“Rubies? I don't think I've ever seen her wear them before,” I said, my voice pitched with just the right amount of innocent doubt.
Madeleine leaned in, her eyes wide with a performative sincerity. “Oh, that’s because she treasures them too much for daily wear! You’ve never visited the private annex of the estate, so you wouldn't know, but the Dowager has a magnificent collection of rubies hidden away.”
I watched her for a moment, letting a look of slow, trusting realization dawn on my face. “Oh... I see. I had no idea.”
The saleswoman, sensing a major purchase, glided over to us. “Your Highness, shall we begin with the commission for the jade bracelet? I have several stones of the finest quality ready for your inspection.”
I nodded. “Yes. And while you’re at it, could you show me that ruby necklace? The one from the latest collection?”
The saleswoman’s face lit up with a professional greed as she hurried off to fetch the piece—the most expensive item in the boutique.
Madeleine’s smile turned razor-sharp. *Choose a jade bracelet and a ruby necklace? The Dowager will likely slap that foolish crow across the face when she sees them.*
She felt a wave of triumph. She hadn't managed to discredit me in the gardens, but she had succeeded in making me squander a fortune on a gift that would only earn me the Dowager’s wrath. Content with her day's work, she rose from her seat.
“I really must be going, Kor. My father asked to see me this afternoon, and I’ve already stayed far too long.”
As she turned to leave, I reached out and gripped her wrist.
Madeleine flinched, trying to pull away, but my grip was like iron. She looked at me, her green eyes filling with a sudden, flickering fear. It was the same look I’d seen in the palace—the gaze of a woman who had finally realized she was dealing with someone who no longer played by the rules.
“Why the rush?” I asked, a soft, chilling smile touching my lips. “Stay a little longer. I haven't even thanked you for the advice.”
“I... I truly forgot the time,” she stammered. “Please, Cornelia, let go.”
I released her with a graceful flick of my wrist. “Of course. Thank you for making the time, Madeleine. You’re always so busy at the palace... it’s rare that you have time for your poor cousin.”
“Well, you know how it is,” she said, her voice strained. “The Empress requires my assistance so often.”
“I do know. And I’m so glad the misunderstanding between us is over.”
Madeleine offered a stiff, panicked smile and practically fled the boutique.
The room returned to a low, buzzing silence as the other ladies watched her departure. I could hear the whispers starting already.
“Was that a threat?”
“No, did you see the Duchess’s face? She seemed so... sad.”
The saleswoman returned, carrying a velvet-lined box containing a necklace of deep, blood-red rubies. “It’s a masterpiece, Your Highness. Shall I have it wrapped?”
“Yes,” I said, looking at the stones. “And the jade bracelet as well. I want the bracelet delivered to the Brant estate, addressed to the Dowager Duchess.”
“A gift for the Dowager?” the saleswoman asked, her eyes widening.
I nodded, pitching my voice so that it carried to the neighboring tables. “It’s been five years since I entered the house, and it’s no secret that my mother-in-law and I haven't always seen eye to eye. I’m hoping this gift might bridge the distance between us.”
A wave of sympathetic sighs rippled through the room.
“Duchess,” the saleswoman said, her voice dropping into a tone of genuine concern. “If I may... jade is not a particularly popular choice among the high nobility. Perhaps a bracelet of South Sea pearls? They’re less expensive than the jade, and far more likely to please the Dowager.”
It was a kind gesture, an attempt to save me from a social faux pas. The other ladies began to nod in agreement.
“No,” I said, my expression one of quiet, stubborn dedication. “It must be jade. It’s personal.”
“Personal, my lady?”
“My mother-in-law was very interested in investing in my new jade mine,” I said, letting a flicker of "embarrassment" touch my face. “But I had to refuse her. I’m planning to sell the mine soon to settle some... private accounts. I felt so guilty about disappointing her that I wanted the bracelet to be an apology.”
The room went deathly silent. The ladies exchanged looks of pure, electrified shock. *The Dowager is trying to seize her daughter-in-law’s assets? And the poor girl is apologizing for saying no?*
“I brought my cousin along specifically to ensure the gift was perfect,” I continued, my voice trembling slightly. “Madeleine is so close to the Dowager, after all. She was the one who told me that rubies were her absolute favorite.”
I offered a bitter, weary smile to the room. “Perhaps... perhaps she’ll finally see me as more than just a stranger in her house.”
The countesses and marchionesses in the room looked as if they’d been struck. They had all dealt with difficult mothers-in-law, but the idea of a Dowager trying to strip a princess of her personal property while her "favorite" niece fed the victim false information was a level of villainy that even they found appalling.
“Don't worry, Your Highness,” the saleswoman said, her eyes moist with pity. “I’ve never met a lady who could truly hate a gift given with such a pure heart. I’ll see that it’s wrapped exquisitely.”
She hurried off, her usual professional delay forgotten in her desire to help me.
As I waited, Countess Alto approached me, her expression unusually kind. “Duchess of Brant, it has been far too long. You look... well, all things considered.”
“Countess Alto. Thank you. The weather is indeed lovely today.”
I responded to her and the other ladies who approached with a quiet, refined grace, a stark contrast to the "Obsessive Crow" persona I’d spent years cultivating. I complimented their jewelry and listened to their polite inquiries, never once dropping a single word of gossip.
“Madam,” one young viscountess whispered, unable to contain her curiosity. “Is it true? Does the Dowager truly... interfere with your private property?”
The room went still again. I looked at the girl with a look of profound, dignified sadness.
“I’m sure my mother-in-law only has the best interests of the duchy at heart,” I said, my voice soft. “Ah, look, the saleswoman is back. I really must be going.”
I offered them a graceful bow and walked out of the boutique, leaving them in a frenzy of whispered speculation.
As I settled into the carriage, I looked at the ruby necklace in its box. A slow, cold smile spread across my face.
*Go ahead and gossip, ladies,* I thought. *A daughter-in-law who complains is a nuisance. But a daughter-in-law who suffers in silence while her mother-in-law tries to rob her? That is a martyr.*
The Dowager and Madeleine were about to discover that in the war of public opinion, the loudest voice isn't always the one that wins.