Everyone in the capital knows that Queen Mirabelle loves luxury, especially jewelry and extravagant clothing. She has always been willing to spend lavishly on these indulgences.
However, those who pay close attention will notice that the Queen's fortunes have taken a turn for the worse in recent years. This decline is not only reflected in her fading favor with the King but also her spending habits.
As a princess who married into a powerful nation, even if her husband wasn't a king or prince, he was still a future duke and one of the top contenders for the throne of Pradi—had it not been for this, Mirabelle would not have married him. At the time of her marriage, Mirabelle brought with her a substantial dowry.
But Mirabelle has been married to Pradi for ten years now. She has no talent for managing finances, nor did she inherit a large fortune from her husband. Moreover, she has never been one to restrain herself, spending extravagantly. As a result, her dowry has been nearly depleted. If it weren't for her marriage to the King, she would be unable to maintain her current standard of living.
In recent years, the King has grown increasingly distant from her, and naturally, his gifts have diminished. Without these gifts, the Queen has even less income.
Although the Queen has recently regained some of the King's favor, and his gifts have increased, most of them are luxury items like jewelry. While these items are valuable, the Queen cannot sell them.
For her birthday banquet, the Queen naturally needs a suitable gown. Although the King is willing to cover the cost, the Queen's taste remains as extravagant as ever. To announce to everyone that she has regained the King's favor, the gown she commissioned exceeded the budget provided by the King. She had to dip into her funds to cover the difference, which drained the last of her gold coins.
In the Queen's eyes, her financial troubles are only temporary. Once the banquet is over, all the gifts will belong to her, and she will have money again. So, spending now is nothing to worry about.
But when she ran out of money, the Queen realized her stock of essential oils had also run out. And now, if she wanted to buy more, she didn't have enough funds.
This was unbearable for Mirabelle, who had grown accustomed to using essential oils for maintenance and Incense and had even increased her usage recently.
After punishing the maids she deemed negligent, Queen Mirabelle eagerly awaited the birthday gift from the Williams family.
But the former lowly knight, Felix Williams, now an Earl, clearly failed to meet her expectations.
"Has the gift from Satinson County not arrived yet?"
"N-no, Your Majesty," replied the maid nervously, fearing the Queen's wrath.
The Queen angrily smashed a ceramic cup beside her. The cup shattered at the maid's feet, startling her, but she dared not move, allowing the shards to cut her ankle, drawing blood.
Fortunately, the sound of the cup breaking alerted the guards at the door and several noblewomen who were accompanying the Queen.
Here we go again.
Everyone present thought the same thing.
Recently, the Queen has been throwing daily tantrums, and those around her have grown accustomed to it.
Thankfully, in front of the noblewoman, Queen Mirabelle knows how to restrain her temper. So, while the Queen has been throwing fits daily, the maids serving her have not been punished much.
However, the fact that Mirabelle is desperate to see the birthday gift from the Williams family because she can't afford to buy essential oils is something she naturally cannot admit. To the others, it appears that the Queen, having recently regained the King's favor, has become increasingly capricious and arrogant, holding grudges against those who slight her.
But given the Queen's recent resurgence, the noblewomen are happy to flatter her.
"I heard that the Earl of Satinson, William Williams, has been in the capital for a few days. Someone saw him shopping with his fiancée, seemingly preparing for Your Majesty's birthday banquet."
Mirabelle, of course, knows about Felix's recent activities. She has had people watching the Williams household, waiting to see when he would deliver the gift.
And now, almost everyone in the capital is watching Felix. The news of him spending lavishly on his fiancée is well-known.
"Earl Williams is truly generous to his fiancée. I heard he spent over a thousand gold coins on jewelry for the lucky lady during their first visit to the jeweler," said a young noblewoman with a hint of jealousy.
It's not that noblewomen like her can't afford such expenses, but there's a difference between spending their own money and having their husbands spend it on them. Even before their engagement, her husband wasn't nearly as generous, willing to spend a hundred gold coins at most.
Gold is truly valuable in this era.
But when it comes to Earl Williams, the most attention-grabbing aspect is his fiancée.
"I heard she's a foreign lady," said one noblewoman, trying to divert the Queen's anger. "Many who have seen her say she looks distinctly foreign, with black hair and eyes, and her skin tone is different from ours. I wonder which country she's from."
