“Oh my, really? I didn’t know.”
Yes, yes. I know.
The princess had held Diana captive for a full three pages of the novel, going on about that story.
Poor Diana had to stand there for over 30 minutes, stiff as a board, listening to the princess’s endless chatter and tirades.
The princess, who had been gazing at me with bright, sparkling eyes, suddenly narrowed them.
“…Grand Duchess, are you sure you’re the same person? The Grand Duchess I know isn’t the type to be interested in things like this.”
Ah, she’s unnecessarily perceptive. Seriously.
“People’s interests can change at any time.”
I made a show of smiling and gestured toward my dress—a brilliant red rose gown that Madame Zed had poured her heart into.
It seemed that the princess had only just noticed my outfit, as she looked me up and down with genuine surprise.
“…This is… an unusual style of dress, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s quite unique.”
Madame Zed’s masterpiece was characterized by its asymmetry, with the hemline cascading diagonally from my left waist.
Before the introduction of Madame Zed’s designs into high society, all dresses adhered to perfectly symmetrical designs.
The hem, the sleeves, the lace, and even the delicate embroidery were all meticulously made to mirror each other, forming the standard of beauty in this era.
In contrast, Madame Zed’s dress, intentionally crafted with asymmetry from the beginning, was groundbreaking for the time.
What drew the most attention was the tiny, intricate sparkle effect at the bottom of the hemline.
The princess’s sharp eye caught it without much difficulty.
“This… the decorations at the hem, they aren’t gemstones, are they?”
“No, these are crafted from magical stones. They glow even brighter in the dark, I’m told.”
“Hoho…”
Her eyes now gleamed with a different kind of interest.
“You didn’t design this yourself, did you? Who’s the tailor?”
The princess suddenly lifted her head and stared at me intently.
I recognized that look.
Madame Zed had worn a similar expression while taking my measurements.
It was the gaze of someone obsessed, almost to the point of madness.
‘Well, it makes sense since discovering Madame Zed is originally the princess’s role.’
Suppressing a shudder, I subtly shrugged my shoulders at the intensity of her passionate yet slightly unhinged gaze.
“The tailor is Madame Zed of Zed’s Salon. As you guessed, I didn’t design it myself. I just had one of her ready-made dresses altered.”
“Madame Zed…? That name is unfamiliar to me.”
The princess tilted her head in puzzlement, and I calmly nodded in response.
“She isn’t well-known in the bustling shopping districts yet. Besides, she recently became my personal tailor.”
“You’ve employed her as your exclusive tailor?”
“Yes, somehow.”
At my response, the princess’s eyes widened in surprise before her lips twisted into a slight pout, clearly expressing her disappointment.
“How could you keep such a tailor all to yourself, Grand Duchess? That’s strange. If she’s this talented, I should’ve known about her…”
She seemed genuinely upset that she hadn’t discovered Madame Zed’s talent first.
No, you can’t have her.
She belongs to Diana.
“Oh dear, if I had known Your Highness would be interested, I would have mentioned her.”
Though the princess pouted at my casual reply, she didn’t press the matter further.
What could she do? Madame Zed was already mine.
I glanced at her and smiled.
“If you’d like, I can introduce Madame Zed to you later. Since she’s my personal tailor, it might be difficult for her to regularly make dresses for you, but I’m sure she could craft a few pieces.”
“…Really?”
The princess looked at me with a slight frown but with a glint of excitement in her eyes, betraying her youthful age of 14.
I suppressed a chuckle and nodded.
“Of course. It would be a great honor for Madame Zed, and I would be delighted as well.”
“…Is that so?”
If her temper had been a bit more twisted, she might have accused me of charity, but between the incident with Isabella and my recognition of her dress, her attitude remained surprisingly mild.
The princess glanced between my face and my dress before clearing her throat and nodding.
“Alright… let’s do that.”
“Of course, Your Highness. It would be an honor.”
“Well, I can’t refuse when the Grand Duchess offers so graciously!”
She seemed genuinely pleased with my proposal, beaming brightly.
‘Why was I even nervous?’
This was easier than I thought.
Feeling satisfied with how smoothly things were going, I began to feel confident that I could eliminate at least half of the obstacles awaiting Diana upon her return.
“If you could let me know a time that works for you, Your Highness…”
At that moment.
A middle-aged woman approached from the far side of the greenhouse and respectfully greeted us.
“I greet the noble second moon of the Levant Empire, Princess Louisa Evgenia Celis Levant, and Grand Duchess Eloise Cloud.”
Seeing her, the princess brightened up and lifted her chin.
“Well, if it isn’t the Duchess of Brilluze!”
Huh?
The Duchess of Brilluze is the host of this party.
I blinked rapidly, staring at the middle-aged woman standing before me.
‘I didn’t expect the duchess herself to come and greet us.’
The social events hosted by the Brilluze family were known for their grand scale, and because so many young ladies lined up just to meet the duchess, it wasn’t easy to have a personal conversation with her unless you had a specific reason.
Being with the princess certainly has its perks.
The Duchess of Brilluze slowly approached us.
“How have you been, Your Highness?”
“We saw each other just a week ago. It seems a bit redundant to ask.”
Despite the princess’s grumbling, the duchess merely smiled warmly, unfazed.
“There’s nothing wrong with asking after someone’s well-being frequently. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”
The princess flinched and cleared her throat.
“If you’re planning to nag, stop right there. It’s not lesson time right now.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. I wouldn’t dare ruin Your Highness’s enjoyment.”
The Duchess of Brilluze was known as the doyenne of the social world and was responsible for teaching princess etiquette.
Given that the princess was a bit of a ticking time bomb—or more like a bouncing ball—the current emperor personally requested that the Duchess of Brilluze oversee the princess’s education.
Thinking about all this, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of respect for the duchess in a different way.
‘To teach that princess…’
“How did you find the food, Your Highness? I hope it suited your tastes.”
“Mmm, it was quite good. It seems the pâtissier’s skills are improving day by day.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
The duchess bowed her head gracefully in response to the princess’s satisfied reply.
But I noticed something.
Behind her gentle expression, the duchess’s sharp golden eyes swiftly scanned the princess.
She checked for any flaws in the princess’s posture, whether her outfit was disheveled, and whether there were any traces of food on her hands or face.
It was the thorough gaze of an educator, meticulously inspecting her pupil.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—the princess seemed blissfully unaware of the duchess’s watchful eye.
“Anyway, if only the duchess weren’t so strict, she’d be a fine person. Very capable.”
The princess said with a sly smile, tilting her glass of non-alcoholic juice like it was wine.
‘Is she really 14…?’
I was quietly astonished, but what truly shocked me was what the Duchess of Brilluze said next.
“Understood. I’ll take note of that. But, Your Highness…”
“Hmm?”
“With all due respect… your posture.”
The princess, who had been standing casually just moments ago, flinched and immediately straightened her posture.
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