BOPE 43

Chaper 43 …

Eileen snapped irritably, but Scrooge only bowed his head silently without offering a single word in response.

Just then, the drawing room doors opened and two maids entered, carrying trays laden with refreshments. Steaming tea and soft sponge cake were served.

“Let’s wait a bit longer. I’m sure Chloe has her reasons for behaving this way.”

Baron Patrasche, though just as furious as Eileen, forced himself to remain composed. He couldn’t afford to show such agitation in front of mere servants.

At his gesture, Eileen let out a short sigh before obediently taking a seat on the sofa. Even in her fury, her every move exuded elegance.

Scrooge stole a few sidelong glances at Eileen, and his brow furrowed deeply when he spotted the ring on her finger.

The ring Eileen was wearing was one of the keepsakes left behind by Lady Mariya, the late mother of the current lord.

‘Why does Miss Eileen have that ring?’

Even if the young lord had little sense, there was no way he would so readily hand over the ring that his mother had always worn.

There had to be some reason, Scrooge thought, but he couldn’t help feeling angry nonetheless.

After Scrooge left, Eileen took a sip of tea and let out a dismissive chuckle.

“Father, do you think Chloe overslept or something?”

“Perhaps. Still, I commend her—at least she didn’t come out in her nightclothes.”

“No matter how she dresses up, she’ll still look the same. I bet she’ll come out in one of those hideous dresses again.”

“You picked those dresses out for her, didn’t you?”

“Exactly. Do you know how hard I tried to find things that wouldn’t suit her? And she wears them around like they’re the height of fashion. It’s hilarious.”

“What can you do? Unlike you, she lacks the eye to judge things or the ability to properly manage people.”

“True. The fact that she’s still keeping that old man around shows she’s far too soft-hearted.”

“Let her be. That’s her only strength—and her biggest flaw.”

If Chloe had been cold or ruthless by nature, she might never have made it into the Grace estate in the first place. Just being the late baron’s blood relative had been enough for Chloe to warmly welcome and rely on Eileen. Everything that had happened was because of Chloe’s soft personality.

Hearing this, Eileen nodded and took another sip of tea.

She found the place utterly lacking in charm, but at least the tea and cake were exquisite. That alone offered her a brief moment of peace.

Pretending to like that fool Chloe was exhausting work.

It was another two hours before Chloe finally met with the two of them.

Though both Patrasche and Eileen were brimming with frustration, they greeted her with forced smiles.

“The Lady is arriving.”

The drawing room doors swung open, and Handsome entered first, addressing the waiting guests with courteous formality.

Baron Patrasche eyed the young man curiously. He looked familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. Then it struck him—he used to be one of the estate’s servants.

“Handsome, is that you? You’ve become a butler now?”

Noticing the change in Handsome’s attire, Patrasche asked, making a guess.

Handsome was so surprised that he nearly hiccupped. But since the lady was entering right behind him, he forced himself to remain composed.

“Yes. Thanks to the Lady’s grace, I was promoted to butler.”

“Good for you. Work hard. Please take good care of my niece.”

Instead of responding, Handsome simply bowed deeply. It was his strict principle not to respond to anyone’s commands except for the Grace Lord’s.

Baron Patrasche frowned at the lack of verbal response, but his expression shifted to surprise again when he saw Chloe walk in.

“Chloe?”

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I didn’t expect visitors at such an early hour.”

She was clearly pointing out that their visit violated noble etiquette.

Chloe wouldn’t have known that herself if not for Delma, who grumbled about it the entire way here. According to her, noble visits were typically between 2 and 5 p.m., and anything outside of that window was considered disrespectful. Delma had muttered that this early, unannounced visit was just another way of showing utter disregard for the lady of the house.

Baron Patrasche’s thick eyebrows twitched above his sharp gaze.

This reaction from Chloe was a first.

Usually, she would greet him with delight and run into his arms. But today, she kept her distance, her demeanor wary.

What shocked him even more, however, was Chloe’s appearance.

Instead of a childish, gaudy dress, she wore a refined navy gown. Without all the frilly ribbons, and with ruby earrings and a matching necklace, she looked far more mature—almost as if Lady Mariya had come back to life.

Eileen, too, looked stunned as she walked up to Chloe and gave her a once-over in disbelief.

“Chloe, is that really you?”

