Just an Ordinary Day
“HOW ABOUT THIS ONE, Lady Violette?”
“It’s lovely, but I suppose I find it a bit too garish.”
“It is indeed colorful, but in a dignified way. Besides, this is a special occasion. I think you’re allowed a little gaudiness.”
“But it’s Yulan’s graduation ceremony. What would be the point of adorning myself so?”
“To Yulan, that is going to be the main event.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Two years had passed since Violette and Yulan got engaged. Violette had graduated one year earlier and still lived in the house Yulan had prepared for them. Since moving there, she’d never once set foot in the Vahan estate. She spotted Maryjune a number of times at school, but they never spoke. Violette knew nothing of what had happened after the day she left, nor did she care to.
“Besides, my lady, I hear the audience will be packed, what with a prince of Sina graduating. Don’t you think you could get away with an even more ostentatious ensemble?”
“Ha ha! Just who are you trying to impress, anyway?”
“I just think this is a good opportunity to let the citizens of other nations know how beautiful you are, my lady.”
“They don’t need to.”
Violette took a sip of tea as she watched Marin tromp energetically around her closet. She usually favored simple dresses, but a special occasion required a little dressing up. She was mostly leaving the selection process up to Marin, who knew what suited her figure better than she did, and she was just glad to see that her maid was enjoying herself. Marin had always loved playing dress-up with Violette, but she’d seldom been blessed with opportunities to do so back at the Vahan estate.
“Well, maybe we should seize the opportunity to order you a new wardrobe…”
“I have plenty of clothes, Marin. Yulan bought me a bunch of things I didn’t need only the other day.”
“Those were all everyday dresses.”
“There’s no need to add to my wardrobe. The clothes I brought from my old home are still serviceable. At this rate, some of my dresses will never even see the light of day.”
When Violette first arrived at her new home, Yulan had showered her with gifts almost daily. She thought at first that he did so to comfort her, but she later learned that his pampering was partly for his own enjoyment. Even now, two years later, he regularly gave her heaps of clothing, jewelry, and sweets… But everything was to Violette’s liking, so she was too touched to complain.
About one in three times, she’d scold him, but so far that was completely ineffective. And Violette had enough self-awareness to realize that, the other two times, she happily enabled the pampering.
“What about your accessories, my lady? You and Lady Rosette intend to wear your matching ear cuffs, correct?”
“That’s the plan, yes. I’ll wear my hair either down or loosely tied back.”
“Long earrings will pair beautifully with that.”
“I’ll also wear a necklace the color of the dress…and this is the only ring I need.”
A large gemstone sparkled on her left ring finger.
The day after Violette’s graduation, Yulan had called a foreign merchant to the mansion and bought an engagement ring. That was a surprise to Violette; she wasn’t expecting to receive one. Indeed, she couldn’t even imagine it, although it was the natural next step after getting engaged.
Scarcely after getting engaged to Yulan, she already lived in his house, and he already showered her with far too many gifts. The hollow, stupefied look she’d given him when he cheerfully suggested buying an engagement ring together was a memory that they laughed over to that day. In the end, Violette never pulled herself together then, and Yulan wound up making the arrangements all by himself.
“I still can’t believe he chose a stone so big,” Violette said.
“I still can’t believe he chose topaz. The man sure knows his gemstones.”
The gem glittered gold, just like Yulan’s eyes. Its setting was also gold, and it was adorned with a spray of tiny diamonds. It truly was a darling little design. To Marin, though, the ring didn’t look like anything but a symbol of possessiveness and restraint. It appeared heavy in a number of ways.
“But, when I wear it, it feels like Yulan’s here protecting me. So I can’t complain,” Violette said.
“Well…as long as you like it, my lady, that matters most.”
Marin wasn’t so inept that she’d throw cold water on her mistress’s innocent joy. Besides, if she did say anything out of turn, Yulan would be a hassle to deal with when he found out. As long as Violette was happy, Marin could overlook her concerns. She really was a hopeless fool when it came to her mistress.
“All right. We’ll go with this dress and this jewelry… Now all that remains is your hair and makeup. My fingers are tingling in anticipation.”
“I love to see you so full of life, Marin.”
“But of course.”
Violette was so beautiful when she giggled like that.
Yesterday, today, tomorrow, and every day from then on, she’d giggle happily beside her prince.