Chapter 24

Translator and Editor: Effe and Nabi

“Then, I will do my best and make it with all our heart! I will definitely make the best dresses.”

To Catherine, who spoke excitedly, Estelle added with a benevolent smile.

“Don’t even think about the budget for the jewelry and materials that decorate the Madame’s dress. Please do it all with the highest quality.”

“Estelle…?”

At Estelle’s more poignant words, Elysia struggled, not knowing what to do. She asked for the best quality, and she didn’t even have time to stop her.

“All… All right!”

Excited, Catherine snorted while she was cleaning out the design book. Elysia felt that something was going wrong. Just fitting all the dresses was amazing, though even the jewels and materials used to decorate the dress were of the highest quality!

“Excuse me… Estelle?”

Eventually, Elysia spoke quietly to Estelle while Catherine was cleaning out the design book.

“Yes? Do you have anything to say?”

“Do we have enough budget?”

Not long after she had decided to spend out the budget, she could not help but feel nervous.

She had never used money in her life, so it was right that she didn’t know the value of money. Elysia had never bought a dress or a piece of jewelry, so she had no idea how much they cost. Hence, she couldn’t help but be scared.

Still, she had heard from the maids that the Countess was always spending vast sums of money on dresses. That said, the price of the nobles’ dresses was no joke…

Buying all those luxury items made Elysia’s heart race, but even the subsidiary materials were upgraded to the highest quality!

“It will not be lacking. And, even if it’s not enough, don’t worry, it’s just a matter of getting more budget.”

“Oh… Yes.”

No matter how resolute she tried, Elysia’s fingertips were trembling. In fact, it was the first time in her past and present life to spend such a large sum of money like this.

Even though she thought that a life that only spent money was happy, it wasn’t at all.

“Then, shall we measure it now?”

The conversation was ended by Catherine, who had organized the design book and showed up with a tape measure. She was utterly excited, measuring her with a tape measure here and there.

Meanwhile, Estelle smiled a kindly smile as she gazed at Elysia, who stood stiffly.

Only Elysia was anxious.

***

“A lot more than I thought… You are thin.”

Elysia laughed awkwardly when they said that she was much thinner than expected.

It was said in a few words that meant she wasn’t badly skinny, but in reality, it was right to say that she was unsightly. She ate well the past few days so it should be good.

“You must also gain weight.”

“If you gain weight, it’s good for your health, and you’re still beautiful enough as it is.”

“Though at this rate, the bride would be considered ugly.”

Her reflection in the mirror looked more like a sick patient rather than a beautiful bride. Her sullen face and slender wrists. Her overall skinny body looked very sickly that her bones were exposed.

“It’s still very good as it is. You can divert the attention by flashing the designs, or you can voluminate the hem to cover the body shape.”

Clearly, Catherine seemed to have as much skill as passion. That was why she must have run the best dressing room in the empire. However, even with Catherine’s comfort, Elysia’s gaze did not fall from the mirror.

“Still, I think I need to gain some weight.”

“Your Grace, there is no need to be stressed.”

“Ah… If your body shape changes, I’ll do more measurements. Will it be okay?”

“Can’t it be made a little more generously?”

Although she was told to gain weight, she didn’t know how much weight she could gain here. Elysia’s mouth was very short, because she had so far eaten a little. A weakened digestive system also contributed to her repeated skipping meals.

“Well… It has to be exactly the right size because it’s a custom dress.”

Estelle seemed to be worried about Catherine’s words. For a bespoke dress, she needed exact measurements, as Madame said.

“Then, how about changing the design of the dress?”

“…How?”

Catherine and Estelle were having a serious discussion about her as if it was something important.

“Your Grace.”

“Yes.”

As if the two of them had finished talking, Elysia pressed a smile that seemed like it would burst out after looking at Catherine’s face, which seemed even more resolute.

“The original design was going to be a bell-line dress to enrich the hem. How about switching to a mermaid-style dress?”

“I like it.”

“The mermaid dress doesn’t look weird even if it’s a little oversized. Also, it is convenient enough to be able to modify the dimensions on the same day. Besides, it would be beautiful if it was full of colorful patterns and pearls.”

