Chapter 8
Because the dress was heavy, Yulia checked behind her through the mirror instead of turning her body. Cayente was leaning crookedly against the doorframe, looking displeased.
“Count, when did you get here? But you shouldn’t be in here… You do know you’re not supposed to see the bride’s dress before the wedding, right? Hoho, I guess since you’re from the duchy, you might not know. I’d appreciate it if you could leave, Count.”
The tailor, upon seeing Cayente at the door, tried to gently usher him out with a smile, but Cayente repeated what he’d just said, still standing where he was.
“If I hadn’t seen it, would you have shown up to the wedding wearing something this revealing?”
“Revealing…? Which part?”
Revealing? The tailor looked genuinely confused, as if unable to understand, while Cayente, in contrast, couldn’t believe the tailor’s reaction.
“You’re saying this isn’t revealing?”
“I honestly don’t see what part you’re referring to…”
Caught between the bickering pair, Yulia stood silently, swallowing dryly.
Revealing? What part of this dress is?
Yulia also agreed with the tailor’s words, but she couldn’t outright deny Cayente’s claim either. His eyes, fixated on the shoulders and chest area, weren’t joking — they were uncomfortably intense. Under his gaze, Yulia felt as though she were completely naked.
“I’ll ask for some lace to be added to the top.”
He acted so uninterested in the wedding, yet now this becomes a problem? Though absurd, Yulia couldn’t bring herself to completely hate Cayente’s reaction.
“My lady…”
“It seems the problem is that my skin is too exposed. But my neck and shoulders will still be visible, so the design won’t change much, right?”
“Well, yes… But to cover these beautiful shoulders… what a shame.”
For the first time, something that could be called emotion flickered in Cayente’s eyes. And the fact that it was sparked by her — that he might be somewhat conscious of her — made her a little happy. Perhaps it was because she was so exhausted from all the previous indifference.
“Will that do?”
At any rate, Yulia felt much better than she had when she’d first arrived at the dress shop.
“Do it that way.”
She had thought he would ignore her again after calling her out here, but Cayente had shown up — even if late.
“Would you please leave? Brother, you may not know the imperial customs, but it’s said that if the groom sees the bride’s dress before the wedding, the marriage won’t go well. There’s no reason to break such a rule knowingly, right?”
Surprisingly, he turned around without argument. If even something like that brought tears to her eyes with gratitude… would that be an overreaction?
“I’m sorry. You waited a long time, didn’t you?”
Worried that he might leave her behind if she lingered, Yulia hastily changed out of the wedding dress and stepped out into the store. Fortunately, Cayente was still inside, looking at dresses in the showroom and talking with a staff member…
“Where do you source the silk used here?”
“I’ve heard it’s imported through Eastern Trade from a country called ‘Ina’, Count.”
How could he manage to disappoint her so consistently without missing a beat? Even though Yulia stood next to him and tried to speak, Cayente didn’t respond and remained focused on his own business.
“What about cotton?”
“The recent wage increase for laborers has raised the price, but cotton from our empire is still the best in quality.”
Touching the fabric and asking about it made it clear — he hadn’t come here solely because of Yulia. Being in the textile business, he must have stopped by for market research, and their paths had simply overlapped.
What a foolish hope she had. As Yulia’s shoulders drooped in disappointment, Henry stepped in to explain — a weak excuse, but still something.
“The Count is currently working to expand into cotton textiles, so he’s paying close attention to existing products these days, haha.”
Henry even added that the Count had been meeting factory owners lately and had been very busy — all in an effort to comfort Yulia, though she already knew the truth.
No matter how busy he was, did he not have a moment to respond to her?
It had happened before too. The way he acted when they ran into each other on the street wasn’t simply because he was busy. Throughout all the wedding preparations, she kept reminding herself he was just busy — trying to soothe her disappointment alone. And now, that self-consolation made her angry.
She’d tried to see Cayente in a better light, not realizing he was deliberately leaving her out.
“You know what kind of business the Count runs, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know. He works in textiles… but doesn’t he already deal with cotton?”
Though angry, Yulia couldn’t ignore Henry’s efforts to lift her spirits. He brightened at her question and answered with more enthusiasm.
“He’s mainly worked with wool. On the Count’s estate in the Duchy of Esacudia, they raise sheep. He moved to the Empire because there are many regions here that produce high-quality cotton… Or so I thought, but perhaps it’s really because he came to bring you as his bride. Don’t you remember me telling you that I was late greeting you because he moved sooner than expected?”
“I remember.”
Now that the topic had come up, Henry began listing all the things Cayente had taken care of after suddenly moving to the Empire — finding a house, hiring staff — all within a week.
“He’s always someone who plans ahead. I wondered why he was in such a rush, packing only essentials first… But considering how quickly he arranged the wedding, it must be because of you.”
Whatever the reason, she was certain it wasn’t because of her. Yet Yulia was still thankful that Henry tried to explain things as though there were another reason for her being ignored. It didn’t ease her heart completely, but it helped.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes, Count.”
“Where did you say the restaurant was?”
“Just around the corner. What about the lady…?”
Despite Henry’s efforts, Cayente once again acted as though Yulia didn’t exist, leaving the fitting room without her.
Yulia thought she must be a fool — always hoping, always disappointed. But was it really necessary for him to be this cold? Even if he was busy or had changed, even if all he needed from her was to bear his children — still, was this kind of treatment necessary?
“I’m hungry too!”
So she shouted.
No matter who it is — especially if it’s the woman you’re going to marry — shouldn’t you at least ask if she’s eaten as lunchtime approaches? That’s what a decent human being would do. She couldn’t stand it any longer without saying something.
Cayente turned around at her outburst, his face unreadable and cold. Yulia braced herself, ready to hear something like, “What does your hunger have to do with me?” But surprisingly, this time, Cayente behaved like a proper human being.
“Come with me.”
That only made things more confusing. He acted like he didn’t care about her, but he did respond when she said she was hungry.
If Yulia hadn’t said anything then, Cayente would have just walked away. He would’ve said something like, “I don’t have time to leisurely eat with you,” or even if he had time, “I don’t want to spend it with you.”
“Welcome, Count. The reservation was for two… Do you have another guest?”
“You’ve heard that the Count is getting married, haven’t you? This lady here is the one who will be the Countess.”
“Oh my! I didn’t realize she was such an important guest…”
