A grudge

After taking a bath, Ara sat in front of her dressing mirror while Emma fixed her hair. Lost in thought, Ara struggled to recall any memories of the Morrison wedding anniversary from her previous life. Now that it was a personal invitation, she couldn't refuse to attend. She wondered if she had any suitable dress to wear to the event. Ara wasn't one to spend money on luxury items like dresses or jewelry, preferring to live as simply as possible. Yet, she was still aware of her position within the aristocracy and didn't want to appear like a pushover at the banquet. Despite her dislike for Lady Luanda, she had to represent the Boxton family.

"Emma, do I have anything suitable to wear to the anniversary?" Ara asked, her tone slightly concerned.

"Well, Milady, you haven't bought any new dresses since the last trend," Emma responded gently.

"Oh, is that so?" Ara murmured. "Let's take a look in the dressing room. I might find something suitable." Pushing her chair aside, she walked toward the dressing room. It had been a while since she made an appearance in high society, but she hadn't forgotten that it was full of gossip and criticism. If she wore a dress that was out of fashion, she could only imagine the whispers that would follow.

"O-Okay, Milady," Emma replied, following closely behind.

Ara opened the door and stepped into the dressing room. "There's no need for the dress to be too flashy. I just need something appropriate to attend."

"Yes, Milady," Emma nodded and started searching through the wardrobe for a suitable dress. Ara joined her, sifting through the collection. As Ara expected, all of her dresses were outdated.

After several minutes of searching with no success, Ara sighed. "How is it that I don't even have a fashionable dress as a lady? What am I even looking for?" She muttered to herself.

The door to the dressing room creaked open, and Anne poked her head in. "What are you two up to? Oh my goodness! This place is a mess!" Anne exclaimed, surprised to see clothes scattered across the floor. She walked in, curiosity piqued after seeing her sister and Emma head to the dressing room.

Ara glanced at her sister's expression, replying with slight worry, "I received an invitation from the Morrison household for their wedding anniversary banquet, so I asked Emma to help me find a suitable dress to wear."

"Wedding anniversary?" Anne echoed.

"Yes. The invitation must have come in a while ago, and I found out too late."

Anne sighed, shaking her head. "Well, if it's that important, I don't think you have anything suitable to wear for something like that. Now, if you had listened to me when I used to tell you to keep up with the trends, you wouldn't be in this mess now, would you?" Anne scolded gently, hands on her hips. Anne knew Ara's preference for simplicity better than anyone, so she didn't need to inspect the wardrobe to know there wasn't anything suitable.

Ara looked at the pile of dresses on the floor and mumbled to herself, "How long would it take to have one altered?" Though her dresses were out of style, a few seemed worth wearing if a seamstress could add some extra lace or make small adjustments.

Emma shook her head. "Milady, it would be difficult to find a seamstress right now. There are so many orders for the grand ball coming up soon."

"Really?" Ara asked, concern in her voice.

Anne quickly chimed in, "Yes, she's right. Remember the last time we ordered gowns for a ball? Remember how long we had to wait because they were swamped with orders?"

Anne's words brought back memories from her past life when they eagerly awaited their gowns, hoping to impress Prince Hamon. Ara stood still, her thoughts drifting back to those times. Noticing Anne's curious gaze, Ara snapped out of her reverie and responded quickly, "Oh, yeah, you're right."

Anne glanced around the messy dressing room and sighed. "Anyway, there's nothing we can do now," Ara murmured. Although she wasn't upset, the situation was frustrating. Despite the Boxton family not being extravagantly wealthy, Ara had never lacked money. But she knew she would face gossip if she dressed poorly. She picked out the neatest-looking dress from the pile.

"Well, I have no choice but to wear this one. It's what I get for not being prepared."

"May I see the dress, Milady?" Emma asked. Ara handed it to her. Emma examined the dress carefully before turning to Anne. "Miss Anne, do you have any dress with lace on it?"

Both sisters were puzzled by Emma's question, but Anne nodded. "Yes, I have a dress that was recently tailored."

"Oh, that's great! I can take the lace off that dress and attach it to this one to make it more fashionable," Emma suggested excitedly.

Ara shook her head. "No, that will ruin Anne's new dress."

Anne waved her hand dismissively. "Relax, sister. I have plenty of new dresses. Don't worry about one being altered."

"But—"

"That's enough, sister. I want you to look your best at the event. But in return for my dress, I also want something."

"What's that?" Ara asked, intrigued. Anne rarely asked for anything, which made Ara curious.

"I'll come with you to this anniversary banquet!" Anne declared with a bright smile.

"Really?" Ara was surprised by Anne's sudden interest. Anne was usually timid about attending social gatherings. It seemed odd that she now wanted to go to this event.

"Are you sure you want to come with me?" Ara asked doubtfully. Anne turned to Emma and instructed, "Emma, please go fetch the purple dress from my dressing room and start working on the design."

Emma nodded. "Okay, my lady." She curtsied and left the sisters alone.

Once Emma was gone, Anne asked, "Is Claire Tudor going to be there?"

"The party is hosted by Luanda Morrison, so of course, she'll be there," Ara responded, puzzled.

"Oh, great! That's reason enough for me," Anne said resolutely, further sparking Ara's curiosity. Did Anne not get along with Lady Claire? How could she harbor a grudge against someone when she rarely attended social events? Anne had received little attention in society, and the Boxton family was never at the center of attention. Ara wondered if she had forgotten something important.

"What's going on between you and Lady Claire?" Ara inquired.

"Did you forget already?" Anne replied, a hint of frustration in her voice.

Ara searched her memories, casting her eyes upwards for a moment. When nothing came to mind, she admitted softly, "I don't remember."

Anne sighed, "It's okay if you don't remember. Just know that Anne never forgets a grudge," she said proudly.

"A grudge?" Ara looked genuinely curious now, sensing an unfamiliar side to her sister. Anne didn't elaborate and simply said, "Anyway, I'll go check on Emma. Meanwhile, you should get permission from Father for me to accompany you." With that, Anne left the room.

Ara stood there, lost in thought. Claire Tudor. She was the only daughter of the Tudor household and the niece of Luanda Morrison. Claire had everything—beauty, a slim figure, a prestigious lineage—and many noblemen had proposed to her. But what had happened between them? Ara's memories of Claire were vague. After her family's death, she had fled to another kingdom, so she hadn't kept up with what happened to Claire. Lady Claire might have married a man worthy of her by now.

As Ara pondered the name Claire Tudor, a strange scene flickered in her mind. At a large banquet with many people, someone had given her a particular look—cold and intense. She couldn't recall why, but the feeling was ominous. Was it the beautiful Claire staring at her with those cold eyes? Ara couldn't be sure, but the memory left her unsettled.

"Claire Tudor," she mumbled to herself, the name now a haunting echo in her mind.