Another noblewoman chimed in, "Could she be from Africa?"
Europe is close to Africa, and while the distance is still considerable, it's much closer than the East. In this era, African slaves haven't yet appeared in large numbers in Europe, but a few have made their way here, and many nobles know about the people living there.
"Probably not. Earl Williams wouldn't have such poor taste," said a noblewoman who had once privately expressed interest in Felix but was rejected.
While the concept of racism doesn't exist in this era, nobles do look down on commoners and people from other countries. The dark skin of Africans doesn't align with the era's beauty standards. These noblewomen would rather soak in bleach to make themselves whiter than accept dark skin.
The bored noblewomen began speculating about Wei Wei's origins. Unfortunately, Felix has declined all invitations and hasn't issued any of his own, so none of the noblewomen have met the now-famous lady.
Of course, no one doubts her noble status. Although they haven't seen her in person, their investigations haven't been entirely fruitless. The nobles who have been gathering information have vaguely learned that Satinson County's sudden rise is connected to this foreign lady.
Thanks to the barons and their families in Satinson County, the noble circles are now abuzz with the rumor that "Earl Williams became wealthy because he obtained the essential oil formula from his fiancée."
This news hasn't yet reached Queen Mirabelle, but hearing them discuss Wei Wei, Mirabelle begins to consider summoning her in advance to give Earl Williams a hint to deliver the birthday gift sooner.
After all, there are only three days left until her birthday banquet, and she must appear in perfect condition. Without essential oils for maintenance and Incense, she would be the one to lose face!
No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than a servant hurried in to inform her, "The gift from Earl Williams has arrived."
The group of noblewomen, who had been chatting, immediately fell silent, all turning to look at Queen Mirabelle, who had abruptly stood up.
The Queen realizing her eagerness was too apparent, quickly composed herself.
She adjusted her demeanor, bid them farewell, and left without any intention of taking them along to see the gift.
The noblewomen, who had hoped to see what the gift contained, could only reluctantly bow and leave.
Once out of the room, the servant handed the gift list to Queen Mirabelle, who eagerly scanned the parchment. Seeing that essential oils were included, she felt relieved.
But then she noticed that the other items on the list weren't the expensive jewelry she had expected. Instead, they seemed to be various cosmetics and a set of clothing, with a few words she didn't recognize.
Although these weren't the items she had hoped for, Mirabelle wasn't foolish. She knew that gifts sent at this time wouldn't be of poor quality, especially one labeled "perfume," which piqued her interest.
She nodded to the servant, "Take the gifts from Earl Williams to my room."
Gifts for the Queen became her personal property, so the servant had no hesitation in complying.
The Queen returned to her room, and soon, the royal servants brought in a large wooden box.
Inside the box were several smaller boxes. The maids opened them one by one and laid them out before the Queen.
Several boxes were filled with bottles and jars, clearly cosmetics. One box contained a neatly folded dress, and beside it was a long, narrow box containing a wooden item. There was also a box of the essential oils she had been longing for.
Mirabelle picked up the card in the essential oil box and was pleased to see that these were all pure essential oils, meaning each bottle was worth at least a hundred gold coins. She had received ten bottles, and while the variety wasn't as extensive as before, the quantity and quality were the best.
This box alone was worth more than all the other gifts combined, making the other items less appealing.
"Wow!"
A maid suddenly exclaimed.
Mirabelle, who had been examining the bottles to determine the types of essential oils based on the flowers and fruits depicted on the labels, looked displeased.
She saw the maid holding an open fan and immediately understood the reason for the exclamation.
Fans weren't entirely unknown in Europe. Long ago, ancient Egypt popularized "sacred fans," which had long handles taller than a person and were made with gorgeous peacock feathers. These were ceremonial fans used only during rituals to enhance the atmosphere.
But the fan Mirabelle saw was small enough to hold in one's hand. Its fan surface was made of red fabric edged with golden lace, and the fan ribs were intricately carved, making it resemble a work of art.
Mirabelle immediately grasped its purpose. She snatched the fan and stood before a full-length metal mirror, admiring her reflection as she waved the fan.
She had an idea and, without turning, ordered the maid, "Take out that dress and let me see it."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Two maids held up the dress, and Mirabelle noticed that it looked quite nice. Although it wasn't adorned with jewels, the gold-threaded fabric was very precious, and the chest design was somewhat unique. However, the pattern was last year's trend, and the dress was too long.
