The villainess's daughter is getting an obsession

Chapter 7

“Then who will it be for?”

Sir Shubart handed me the dress as I stood there gawking. The scene was almost like a parent preparing a present for their child on Children's Day. I know I haven't told him about the coming-of-age gift I wanted yet, but for Sir Shubart, whom I know, his gift will not end only with this.

Maybe this was only the beginning?

Sir Shubart whispered softly, “Come on, put it on.”

I looked at my mother for a moment, but she didn't say anything, only sipping her tea. So, after standing a little longer, I shyly took the dress and went into the small room where I kept my clothes. Soon, I untied the chest strap of the dress I was wearing. Taking off my winter dress and putting on the new dress made me feel lighter. It wasn't cold because there were layers of frills inside.

I looked at the mirror in front of me. A reflection of a woman with pale skin, dark red eyes, lips of the same color, and long silver hair could be seen. Come to think of it, if I remove the color of red from myself, nothing else is left. My body is full of achromatic colors except for my eyes and lips. Even the dress was red, and it made me feel strange.

Is this why people look at me badly?

I would be happy if it was an ordinary gift, but I wasn't happy. On the contrary, anxiety swept over me.

They're preparing this gift just because of my birthday, right? I don't think there's any other purpose. For example, let me go to the capital or meet the Prince…

I wish my mother would stay still, and I want Sir Shubart to come to visit me from time to time, just like before. And if my mother is up to something, I need to stop her, but…

The dress strap was still untied, and I was lost in thought, without knowing that my mother came in through the door.

“Did you even forget to wear a dress?”

“Ah, mother. No… I was looking at the dress because it was pretty.”

My mother led me to a chair in front of the mirror. As she led me, she sat me down on the chair, skillfully tying the strap behind my back, which had not yet been tied. Then she gathered my hair to one side. My hair stayed still with a hairpin to secure its position.

“Pretty.”

“Thank you. Are we really moving?”

I looked at my mother in the mirror. Her dark-purple eyes looked at me indifferently.

“Yes.”

My mother didn't deny it. So what Sir Shubart already said was true.

“Come out right away.”

My mother, who had my hair done, left the room. I fiddled with the hair that my mother had done for a long time.

As some strange things had happened, I thought something bad would happen, let alone my wish to be happy. I'm almost certain about it. But I couldn't sit down and think about it for a long time. It's because I heard Sir Shubart making a fuss as he asked my mother if the dress looked good on me.

Sir Shubart's behavior is really different from his appearance. I've never seen him like that in front of anyone else, but every time he comes to our house, he changes 180 degrees.

As I stepped out, Sir Shubart was, of course, impressed. Half of the compliments were about how fit it was, and the other half was about how good the sense of who chose it was. It continued until I said I'm going to change my clothes again.

The dinner table was plentiful again. Even though my mother had already come home, she didn't eat dinner, and I ate too much again.

A week later, flowers were delivered in front of the house in the morning. In the middle of winter, in the North, where firewood wasn't delivered often. I think the destination of the flowers was strange, but my mother naturally looked at them. I don't know why but I felt like something was getting worse and worse.