Chapter 28. A Surprise Gift (1)
‘I don’t have to buy everything they brought, right?’
The jewels on each dress were obviously real, and judging by the luxurious fabric, the raw materials alone must have been expensive.
‘Wait, since the Grand Duke called Madame here, is he the one paying? Or is it coming from my personal funds?’
A cold sweat suddenly ran down my back.
‘I’m the Grand Duchess, yet I can’t even ask how much the dresses cost.’
“Your Highness, would you like to try one on?”
Since I didn’t give an immediate response, Ramondria held up a blue silk dress that matched my eye color.
“Shall I?”
Once I tried the dress on, my worries only deepened.
The dress looked stunning on Annette’s face—so much that even I had to admit it was beautiful.
“Oh my! Your Highness, it suits you perfectly!”
Each time I tried on a new dress, Ramondria let out an admiring gasp.
When I put on a pink dress with a large decorative ribbon in the center, even the quiet Whitley nodded slightly, along with the shop staff.
But in my mind, thoughts were racing.
‘I can just buy one or two, right?’
“I’ll take this pink dress. And…”
I hesitated between a white dress that I liked more and a blue dress that seemed more practical.
That’s when Ramondria bowed her head, as if thinking I was dissatisfied with the dresses.
“If these are not to Your Highness’s liking, I can prepare new ones as soon as possible.”
“Oh, no, that’s not it. I actually like all of them. I just don’t know which one to choose.”
“Ah.”
Hearing that, Ramondria’s tense expression softened slightly.
“Your Highness.”
Whitley, who had been quietly listening, carefully stepped forward.
“You’ll need many dresses for spring. Even if you order new ones later, why not purchase all the ones brought here today?”
“Huh?”
“His Grace the Grand Duke instructed me to ensure that you never feel lacking in anything.”
Lowering his voice so Madame wouldn’t hear, Whitley continued.
“He also promised a generous payment. If you only take one or two, he might actually be disappointed.”
It was a subtle suggestion, as if he knew exactly why I was hesitating. Without realizing it, my cheeks warmed slightly.
‘So he’s telling me not to worry about the money.’
Whitley had probably heard from the maids about the state of my wardrobe.
‘I tried to bring as many dresses as I could from my family’s estate, but they were too bulky to pack much.’
Anyone with eyes could see that I had been rotating in only a few old dresses.
Even the Grand Duke must have noticed by now.
I already knew he was considerate, but I didn’t expect him to be this thoughtful—helping his wife in a way that wouldn’t make her feel embarrassed.
His unexpected gift suddenly felt incredibly touching.
“Now that I think about it, I do need more dresses.”
With a slightly excited expression, I looked at Ramondria.
“I’ll buy all the ones I tried on.”
“They’ll look even better once we tailor them to your exact measurements.”
At my words, Ramondria smiled happily, and even Whitley looked pleased.
“Oh, and while we’re making adjustments…”
I hesitated before continuing.
“I’d like to modify the designs a little.”
Hearing that, Ramondria, who had been moving busily, suddenly froze.
There was no doubt that she had put great care into these dresses.
The stitching was meticulous at first glance, and the neckline and cuffs were adorned with intricate details.
But because of that, I felt something was slightly lacking.
In reality, I may have dressed poorly, but I prided myself on having a keen eye for fashion.
That was because advertisers and models were always extremely picky about clothing.
To find good references, I never missed top magazines or fashion shows from around the world. Naturally, my standards became quite high.
‘Which made it even sadder, honestly.’
Still, I could tell that if Ramondria’s dresses were just slightly simplified, they would look far more elegant.
“Y-you mean…”
Ramondria surprisingly stuttered.
“I also thought a more extravagant style would be better. If you give me some time, I can add more jewels and decorations.”
“Huh? No, that’s not what I meant…”
“Or would you prefer to make the dress fuller with more frills and lace? If you tell me your preference, I will adjust it accordingly…”
“Wait.”
I quickly stopped Ramondria, who was speaking rapidly.
“I don’t want the dress to be any fancier than it already is.”
“Of course, it should be more—What?”
Ramondria’s eyes widened as if she had misheard me.
