Resetting Lady - Chapter 180

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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‘…This reminds me of when I used to work as a maid.’

That couldn’t be right. This was the Great Cathedral, not Isela’s estate. And this time, she had definitely accompanied Isela as a helper, not a maid. She would surely become friends with her this time. And so far, it wasn’t going too badly.

Besides, Isela had cut ties with Raymond and left home. Hadn’t they overcome hardships together in their own way? Surely she wouldn’t be treated as a maid but could become a friend.

Perhaps they would live like students attending a girls’ school. Girls’ schools were usually places where middle-class women went to learn in order to have careers.

Women from families like Karen’s, or with wealth like Isela’s, all hired tutors to come to their homes. Still, Karen was sometimes curious about what life would be like at a girls’ school, living completely independently from home. It was hard to imagine what it would be like to spend years away, living only with girls her own age.

‘But surely the temple would be different from the Evans estate, right? Maybe it would be similar to school.’

The Great Cathedral, even though it charged money, had to be different in nature from ordinary lodgings. This was because it required visitors to live as believers to some extent. They had to attend mass twice a day, be satisfied with whatever food was provided, and help with various temple chores under the guise of volunteer work.

This time, instead of Karen unilaterally serving Isela, they could spend time together and form an equal relationship.

Clang.

The bell announcing midnight rang out.

Karen rolled her eyes and tried to sleep.

How should she get along with Isela? She still couldn’t tell. But if they lived together, it would be easier to become close with Isela. Hadn’t Raymond said so too?

“How do you make friends?”

“Just… if you spend time together, you become close.”

“Oh, really. Please explain more sincerely.”

A hundred years of life without friends.

Karen had even brought out a fountain pen and seriously asked Raymond about how to make friends. But Raymond struggled for a long time, not knowing how to explain it to her.

He had always been popular. Not just with the opposite sex, but with the same sex too. However, getting along with people wasn’t something that could be explained in words. People usually approached him first. So he seemed not to know what to tell Karen when she asked how to make friends.

“…If we’re talking about the period you spent with Isela, yours would be longer than mine…?”

Raymond groaned and rubbed his temples.

“I lived in groups, after all. If you live together, you naturally become more compatible.”

Raymond grabbed Karen’s shoulders and said once more.

“Surely if you spend time together, anyone would come to like you.”

* * *

What was he basing that on?

Karen avoided the stern gaze of the subdeacon looking down at her. His gaze wasn’t very kind. Actually, this wasn’t because of Karen. She had attended morning mass.

“Miss Isela Evans didn’t come out today either?”

It was because Isela had no intention of participating in any temple activities.

Isela didn’t come out today either. Several days had passed like arrows, but Isela had never once lived the life of an ordinary believer.

In that case, it should be Isela receiving that gaze, but since she didn’t even come out, Karen had to read the room like this every time. Karen made up another excuse for Isela today.

“…She’s not feeling well.”

“Really?”

No. Isela was probably sleeping right now. She had gotten completely drunk the night before after meeting with opera singers following the opera. Count Sion had practically carried the heavy Isela to the front of the Great Cathedral, but Karen had to support her to her room.

“Miss Karen, is it true that Miss Isela is very ill? If so, shouldn’t she see a doctor?”

“It’s not that serious…”

“Miss Hyer.”

From the way he kept questioning her persistently, it seemed they had been caught coming in yesterday. Gray eyes gleamed beneath the subdeacon’s eyebrows. It seemed pointless to lie now. It would only fuel his anger.

“She told me to say that.”

“…”

Of course, Isela hadn’t said that. Isela used the Great Cathedral as lodging but didn’t attend mass. And she constantly broke curfew.

Several priests gave her dirty looks, but ignoring them was enough. The gold bar that Isela had given to the bishop when entering the Great Cathedral was of considerable weight, and they were mindful of her father, Verdick Evans.

If they found fault with her lifestyle and kicked her out, and something happened, Verdick would surely shake down the priests and cause a commotion.

“Miss Karen Hyer.”

“Yes, Sub-Bishop Sharon.”

“Just… let Miss Isela Evans live as she wants. I won’t urge her to come to mass anymore.”

