I stared at Madame Zed, who was brimming with determination, and then glanced around the dress room.
Dozens of dresses Madame Zed had brought were lined up in the center of the room.
Thanks to the dazzling chandelier hanging from the ceiling, they seemed to sparkle even more than they had at the boutique.
Madame Zed, still smiling from ear to ear, followed my gaze and began to speak.
“As you requested, I’ve tailored these to your exact measurements. Ah, while making adjustments, I made a few enhancements to some of the dresses. I hope they meet your approval.”
She continued to chatter away, presenting several dresses.
“I’ve adorned this one with blue sapphires and emeralds to complement Your Grace’s eye color. And this dress has a fuller petticoat to enhance your silhouette…”
Her face lit up with excitement as she explained, but to be honest, I barely understood half of what she was saying.
With a gentle smile, I listened to her with one ear and let it flow out the other.
“…And this, this is my masterpiece.”
she said at the end of her long speech, holding up a dress.
It was entirely red, reminiscent of a lavish rose, with a voluminous skirt.
My eyes, which had been losing focus due to her endless chatter, widened at the sight.
“Oh… This is…”
It’s truly beautiful.
“It’s unique. I like it.” I said, expressing my approval, causing Madame Zed’s face to brighten with delight.
“Isn’t it? I really put my heart into this piece.” she said proudly, lifting the hem of the dress to show it off.
“But this isn’t all. I have a secret weapon. Just wait.”
She held up a single finger and headed off somewhere before returning with something in her hand.
It was a milky-white stone, about half the size of a palm, encased in a small container.
“What is this…?”
“It’s a magical artifact. This will be the finishing touch,” she said, holding the stone close to the hem of the dress and shaking it.
From within, sparkling star-like particles cascaded down.
“My goodness, what is this?”
“This is the highlight of my masterpiece.”
I had heard in the original novel that tailors often used magical artifacts to embellish dresses, but seeing it in person was far more fascinating.
“Now, please try it on.”
While I was still marveling at the display, Madame Zed quickly helped me into the dress.
Her claim that it had been perfectly tailored to my measurements wasn’t an exaggeration—it fit like a glove, without the slightest discrepancy.
Standing in front of the mirror, I twirled the skirt around.
Eloise’s ash-gray hair, teal eyes, and the vibrant red dress created a captivating combination.
Each time I gently moved the skirt, the glittering particles from the magic stone shimmered like dew or stardust.
“With a dress this extravagant, I could wear it to an imperial ball.”
At my words, Madame Zed practically jumped in place.
“What do you mean? This is ready-to-wear, something for light parties or casual events! For an imperial ball, I’ll put my life on the line to make you the most beautiful gown.”
‘…Is that really necessary…?’
I wanted to say something, but her eyes were so bright and eager that I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.
After scrutinizing me with a serious expression, Madame Zed clapped her hands.
“How about wearing this to the Duchess of Brilluze’s season party?”
“The Duchess of Brilluze? Ah.”
I exclaimed, a beat slower than usual.
‘Come to think of it, the Duchess of Brilluze’s season party is around this time.’
The Duchess of Brilluze had been a prominent figure in the social scene for decades.
Her influence was so great that young ladies preparing for their debutante would line up just to get her advice.
She hosted seasonal parties, inviting noblewomen, and they were grand in scale, akin to large-scale banquets.
It was an event everyone looked forward to, as it was an opportunity to hear all sorts of news from the capital and nearby cities.
‘Of course, Eloise received invitations but rarely attended.’
“This time, it seems she’s throwing a larger party to celebrate her 30th wedding anniversary.”
“It will surely be a massive gathering,”
I nodded, easily imagining the scene.
“I hear Her Highness the Princess will be attending as well.”
“The Princess?”
My expression, which had been indifferent until now, shifted.
‘The princess…’
Even with my poor memory, it wasn’t difficult to recall.