"Your Majesty, there's also this in the box," the maid said, holding up several metal rings connected by fabric.
The metal rings looked peculiar, but fortunately, there was an instruction card at the bottom of the box, complete with illustrations on how to wear them. The Queen, intrigued, had the maids help her into the red dress. When the crinoline expanded the skirt, the dress fit perfectly.
Queen Mirabelle twirled in front of the mirror, the large skirt swishing beautifully. The fitted design, though not perfectly snug, accentuated her enviable figure.
The dress, which had seemed ill-fitting before, looked stunning on her. Mirabelle admired her curvaceous silhouette in the mirror, certain that if she appeared before the King like this, he wouldn't be able to look away.
It must be said that while the Queen's personality leaves much to be desired, her beauty is undeniable. With her golden hair and striking features, she looked radiant in red.
The maids, seeing her in high spirits, showered her with compliments, further lifting the Queen's mood.
Mirabelle, wearing the red dress and holding the fan, was reluctant to change out of it, but she did.
She felt that this dress suited her better than the jewel-encrusted one she had commissioned. She hesitated over whether to wear this dress for her birthday banquet, her gaze falling on the remaining cosmetics.
These boxes also contained instruction cards, but Mirabelle didn't look at them. Instead, she summoned a maid, "Send someone to fetch Earl Williams' fiancée. Tell her I wish to see her."
Rather than figuring it out herself, it was better to ask the person most likely to know. Besides, she was curious about the foreign lady.
Being summoned by the Queen was an honor for any noblewoman. Although the summons was sudden, it couldn't be refused. Fortunately, Wei Wei had anticipated this possibility and had spent the past few days brushing up on court etiquette with Dolores's new etiquette teacher, courtesy of Allen. She was well-prepared for the meeting.
After a quick tidy-up, Wei Wei boarded the carriage to the palace, with Felix accompanying her to the palace gates, promising to wait outside.
However, upon learning of his presence, the King of Pradi sent someone to summon him as well.
Thus, the engaged couple entered the palace together, only to part ways in the great hall— one to see the King, the other the Queen.
Wei Wei was led by a maid to the Queen's bedchamber. Queen Mirabelle had already changed out of the dress. Before Wei Wei's arrival, the Queen had been switching between the two dresses, ultimately deciding to wear the one Wei Wei had sent for her birthday banquet. As for the originally commissioned jeweled dress, she planned to have the tailor modify it to accommodate a crinoline. If that wasn't possible, she would return it.
She didn't care if the tailor would suffer a significant financial loss.
Wei Wei, following the etiquette teacher's instructions, curtsied to the Queen, grateful that kneeling wasn't customary in Europe.
Upon seeing Wei Wei, the Queen immediately recognized her as a foreign noblewoman, likely of high status. Her demeanor was graceful and poised, her every movement exuding an air of nobility that even some daughters of great nobles lacked.
Her appearance, as the noblewomen had described, was distinctly non-Pradi, nor did she resemble anyone from any known country.
As a woman, Queen Mirabelle first scrutinized Wei Wei's face. Wei Wei's beauty was somewhat unexpected, but the Queen wasn't jealous. She believed herself to be just as beautiful, if not more so, with her mature allure compared to Wei Wei's youthful, almost childlike appearance. She even thought Wei Wei's features were somewhat plain, lacking depth.
However, Wei Wei's skin made her envious. It wasn't the dark complexion some had speculated; Wei Wei's skin was fair, but not the snow-white tone Europeans coveted. Instead, it had a creamy, almost oily sheen, smooth and delicate.
The Queen's eyesight was excellent, and they were standing close. She could easily see that Wei Wei wasn't wearing makeup, yet her skin looked better than the Queen's even with makeup. This was truly jealousy-inducing.
But jealousy aside, Queen Mirabelle remembered why she had summoned Wei Wei.
She warmly invited Wei Wei to sit, eager to satisfy her curiosity first.
"I heard you're from another country. Which one?"
"The Great Song," Wei Wei replied respectfully. "Also known as the Silk Country. My homeland is far across the sea, very distant from here."
Mentioning the Great Song alone didn't ring a bell for Mirabelle, but upon hearing "Silk Country," she understood.