The subdeacon made this request to Karen with a tired face. He had scolded or hinted at Isela’s indulgent and lazy lifestyle several times like a mature religious person, but Isela had listened with one ear and let it out the other with youthful defiance. In the end, it was the subdeacon who lost.

Even here, Isela could live doing whatever she wanted. And that direction was far from communal living.

* * *

Karen was well-practiced at playing the maid beside Isela during the day. She knew what clothes Isela liked, what plays she enjoyed, what kind of mistakes she made in front of what people, who she was disliked by, and what she did.

Few people would know this past year’s Isela better than Karen. Even her parents couldn’t know in such detail.

So Karen had somewhat anticipated this situation too.

“Isela, this outfit suits you best. This is the best one here.”

Probably.

Karen and Isela were having a long argument in Mrs. Debenil’s dress shop, trying on various clothes. Mrs. Debenil’s dress shop was one of the finest places in the capital, and the design Karen chose was one that Isela had absolutely loved in the past.

“But I don’t like this outfit.”

“Doesn’t it suit you? This outfit would be most suitable for Countess Russ’s gathering. It’s an auction, but the Golden Lion Hall has too many people, so it needs to be this flashy.”

Karen soothed Isela’s grumbling while trying decorations on her face.

A flashy corsage and matching skirt decoration caught the eye.

“It’s heavy.”

“You used to like this kind of thing before, so why are you like this?”

“I never liked this kind of thing.”

“…”

“I really love this outfit.”

The past Isela used to spin around in that peach-colored dress in her room, showing off in front of Karen. If Karen didn’t keep clapping her hands in admiration, she would get angry, so Karen had to blush and clasp her hands together in envy dozens of times.

“It really suits you well.”

“Don’t touch it. No matter how much you work, it’s not an outfit you could afford.”

“The outfit looks so vulgar!”

“How, how dare you say such things about my outfit…!”

“Shouldn’t you bring properly made clothes? Something with smaller but more delicate decorations! And I don’t like the color either. It would be better to use different fabric around the neck!”

“Miss Isela Evans, for unity, it would be better to use this fabric as is…”

“Are you being like this because you’re annoyed!”

She was just being petulant.

Where was this spite coming from again? Karen turned her head and sighed quietly, then made eye contact with other ladies in the dress shop.

‘You’re having a hard time.’

‘It’s okay.’

They briefly exchanged feelings through lip movements and glances.

Karen was amazed by that surprisingly brief moment of connection. They were people she was seeing for the first time. And it was a trivial moment, hardly even qualifying as conversation. Yet being able to feel such familiarity in an instant felt like a miracle.

In the end, Isela ordered five dresses after struggling for a long time.

Mrs. Debenil, who had been exhausted in front of Isela for a long time, wrote the receipt with a relieved face like someone whose aching tooth had been pulled, and while writing when to send the clothes, she spoke with a troubled expression upon hearing the address was the Great Cathedral.

“Merchants are prohibited from entering the Great Cathedral.”

“I need to get what I need, so why is that?”

“That’s the regulation.”

It was to prohibit luxury goods that could be seen as bribes.

“Unless you carry the items yourself, miss, it would be difficult for the shop to deliver them directly as we would face severe criticism.”

“How can I carry heavy things myself?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Look here! I’ve already paid all the money…!”

Mrs. Debenil bowed her head slightly and apologized, but her face didn’t look very regretful. Rather, she looked somewhat pleased that Isela was getting worked up.

“I’m sorry. But there’s no other way except for you to carry them yourself.”

“I have an appointment right away!”

Isela was supposed to meet Sion right away. Karen watched from a step behind as Isela and Mrs. Debenil’s voices grew louder, feeling somewhat exhausted.

Anyway, with this, Isela had gotten what she wanted. Even though Isela was grumbling for now, those clothes were definitely what she used to love most, and Countess Russ was one of the few nobles who would welcome Isela wearing those clothes well, being short on money. With this, Isela would surely be satisfied with today’s choice.

Countess Russ’s house had quite nice tulips in the garden. Would they be blooming now? If she visited with Isela, she would be able to see them too. Would today be a step closer as friends?

Karen had also studied tulips thoroughly. She would be able to carry on a decent conversation. She clenched her fists.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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