Chapter 103 — Choosing a Dress
Chapter 103 — Choosing a Dress
Translation: Godtl
The man glanced up at the main building as if having made a great resolution, but somehow he left an unpleasant impression.
Thinking he should help choose Lelia's dress, Romeo hummed a tune as he left the room.
'The early bird catches the treasure.'
The others were surely still sleeping in. For the three who usually suffered from severe insomnia, he had cast a sleep spell so they could sleep deeply for once.
Really... there couldn't be a better friend than himself.
'What blessed fellows. To become friends with me.'
Romeo headed toward Lelia's room, humming a cheerful tune and smiling.
At his innocent, bright smile, the maids he passed by blushed and whispered among themselves.
Knock, knock, knock.
At the sound of knocking, Lelia rubbed her eyes, seemingly not fully awake, and told them to enter.
Becky entered with a bright expression, followed by people from the dress shop lining up and carrying in bundles.
The dress shop owner bowed politely to her.
"Young miss, the sample alterations for the dress you mentioned yesterday have been completed, so I've brought them."
"...Already?"
She had clearly just come yesterday during the day to choose a dress, yet the sample alterations were already finished.
"Yes, of course. If the dress doesn't please you, we must prepare a new one before the banquet. Also, the Duke ordered us to prepare not just the banquet dress but everyday clothes and many, many other outfits!"
The dress shop owner looked like a very motivated and diligent person.
Lelia thought this because she didn't know how firmly her grandfather had instructed the dress shop owner.
Lelia rose sluggishly, still in a drowsy state.
The servants set up partitions in the middle of the spacious room to create a makeshift changing room. So she could change clothes and confirm them right there on the spot.
Once the porters left and only the female servants remained, Becky quickly selected a dress and thrust it at Lelia.
"Young miss! How about this one?"
"Hmm... it's nice."
Honestly, Lelia had no eye for dresses. They all just looked pretty to her.
It was the same when she wore men's clothes in the capital—she tended to just wear whatever someone gave her.
At Lelia's lukewarm response, Becky pouted her lips in dissatisfaction.
Just then, knock, knock—someone else knocked on the door.
Lelia told them to enter as she went behind the partition.
"Oh my, did I come at a busy time?"
It was Romeo who stepped inside.
Romeo smiled awkwardly, as if he hadn't expected this at all.
"It's fine. What brings you here so early in the morning? Has something urgent happened?"
Lelia asked, sticking only her head out from behind the partition, though she hadn't even undressed yet.
She felt worried that perhaps Kalix's condition had worsened overnight.
Romeo shrugged as if it were nothing.
"Not particularly... since you say it's fine, then excuse me."
Romeo stepped inside firmly and clicked the door shut. Then he approached her closely.
"You're choosing a banquet dress, I see."
"Yes... Grandfather is holding a banquet for the guests, so I have to attend."
Lelia said wearily. Romeo, who was one of those 'guests,' chuckled softly. It reminded him of how Lelia had struggled playing the role of a playboy at the capital's ball.
He suppressed his laughter and lightly suggested,
"Then what do you think about me choosing the dress for you?"
"Huh? Really?"
Lelia brightened and opened her eyes wide. Becky, who had been quietly watching, had her eyes sparkle.
"Of course. For you, anything."
At his sweet tone, Becky's expression melted.
Lelia hesitated at his greasy words, but when Romeo smiled slickly, her brow furrowed.
'What kind of game is he playing?'
Lelia felt inexplicably anxious. Surely he doesn't still suspect me as Leo's killer?
As she wavered with various complicated thoughts, Becky seemed to have already lost her heart to Romeo.
"Then, Your Highness the Prince, would you slowly, very slowly choose the young miss's dress?"
Becky showed him each dress one by one, behaving as respectfully as if Romeo were to become Lelia's husband.
Romeo accepted that respectfulness very naturally.
"Hmm, blue suits Lelia better than green. It goes well with her silver hair."
Becky's expression brightened.
"Oh my, you really know her well!"
"But bright green is another story entirely. It's similar to the color of Lelia's eyes."
"Oh my, oh my, that's right! Then what about this yellow one?"
"This is cute, but the design is too childish. A mature look suits Lelia better."
"You're right! You really know everything about our young miss... my goodness! Then what about this red dress?"
"I think... it would be good to try on this red dress and that blue dress over there and decide. Ah, and this silver dress too."
"Oh my, oh my, excellent! How do you know the young miss so well...!"
"Are the jewels prepared as well? I'd like to choose them together."
"Of course! Just a moment, just a moment!"
Becky hurriedly went into the clothing room inside the parlor.
"...."
Lelia looked at Romeo from behind the partition, wondering what on earth she was doing.
Romeo looked at her with smiling eyes, then said, "Ah."
"You, because you're standing just like that...."
"...?"
"You look like a puppy? A puppy craning its neck and waiting only for its master. Very cute."
What, what is he saying?
As Lelia flustered, she saw the dress shop owner and female servants who were watching whispering and laughing small.
