TIKMP 13

Chapter 13

As the daughter of a middle-class family preparing to attend a formal evening party, Juliet had to make several quick arrangements.

The event was fast approaching, and there was no time to have a new dress or jewelry made to suit her supposed social standing. She had no choice but to borrow them from Thomas’s daughter.

She also needed to learn enough about middle-class life so she wouldn’t be lost for words if other guests started a conversation.
Things like how young women spent their days, what trends were popular, and the proper way of speaking—without at least that much knowledge, her act would surely fall apart.

For that, she sought the help of Thomas and his daughter.

Another matter was meeting Adam before the party.

After all, this would be the first time in his life that Adam escorted a lady. If they were to meet for the first time on the day of the event and head straight to the castle together, the atmosphere would no doubt be unbearably awkward.

That kind of nervousness might be seen as endearing, but Juliet didn’t want to give people unnecessary gossip material. Besides, the thought of him stepping on her dress hem and sending her tumbling was enough to make her shudder.

Her father, of course, opposed the plan when he heard about it. But in the end, her grandmother’s insistence won out.

Even so, he was far from at ease with the idea. During the period Juliet stayed at her grandmother’s house in preparation for the party, he repeatedly told her—

“Now listen, Juliet. If you change your mind, just ignore your grandmother and come straight home.”

And to Mary, Juliet’s maid, he said—

“Mary, make sure to do Juliet’s makeup so that she looks as plain and unrefined as possible.”

Hearing that, Juliet thought to herself:
I’ll have to tell Mary later to completely forget Father’s orders.

Thus, Juliet invited Adam to her grandmother’s mansion and arranged a tea gathering so they could talk.

“—You know, this girl once climbed a tree with the neighborhood boys and came in first! She was such a tomboy—I didn’t know what to do with her.”

“Really? That’s hard to imagine! Miss Juliet looks so graceful—I never would have guessed.”

“Well, she’s calmed down a bit now that she’s grown up, but when she was about ten, I honestly wondered if she’d ever make a proper lady someday.”

What was this supposed to be?

Sitting silently, Juliet nibbled at a cookie while watching the two chat merrily across the table.

She had come here today to get to know Adam a little better—not to listen to her grandmother and Adam bond over stories of her childhood.

Yet every time Juliet tried to say something, her grandmother jumped in, talking three or four times as much, refusing to leave the center of attention.

Wasn’t it normally the elder’s role to discreetly watch over an unmarried man and woman, making sure they kept a proper distance—but not dominating the conversation?

Well… it’s not like I’m particularly eager to grow closer to him anyway, Juliet thought, glancing toward Adam.

Her grandmother had been right—he truly was a pleasant young man.

His chestnut hair curled at the ends, his face was sprinkled with freckles that gave him a boyish charm, and his greeting had been perfectly polite. He had even brought a thoughtful gift for Juliet and her grandmother, expressing both apology and gratitude.

“I’m terribly sorry for asking such an unreasonable favor because of a silly lie I told on impulse. But truly—thank you for agreeing to help me.”

Seeing his earnest expression, Juliet told him not to worry about it.

She felt no resentment toward Adam. Lying to his colleagues had not been commendable, but she understood why he had done it—she might have done something similar in his place.

Besides, none of this had truly been his fault. He had never claimed that Juliet was his lover; he had merely said that he invited “the granddaughter of a kindly old lady he knew.” Juliet had not been pressured or coerced into being his partner.

Most men attending such gatherings brought lovers or fiancées, true—but a partner didn’t necessarily mean a romantic one. It could just as easily be a friendly acquaintance or a childhood friend.

The real problem, Juliet thought, was her grandmother’s inability to say no.

Adam gave off a slightly timid impression, but considering his age, that was hardly a flaw. His gentle voice and the soft curve of his eyes made him seem trustworthy and kind.

Even when listening to her grandmother’s endless stories, he remained attentive, nodding and smiling at the right moments.

No wonder Grandmother liked him. In fact, there was something about Adam that faintly resembled the portrait of her late husband in his youth.

Still, no matter how much her grandmother doted on him, Juliet’s opinion of Adam remained unchanged.

As she mused, their eyes suddenly met. Perhaps he had noticed her staring.

Panicking slightly, Juliet opened her mouth to speak.

“Adam, I’m sorry—you must be bored by all these old stories.”

“Not at all. And please, just call me Adam—no need for ‘sir.’ I’m not a noble or anything.”

The word noble made Juliet tense up reflexively, perhaps too visibly.

Her grandmother immediately came to her rescue.

“Ho ho ho, the poor dear is just nervous. Don’t worry—she’ll get used to you soon enough. She’s been shy around strangers since she was little.”

“Really?”

“Oh yes. I was just telling you about her tomboy days, but before that—when she was two or three—she was such a quiet child. Even when surrounded by people, she’d just sit in the shade, staring off into the distance.”

Juliet barely remembered that time in her life.

All she could recall were fragments—her favorite teddy bear, a pretty ribbon from her mother, a birthday cake.

Perhaps the goddess who had filled in her memories had left some blanks, or maybe she simply didn’t remember because she had been so young. After all, who remembers everything from when they were two or three years old?

“She hardly spoke to anyone outside the family back then, and I worried so much. But one day, when we took her to church for the first time, she was standing in front of the statue of Goddess Spius, talking to her with all her heart.”

“Talking… to the goddess?”

“Yes. Well, to the statue, to be precise. I suppose she found it so beautiful that she wanted to speak to it. I was just relieved to realize she wasn’t mute—just shy.”

As Juliet listened, a faint memory stirred within her.

Yes—she remembered that. Her first mass, attending church with her parents. The goddess statue in the quiet garden behind the chapel had mesmerized her even as a small child.

The white porcelain figure, arms spread in gentle welcome, smiling serenely amidst a sea of roses—it had radiated an otherworldly stillness that she could never forget.

Back then she hadn’t known what it was, but she must have sensed something sacred and mysterious.

She couldn’t recall actually talking to it, but given her age, it wouldn’t have been strange if she had.

Of course, those memories belonged to the original Juliet, not to her—but that was a pointless distinction now.

“After that, she wanted to go to church all the time. I even began to worry she might become a nun someday—but that turned out to be needless concern.”

Her grandmother laughed playfully, and Adam let out a small chuckle, clearly recalling the tomboy stories from earlier.

Then he seemed to realize Juliet was watching and flustered, bowing deeply.

“I—I’m so sorry! That was rude of me—!”

“Please, don’t worry. If you found some amusement in our dull little stories, then I’m glad.”

When she smiled to reassure him, his cheeks flushed crimson.

Watching his bashful reaction, Juliet thought again—

I really do feel bad for him. Grandmother’s good intentions have forced me to deceive such an honest man.

Her grandmother had likely acted out of pure kindness, thinking she was helping.
But no matter how one framed it, a lie was still a lie—and Juliet felt she owed him the apology.