Chapter 52
Stellar froze for a moment, her gaze falling on the broken hairpin lying on the ground.
She recognized it immediately.
Stephen hesitated as well, reaching down to pick it up but she was faster.
“This is mine”
She examined the fractured piece, noting the clean break.
“It’s broken.”
It must have happened during the fall when he shielded her.
Blinking in surprise, she processed the thought–Stephen had bought one of her designs?
Was it just a coincidence? Or was he at the boutique earlier too?
Isher
Either way, the hairpin was damaged, and she felt responsible.
After a brief pause, she spoke with quiet seriousness.
“It looks like the fall cracked it. If you don’t mind, I can repair it for you. Or, if you’d prefer, I can replace it with a new one.”
She would consider it her way of making up for today.
Her clear, earnest gaze held no ulterior motives, only genuine sincerity.
Stephen was momentarily at a loss for words.
But he knew she had the skills to fix it.
After a brief pause, he nodded.
A small smile appeared on Stellar’s face as she carefully took the hairpin.
“I’ll let you know once it’s repaired. Don’t worry, I’ll have it done soon.”
With that, she gave a polite nod and turned to leave.
Stephen watched her retreating figure, his expression unreadable, his thoughts shifting beneath the surface.
Before heading home, Stellar made a quick stop at the hospital to get her scrapes treated.
To avoid worrying Mary or alerting Claude, she slipped on her jacket to hide the bandages before walking into the estate.
As she pushed open the garden gate, a familiar sight greeted her
+15 Bonus
Mary was in the yard, carefully tending to the plants.
With her back turned, she hadn’t noticed Stellar yet.
For the first time, Stellar caught a glimpse of the elegant updo Mary had styled her hair into that day.
Pinned neatly into the side of her bun was the carved wooden hairpin Stellar gifted her.
Its intricate floral patterns blended beautifully with the real blossoms blooming in the garden, making her look both graceful and
refined.
There was something deeply grounding about the image–a quiet, dignified approach to life that spoke volumes.
A sense of warmth settled over Stellar, and her lips curved into a smile, her mood instantly lightening
“Mary, I’m home.”
“Miss Stellar.”
Mary set down her gardening shears and turned around.
The moment she saw the expression on Stellar’s face, she smiled knowingly.
“Looks like you passed your exam. To celebrate, I’ll make your favorite spicy ribs tonight.”
“Thank you, Mary.”
After expressing her gratitude, Stellar headed upstairs to her room.
She pulled out a beautifully crafted box from her drawer and placed it on the desk.
Opening it, she revealed an organized set of fine tools, materials, and rare, expensive embellishments used for crafting hairpins.
Though she primarily focused on design, she was more than capable of repairing and crafting pieces herself.
It was just that the process was too time–consuming, so she usually stuck to sketches.
Sitting down, she carefully retrieved the damaged hairpin from her pocket.
Studying it for a moment, she picked up her tools and began the meticulous work of grinding, polishing, and restoring it.
Time slipped by unnoticed.
By the time Mary knocked on the door and stepped inside with dinner, she caught sight of the piece in Stellar’s hands.
The hairpin had been transformed.
Tiny pearl inlays now graced the surface, glimmering like scattered stars against the dark wood–elegant, understated, yet utterly captivating
“Miss Stellar, this hairpin is absolutely stunning. It looks so refined and luxurious,” Mary marveled, unable to hide her
admiration.
Then, as a thought crossed her mind, a trace of concern flickered in her expression.
“The one you gave me… it must have been expensive, wasn’t it?”
As a housekeeper, she wasn’t comfortable accepting something too extravagant.
Stellar easily guessed what she was thinking and smiled reassuringly.
“It wasn’t expensive at all. The one I gave you was something I made myself. It hardly cost anything.”
Of course, she conveniently left out the part about the premium materials she had used.
Only then did Mary relax.
“Miss Stellar, you really are talented–so skilled in so many things. Nothing ever seems too difficult for you”
