Chapter 194
Chapter 194
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 194
Chapter Title: Sister's Engagement Dress
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Thanks to the Imperial Princess's warning, the subdued banquet came to a smooth end.
My brother shot a fierce glare at me and my older sister, who had been standing in the corner praying like we were part of the wallpaper.
On the way home, Father let out an inexplicable sigh, grumbling to me about "why did you have to make clothes like that..."
Everyone was happy with how it turned out except for Father and my brother, so in the end, it wrapped up just fine.
The real issue came afterward.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ "I never imagined that my son working so hard would make me this angry." Father's happy retirement plans had fallen apart, and suddenly Mother's retirement dreams were ruined too, so I received a letter brimming with resentment from her.
"What the heck did I even do...?"
"You've done plenty."
"Yeah, I guess so."
I vented my grievances to those around me, but even Elizabeth and Emily weren't on my side.
What on earth had I done to deserve this?
Granted me a title? His Imperial Majesty.
Granted me territory? His Imperial Majesty.
Suddenly piled on more work and authority? His Imperial Majesty.
All I'd done was stand there dumbfounded and then come back home, yet everyone was coming at me.
Not everyone, though.
My sister-in-law was focused on the fact that her kids would inherit an even higher title, and Hayes was nagging me to hurry up and make her dress.
It was like having a pure angel and a pure devil right there.
"So, how are we going to make the dress?"
Still, Hayes wasn't wrong, so I quickly pulled myself together, switched into work mode, and tossed the question at Elizabeth.
"...?"
Elizabeth paused her scissors and furrowed her brow as if wondering what nonsense this was, then shifted her gaze to the rose quartz dress draped over the mannequin beside my desk.
"You've already made one."
"That one's for evoking a soft, lovable vibe—like the fresh bloom of a seventeen-year-old."
The bodice was in a wrap dress style to gently cover her figure while creating a moderate V-neckline, and the lower half was a flared skirt with just the right volume and pleats.
A dress designed to draw focus to her face and youthful charm rather than her body.
You might wonder at the sudden mention of a wrap dress, but it refers to a garment like a kimono or bathrobe, where the front panels overlap and are tied shut with strings.
The reason for that shape is its influence from Eastern necklines.
The beauty of an Eastern neckline is its adjustability.
When worn properly, it uses two layers of fabric to cover you, making everyone look equally slim regardless of size.
If you want to go a bit bolder, loosen the front just a touch, and you get a deep V-neck that flaunts some enviable volume.
Of course, aggressive necklines are like men loosening their ties and shirts—best for "informal" settings. But at banquets, it's common for someone to "accidentally" loosen up because it's stuffy, only to get caught by a guy who's "accidentally" harboring feelings for her.
"But Hayes has shot up so much in the past year that she needs something more mature."
The problem was, just a year ago—no, nine months ago—Hayes had been barely 0.3 Emilys in size, the weakest link in the family. Whether it was our brother-in-law showering her with love or her hitting a final growth spurt, she'd ballooned into a monster.
She'd matured so much that the innocent, youthful style felt a bit off now.
Hayes still thought of her body as it was a year ago and wanted something cute and fresh, so the first dress leaned that way. But it didn't quite sit right with me.
Personal taste must be respected, but sometimes your body's own demands override it.
And in my opinion, this was that moment.
"For someone who grumbled the whole time about how annoying it was, you sure love your little sister."
I was fired up to make an extra dress even though she hadn't asked, and Elizabeth grinned, looking at me like I was adorable.
"It's because she dresses so horribly."
She probably thought I was just doting on my sister, but really, it was frustration with her zero fashion sense—I was doing the heavy lifting for her.
This was her engagement party, after all. It had to be the third most beautiful thing in her life.
Why third, not first or second?
Because this was the dress for the post-ceremony banquet, not the wedding itself.
If the evening gown outshone the ceremony dress, the one who made it would get sued.
"Hehe~ Sure, let's go with that excuse."
"No..."
I didn't love this misunderstanding, but Elizabeth dodged my gaze like she had no intention of hearing a single word of explanation.
"So, what do you want for the second one?"
"Obviously something mature—like she's not just a seventeen-year-old girl, but a proper noblewoman."
"Hmm~ Then wine red or a deep blue would work."
"Emerald's good too, or we could go safe with navy or black."
"True, it's for an evening banquet, so nothing too flashy."
