If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 78

Why is this happening today?

Georgiana, still in her drenched clothes, went to the laundry area and returned to her room much later with an incredulous expression and empty hands.

The clothes she had hung out to dry that morning had vanished without a trace.

Since it was a calm day with no wind, she doubted they had blown away. She had even searched the surrounding area to no avail.

She had placed them in a corner to distinguish them from the Riverns’ clothes and those of the servants, so it wasn’t likely that a laundry maid had taken them by mistake.

No one would steal such worn clothes to wear, surely.

Could it have been a ghost?

Georgiana frowned at the sight of the still-stained clothes she had scrubbed diligently by hand. She had informed the butler earlier that she would visit Raymond after dinner, but she couldn’t appear before him in such a state.

However, she couldn’t postpone the meeting either. She needed his permission to borrow a carriage for a trip into town early the next morning to buy clothes.

Eventually, she reluctantly settled on wearing the plainest dress Catherine had given her. It was an ivory muslin dress embroidered with delicate flowers.

She planned to explain the situation and say her clothes had gone missing.

Fortunately, the dress fit her well, as Veronica’s measurements were similar to hers. The length and waist needed no adjustment. The only issue was the tightness around the chest, though as long as the front buttons held, it wasn’t noticeable.

Georgiana braided her hair to one side and, with her unadorned face, stepped out of her room.

She ignored the maid who had been eyeing her for some time and headed toward Raymond’s office. As she approached, she encountered him returning to his room in the corridor.

Relieved she didn’t need to knock on his door, she quickly walked up to him.

“Mr. Rivern, I was just about to look for you. I had already informed the butler earlier—do you have a moment now?”

“……”

Perhaps she had spoken too softly? Receiving no response, Georgiana called out to him again, puzzled.

“Mr. Rivern?”

Because of the height difference, she craned her neck and looked up, and met his face that looked as bewildered as if she had seen a ghost. His golden eyes, directed at her, flickered wildly like a lamp’s unsteady flame.

Could it be because of the dress she was wearing?

She had worn it without much thought, but now she wondered if seeing her in it might have unsettled him. Feeling self-conscious, she tugged at the long sleeves of the dress.

“This is actually what I wanted to discuss. About the clothes you mentioned…”

As she began to explain, Raymond cut her off abruptly.

“Why are you wearing that dress, Miss Leona?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking why you’re wearing Veronica’s clothes.”

Raymond clenched his fists, seemingly suppressing his emotions, and scrutinized her outfit with darkened eyes.

“Did you enter that room?”

“This was because you….”

Startled by his icy demeanor, Georgiana stammered, only for someone else to interject.

“Master, allow me to explain.”

Catherine, leading a group of maids with a triumphant air, stepped in between them.

“You’re saying you’ll explain this?”

“Yes.”

Catherine, still under Raymond’s frosty gaze, continued her explanation.

“Previously, when Miss Leona mentioned needing clothes, you instructed me to handle it. When I conveyed this to her, she asked if she could wear the madam’s clothes. So, I had no choice but to give them to her. She seemed eager, as she changed into them immediately.”

“What? That’s absurd.”

Wide-eyed, Georgiana looked up at Raymond as he listened to Catherine’s explanation.

“Mr. Rivern, you don’t believe that, do you? Why would I covet someone else’s clothes? I had planned to go to town to buy my own. The butler can confirm this.”

“The butler went to rest earlier due to feeling unwell. Don’t drag in someone who isn’t present for no reason.”

While it was unclear why the butler, who had been fine earlier, was suddenly unwell, it was certain that no one was available to support her claim.

Seeing her troubled expression, Catherine sneered and raised her voice.

“Furthermore, this isn’t the first time Miss Leona has coveted the madam’s belongings. There are witnesses who saw her leaving the madam’s room after some jewelry went missing. Isn’t that right?”

Two maids, one familiar to Georgiana and the other a stranger, stepped forward.

“The head maid’s words are true. We saw Miss Leona coming out of that room as we passed by the corridor.”

“I-I saw it too.”

“Afterward, while cleaning the room, we discovered the jewelry was gone.”

