En route to the banquet hall, Joseph always felt the nobility were paying him respectful homage, yet the smiles on their faces carried a profound meaning.
He turned to Louis XVI and asked, "Father, is there something on my face?"
"Oh, no, my dear, I'm certain."
Louis XVI paused for a moment, then gave him a wink and whispered, "About those two young ladies the day before yesterday, um, did they really have a fight at your place?"
Joseph immediately facepalmed. No wonder their gazes were off. So it was about that?
The Palace of Versailles, this wretched place—no one cares about serious matters, but gossip spreads incredibly fast…
"Ahem! Actually, they were just…"
Joseph's expression slightly constipated, how to explain this one? That Catwoman came to repay her debt and didn't use the main entrance but climbed through a window, only to mistake the Maid, who was "dissecting bones," for an assassin and gave her a beating?
Louis XVI showed an "I understand" expression and smiled, "Ah, you don't need to explain. You're grown up now, you should have an adult life of your own."
Joseph, "As you wish…"
On the second floor of the Palace of Versailles, the "Catwoman" in question was anxiously asking Baron Candice, "So, Miss Delvaux's new dress was your handiwork?"
He nodded with a smile, "It is a piece of work I'm quite satisfied with."
"May I be so bold as to ask," Soleil asked shyly, looking down, "how much did that outfit cost to produce?"
"Miss Delvaux paid me 2,300 francs. If you like, I could also design one more suited for you…"
Upon hearing this, Soleil felt the world spinning. Jesus, the dress was that expensive?! If she had known, she wouldn't have refused the Crown Prince's offer and taken back those 5,000 francs.
She had planned to rest for a while, but now she could only continue working to make money; after all, more than 2,000 francs was no small sum…
Yes, that night when she kicked Camellia out, her dress got torn.
In the Palace of Versailles, there was never an option to mend a dress; that would become a joke among the ladies. The only way to deal with a torn dress was to throw it in the trash.
So she had to compensate Camellia for that dress, as well as the medical expenses for treating the injury, plus a bit more for an apology "gift." She probably needed to prepare around 3,000 francs.
Soleil felt the world was overcast and gloomy as she bid Baron Candice farewell without energy and embarked on her fundraising journey once more…
Elsewhere, Queen Mary who was attending a ball was earnestly "comforting" her "designated" future daughter-in-law, "Sasha, a gentleman of Joseph's age, especially one as outstanding as he, is always going to be surrounded by young ladies. But you know, he is not one to be easily smitten, I assure you."
Eight-year-old Alexandra blinked her beautiful large eyes, a look of confusion on her face as she nodded. Anyway, agreeing with the Queen was never the wrong choice, and besides, she mentioned that the Crown Prince was quite outstanding. Well, she certainly wasn't wrong about that!
Joseph had finished his dinner and chose not to "work overtime," as recently he was sincerely a bit tired, including emotionally.
When he returned to his sleeping quarters, he saw Perna standing in front of the drawing room, which somewhat surprised him— Doctor Miss was wearing a white... it should be her lab coat, but clearly, it had been modified, with a tapered waist and expanded neckline down to the chest. Hmm, today she seemed to have skipped the corset, allowing the lab coat to emphasize her curves beautifully.
Moreover, she had let down her slightly curly long hair, gently cascading over her shoulders. On her head was not the usual triangular hat but the small, neat swallow-tail cap he had designed for the nurses.
In summary, it was—a young lady's beauty coupled with the allure of uniform...
Joseph quickly reined in his thoughts and greeted Perna with a smile, "When did you return? Madame Lamarck's birthday party must have been quite grand. I have indeed been too busy, otherwise, I should have gone to congratulate her."
Madame Lamarck was Perna's mother.
Perna seemed very nervous, quickly curtseyed, and then said, "Mother would be very happy knowing that you wished to celebrate her birthday."
Seeing her stand there hesitantly, Joseph wondered, "Is there something you wish to say?"
"Ah, yes, Your Highness." Perna hurriedly picked up an exquisitely-crafted box from behind her and presented it to Joseph, "This is from Madame Lavoisier, she entrusted it to me for you."
Joseph took and opened it to find a gold filigree sword chape inlaid with a dozen rubies, which was a decorative piece that could be fitted at the entrance of a scabbard.
"She's giving me such an expensive gift?"
"Ah, Madame Lavoisier said it was custom-made for 230,000 francs."
Perna, dressed in her brand new professional attire, was somewhat at a loss. She suddenly realized that she wasn't quite cut out to be a go-between, awkward as a student who had walked into an examination hall without proper revision.
She bit her lip and went straight to the point, "Your Highness, I wish to request a pardon for Baron Lavoisier. He has deeply repented and is willing to pay a fine. Please don't let him go to jail, he truly is a good person and holds a very high reputation at the French Academy of Sciences.
"If possible, please consider my..."
Joseph patted his forehead, only then remembering that one of his reasons for returning to the Palace of Versailles was to ask his father for a Pardon Letter for Lavoisier. He had been so preoccupied with matters concerning firearms that he had completely forgotten.
If this dragged on, once the High Court's process was finished, Lavoisier might indeed have to serve time.
Since Perna had brought it up, he might as well do her a favor. He immediately said, "Since you've mentioned it, then I will ask my father for a Pardon Letter. Please tell Baron Lavoisier he no longer needs to worry about this matter."
Perna originally thought she'd have to plead with the Crown Prince for an hour or two at the least, but to her surprise, after only a few words, His Highness had agreed to her request!
This... warmth suddenly filled her heart, it seemed the Crown Prince truly took great care of her, no, this was tantamount to... doting on her.
The so-called traditional form was based on the maid's uniform from medieval Europe, with functionality as the primary appeal. The style was very simple and unadorned, mainly consisting of a white apron decorated with ruffles over a plain white long dress with a collar, and also the maid's headscarf would be worn on the head. This style of maid's uniform had essentially no decorations except for the ruffles on the apron and the bow made from the apron strings tied behind the back, including a satin ribbon tied into a bow at the neckline. Apart from that, the dresses were mostly black or in shades of blue and rarely featured bold colors.