Not understanding why they were doing that, Lelia felt confused.
"Here it is!"
Becky, who had brought many jewelry boxes from the room, guided Romeo to the sofa opposite the partition. To sit and look slowly.
"These are all jewels the Duke newly purchased for the young miss. Some were bought by Sir Karius from the capital as well!"
Romeo leisurely sat in the center seat like a protagonist and examined each jewelry box Becky opened.
He looked exactly like a rich family's young master come to purchase jewels.
"...."
Lelia looked at Romeo choosing jewels leisureily with suspicion.
"Young miss! Then shall we try this one first?"
Before she knew it, Becky had come inside the partition and was rushing Lelia.
Though reluctant, Lelia began trying on the red dress Becky handed her.
Just then, knock, knock—the sound of someone knocking on the door was heard again.
Romeo, who had been examining jewels one by one, glared at the door with sharp eyes.
With animalistic senses, he perceived.
Who was outside the door.
At the words to check who it was, Becky went out from behind the partition and walked toward the door.
But as soon as she opened the door, she stumbled back in surprise at the people rushing in.
It was Kalix, Griffith, and Oscar who came inside.
Becky shrank her shoulders in surprise as the large men entered all at once.
"...."
"Why are everyone...."
Lelia blinked in bewilderment at the gazes of the three men looking at her.
The three men turned their gazes from Lelia and glared at Romeo.
"You, daring to cast sleep magic on me?"
Griffith ground his teeth as he approached him. Romeo sighed deeply looking at them who woke up faster than expected.
"What are you doing right now?"
Meanwhile, Oscar walked straight toward Lelia.
It seemed the sight of female servants surrounding Lelia inside the partition looked suspicious to him.
He approached like a heavy cavalry charging at an enemy, completely ignoring whether the servants were flustered or not.
"Wait! Stop right there!"
Lelia cried out in surprise, thinking he would push his way inside the partition.
"...."
Oscar stopped in his place with furrowed brows.
"I'm... in the middle of changing clothes. I'm sorry, but could everyone please go out?"
"...."
Oscar didn't even blink once at those words. He just stood still trying to interpret the words he heard.
Griffith, who had been grabbing Romeo by the collar and shaking him, also turned his head in embarrassment.
He didn't know Lelia was changing clothes.
'So that's why she was inside that partition?'
Griffith's cheeks and neck instantly flushed bright red. Romeo sighed looking at such Griffith and thought inwardly.
'To interrupt my happy time... I thought the magic would break soon, but.'
Meanwhile, Kalix was still standing by the door, his heaving chest alone.
His breath... it was hard to breathe.
When he looked at Lelia, his breath....
"Right, rather, since it's come to this. Let's all choose Lelia's dress together."
It was thanks to Romeo's words that Kalix came to his senses. Choose what? Dress?
'Telling me to choose a dress for a guy, that's ridiculous. Really....'
Kalix thought it was unsightly, yet like a well-behaved dog, he walked inside following Romeo's words.
"Oh my, that works out well. Young miss! The coming-of-age banquet will be held soon, so we can choose dress colors that get good reactions from men in advance!"
Becky ran forward with shining eyes as if she had never been scared.
"No...."
Lelia was flustered, but when Becky who came inside the partition dressed her in clothes in an instant, she couldn't come to her senses.
She was already in a drowsy state from not being fully awake....
Eventually, a short while later. The situation in the room had changed to a strange atmosphere.
Romeo was sitting in the same position as before, but unlike earlier, he was rubbing his forehead with an expression of resignation.
Oscar was still standing in that spot, perhaps because Lelia hadn't told him to move, and Griffith was sitting diagonally across from Romeo with an indignant expression.
And Kalix was....
'A guy, of all things.'
Still fuming inwardly, he leaned against the window and glared at Lelia with angry eyes.
"It's done!"
As Becky said brightly, the servants removed the partition.
Lelia felt like she would die from this awkward situation. Still sleepy, it felt exactly like a dream.
Four people's eyes were fixed on Lelia.
At that piercing gaze, she wanted to hide her body inside the partition again. It was a feeling of suddenly waking up.
She was fully dressed, and the dress wasn't even revealing, so she couldn't understand why she felt naked.
The red dress seemed to give an elegant impression. Except for slightly exposing the neckline, there was no exposure at all.
However, it was a bit uncomfortable since the waist line was emphasized.
Becky, glancing at Lelia, said "Oh my" to the dress shop owner.
"Oh my, look at my mind. Guests have come and I haven't even brought tea.... I think I'll need to choose the dress directly with the young miss and contact you."
"Ah, I understand."
"Then please hurry."
At Becky's signal, the dress shop owner and servants hurriedly left the room.
Becky also left saying she would bring tea.
Lelia stood awkwardly and was about to go to the inner room thinking she should change back into her regular clothes.
Just then, Kalix who had been standing by the window walked toward her with long strides. He had an angry expression.
"Hey!"
"...."
As Lelia stopped in surprise, Kalix came right up to her and stood in front of her.