Hearing this, Georgiana immediately shook her head. “That’s not true. Today was the first time I went into that room to pick up the clothes. Before then, I didn’t even know where it was. Why are you lying about this?”

“We’re not lying. There are witnesses to prove it.”

No matter how hard she tried, Georgiana couldn’t fathom why Catherine was going to such lengths. Why would someone fabricate such accusations unless they were out of their mind?

“If any of this is proven false, no one will be forgiven,” Raymond said coldly.

His words didn’t seem directed solely at the maids.

After quickly organizing her thoughts, Georgiana responded in a composed voice.

“Today, I asked the butler for permission to borrow a carriage to go to town and buy clothes. That’s when Catherine offered to give me clothes and led me to that room. I refused several times, but she insisted.”

“She’s lying, Master. If that’s true, why is she wearing the madam’s clothes?”

Catherine’s claim that Georgiana was wearing Veronica’s clothes made the other maids whisper among themselves.

“I brought the clothes back to my room, but during dinner, a maid spilled food on my dress. When I went to retrieve a change of clothes from the laundry area, I discovered my clothes had been taken. That left me with no choice but to wear this dress.”

“How many coincidences like that could possibly happen?”

“Exactly. Why have all these things happened to me today?”

The strange events of the day finally seemed to connect like links in a chain. Had someone gone to such lengths to orchestrate this? To steal her clothes just for this outcome?

She resolved to expose Catherine’s schemes as soon as possible.

“As for the jewelry, it must still be in Miss Leona’s room. Since she hasn’t left the estate, she couldn’t have taken it anywhere.”

“Yes, search the room immediately.”

“Stop. That won’t be necessary,” Raymond said, attempting to prevent them from rummaging through her belongings.

“Master, if we let this go, similar incidents will happen again. We must confirm everything, even if it’s an inconvenience. It won’t take long. The steward would agree if he were here.”

Realizing that allowing the search might be less burdensome than continuously facing false accusations, Georgiana nodded.

“Let them search. But if nothing is found, I expect a sincere apology.”

“Since Miss Leona permits it, we’ll proceed,” Catherine said triumphantly, leading the maids like a flock of sheep to Georgiana’s room.

Fearing they might pull another trick if left alone, Georgiana quickly followed them. Before she could leave, Raymond grabbed her arm.

Startled, she turned to him as he released her hand and bowed slightly.

“I apologize for my earlier rudeness.”

“Rudeness?”

“Seeing you in the clothes my late wife often wore unsettled me, and I directed those feelings at you unfairly.”

“It’s fine. I understand how you feel. Although I wore the dress out of necessity, I should have sought your permission first. I’m sorry for not doing so.”

If Catherine had orchestrated this without Raymond’s approval, his reaction was understandable. She would have felt similarly shocked or upset in his place.

Raymond’s reaction seemed restrained, and his apology made Georgiana feel even more perplexed.

“I know you wouldn’t wear someone else’s clothes for the reasons they claim. I’ll uncover the truth behind their accusations.”

Georgiana looked up at the kind man before her.

If he had made this statement after proving her innocence, it might have felt like a mere formality. But hearing it now, she felt his genuine trust.

Having spent a lifetime misunderstood and disregarded, she had initially believed Locke’s faith in her only to discover it was all a lie.

Despite everyone accusing her, Raymond was the first to apologize and express his belief in her.

That trust made her throat tighten with emotion. Perhaps that’s why an impulsive, twisted question slipped out.

“What if they do find the jewelry in my room?”

She regretted it the moment the words left her mouth. There was no need to voice such doubts.

When she looked up, Raymond had returned to his usual expression, smiling playfully.

“Then I suppose that jewelry must have grown legs.”

“Pfft.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, his words reminded her of something Sarah used to say, making her laugh.

Sarah often joked about her lost items, saying they must have grown legs.

The unsettling tension that had clouded her all day lifted slightly thanks to Raymond.

For the first time, she felt she had a steadfast ally who truly believed in her.

Determined to get to the bottom of this, Georgiana urged him to follow her.

“Shall we go find that rare jewelry with legs?”