Chapter 7.
Leblem Shopping Street (Part 1)
‘Strangely, when I hold you, the heat that scatters my mind fades away.’
‘You’re a bit warm.’
‘…As a symbol. Hmm, I must have told you not to move, right?’
The man’s threatening voice rang out softly in the strange atmosphere. It was just meant to be a tease, but it seemed to provoke him as the man climbed over me. He trapped me with his strong arms and slid between my legs, placing them on his thigh.
‘No other cheeky cat like you.’
With our bodies pressed close, the man, his disheveled hair brushing against the pillow, kissed my neck. As his tongue teased my neck, I shivered and he nibbled gently.
‘Who else said you were like a cat?’
Following the finger that swept up my chin, I raised my head. When he brought his lips to the perfect position for a kiss, he asked, ‘Your name?’ Suddenly, Retina, who had just awakened from the dream she had dreamed, threw off the blanket and got up. Her neatly combed hair, done by Lena before going to bed, was now a mess as she let out a silent scream.
“Why! Why? Why do I have such a dream today?”
Am I lonely? Was that it? The vacant eyes that had lost their soul gazed into empty space. The dream that vividly recalled that day made it feel as if I had gone back in time.
‘This, this is just because I saw something I shouldn’t have seen yesterday. It’s not because I miss him.’
Retina hugged the pillow to her chest. It was not just about dancing with the crown prince; it was also about seeing such things. And the reason it appeared in her dream was simply because it was her first time. They say that first times are memorable. As soon as you sleep with other men…..
“I don’t want to sleep with other men!”
Retina, who had the pillow in her arms, threw it away and protested vigorously. She wished that she had been so drunk that the memories of that day were fuzzy, but because she was only vaguely intoxicated, the night of that day was vividly recalled.
“Miss? Are you awake? Lord Sat said to wake you up late because you must be tired, but you woke up early.” Retina’s protest ended when Lena came in.
Lena, who drew the curtains and opened the window to freshen up the stuffy room, clapped her hands and led Retina out of bed.
“Come on, Miss! If you’re awake, should we get ready?”
“Hmm?”
“‘You’re going to the royal ball as the partner of the Crown Prince! Our lady, who always insisted on living quietly in the countryside, finally… Ugh. In that case, I can’t just sit still! Leave the royal ball attire to me!'”
Lena wiped away fake tears and clenched her fist before shouting. The look in her eyes as she gazed at Retina showed determination, as if she had been holding back for a long time.
“A dress…? I was just thinking of wearing something from my wardrobe.”
“What? How can you say that! Moreover, it’s been two years since you last visited the mansion, so all the dresses are from the fashion trends of two years ago! The First and Second Lords have also said that this is the opportunity to get new dresses.”
Lena, standing upright with her hands on her waist, blocked Retina, who was trying to escape.
“You could alter the dress I wore before…'”
“A debutante dress? That’s out of the question!”
Retina cringed under Lena’s gaze. It seemed like no excuse would work now.
“I haven’t even given a definite answer yet, and you’ve already tailored a dress?”
“What? Don’t you know that everyone already believes you’re the Crown Prince’s partner?”
“What??”
“Some noble guests at the party yesterday requested the Crown Prince to be their partner, but he refused them all, saying ‘I already have a partner’. Then he danced exclusively with you, completely smitten.”
Retina remembered the Crown Prince from yesterday. He had already laid the bait and was just waiting for her to get hooked.
‘I was clearly trying to avoid the Crown Prince, so why did things turn out like this?’
Retina wrapped her head and sat down. Maybe she should have persisted in not going. Instead of quietly enduring the debutante ball, she had caused an even bigger issue.
‘No, it’s better this way. If I stay close, he won’t suspect that I’m the one he’s looking for, as long as he doesn’t take it off. How else could he find out?’
And once the debutante ball was over, I would quietly return to the countryside home, and the Crown Prince would give up eventually. Why was he searching for a one-night stand when he didn’t even fit the image of a pure-hearted man?
‘Unless he’s looking to punish the one who left him alone that day.’
However, one thing remained unchanged: she absolutely must not be discovered by the Crown Prince.
‘Just endure until the debutante ball.’
She thought, if she could hide until the time she agreed upon with her father, maybe she could pass quietly. Retina reluctantly moved in response to Lena’s repeated urging. Since she had made up her mind, there was no way to discourage Lena, so she had to go along with her to finish as quickly as possible.