She was the legitimate heir, the Emperor’s younger sister, and Ian’s half-sister. With her older siblings becoming the Emperor and the Grand Duke, she had become the first in line for the throne.
‘She’s also the one whom the Emperor’s faction is pushing as the next monarch, as they’re wary of Ian, who was born from the Empress.’
In simpler terms, she was at the center of the storm of internal family conflicts.
She had also played a significant role in the original story.
Not only was she the first to recognize Madame Zed’s dress and start a trend, but she also served as an antagonist who constantly picked fights with Diana after her return.
‘For some reason, she never liked Diana and constantly found faults with her.’
In short, she was a thorn in Diana’s side, causing trouble even when there were no other major challenges in her life aside from Ian.
“Of course, Your Grace will be attending as well, won’t you?”
Madame Zed asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
‘The original Eloise would have ignored this completely, but…’
The fact that the ill-tempered princess would be attending piqued my interest.
‘And besides, with an event of that scale, it’d be a good opportunity to make an impression on people who could become allies.’
It was a chance to meet those who were favorable toward me and those who weren’t, so it wasn’t a bad idea.
“Unless something unexpected happens, I’ll attend.”
Madame Zed’s face lit up at my response.
“Of course! I’ll make further alterations to the dress and turn it into the best one yet!”
“…Even more alterations?”
“It’s the first event you’ll be attending in one of my creations, so I have to make sure you stand out more than anyone else!”
…That seemed unnecessary.
But with her eyes sparkling like that, I couldn’t bring myself to argue.
I sighed inwardly.
‘Well, making Madame Zed famous is one of my goals anyway… I’ll just leave her be.’
To be honest, I didn’t think stopping her would work either.
Having received my reluctant approval, Madame Zed happily gathered up the red rose dress and dressed me in a relatively simple green one, which she said would be suitable for everyday wear.
Of course, even that was still more extravagant than what Eloise usually wore.
‘Now I understand why Eloise preferred simpler clothes.’
After enduring Madame Zed’s relentless attention for a while, I felt utterly drained.
“I’ll be off then. See you soon!”
“Take care.”
Once Madame Zed left, I immediately headed for my study.
Since I had been letting all my invitations pile up in there, letters were stacked high on a side table.
It didn’t take me long to find the Duchess of Brilluze’s invitation among them.
“Let’s see… The weekend, a week from now.”
It was sooner than I expected, but the timing wasn’t bad.
‘It’s about time I showed my face around, anyway.’
Now the only issue was Ian.
I grabbed the invitation and headed straight for his office.
However, before I could even get there, I ran into him while he was climbing the stairs.
‘Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.’
“Good afternoon, Your Grace.”
“Indeed,” he replied indifferently, giving a slight nod.
Soon, his gaze fell on my dress.
“Are you heading out again?”
Only then did I realize I was still wearing the everyday dress Madame Zed had put on me.
“No, it’s just a new casual dress. What do you think?”
His expression turned slightly awkward.
It was the kind of face that said, ‘What am I supposed to do with that?’
Where had all the lessons from before gone?
Even if he couldn’t pull off a sweet gaze, he could at least try to apply what he had learned.
“Care to give me some feedback?”
After a long pause, he finally said,
“…It’s a calm shade of green.”
That’s the best you’ve got?
I forced my lips into a rounder smile as I responded,
“This is where you say it suits me well, or that it’s beautiful.”
Ending the hopeless conversation, I gave him another bright smile.
“Actually, I came to see you because I have something to discuss.”
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing major, but I’m planning to attend the Duchess of Brilluze’s season party. I hear she’s hosting it on a grand scale this year to celebrate her 30th wedding anniversary.”
“Yes, and…?”
Ian looked at me as if he didn’t understand why I was telling him this.
Did he really think I just wanted to brag about being invited to a party?
“So, I was wondering… would you escort me to the duchess’s estate?”
♧♧♧
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