I Raised Cinderella Preciously

Chapter 5

1. She's in the body of her stepmother - 5

I continued, looking pitifully at the man and the fabric he was holding.

"My brother is Earl Murphy. It's as the old people say that your manners to stare at the elderly with your head up high is what your father has taught you, isn't that so?"

At that moment, the man's face became redder. He made a face like he didn't know I was of nobility. But it doesn't matter. I turned my head in displeasure and said to Iris.

"Let's go, girls. It's been a long time since I've had a drink, over here's a bit offensive to the eye."

"Come on, wait."

The man tried to stop me but he couldn't. I tried to ignore him and quickly leave, however Iris then opened her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I was desperate to see it with you. I should have just called someone for a white dress."

Where's the white dress? I questioned in my head, but for now I left the store with the children. The man hurried up and shouted.

"Ma, Madam! Madam!"

He followed us a little more after that, but I ignored him and walked forward, until either he finally gave up or his voice became out of earshot.

There are a lot of shops. You don't have to buy clothes from such a stupid man.

"Mother, you're great."

Ashley spoke with wonder. Really? I looked back with a big smile. No, I tried to turn around.

When the long recesses loosened, I began to feel pain. I paused and sighed.

"Mother!"

"Mother, are you alright?"

The children surrounded me with a worried look. I wish I could sit somewhere. I wish my ankle wasn't dislocated. I looked around the main side to see where I could sit.

But there were only small shops around the narrower road. What did the man who gave the ring say? The Fairy Sam? Is it gone already?

I was standing there trying to make use of the time to rest until the store next to me burst open.

"What's going on?"

She was a little older than I was. She looked at my face, her eyes widening, then she turned to Iris, Lily, and Ashley. She looked at me again and then came running in surprise.

"Oh, are you alright?"

The woman hurried over and grabbed my skirt. Oh, that's right. It was torn by the fall. I was so furious that I forced myself to walk that even this I have forgotten.

She took my hand and found the wound, and then she put it back, "Oh, my God." Then she left me and shouted as she entered the store.

"Come in!"

Iris looked at me with the silent question, 'Shall we go in?'. I sighed and nodded. Honestly, I wish I could sit down. The wound on my knee hurt like hell.

"This way."

The store was much smaller than the one we had entered before, and even though there were no shelves of fabric unlike earlier, it was really much smaller because when the four of us had entered, the store already became full.

The woman who hurried into the shop opened a door and began frantically cleaning up the chairs and piles of paper on the table.

"Sit down there! I'll get some water and towels."

Then she went out of the room, which was smaller than the store, so I could only enter the room after she left, with only two single chairs and a small table. It was hard to stand when two people sat down.

"Why aren't you sitting?"

I hesitated to sit down, but then she came back and she put the basin of water and a clean towel on the table and forced me to sit anyway.

Then she grabbed my skirt and asked.

"Let me see."

The fall was not as serious as I thought, but it was more serious for the children. Iris, who was staring incomprehensibly behind her, was startled and groaned.

"If you mix honey with mouse poo, it will heal quickly."

The woman said as she wiped the wound on my knee. What did she say? Surprised, I asked.

"What do you put on?"

"Honey with rat poo. And if honey is a little expensive, they say it's okay to just put on rat poop."

Are you crazy? I would never put any waste on my wounds, but at that moment, Mildred’s memory reminded me that it was really the cure in this world.

You're crazy, you're crazy.

I sighed. At thirty-seven, I had three children and two husbands, and now I’m going to put a rat on my wound.1

Come to think of it, there was something like folk remedies even where I used to live. There is a saying that dog poop can be used as a medicine, so it might have been used like this.

But! Me! I will never put something like that on my body!

"It's alright. Just wash with clean water."

I can go home and wash it with soap. I can also disinfect it with alcohol, but I honestly doubt there is pure alcohol in the house.

She nodded in recognition and looked at my skirt and said, “I’m sorry.”

"Your skirt is torn."

I can't. I sighed, looking at my skirt like her. Then I looked up and said,

"Oh, thank you for your help. My name is Mildred Barnes. These are my daughters."

Iris, Lily and Ashley greeted in order. The woman smiled at me and the children.

"It's Davina. A dressmaker."

It was a good business. I was wondering what kind of store it was. But shouldn't the dressmaker have a pile of cloth just like the one I left earlier?

"What's a dressmaker?"

Ashley asked. Iris was seen making a facial expression, 'Don't you know that?'. I immediately answered.

"The people who make clothes are called dressmakers."

"Oh, clothes. But this shop doesn't have any cloth?"

When asked by Ashley, Davina stood up and said,

"The cloth is in the other room. Want to see it?"

