Bad woman, am I pretending to be bad?

Like a panicked hamster startled by the approaching voice, the black-haired girl trembled and instinctively cried out.

"Ah, Miss Watson, you, you've come too."

"What, don't you welcome me, your competitor?"

Charlotte didn't stand for long; she casually sat down opposite the girl.

She placed her palms upright against the edge of the table, lifted her knees so that her legs were crossed, and then placed her hands together at the base of her thighs, making a playful remark.

"No, no, besides, how can I compare to you, Miss Watson..."

She shook her head, lowered her eyelids, and her inferiority complex almost seeped out.

But the next moment, a pair of warm, slender hands cupped her cheeks, causing the soft flesh on both sides to sink slightly.

"Oh, Miss Watson... excuse me, are you... are you wiping your hands?"

With her eyes wide open, she mumbled incoherently, and even after suffering such hardship, Winnie couldn't shake off her inner fear.

"Pfft, how could that be, Miss Winnie."

Amused by these extremely pitiful words, Charlotte chuckled softly, without stopping the kneading motion in her hands.

"I didn't like what you just said. Don't tell me you don't know why you're sitting here. Since you're here, it proves you have some confidence in this job, doesn't it?"

Between her fingers, the bird girl's youthful face was kneaded and shaped at will, and before long, the blush of shyness covered her original fair skin.

"...That's different. I really, really need this job."

Twisting the hem of her clothes, as if recalling her own family situation, Winnie's tone became increasingly low, "It's something I really need, so even if the chances are slim, I have to try."

Oh, just like the little peacock, she's another girl with unspeakable troubles. In this world, it's truly a tragic yet—common story.

Stop teasing the bird girl, Charlotte stepped back to her original seat, softened her voice, and naturally offered words of comfort.

"Don't put so much pressure on yourself, Miss Winnie. Even I am just a lamb chosen and tested by that wicked gentleman. Our situations have always been the same. So, just keep a calm mind."

Winnie seemed somewhat touched, but upon glancing at the girl's polyester clothes, she immediately deflated.

“I can’t help but be nervous, Miss Watson. I’m not an aristocrat like you, and I’ve never attended a tea party like this before. I simply—”

Charlotte raised a finger to her lips and exhaled a warm, moist breath.

"Shh~"

“There’s no need, Winnie. The first step to success is daring to try. How can you know if it’s suitable or not if you don’t even try?”

He then gestured for the girl to relax. The girl turned her head slightly, letting a casual smile spread across her delicate features, a smile that seemed both a lie and a truth.

"Being self-deprecating is a bad habit. So what if you're a nobleman?"

"I've considered you a friend from the very beginning, Miss Winnie~"

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Many Layers of a Bad Woman's Schemes

"friend......"

Muttering this word that felt both so close and so far, Winnie glanced at the girl furtively, her eyes filled with longing yet also hesitation.

"Ah."

First she affirmed, then raised the corners of her lips and asked in return, "It is often said that practice makes perfect. Miss Shana, would you not like to be my friend?"

"No, of course not."

Shaking her head repeatedly, the bird girl's face immediately tightened. She dreamed of becoming a composed and graceful lady like the other girl.

"Since you don't deny it, and I'm also interested, and we might meet again in the future, it would be impolite of you to make any more distant excuses later."

With a rising tone at the end of her sentence, Charlotte made her words sound lighter and more cheerful. She spread out her five fingers and offered them to Winnie.

Staring blankly at those slender hands and long, delicate fingers, the bird girl hesitated for a moment before gently grasping them.

"...Thank you, Miss Watson."

Winnie murmured to herself, her heart pounding with excitement yet tinged with an unshakeable sense of unease.

"However, you can just call me Winnie. I don't deserve the title of 'Miss'. All twelve of my sisters and cousins ​​are named Shana. I'm just one of them, not the youngest. If we're really talking about it, there are way too many Shana girls."

"it is good."

Charlotte listened quietly without interrupting Charlotte's outpouring, only speaking again after the conversation had faded away.

“Since Winnie is asking, I’m naturally happy to be a little more intimate. But since we’re friends, we should treat each other equally. How about you call me Watson?”

"After all, I've always felt that Miss Josephine, who only has one friend, is quite lonely."

Ignoring the little peacock for the moment, the girl lied without batting an eye, seemingly valuing this friendship even more.

From the very beginning, she had been interested in this bird girl, not in the sense of liking her, but because weak and insecure people are more easily controlled by others.

