Falling To Paradise

The first dress was a light pink ‘tea gown’ that could be comfortably worn without a corset, made from a lightweight, breathable fabric that was suitable for summer. The shoulders and neck area were decorated with gold lace, and the long trailing skirt had red flowers embroidered on it.

 

“My brother said that this kind of dress is in fashion among the ladies of the capital this year. Here, with this matching shawl, you can also wear it when greeting guests or in the spring and fall.”

 

Anje, after wrapping the shawl around herself, looked even more satisfied.

 

Jean-Pierre’s skill was superior to that of the famous designers in the capital. Moreover, it was comfortable to put on and take off… Although the skirt was a bit loose and seemed more suitable for leisure rather than work, having such a dress wasn’t a bad idea.

 

“Well, now that you’re all dressed, shall we show it to your husband?”

 

“What? Oh, um…”

 

Anje, hesitant at the suggestion, stepped out of the fitting room. Showing the new outfit to Aiden felt somewhat embarrassing, but on the other hand, she felt she should confirm with the person who paid for it whether it was okay to choose this one.

 

“How…does this look?”

 

Seeing Anje appear shyly, Aiden dropped the parasol he was holding, and Jean-Pierre clapped his hands enthusiastically, uttering all the admiration phrases he knew.

 

TL/N: I WANNA SEE!

 

“I knew it would suit Mrs. Fitzroy! How it matches with your dawn sunlight-like hair and gem-like eyes is beyond words–”

 

Aiden finally snapped out of his daze as Jean’s endless flattery began to pierce his eardrums.

 

“…It suits you well, Anje.”

 

Unable to come up with a more fitting praise, he chewed his lips in thought, but every adjective and noun that came to mind was intercepted by Jean-Pierre.

 

So he repeated the same words once more, this time more slowly, emphasizing each syllable.

 

“It suits you well.”

 

A red blush appeared on Anje’s face and then faded. Mary didn’t miss the brief moment and interjected.

 

“There is also a yellow version, so please try that on as well.”

 

The next yellow tea gown was as light and flowing as the previous one but had a simpler design with puffed sleeves. Additionally, the hem of the skirt was decorated with sunflower embroidery.

 

If the previous dress was like a pink geranium touched by dawn dew, this dress was like a midday dandelion.

 

“This one also seems good… What do you think? Which should I choose?”

 

Showing the outfit to Aiden, Anje was unsure which one to choose. He gave a clear answer.

 

“You can buy both.”

 

“…Isn’t that too wasteful?”

 

“If both dresses suit you so well, isn’t not buying them the real waste?”

 

It wouldn’t be necessary to wear tea gowns so often; one would be enough. Anje shook her head but couldn’t hide her happy smile.

 

In fact, she liked both tea gowns and couldn’t decide between them.

 

“Now, let’s try on the other dresses. Since Madame mentioned the empire line last time, I’ve reinterpreted the dresses in a modern way. All of them are designed to be worn comfortably without corsets.”

 

Thus, Anje’s fashion show continued without interruption.

 

The four-over dress made from red gauze with a translucent silk layer was elegant enough to be worn as an evening dress in high society.

 

There were also two types of empire dresses suitable for everyday wear: one with a wide blue ribbon wrapping under the bust on off-white fabric, and the other with a narrow green ribbon on ivory fabric.

 

Additionally, there were even more comfortable cotton one-pieces. Similar to Nancy’s dresses but adorned with lace, ruffles, and ribbons, they suited Anje even better.

 

“I can’t decide which to choose…”

 

“Let’s buy them all.”

 

Aiden liked every dress Anje tried on. Each dress highlighted her beauty like a rose surrounded by baby’s breath.

 

Any lingering grudge against Jean-Pierre was completely gone.

 

“It seems like too many…”

 

“Considering you haven’t bought any before now, it’s not that many,”

 

Anje felt embarrassed by his generous attitude but couldn’t bring herself to say not to buy them. She also liked all the dresses Jean-Pierre made.

 

In particular, the last dress she tried, a light green chemise dress, was so beautiful that even a queen executed for being too extravagant in Francia might have envied it.

 

It featured layers of ruffles and multiple orange ribbons tied around the sleeves, waist, and chest for added detail.

 

To emphasize her statuesque décolleté line, the neckline was cut wide.