“Of course, it’s me. Who else would it be?”

Chloe—Dong-hee, really—responded with a polite tone and took a seat on the sofa.

“I received your letter about the visit a few days ago.”

“Yes. Have you been well? I feel bad that we haven’t visited more often, knowing you were here all alone.”

“I’ve been fine. And I’m not alone.”

Dong-hee glanced briefly at Delma, Handsome, and Scrooge as she spoke.

“But they’re not family.”

“That’s true. Family is… different.”

Dong-hee humored them for now. If she changed too drastically all at once, she wouldn’t be able to figure out their true intentions.

“Chloe, you seem different. What happened to all the dresses I picked out for you?”

Ah, so you were the source of those tacky outfits.

Dong-hee smiled knowingly and picked up her teacup. She’d never particularly liked tea, but after drinking it so often, it was growing on her. She even thought about adding milk next time to make milk tea.

“Those? I threw them out.”

“What?”

Eileen was so shocked she nearly dropped her teacup.

“Why? You loved those dresses.”

“I got tired of them.”

“Wait… did you buy new ones?”

Eileen’s tone implied You? With what money?

“No.”

Eileen’s confusion deepened.

“Then?”

“I’m going to buy some. Ones that actually suit me. I called for a dressmaker—they’ll be here soon.”

Hearing this, Baron Patrasche let out a short laugh, relieved. So she hadn’t changed after all. The way she was trying to act like an adult didn’t suit her.

“If you wanted new dresses, you should’ve contacted me. I know your situation—I can easily buy you a few.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Tell me how many you need. Better yet, why don’t you visit Fran with Eileen and have them tailored there? I’ll let them know in advance.”

“Fran…?” Dong-hee hesitated. She wasn’t familiar with the place.

Patrasche assumed she was so happy she couldn’t even respond properly.

“That’s great, Chloe! My birthday party is coming up, and I was going to get a new dress too. We can go together and get matching ones! I’ll pick out something that suits you perfectly.”

Eileen scooted closer, all smiles.

Dong-hee forced a smile as lace and frills filled her imagination. But Eileen mistook it for joy.

“But what’s all this? These aren’t real, are they? You shouldn’t be wearing fake jewelry—not when you’re a lady of the house.”

Assuming Chloe couldn’t afford real gemstones, Eileen didn’t even bother to look closely. She simply pressed a gift box into Chloe’s hand.

“This is a present I brought for you. I thought it’d suit you perfectly.”

Dong-hee remembered that Eileen only ever gifted cheap accessories.

But the box itself was luxurious enough to give her pause. Maybe this time would be different. She opened the lid.

“A brooch?”

“What do you think? Do you like it? Want to try it on?”

It was an amethyst brooch—one that looked like something a grandma would wear.

Dong-hee shook her head, gently pushing the brooch back toward Eileen’s hand.

“Why not?”

Eileen looked stunned.

This was the first time Chloe had rejected a gift from her. Usually, she would accept anything with a smile, no matter how ugly it was.

“I’ll wear it later. It doesn’t suit what I’m wearing right now.”

“…Really?”

Chloe had always worn anything Eileen gave her, regardless of how mismatched it was.

Eileen looked around, clearly trying to understand what was happening. But it seemed only she and her father were flustered. The servants all looked calm and unbothered.

Baron Patrasche began examining Chloe’s jewelry more closely.

Eileen seemed convinced they were fake, but he wasn’t so sure.

‘That’s definitely real ruby. And high-quality at that. How did she get something like that? Don’t tell me…’

Lost in thought, Patrasche suddenly widened his eyes and asked sharply,

“You didn’t… sell your land to someone else, did you?”

Dong-hee blinked, not understanding at first. But when she noticed him glancing at her jewelry, she shook her head.

“No. Why would I sell the estate? Especially to someone else.”

The way she emphasized “to someone else” made Patrasche visibly relax. At least that meant she wouldn’t give the land to anyone other than him.

“Then where did the money come from? Those jewels you’re wearing—they’re all real, aren’t they?”

At his words, Eileen gasped and grabbed Chloe’s wrist.

As someone obsessed with jewels, she had assumed the bracelet was fake and hadn’t even looked closely. But now, examining the ruby bracelet on Chloe’s wrist, she realized it was more beautiful than anything she had ever owned.