Chapter 01

" I can't wait for the day of the party to arrive... I need to sew a new dress! " said Lucinda, jumping around happily as she twirled and held the hem of her skirt, imagining the dress she would make.

"Stop chattering and get back to stirring that spoon, we don't want to burn the sweets! " replied Cateline, concentrating on stirring the wood to fan the flames of the fire. Her face was covered in charcoal stains, and every time she tried to wipe them off with her hands, she got dirtier.

Cateline was focused and frowned as she checked whether she had put enough wood on the fire.

"You'll never find a husband like that! " said Lucinda, picking up the spoon she had put aside and slowly stirring the pot again. She looked at her sister with a bold smile on her lips and continued. - You know, you're already old enough to get married... I'm sure we'll find beautiful rich suitors at the party. Maybe we'll marry a merchant, or better still, someone from the army... My, that would be splendid, sister!

Lucinda smiled foolishly, her eyes sparkling as she spoke, but Cateline looked at her seriously. She didn't understand her sister's ambitious feelings and thought that finding someone decent to marry was already a challenge, especially with so many consequences of the war.

Cateline sighed and picked up another spoon from nearby. She approached the pot to help her sister, who was lost in thought and had almost stopped stirring the jam.

"You know we're not going to the party, right? We're staying at the entrance, selling sweets. Haven't you forgotten, sister?" Cateline looked a little disappointed for her sister, knowing how much Lucinda wanted to go to the party.

"I know, but what if we sell everything? Who knows? Even if it's at the end of the party... What do you think? " Lucinda replied with a sad expression on her face that soon faded. She began to focus on the candy again.

"That's it! Let's sell all these sweets... " She smiled again, bringing cheer back into the room.

"Look, I don't mind just selling the sweets. You can go to the party... " Cateline suggested, but Lucinda turned to her and replied promptly.

"There's no way I'm leaving you alone! No way... We're going to sell everything together, and if some thief comes or something, I won't leave you alone selling the sweets. Never, sister."

Lucinda had always been responsible, just like everyone else in the family. She prioritized everyone's safety and well-being, especially with all the wars and disasters going on.

"Right... Then let's sell all these sweets... " Cateline agreed, confident in her decision. She smiled sincerely at her sister.

After they had finished preparing the sweets, the two wrapped them in small pieces of banana leaves and corn. They smelled delicious, with only a few jams and preserves left to be made. It was a lot of work, but they would soon see a return.

The property's entire income depended on their recipes and products. The village festival would be a great opportunity to earn extra money, so the girls were working hard to produce as much as possible for the event.

Two days passed and the long-awaited party had finally arrived. Lucinda was in high spirits as she packed up the small wagon, putting everything they needed to sell on it. She hummed softly and smiled.

She was wearing a dress that she claimed to have made especially for the day of the party. It was a green dress, made from fabrics she had bought with her savings on the rare occasions she went to the village. Lucinda had always been beautiful, with dark blonde hair and striking green eyes, as well as an attractive body. She was short and attracted men's attention, but she had an ambitious plan to find a rich husband, so she paid no attention to anyone.

Cateline, on the other hand, had honey-colored hair, similar to her father's, and green eyes, like her mother and brothers. She was taller than Lucinda, with a nice body too, but she didn't worry too much about her looks or attracting suitors. Cateline saved up her savings to buy a house with a large plot of land for planting.

"You look beautiful! " said Milenna, mother of Lucinda, Cateline and Martin, as she came in from the garden with vegetables for dinner. She was accompanied by her youngest son, Martin, who was stunned to see his sister.

"Mom, has Lucinda become a princess?" asked Martin, tugging at his mother's skirt. Milenna laughed at the question.

"No, dear... But who knows, one day?" she replied, putting the basket of food on the floor.

Cateline took some baskets to the wagon, carrying bread she had just baked to sell. Her clothes were completely soiled with flour.

"Don't tell me you're going out like this? " Lucinda asked as she approached and tried to remove the dirt from Cateline's clothes.

Cateline was wearing a worn-out, dark blue dress that looked as if it had been worn for years and was fraying. There were even a few moth holes in it.

"We're just going to sell things as usual. It's no big deal... " Cateline replied, lifting the heavy basket of bread onto the cart. Lucinda held up something wrapped in an old cloth.

"What's this? " Cateline asked, curious. Lucinda held out the object to her sister.

"It's a party! And I know you, I wouldn't let you ruin my groom hunt. You'd scare even the customers like that... " said Lucinda, smiling at Cateline and waving the package.

"A dress...?" Cateline said after unrolling the fabric.

"Go and try it on. As I haven't taken your measurements, I don't know if it will fit... " Lucinda said, looking worried but still excited.

"Thank you so much, you know you didn't have to, sister." Cateline hugged her sister, who continued to insist that she try on the dress.

"Hurry up! We're running late. You can thank me later! " Lucinda pushed Cateline into the house.

Cateline tried on the dress, which was long and light-colored, simple and unadorned. Uncolored fabrics were usually cheaper, and Lucinda had little money. However, Cateline didn't mind the simplicity. Unfortunately, the dress was a little tight, revealing a little of her bust, but nothing a cape couldn't solve by covering her curves.

Cateline put on a long cape with a hood to cover the bare parts of her body. It would get cold soon, so there would be no problem in wearing it beforehand.