 

“This dress… it’s really made for me.”

 

Anje exclaimed, stroking the dress that matched the color of her hair and eyes.

 

Mary, understanding her feelings, smiled and tried to guide her back to Aiden.

 

“Then, this one too—”

 

“Wait, I’ll show this one later.”

 

Although she couldn’t explain the reason properly, she felt embarrassed to show Aiden her fully dressed-up appearance.

 

“Is that so? Well, it might be better to make a grand reveal when it’s just the two of you.”

 

At Mary’s sly smile, Anje couldn’t think of a response and blushed.

 

“Ah, anyway, I really like it. Please be sure to tell Pierre thank you for making it with such care.”

 

“Thank you, my brother will be pleased.”

 

She carefully took off the beautiful dress to avoid damaging it and changed back into her old clothes.

 

Mary suggested she return in the new clothes, but Anje was cautious about getting them wet or dirty.

 

“Please wrap it up so it doesn’t get wet.”

 

“Yes, madam. Oh, by the way, there’s also some newly made underwear for testing purposes. I’ll give this to you as well. It’s modeled after corsets that were in fashion during the empire dress era.”

 

“It looks interesting.”

 

Anje looked at the underwear, which only covered the chest rather than the waist, with curiosity.

 

“No matter how light the corset is made, it’s uncomfortable when doing hard work, right? This one is much thinner and lighter, so please try it and if it’s okay, order more.”

 

Anje nodded with gratitude. Although it looked unusual, and it was given for free, the light and simple dresses she bought today seemed to match well with such underwear.

 

As the two of them emerged from the fitting room, Pierre was energetically discussing the next sale with Aiden.

 

“—However, I recommend not wearing the empire style dresses after early autumn. Even though they have additional linings, they’re not suitable for chilly temperatures. It would be a problem if you caught tuberculosis by mistake.”

 

The mention of tuberculosis was a frightening term for Aiden, who prioritized Anje’s health above all. He pondered, stroking his chin, and reached a clear conclusion.

 

“I should come back in the fall to buy thicker clothes.”

 

It seemed a good idea to hunt a few foxes and have a warm fur coat or arm warmers made from their fur.

 

“Ah, you really know what you’re talking about! Perhaps you and I were born under the same star.”

 

“That doesn’t seem quite right…”

 

Aiden, unexpectedly treated as a soulmate by Pierre, took a step back with a clearly reluctant expression.

 

Not missing the opportunity, Anje brought up the point she had been planning.

 

“Mr. Pierre, I’m sure you can make a suit that will look great on Aiden, right?”

 

Considering the cost of the additional dresses she bought today, she wanted to have a very fine suit made for Aiden.

 

“Here, please make the best suit you can with this money.”

 

“No, it’s my clothes, so I’ll pay.”

 

“Stay still. I also want to buy something in return for you.”

 

Aiden and she had a bit of a squabble, but this time, Anje, who was determined to give back, ultimately won.

 

Moreover, Aiden was also happy that she wanted to buy him a gift while not wanting to burden him financially.

 

When Pierre received the money Anje offered, his eyes sparkled. A new custom clothing customer, this was excellent.

 

“Bien sûr! With this amount, we can make a very fine suit. By the way, for Aiden…”

 

Pierre looked carefully at Aiden. From his strong calves and thighs to his broad shoulders overflowing with masculinity, he examined him slowly.

 

‘Oh ho.’

 

Having always been captivated by Anje, he hadn’t realized that Aiden would make an excellent model for the clothes he would create.

 

Feeling the intense gaze, Aiden crossed his arms in front of his chest to shield himself unconsciously. He didn’t want to receive such a heated look from another man, not even from Anje.

 

Ignoring the discomfort on Aiden’s face, Pierre raised his voice and declared,

 

“…The inspiration has arrived. You are my muse number two!”

 

“I don’t want to do that.”

 

Regardless of Aiden’s grumbling, Anje and Pierre teamed up to push him into the fitting room. It was time to take his measurements.

 

“No, I’ll undress myself. Don’t touch me. No, no, I said don’t touch me. And stop calling me a muse.”

 

Hearing Aiden’s stern voice from inside the fitting room, Anje chuckled softly. Although she didn’t know exactly what was happening inside, she could imagine the expression he was making.

 

TL/N: LMAO.

 

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