Silk from the Silk Country was highly sought-after in Europe, yet also exceedingly rare. Even as a princess, Mirabelle had only seen silk a handful of times. Her wardrobe contained just one silk dress and a few handkerchiefs, which were already the envy of many.
Moreover, as the Queen, recently back in the King's good graces, Mirabelle had heard from the King about the Great Song's war with the feared Mongols—and their victory.
So, while distant, the Silk Country was not to be underestimated. Who knew if they might expand westward like the Mongols?
Upon learning of Wei Wei's origins, Mirabelle's attitude toward her shifted, becoming more friendly and warm. She inquired in detail about how Wei Wei had come to Pradi and how she had fallen in love with Felix. She expressed sorrow upon hearing that Wei Wei's family had succumbed to illness during their journey and marveled at the romantic circumstances of her meeting with Felix.
It must be said that Mirabelle, who successfully seduced the King to become Queen, was adept at charming others when she put her mind to it. Her every gesture seemed sincere and genuine, making it hard to imagine the woman she was in private.
Had Wei Wei not already learned about the Queen's true nature, she might have been fooled.
But since the two had no conflicts, and the Queen was being friendly, Wei Wei gladly reciprocated.
Soon, Mirabelle steered the conversation to the gifts.
"Those items must have been your idea, right?"
Wei Wei played along, feigning surprise. "How did Your Majesty guess?"
This was an implicit admission that she had indeed prepared the gifts.
Mirabelle chuckled. "Earl Williams' reputation for being clueless about romance is well-known throughout the capital. If he had prepared the gifts, they wouldn't have been like this."
Wei Wei nodded. Indeed, Felix's original plan had been to gift a set of heirloom jewelry and essential oils.
But she couldn't say that, so she simply smiled sheepishly.
Mirabelle didn't mind her reaction and continued, "I love the gifts you prepared. That dress is truly beautiful."
"I'm glad you like it," Wei Wei replied with a smile. "It's inspired by the fashion of a country I passed through on my journey. They favor large, voluminous skirts that cinch the waist, making the wearer look very elegant."
Mirabelle was surprised. "It's not a style from the Silk Country?"
Wei Wei shook her head. "The clothing in my homeland is very different from Pradi's. Due to the warm climate, our garments are thinner and wouldn't suit the current weather."
"Are they all made of silk? I heard everyone in the Silk Country wears silk."
Wei Wei: "Not everyone. Only nobles and officials can wear silk."
Only nobles could wear such fabrics—a restriction common in Europe as well.
Mirabelle seized the opportunity. "Then I'd love to see them someday. Did you bring any such garments?"
Wei Wei looked wistful. "I did. Although I may never wear them again, I keep them as mementos."
Mirabelle patted Wei Wei's hand reassuringly. "You might still have a chance to wear them. I heard the Duke of Devonshire will soon host a masquerade ball. Given Felix and Allen's friendship, the Duke will surely invite you. You can wear them then."
A masquerade ball? Wei Wei hadn't heard of this, but the Queen's information was likely accurate.
In that case, she would need to prepare.
Mirabelle then got to the main point. "I plan to wear the dress you gifted me at my birthday banquet. What will you be wearing?"
This was a hint not to upstage her, right?
Wei Wei played along. "After arriving in the capital, I realized the formal dress I brought didn't align with current trends, so I bought a suitable one—a white gown that I quite like."
Thus, neither the style nor the color would clash with the Queen's attire.
Mirabelle smiled, satisfied, and then moved on to the remaining gifts.
She had the maids bring the items over and laid them out on the table. Turning to Wei Wei, she said, "Explain to me how to use these. There's a lot I don't understand."
Wei Wei stood up. "How about I give Your Majesty a makeover? The maids can watch and learn quickly."
In Europe, noblewomen serving the Queen was considered an honor.
Seizing this opportunity, Wei Wei aimed to elevate her status further, lest anyone continue to gossip about her origins.
Mirabelle, who had intended this all along, smiled. "Then I'll trouble you."
"It's my honor to serve you. Shall we start with cleansing?" The Queen was indeed beautiful, but the strong scent of essential oils couldn't mask her heavy body odor.
Wei Wei had been enduring it for a while.
Coming from a colder country, Mirabelle hadn't been fond of bathing in the past. But recently, due to frequent essential oil massages, she had increased her bathing frequency. She nodded immediately. "I'll leave it to you."