Naïve is fine, and so is simple. Charlotte never looks down on the poor or rich, nor does she despise or belittle anyone. She has only one requirement for those who might be by her side.

That is 'useful'.

Perhaps Winnie is just a child from a poor family with no powerful background, but she is self-aware enough not to cause trouble. She might even bring some surprises or provide some small help in times of crisis.

Just like the potion recipe that Sofby brought her, and Singer introducing her to Ms. Mosang, interpersonal relationships are also a kind of wealth, which can be used and borrowed one day.

Moreover, Charlotte has no other choice now. The pressure of a month hangs like the sword of Damocles. She must deepen her relationships with everyone she knows as much as possible in order to gather as much strength as possible.

The so-called relationships are nothing more than friendship, romance, and family ties. Maintaining appropriate boundaries and knowing when to advance and retreat are especially important. Her past experiences may be unpleasant to mention, but they have also made Charlotte a master of one aspect of this art—

Under the guise of a close friend, he showed her the care of a lover.

Therefore, whether it's training, pretending to be obedient, or even sacrificing the puppet's life if necessary, it's all acceptable as long as it helps one escape the predicament openly and honestly.

As her thoughts drifted away, Winnie heard the girl's words and was initially surprised, but then a gentle light appeared in her eyes, and she nodded lightly and firmly.

"Yes, I will try my best, Miss Watson."

"It would be wonderful if Winnie could regain her confidence."

Having said all she needed to say, Charlotte took out her pocket watch from her inner pocket, opened the cover, and instinctively tried to check the time, only to find the hands stopped, stagnant.

It was only then that she remembered that this sophisticated machine seemed to have been damaged by the rough road conditions when she took the cheap train yesterday.

Feeling helpless, the girl intended to retract her previous statement, but then she noticed that the bird girl was secretly watching her. She mustered her courage and tentatively asked.

“Um, Miss Watson, I know a little about watch repair. If you're comfortable with that, you can—”

Before Winnie could finish speaking, Charlotte placed the pocket watch into Winnie's palm and encouraged her with expectant eyes.

"The capable should do more work, so thank you for your hard work, Winnie."

She might be a little stunned, but when she opened the pocket watch and looked at the gears of the clasp, the black-haired girl became completely focused and single-minded, as if she were a different person.

Following the graceful movements of fingertips and the gentle trembling of eyelashes, after a few flicks, the ticking of the hands resumed.

Looking at it this way, the bird girl's hands and eyes are quite skillful. Her coordination and concentration are outstanding, just like a natural-born craftswoman.

As I thought this, the distant chimes of the clock tower also came through, striking nine times in a row, melodious and ethereal.

Without ignoring this crucial information, Winnie listened intently and then turned the pointer in the correct direction, twisting it repeatedly until the seconds were precisely calibrated.

"Miss Watson, see if it can move again."

After repairing the pocket watch, she didn't make a fuss. The bird girl simply paused her fingertips and asked him with some trepidation.

"Really, Winnie, you're my lucky star. I'm going to sing your praises to all those rich girls later."

After opening the cover and confirming that the stitching was correct, Charlotte exclaimed in genuine admiration.

Great, I've saved some money on watch repair. If I had taken it to a watchmaker, I might have ended up paying several pence more.

It worked very quickly; although not as effective as the little peacock, the ordinary Miss Winnie was still able to help herself in the smallest ways.

"No, no, there isn't..."

Although the girl's head was still bowed low, the blush on her cheeks revealed her inner pleasure.

After this conversation, Winnie gradually relaxed during their time together, not only taking the initiative to share her own experiences, but also adding small responses to the topics Charlotte brought up.

However, not long after, the office door was pushed open again, and a head of bright red hair, bathed in the midday sunlight, gracefully lowered her head to meet the gaze.

She was still wearing a fitted dress, and still had a voluptuous figure. The little peacock with its tail feathers spread out stepped into the front hall and then noticed the two people sitting to one side.

It was Winnie, whom he had met before, and Josephine Watson, a 'friend' whom he couldn't quite define.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she couldn't help but bite her lips. Listening to the harmonious conversation and the intimate way they addressed each other, a feeling of suffocation immediately welled up in her lungs, and a strange sense of irritation rose in her heart.

Especially after Sufby saw the two figures holding hands and chatting freely, she inexplicably strode forward and sat down next to the silver-haired girl.

"Ah, it's Miss Sophoby!"