That's great. I got up and followed her. Davina said in amazement.

"Why don't you sit a little longer?"

"I actually fell down when I came to buy clothes. Can I see the design and the fabric?"

Davina's face lit up. Huh? I was surprised to see how bright it was. She then clapped her hands and spoke.

"I see. Who will wear it? Mrs. Barnes? Or one of the children."

All four of us should wear one. Unmarried children are not allowed to wander around alone. They should be accompanied by either married or widowed wives.

It is also the same in the debut at the castle.

I thought about what kind of dresses Mildred had worn before. No, I tried to think about it. But I couldn’t remember what.

Well, I guess it's the same with not remembering where I used to live or what clothes I have worn in the past.

"First of all, these three kids."

Let's think about my dress. It's not like I'm participating in the debutante. I'm just a protector. Moderate clothes will suffice.

Davina looked back at the children and asked what caught their eye.

"I was invited to a debut party at the castle."

Davina’s face was thin as she turned to me. Huh? I looked at her, and she said, shaking.

"The, the debutante we wear in the castle? That's too much!"

"You, aren't you a dressmaker?"

"That's right, but, but, a debutante?"

Then she put on a look of surprise again, sat down in front of me and said,

"There are no excuses. I didn't know you were a noble and for that, I, I beg your forgiveness."

Oh, right. This is a world where the king rules the country.

Seeing Davina's attitude, I then realized that there was still a class here.

My position was rather vague. Mildred was the Earl's daughter and her brother had taken over the title of house, however, Mildred had married a commoner, so she was still a step in the earl ranks.

Iris and Lily are the same. These kids have a baron father.

But not Ashley. Her father was a commoner.

I guess it's because it's a fairy tale.

I heaved a sigh and bowed down to Davina. It would have been better if I had bended my knee, but I couldn't due to the pain.

"Get up, Davina. I'm a nobleman, but my husband is a commoner."

"But, ma'am, I heard you were invited to the debutante at the castle."

The debut party at the castle is like a market where women over 17 and men over 19 gather to announce themselves.

Of course only the nobility are invited and both Iris and Lily are children of nobility.

This is the oil that the stepmother did not take Cinderella to the party in the castle. She's not a nobleman.

But the invitation also marked Ashley’s name. What was this? Mildred's memories reminded me of the death of her first husband twelve years ago. During that time, Ashley's biological mother also died.

It was because of the epidemic. Quite a few people died and of course the number of nobles decreased. I guess there aren't enough unmarried aristocratic women to marry.

Davina was still sitting on her knees before me. It felt little uncomfortable. I was a modern person, and the world I used to live in was apparently classless.

It was quite a strange and unpleasant experience that someone could kneel and bow in front of me simply because I was of nobility.

"It's alright. Get up."

I forced her to sit down on the chair opposite to me, at the same time, she took a gaze at my daughters and looked uncomfortable.

"As I said, our debutant will be held at the castle in two months."

I told her we'd talk about the dresses to divert her attention. This time,I felt Davina turned white as I felt uneasy.

"How, how dare I..."

What's the matter with you? I asked with my head tilted.

"Davina, the four of us are going to the castle. I'm wondering if I'd ask you to provide us the dresses."

I was wondering if she wanted to go to the castle in exchange, but then she groaned and said, with her face buried in her hands.

"My, my dress... In the castle."

Oh, was that it? Oh, my God. I looked at Iris because I was dumbfounded. But Iris looked as if Davina's actions were natural.

I looked around the store once again. Certainly smaller than the store I first entered and that store must have had a room like this. That means it is at least twice as small.

She may never have had a chance in making a nobleman's clothing.

Even if it is the same clothing store, the level varies depending on the customer who trades. To have a fair trade, you have to have a lasting store, you have to have a certain level of skill, and you have a regular who can introduce you to the nobles.

But I guess this shop has never been in business with a nobleman, and I looked at the wall, which seemed to have not been painted very recently, though it was not old, and said to Davina.

"Davina, I want my daughters to stand out in the castle. If your dress isn't up to the challenge, We'll wear another one from another store so that you don't have to take that burden."

Davina began to slow her breathing. As I watched the fear and excitement in her eyes slowly subside, I was wondering if I should make a dress in another shop besides this one.

Do I have to ask her to work harder? I wonder. Davina then jumped to her feet and said,

"Do you want to see the fabric samples?"

Yeah. That's the spirit.+

---------------------------
CL: I wanted to show you guys a page of the novel so I inserted a picture of it in this chapter. It was really really tiresome cause really (〒﹏〒) I can't speak Korean. I just know how to write and read so it was really hard. I did my best though so I hope you guys like it. And as for this chapter, Mildred was really awesome! (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)