Elizabeth and I both raised our eyebrows slightly, mentally simulating which color would suit best.
Honestly, anything would work.
Blondes with red? Common.
Blondes with green? Common.
Blondes with blue? Common.
Gold and red is that one guy's color who believed red paint made mechs three times faster.
Blonde and green is the personal color of that hero always getting his name mixed up with the heroine's.
Blonde and blue is the canon combo Cinderella proved.
(Disney's Cinderella is technically sky blue, but let's ignore that inconvenient truth.)
"I'm leaning toward blue."
"I like emerald."
"Why?"
"It matches your eyes and Mother's."
"Oh..."
Her sudden flirting hit me out of nowhere, and I felt my lips quiver.
Not that I hated it, but doing this where people could see was bad for my heart.
"Urk... Y-you wicked person..."
And poor Elin, sandwiched between us, was trembling so hard she looked ready to snap her pencil in two.
For the sake of my heart—and Elin's molars and pencils—emerald was vetoed.
"Blue it is, then."
"...Why?"
Elin's grip loosened on her pencil, while Elizabeth's eyes sharpened.
The intense stare of someone kicking away a perfectly laid table to spite a picky eater.
I scrunched my face, packing it full of exasperation as I replied.
"Deciding the color of a dress for my sister's engagement party based on that... feels a bit off."
"Ah."
If it were "because Hayes' eyes are jade-colored," I'd have approved it instantly.
It's common to infuse that kind of meaning into the dress the wearer will don.
But basing it on "you and Mother"? That's a stretch.
Flirting through my sister's clothes is just pathetic.
"You're right. Blue it is."
"Yeah."
Elizabeth quickly realized how tacky that was and agreed, dropping the idea.
I could make it up to her later by using emerald or green for her own dress.
"The lines are the tricky part."
"For bodies like ours, everything's awkward..."
"Exactly."
When your body's demands center on the chest, no matter what you do, it stands out.
At least wide hips can be hidden, but the bust? Impossible to conceal.
"Square neckline—thoughts?"
"What does Hayes prefer?"
"Halter neck or high neck... I barely convinced her to try the wrap dress as something 'new.'"
"That's the worst..."
Halter neck covers the chest while exposing the back and arms—perfect for slenders. It would've been ideal for Hayes a year ago.
But now, the dress gets pushed too far forward.
If it gaps, all sorts of things you don't want seen are on display, and rumors are inevitable.
High neck, which covers the collarbone, is just out of fashion.
Exposing collarbones is the trend—bundling up like a nun won't cut it.
"We already did V-neck, so square sounds good."
"Yeah."
"A-line for the bottom?"
"No, tulip-shaped to cinch in and show off her legs."
"Isn't that a bit bold?"
"She specifically asked for a less voluminous skirt this time—said she wanted to experiment."
"Can't argue with that."
She wanted clear lines for the silhouette, so minimal frills or decorations.
Embroidery? Just hand it off to Adelaide and Caterina like always.
"This rough draft looks solid."
"Let me see."
While chatting with Elizabeth, I'd sketched it out roughly with a few strokes of my hand, and now I eyed it with satisfaction.
Seeing my pleased smile, Elizabeth leaned over to take in the sketch.
"Not bad, except the neckline's a bit shallow."
"Should be enough."
On Emily, it would fully cover the collarbone; on Elizabeth, it'd barely peek at the edge.
But Hayes was smaller than both, so even a shallower cut would reveal plenty.
I knew because I had their exact measurements.
...Huh, that sounds kinda weird now that I think about it.
"Ahem... Alright, let's get started. We need to hustle from today if we're finishing by April."
Suddenly self-conscious, I cleared my throat dramatically and busied myself clearing the workbench for the new project.
"Tell me if you need help—I'm here anytime."
"Nah~ It's your sister's dress, so you gotta give it your all as the big brother. Work hard now, or she'll crawl all over you later."
Little sisters are wicked creatures who'll glare daggers and yell if you slack even a little, so you have to keep them in line with regular scoldings and spankings to keep the "big brother" in check.
I used to wonder why brothers and sisters got along so poorly, but after seventeen years with Hayes, I get it.
They're just wired to grab each other's throats on instinct.
"Yeah, right."
Elizabeth, without a sister of her own, couldn't grasp this profound law of nature and chalked it up to "tsundere," but whatever. She'll get it eventually.
It's one of those things you can't understand until you've lived it.