“Besides, I think it will brighten up the feminine and slender body of Your Grace.”

She was a stranger to dresses, so whatever she said, Elysia just nodded her head.

It was a story of a world of stars that could not be understood even with words. All she knew was her worn-out dresses—things that couldn’t even be called dresses.

“Of course, the veil will be blue, right?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Then, the dress should also be made of white fabric with a bit of sky blue.”

…Veil? Veil, she hadn’t heard of it. Nevertheless, Catherine and Estelle were conversing skillfully as though it was a normal conversation.

“Veil?”

“Ah! I’m sorry. I forgot to explain in advance.”

The bride’s veil was not unusual, but it was strange if its color was blue. Usually, the white veil of the wedding dress was right.

Catherine continued her words as if trying to resolve Elysia’s curiosity.

“This is the custom of marriage in the Caesar Empire. The bride embroiders her family seal on the fabric that matches her family’s color.”

“…You mean the bride embroiders herself?”

“Yes. The seal of the family of Grand Duchy Raphael is a blue and black dragon, so of course, the veil is blue.”

Elysia had never heard that she had to embroider. She had never embroidered. It would seem strange that she couldn’t embroider while working like a maid, though in the first place, embroidering was a noble hobby of noblewomen.

“Your Grace, maybe… Do you not know how to embroider?”

“Yes…”

There was no way the Countess could teach embroidery that was only taught to noble ladies. She hated even teaching basic writing. If Elysia had even wanted to learn the things of noble ladies, her labor would have been more intense. The Countess didn’t want her to have a noble side.

“Learning embroidery in the remaining time and putting the family seal on the veil…”

Even Estelle couldn’t speak properly because she was flustered.

Elysia knew that this was an unreasonable schedule, even for her, who had no knowledge of embroidery. Besides, she didn’t know how to properly put a cross-stitch even in her previous life. But then, she suddenly had to embroider the seal of the family all of a sudden!

“Are you worried about embroidery?”

“No, I’m fine. Let’s pick a wedding dress, too.”

A veil that the bride must embroider herself…

It would be a job that the young ladies of noble families would do well. However, let alone being adept, she couldn’t even embroider. That fact seemed to say that she was not the real bride, though a substitute.

Well, after all, she was a substitute. It was just that she was lucky enough to get married at an accidental time. Damon wouldn’t care who she was.

Estelle summoned the dazed Elysia. She still had many hurdles left. If she had collapsed from here, it would have been impossible for the future.

Elysia pulled herself together with difficulty. She had to come to her senses first.

“What kind of design would be good for a wedding dress?”

“The wedding dress is—”

But, nevertheless, the conversation never entered her mind because of the fear of having to embroider herself. In her head, she could only imagine that she had become a laughing stock by using a veil embroidered with crooked patterns.

‘…Will Damon forgive me?’

She was lucky if he didn’t get angry for becoming a laughing stock. Once Damon gets angry, it would be over… The bride did not want to die on the day of her wedding.

“Your Grace… ?”

At the repeated imagination, she must have shaken her head violently without realizing it. Catherine and Estelle’s eyes were strange.

“Are you happy with everything?”

“Can I show you another design?”

“Oh, no! it’s okay.”

The design books spread out in front of her were all gorgeous. Among them, the most gorgeous were the black dress and the blue dress.

“It’s pretty obvious, but… After all, it is the first color that comes to mind when I think of Grand Duchy Raphael, so I designed it as a wedding dress.”

Certainly, as Catherine said, the two dresses had designs and colors that would remind anyone of Grand Duchy Raphael.

“I think it’s good.”

“Is that so? I think so, too.”

“What a relief.”

Nonetheless, in all of those dresses, she was not the real owner of it. Elysia felt uncomfortable as though she was already wearing a dress that didn’t fit her.

“Can I bring the other three designs back next time? I have a lot of designs that came to mind when I saw Your Grace today.”

“Yes, you can.”

Compared to the passionate Catherine, she was somehow sorry that she, as the bride, seemed the most motivated and uncooperative.

Regardless, Elysia couldn’t shake off the feelings, as if they were strangling her neck.