The bird girl called out the former's name first, but Charlotte, who was usually very perceptive, remained silent as if no one else was around.

Even after Singh gathered the documents and approached the three of them, she still did not respond to her little peacock.

"Now that everyone is here, let me reiterate the arrangements for the tea party. You need to take the opportunity to strike up conversations with the noble ladies in order to obtain information about Ms. Ksia, whether it be her lifestyle or her connections..."

The old detective's voice was calm and deep, soothing to the soul, but what he saw was that the red-haired girl had already wrapped her arms tightly together, unaware that she was even pulling out wrinkles.

Upon seeing this, Charlotte's lips curled up slightly, clearly—

Of course she did it on purpose.

Chapter Thirty: The Heartfire of Indulgence

The words of affection were endless, and before they left, the old detective also put aside his airs and explained the precautions to the three of them in great detail.

"Ladies, please be careful what you say and do. Although I very much hope to glean clues from this meeting to further our investigation, it is my duty as a gentleman to offer this advice—"

"Most of those attending the tea party are nobles, or at the very least, young ladies from wealthy families. They are arrogant and consider themselves superior. Remember, all I need is information about Ms. Ksia, and you should try not to offend them in the heat of the moment."

As if to calm the group down, Singh clapped his hands lightly, smiled, and spoke again.

"Finally, even if you fail to achieve your goal, I will still pay you a certain reward."

Having received this assurance, Winnie breathed a sigh of relief and let the maid cleanse her face, apply powder, and outline her eyebrows.

In fact, this step had been going on for half an hour. After everyone was in place, the old detective, along with several hired women, did their hair and makeup, and styled them to resemble the demeanor expected of a noble lady.

Foundation, blush, and eyeliner were no different from her previous life, and she was even bolder in her use of color. If Charlotte hadn't refused earlier, those heavy powders would probably have landed on her face.

It wasn't that she disliked makeup, but rather that she resented the strange feeling of it covering her skin. Besides, the young woman believed that her own demeanor and mannerisms were the best foundation for her makeup, and her confident attitude was the best embellishment.

Therefore, Charlotte did not change into a dress, but remained in her smart trench coat, leather boots, vest, and trousers. She did not need any makeup; her upright figure and calm eyes were enough to attract the attention of many.

After flipping through the newspaper several times, she turned her eyelashes and glanced at the little sparrows, which looked even more beautiful after being adorned.

Unlike her previous state of being a hidden gem, when she changed out of her patched and worn-out clothes and put on an elegant light yellow dress, with her hair delicately braided and her eyebrows drawn on, Winnie's exquisite and pure features were revealed, blooming like morning flowers.

As for Sufby, she was already beautiful and didn't need to dress up. She simply put up her long vermilion hair and lowered the hem of her lace skirt to show her graceful and noble figure. In fact, in order to conceal her former status, the girl deliberately darkened her skin and added freckles.

Who wouldn't love something pleasing to the eye and beautiful?

Lowering her gaze, she followed the fair neck down to the waist, and then to the slender curves cinched in the dress. Although the wearing experience of this type of dress was not ideal, it did accentuate a woman's unique charm, especially as she followed the smooth back, the slightly sunken spine, down to the tucked-in hips.

If one could gently stroke along this shallow hook, sometimes feeling the body tremble slightly, sometimes hearing soft soothing sounds, it would surely be a wonderful experience.

Thinking this, Charlotte couldn't help but narrow her dark eyelashes, letting her tongue brush against her lips, stirring up the restless fire in her heart.

"..."

Perhaps it was the girl's gaze that was a little too intense, because Sufby paused, glancing around at the people around her.

But after looking around, all that was present were the maids who were doing her makeup and the old detective who had been standing far away to avoid suspicion. As for the always timid Winnie and Watson who was flipping through the newspaper, they were not among her suspects.

After racking his brains to no avail, he had no choice but to give up. Just then, a call came from afar.

"Ms. Watson, please come here for a moment. I have something to tell you."

Standing outside the screen, Singh tapped the wall lightly to emphasize his words.

Without hesitation, Charlotte got up and went back to the front hall, where she saw her employer, who was smoking his pipe and puffing out thin smoke.

"Sir, smoking is bad for your health. If you want your lungs to become like steel wool, then never mind."

"Pfft, I know, but often, tobacco can numb my overly tense mind, allowing me to relax my body and mind after a long time."

Singer chuckled, still arguing his point, but he had already extinguished the spark with his hands, accepting the girl's concern.

"So, what brings you here today?"