IBMOT Chapter 48

Chapter 48

 

Everyone in the dressing room was startled by the sudden arrival of the head of the household and immediately bowed their heads.

“G-Greetings, my lord!”

Erina, unable to remain the only one standing stiffly in such a situation, quickly followed suit and lowered her head.

Dylan, clicking his tongue at her reaction as if she were looking at a complete stranger, took a step forward.

“Miss Erina, you should show me your face.”

“Huh? Oh… yes?”

“I personally gifted you that dress, and yet you have no intention of showing it to me properly?”

Dylan’s voice spread through the quiet dressing room, and everyone, including Lynn, widened their eyes at the unexpected exchange.

Erina slowly lifted her head. Her face was slightly flushed, perhaps out of shyness or embarrassment.

This time, Dylan didn’t just smirk, his eyes curved as he broke into a bright smile.

Even in his eyes, Erina looked quite stunning in that dress.

“Honestly, Dylan, you’re much more beautiful…no, I mean, more handsome!”

Taking a good look at Dylan in his formal uniform, Erina gaped.

Dressed entirely in black, his pale skin and silver hair shone even more brightly in contrast.

A golden sash embroidered with intricate patterns ran from his left shoulder to his right hip, and his broad chest was adorned with so many medals that they were impossible to count.

His uniform was far more lavish and sophisticated than the outfits Erina and the children were wearing.

And yet, unbelievably, even such a splendid outfit seemed dull compared to Dylan’s sheer beauty.

Perhaps the physical differences between humans and dragons were truly incomparable.

Erina couldn’t take her eyes off him, inwardly marveling, No matter how many times I see him, his looks are beyond human.

“Praise from you always makes my heart race, Miss Erina. Thank you.”

“O-Oh, um… yeah! Kids, isn’t your uncle so cool?”

Embarrassed by Dylan’s genuine delight at her compliment, Erina turned to the children beside her.

But the triplets, who absolutely detested the idea of calling Dylan ‘uncle,’ shook their heads in unison.

“Dylan’s not that great. Erina’s the best!”

All three of them spoke in perfect harmony.

Their grumbling made everyone stifle their laughter.

Only Erina scolded them, “You shouldn’t say that to your uncle!”

At this point, it was impossible to ignore it—Erina’s presence in House Harrison was far more significant than expected.

Lynn, watching Erina’s demeanor remain largely unchanged even in Dylan’s presence, felt the same instinct she had back in the fitting room.

“Miss Erina? I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation, but shouldn’t we check on that thing you requested?”

Lynn carefully approached Erina.

It was her first time seeing Dylan Harrison, the second son of the family and now its head, up close and her heart pounded.

Erina suddenly remembered.

“Oh, right!”

She quickly followed Lynn back into the fitting room.

“…??”

Both the children and Dylan watched in confusion as Erina disappeared.

A little while later, she reemerged, carrying several boxes in both hands.

The white boxes were tied with ribbons in different colors blue, red, purple, and silver.

Anyone could tell that the colors matched the triplets’ hair.

Resen, Lia, and Poi immediately realized the boxes were meant for them.

They ran excitedly toward Erina, their jewel-like eyes sparkling as they looked up at her.

Smiling, Erina handed each of them a box.

Resen carefully examined his, tilting it this way and that, even shaking it slightly to guess what was inside.

Lia tried to untie the ribbon right away, but when she struggled with it, she let out a frustrated “Grrr!” and tore the box apart.

Poi, on the other hand, quietly held out his box to Erina again, clearly wanting her to open it for him.

Watching the triplets’ different approaches to their gifts, the adults couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Among them, only Dylan had his eyes locked onto the one box Erina was still holding.

Erina first untied the ribbon on Poi’s box, then helped the other two open theirs.

Inside, there were brand-new ribbon brooches, resized to fit the children’s growing frames.

“Wooooow!!”

Delighted with their gifts, the triplets grabbed their brooches and began bouncing up and down in excitement.

Seeing how happy the children were, Erina also felt delighted.

Poi was the first to step forward, followed by Lia and Resen, each holding their brooches.

“Put it on for me!”

“I want mine here!”

“Resen wants it on his head!”

Erina tried to grant their requests, but unfortunately, the brooch had a sharp pin, making it impossible to attach it to Resen’s hair.

With no other choice, Resen pinned his brooch on his chest like Lia and Poi.

The chiffon ribbons and gemstones, which perfectly matched the children’s eyes, shimmered beautifully against their outfits.

Their cuteness was enough to make the gift-giver proud.

Lynn and the other dressmakers couldn’t stop adoring the triplets, convinced that they would be the most admired and beloved at tonight’s banquet.

As the adults surrounded the children, fussing over them with excitement, a quiet voice interrupted.

“Ahem. Miss Erina?”

Dylan had discreetly moved to Erina’s side and whispered to her.

Startled by the unexpected voice, Erina flinched and turned her head to the left.

There, Dylan was looking down at the box still in her hands, his eyes filled with curiosity.

“Does that box have an owner?”

“Huh?”

“The one you’re holding. It may just be a coincidence, but the ribbon color looks exactly like my hair…”

Dylan casually ran a hand through his silky locks.

Erina glanced between his handsome face and the box.

Of course, the gift in her hands was indeed meant for him, just as he suspected.

Compared to everything she had received from him, it was incredibly modest, but she still wanted to show her appreciation.

However, seeing him in his splendid uniform today made her gift seem utterly inadequate.

Feeling embarrassed, Erina subtly moved the box behind her back.

“…?”

Dylan raised an eyebrow at her reaction, tilting his head slightly as he leaned in to get a better look at the box.

Erina turned her body to block his gaze, but it was useless—Dylan was relentless, not even blinking once.

With a deep sigh, she finally surrendered.

“…Yes. This is a gift for you, Dylan.”

“I knew it!”

“B-But it’s really nothing special, so please don’t expect too much…”

Resigned, Erina hesitantly handed him the box.

Dylan, pleased with his victory, smiled brightly and carefully unwrapped the package.

Inside was a gemstone in a chilling sky-blue hue, identical to Dylan’s eyes.

The gem shimmered in different colors as light reflected off it, encased in an intricately designed silver bezel.

Dylan stared at it without blinking, just as he had before.

Erina had no idea what he was thinking.

Was he pleased? Or disappointed?

She felt like a student waiting anxiously for a teacher to grade her homework.

Her heart pounded, and she swallowed nervously.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly until Dylan finally lifted his gaze and met hers.

His expression was one she had never seen before… pure joy, excitement, shyness, and happiness were all mixed together.

If she had to put his emotions into words, they would all be warm and fluttery ones.

“Thank you… Thank you so much.”

His reaction was far bigger than Erina had expected, making her face grow hot.

Compared to what he had, her gift was insignificant.

Yet Dylan acted as though he had just received the most precious treasure in the world.

Everyone in the dressing room blinked, as if they were seeing something unbelievable.

“I-I should be the one thanking you!”

Flustered, Erina fanned her flushed face and turned away.

Immediately, Dylan moved to stay in her line of sight.

Then, he took the gemstone out of the box and placed it over his cravat.

“This was given to me by Miss Erina, so would it be alright if I put it on now?”

“Of course! But… don’t you think this cravat pin is too plain compared to the rest of your outfit?”

She worried that if he wore something so simple, others might criticize him for it.