaughter of Marquis Grandchester and connected to the famous Sophia Merchant Guild, Sara was becoming a more appealing marriage option.
However, to be chosen as the wife of the Arbal family, the top Duke family in Avalon, especially for the heir, she did not meet all the requirements. They likely considered Sara's magical abilities and her mother Adelia as well.
"Is big brother going to work hard?"
"Well, if she's going to be Genie's sister, then she has to become Alfred's wife, right?"
Victoria, who openly showed her desire to have Sara as a bride, was making the other women around her interested as well.
They recognized Sophia's cleverness, but noticed that Victoria was taking charge, even though she was new to noble games. By choosing a time when Elizabeth, who was good at these tactics, was not around, it showed how serious Victoria was.
'This is such a hassle. I'll watch Magi's actions and decide how to respond later.'
If Sara were not a golem but herself, she would probably have acted innocently to get through this situation. However, it was difficult to accurately predict how a golem controlled by Magi would behave. For now, Sophia left the decision to Magi.
Alfred stood up as his mother encouraged him and reached out his hand to Sara. When Sara gently placed her hand on top of Alfred's, he lightly kissed the back of her hand. If Alfred were older, he would kneel in front of Sara, but at just 6 years old, he was shorter than her.
"Nice to meet you, Lady Sara. I'm Alfred Arbal."
"Nice to meet you. I am Sara Grandchester."
The golem Sara looked straight into Alfred's eyes and smiled gracefully in return. In that moment, a blush appeared on Alfred's cheeks.
"It seems like my mother wants us to get along."
"I'm honored, Sir Alfred."
"You don't have to be so formal. Lady Sara is older than me. Just call me Alfred."
"Can you call me Sara too?"
"Of course, Sara."
"Hehe. I'm so happy to have made a friend in the royal capital already!"
'Oh. The Magi has taken a strategy of forming friendships. It's not wise to directly oppose the Duke's family, and using innocence as a weapon is typical of me. It's a tactic I can only use while I'm young, but it's effective.'
"Oh, Ms. Sara has made a new friend. Alfred, please continue to get along with Ms. Sara."
Sophia smiled brightly at Alfred.
"Of course."
"That's not fair! Big brother gets to be friends first. I want to be friends with Ms. Sara too!"
"Then, will you also become my friend, Lady Genie?"
"Sure! Can I call you Sara? And don't call me 'Lady' or anything like that!"
"Then I'll call you Genie."
It was a very cheerful atmosphere, but Victoria looked a bit disappointed.
'Even if he'll become the head of the Duke family, I don't want to become a noble's wife, so I shouldn't give them any false hopes. I need to avoid saying anything that could be taken as a promise.'
Sophia felt like she was walking on thin ice. However, Chloe, who was good at reading the mood, subtly helped Sophia.
"Sir Alfred, Lady Genie, I'm older than Sara, but can I be friends with you too?"
"I don't mind."
"Then Chloe can be my friend too. You can call me Genie."
"Thank you, Sir Alfred. So, Genie, shall we talk about new dresses? Today's Sara's dress was chosen by me."
"Really? I think Sara's dress is super cute! She looks like a flower fairy!"
Once the conversation shifted to dresses, Alfred couldn't take the spotlight. Chloe gently shut him out since he was a boy. Sophia glanced at Chloe, showing her gratitude for guiding the topic. Chloe smiled back, looking a bit triumphant.
'Hmm. I guess my social skills might be lacking. Chloe is much better at this.'
Sophia understood from experience that practical experience is important in social situations.
Chloe stood Sara up and started explaining the rose-colored dress to Eugenie. Sara, now standing, smiled and followed Chloe's instructions, turning around to show the whole dress, curtsying, and raising her hands. It seemed like this conversation was just between the girls, but in reality, all the women around, including Jasmine, were listening closely.
"First, the thin fabric on top is a new material developed by the Sophia Merchant Guild. So right now, it's only available in the Grandchester territory."
'Chloe really gets to the point, huh?'
"So, does that mean it's only used for Chloe and Sara's dresses right now?"
"That's right. But I'll use it for Genie's dress too, as a special case."
"Wow, that's amazing! Sara, can I touch the skirt a little?"
"Of course!"
Jasmine watched closely, her eyes slightly narrowed, as Eugenie gently stroked the skirt of Sara's dress from above.
"It's so thin and soft."
"That's silk organza. The organza originally woven in Avalon is made of cotton, but this one uses silk threads."
As Sophia answered Eugenie, Jasmine couldn't hold back any longer and leaned forward.
"Miss Sara, may I touch it as well?"
"Of course, go ahead."
Jasmine touched Sara's dress gently from above and then looked up.
"Miss, I apologize for being rude, but may I lift the hem a little?"
"It's fine as long as you only lift it to the overskirt; I have a petticoat underneath."
Jasmine crouched down and lifted the hem of Sara's dress, checking that there was a firm mesh fabric and shiny satin layered under the organza.
"May I ask about the material layered just beneath the organza?"
Sara looked up at Sophia with a troubled expression and tilted her head as she asked.
"Sister Sophia, please tell Ms. Jasmine about this material. I find it too difficult to understand."
'Magi really lies so confidently. Well, it's correct in terms of playing a role.'
"Ms. Sara, please call me Sophia in public."
"Oh, right. Sophia."
Sara's golem blushed, looking embarrassed as if she had made a mistake.
'How cute... she might be better at this than I am as an 8-year-old girl.'
However, since the topic was brought up, she had to answer.
"We call that tulle, but to be precise, it's not woven fabric. It's cotton thread that has been specially processed and knitted into a mesh pattern, as you can see."
"The reason it has such a firm texture is because of that special thread, right?"
"Exactly. Ms. Jasmine's eyes are sharp. Just by changing the material and thickness of the thread, you can create a surprisingly wide variety of textures. Of course, the same goes for organza."
Jasmine spent a moment stroking Sara's skirt and lifting it slightly, but then she quickly let go, stood up, and turned to Sophia.
"Ms. Sophia, can I also purchase this fabric?"
"I do want to sell it to the public eventually, but this fabric is still made in a small workshop, and only a little bit is produced. Everything is really just in the prototype stage."
"In that case, it would be even more important for you to supply the fabric to us."
Jasmine said, directing a piercing gaze at Sophia and speaking clearly in a strong tone.
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