Translator: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only
***
“Where are we going now?”
“A good place, a good place.”
“A good place? Is it in the center of Leblem?’ ‘Yes, yes, you’ll see for yourself.’ Lena pulled Retina, who was looking around inside the carriage, out with her.
Lena came out of the carriage, dragging Retina, who was looking around. With her fierce determination, Lena got off the carriage and opened her arms wide towards the sky.
“This is Leblem Shopping Street! It’s been a long time since this place became a shopping street, but you’ve never been here, have you? As you know, the maters don’t come to places like this, and the only one worth buying from the Duke’s family is you, Miss, but you only come to the capital once a year… How much I’ve wanted to come with you!”.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Retina turned her head following Lena, who was gazing down the street with tearful eyes. Leblem Shopping Street was a popular destination in recent social circles, with each building housing costume shops, jewelry stores, hair salons, and more.
It had become a favorite due to the variety of choices that emerged when the traditional tailoring, where the dressmaker was called to the mansion to make dresses, switched to buying ready-made clothes according to the latest styles and then having them tailored. As the street became packed with nobles who had visited the salons early in the morning, Retina sighed heavily and followed Lena into the first shop.
“Welcome, what can we do for you, esteemed noble guests?’ ‘Dresses…”
“Ah! You’ve come to choose a dress for the upcoming royal dance party, haven’t you? Ah, that’s why our very, very pretty and cute young ladies have been worried. But never! Don’t worry! No problem at all as long as we have Fongérian!” With short pink hair, a shirt adorned with frills, and pants pulled up to the waist, he was anything but ordinary, introducing himself as Fongérian.
‘Quite an extraordinary person.’
Even from a distance, you could tell he was unique enough to be a designer. He was special not only in appearance but also in his salon. Rejecting the ordinary, his salon, in his unique style, was not so much old-fashioned as it was unique.
“Come this way, shall we? We’re short on time. Quick-minded young ladies have already reserved dresses for the royal dance party!”
Fongérian, with his index finger pointing at the air, occasionally led Retina in front of a mirror with brisk steps. Then, as if measuring with a tape measure, he quickly brought several dresses for Retina to try on.
“How is it that you have such perfect body balance? It’s jealousy-inducing. Whatever you wear, everything looks beautiful. What’s your preference? Pick anything! Everything suits you. Mermaid style or the currently popular bustle shape, and of course, there’s nothing better than a ball gown to create that princess-like atmosphere. The waistline is accentuated, and as it goes down, it widens to create a rich feeling!”
Fongérian not only presented dresses but also showed fabrics, searching for a design that would suit Retina. Even if it was ready-made clothing, customization was possible, making it faster than the headache of bespoke tailoring, and that was the advantage of the salon, as they could purchase the desired dress.”
“As expected, with a partner attending the party together… Well, you must have that kind of relationship, right? In that case, it’s okay to add some sexiness. Appeal, nowadays, self-appeal is a survival strategy, you know~”
Fongérian, with a shyer face than Retina, made various suggestions. Over time, many nobles had visited his salon, and most of them were young ladies from noble families who had been recommended by their brothers to catch the attention of young lords at parties. Retina’s words about this being the No.1 salon on Leblem Shopping Street were not an exaggeration.
As Retina looked at their reflections in the mirror, she felt the salon’s popularity.
“Um, what do you think about hair accessories? If you want to keep it simple, a simple up-do and pins would look pretty.”
“Regarding the hair! I’d prefer not to touch it.”
Translator: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only
“Oh! I’m sorry. I should have realized that the hair you were given is precious. I almost made a mistake. Well then, should we try to match the color? Shades of blue should suit you well, but hmm… it’s a bit disappointing. Still, your skin is fair, so this should work as it is.” Fongérian, who was about to touch her hair, withdrew his hand, raising his fingertips to his lips.
There were some words omitted, but Retina understood what he was trying to say. Perhaps he was expressing regret about the color of her hair. Fongérian had been cautious in his words, but Retina didn’t mind hearing about her dark brown hair was not her real hair color anyway. The reason she wore this wig was simply because wigs of this hair color were easy to find.
“It seems like that brownish, crappy color is a bit off.”
At that moment, an irritated young woman’s voice was heard from behind. Even though it wasn’t something he had said but Fongérian’s complexion turned pale, clearly flustered.
