Second Arc: Nineteenth Chapter

"Mother, there's something I'd like to talk about."

I knocked discreetly at Mother's door and waited for an answer.

"Cosette? Come in, come in."

Mother opened the door at once and ushered me inside. I'd visited often as a child, but it had been a while since I'd last been in her room.

Mother's room was furnished throughout in a refined, feminine style. The girlish decor — pale pink walls scattered with a small-flower pattern, white furniture — was Father's choice. It suited Mother perfectly; she had a girlish charm you'd never guess belonged to a woman with a child of sixteen. My own room had been much like this until I got my past life back, but it was so overwhelmingly princessy that I couldn't settle, and I'd gradually redecorated.

I sat down on the sofa and, facing my softly smiling mother, worked up the nerve to speak.

"The thing is, I'm thinking of making a new kind of riding wear…"

I showed her the design sketches Madam Zamus and I had come up with, and explained.

"This is the dress I have in mind, and I'd so love for you to wear one too, Mother."

"How novel~. But what a lovely design!"

Mother put a hand to her cheek and smiled brightly.

"And I think it would be a very good thing for women riding to become common enough that riding wear catches on. There still aren't many women who ride…"

"Yes. If only there were some good way to make riding popular among women…"

I put my head in my hands, at a loss.

"I know!" Mother clapped her hands together, the very picture of someone who'd hit on a fine idea. "There's to be an autumn hunt soon, hosted by His Majesty the King. Why don't you come along, Cosette, for the first time in ages? His Highness the Crown Prince will be there too."

"A hunt! Now that takes me back!"

I'd gone to hunts as a child, brought along by my parents, but since getting my past life back I'd been too busy to attend. Though at a hunt, the ladies often do little more than enjoy tea out of doors.

"Come to think of it, do women not hunt? Or ride, that sort of thing?"

It probably wasn't forbidden as such, but I'd hardly ever seen a woman hunt. At my words, Mother tilted her head, thinking.

"No, no woman hunts. But Her Majesty the Queen does ride. I ride myself, to keep her company — I was never any good at it, but the Queen invited me, and…"

Mother chattered on happily, all smiles.

The truth is, Her Majesty and Mother are quite close. The Queen is beautiful herself, but she has a particular love of beautiful things — everything from artworks and jewelry to people. And so Mother — the flower of high society, her beauty rivaled by only one or two among the great ladies — was a great favorite of hers, summoned to the royal palace often. On top of that, the two of them are the same age, and their children are the same age as well. Perhaps they talk about child-rearing and schooling. Nobles often don't raise their children themselves, but maybe it's something like what my past life would have called "mom friends."

"Let me see… Her Majesty is an active sort, so she might well take to riding wear. I'll recommend it to her!"

"To Her Majesty?! Th-that's far too great an honor."

Things were getting big. As I quailed, Mother gave a mischievous smile.

"Hee hee. Her Majesty does love a new thing. Why, over the slippers and the high heels she sulked at me — why didn't you tell me sooner!"

"Sulked…"

I'd hardly ever met Her Majesty. That dignified, noble, elegant lady, sulking… picturing it, somehow it was terribly endearing.

"Actually, she's been saying for some time that she'd like to meet you, Cosette, so this is perfect!"

"Meet me?"

Whatever for? I tilted my head, puzzled. Because I'm Signora's designer, perhaps? For a queen so keen on fashion, that was plausible enough.

"There's the Signora matter, yes, but… I rather think she wants to judge whether you're suitable as the crown prince's match."

"What?!"

As His Highness's match?! I felt my face go red — but then I remembered the mother-in-law troubles of my past life, and the blood drained right back out.

"Ah… I really don't want to meet her…"

My true feelings slipped out before I could stop them.