“I actually want it to be much simpler.”
“But in the capital, a more elaborate style is…”
Ramondria trailed off awkwardly.
Judging from her reaction, it seemed that the current fashion trend in the capital was overly extravagant.
Well, Ladriel’s dress was practically blinding with all its tiny gemstones.
“But this isn’t the capital.”
“That’s true, but…”
“As the Grand Duchess of the North, it would be strange for me to follow the capital’s trends.”
Ramondria clenched her hands tightly.
“I spoke out of line.”
“I wasn’t trying to scold you. I just want my dresses to match my own taste, regardless of trends. For example…”
I pointed to an olive-colored dress covered in frills.
“You want to highlight the hemline, don’t you?”
The skirt had layered hems that created an elegant, tiered effect. The delicate pleats alone were enough to attract attention.
“But the frills make it feel cluttered. It’s the same for all the dresses. There’s no empty space.”
“A-all of them?”
At the word “all,” Ramondria pursed her lips.
‘Did I hurt her pride too much…?’
Seeing her darkened expression, I hurriedly added,
“Oh, but I love the one I’m wearing now.”
I twirled slightly, showing off the last dress I had tried on.
Unlike the others, it had a simple silhouette, yet the intricate embroidery made it look refined and elegant.
“This one… is your favorite?”
Ramondria looked utterly shocked.
“Yes.”
I nodded firmly.
“I don’t even think it needs any alterations. I’ll wear it as it is.”
“……”
“Madame?”
At my call, Ramondria finally snapped out of her daze and spoke carefully.
“But… for the Grand Duchess, wouldn’t this dress be too plain?”
Hearing her hesitant voice, I shook my head.
“Instead, its precision and detail stand out more. The craftsmanship is already excellent.”
I ran my fingers over the delicate embroidery.
“Most importantly, I don’t want to look like the dress is wearing me. I want to wear the dress. Do you understand?”
Of course, I could have given detailed instructions for each dress, but I wanted to leave it up to Ramondria one more time.
A designer who could create a dress like this would surely understand my meaning.
With a slightly trembling voice, Ramondria replied,
“…I will try to modify them according to Your Highness’s request.”
As she took my measurements, her face looked confused, but I pretended not to notice.
‘The Grand Duke is spending a fortune on these dresses, so I can’t wear them carelessly.’
Still, it was funny to think that the Grand Duke was personally arranging clothes for his enemy’s daughter.
He’s such a… kind man. Not a pushover. Definitely not.
And yet, he never seemed to care about his own clothes.
Now that I thought about it, with just a few changes, he could look even more dashing.
Had he ordered new clothes for spring?
I turned to Whitley and asked, and as expected, he shook his head.
“I’m sorry to say, but His Grace hasn’t ordered new clothes since the winter before last.”
‘Leaving that face so neglected is practically a crime.’
I immediately leaned toward Ramondria, who was busy noting my measurements.
“Do you have the Grand Duke’s measurements by any chance? I’d like to order a few outfits for him as well.”
“I do.”
Before Ramondria could even answer, Whitley brightened and stepped forward.
“Quick, bring out the men’s pattern plates!”
Ramondria hurriedly instructed her staff, and even her face lit up with excitement.
Every time I had to tie a plain cravat around his sculpted neck, it had felt like a waste.
Now, imagining the Grand Duke in stylish new outfits, my mind buzzed with inspiration.
Meanwhile, on the way back to the castle…
“The key issue with the Keltara Trading Company is this: The Merion side is deliberately lowering prices to steal smaller merchants, so we need to forcibly intervene…”
As he listened to his assistant Perel, Loic absentmindedly nodded.
His guard, Leon, followed a step behind.
They were heading back to the main estate.
The setting sun cast a warm glow, and the magic streetlights flickered on, illuminating the path.
“Your Grace?”
Perel, who had been talking for a while, looked at him curiously.
“What?”
“…Are you thinking about Her Grace the Grand Duchess?”
“What nonsense.”
“Well, you certainly wouldn’t be making that wistful expression over the Keltara dispute.”
Perel smirked and shrugged.
