Chapter 57
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 57
The moment the door opened, the dress seized my attention. Misha’s eyes sparkled, eagerly awaiting my reaction, but I was too stunned to speak.
Wait, isn't this a wedding dress? White, flowing, with a long, trailing hem—it was the very definition of one. All it needed was a veil to be complete.
“How is it? Do you like it, My Lady?”
Misha chattered on, explaining her inspiration, the details she focused on, and how she had highlighted my best features. “Since your shoulders are particularly beautiful, My Lady, I decided to leave them completely bare…”
I wanted to listen attentively, but with absolutely no interest in clothes, my only real thought was, Wow, she worked really hard. Still, I couldn't let that show, not to the person who had poured her blood, sweat, and tears into making it.
I pulled Misha into a tight hug.
“M-M-My Lady?”
Misha trembled like a leaf. I gently stroked her back, urging her to relax.
“You did a wonderful job, Misha. I love it. Thank you for creating something so perfect, especially on such a tight schedule.”
“Thank you? You’re thanking me, My Lady?”
When I gave her one last squeeze and let go, Misha stumbled back. Her face was flushed bright red, as if she had just received the greatest gift in the world.
“My Lady…”
“What is it?”
“You’re just… too much,” she mumbled, burying her face in her hands.
Did she think I was trying to pay her off with words instead of a proper bonus? When I assured her that a very generous bonus was coming her way, her face finally lit up with a broad smile.
After grinning foolishly for a moment, Misha snapped back to her senses and helped me into the dress.
I had tried it on once during a fitting, but the finished product was on a completely different level. It was one thing to see it on a mannequin, but the dress revealed its true value only when worn.
“This is a true masterpiece… Don’t you all agree?” Misha sighed ecstatically, turning to her staff for their opinion.
Her employees, who had been keeping their heads down and avoiding eye contact out of fear of Evangeline, quickly chimed in.
“Y-Yes! It belongs in the history books!”
“Yes…! If you just stand still at the ball, everyone will mistake you for a sculpture by a master artisan!”
“You’re a genius! You’ve completely turned high society on its head! And of course, L-Lady Rohanson is a genius too!”
What did I do to be called a genius? A genius of faces? Misha’s employees clapped with tears in their eyes. I thought Misha was just a sweet, innocent girl, but she certainly knew how to play the boss. Their desperate attempts to please her were honestly pitiful.
“Is it comfortable to move in?”
“It’s fine.”
“Then let’s go show Sir Gabriel right away!” Misha declared solemnly.
Swept up in her enthusiasm, I nodded. Gabriel was a sucker for a pretty face, and since he was clearly taken with Evangeline’s looks, I figured this would be effective.
Besides, every RoFan novel needs a scene like this. The moment a character who usually dresses plainly suddenly gets all dolled up, it’s guaranteed to blow everyone away. Not that I normally dressed shabbily, of course. Even Misha had said my usual style was unique and nice.
All the way to the reception room, Misha hovered around me, showering me with endless praise.
Her excessive fawning continued in front of Gabriel. He didn’t have a dramatic, jaw-dropping reaction like some cartoon character, which seemed to displease Misha.
It wasn’t obvious, but judging by the subtle tremor in his pupils, he was incredibly shaken. Unfortunately, a minor pupil-quake didn’t register as a reaction for Misha. She demanded something much bigger.
“Sir Gabriel, what do you think of My Lady?”
“It suits her well.”
“No, you need to praise her more than that!”
“She looks like an angel!”
“Yes! Well said, Mary!”
Mary, who had been running wild around the mansion, must have heard from another maid that I was trying on the dress. She had rushed over and claimed a spot right next to Gabriel.
Seeing Daisy apologize profusely, it was clear she’d tried to stop her, but Gabriel had likely told her to let the girl be. In this mansion, Mary was the brightest, most cheerful soul after Canna. She definitely had the makings of a sunshine female lead when she grew up.
“She looks like a fairy!”
“Exactly!”
Mary gushed, pouring out an endless stream of flattery. With her showering me with compliments and Misha clapping and egging her on, it felt like I was holding them at gunpoint for praise. I wanted to run away.
“Now, Sir Gabriel! You know what to say, right?”
Having laid out such simple examples, Misha set the stage for him. But usually, the more you push someone to do something, the more they resist.
Gabriel pondered for a moment, then seemed to find an expression that would satisfy Misha.
“Lady Rohanson is like the brightest star.”
“Perfect.”
It was a compliment on the exact same level as Mary’s. Misha, who had covered Mary’s ears as if she expected him to say something scandalous, nodded with satisfaction.
You’re satisfied? Then please spare a thought for how awkward I feel being forced into this… I stared at Misha with lingering resentment, but she must have misread my gaze. Startled, she quickly pulled Mary into a hug.
“Mary, let’s head out.”
“Already?”
When Mary hesitated, Misha whispered something in her ear. It must have been a tempting offer, because Mary nodded vigorously.
Before leaving, Mary ran over to me and bowed politely.
“Thank you for having my clothes made, My Lady.”
I wondered how Misha had coaxed her, and it turned out she had brought up my request to make clothes for the children. With my dress finished, she was probably getting ready to start on theirs.
But why thank me? The clothes weren’t even made yet, and Misha was the one who would be sewing them. Was it because I was funding it? I accepted that logic immediately. Money makes the world go round, after all.
Even though Mary had given me the credit, Misha was beaming with joy. How does someone so naive survive in this world?
“Now, Daisy, we need to take your measurements too, so let’s go together!”
“What? But I must attend to My Lady. At the very least, I should wait outside the door.”
“Ah-ah! This is also My Lady’s command! Sir Gabriel is right here with her, so what are you worried about?”
It seemed Misha wanted to measure Daisy while she was here. When Daisy looked to me for permission, I nodded, telling her it was fine. Resigned, Daisy was dragged out by Misha.
I stared blankly at the door they had just left through, only to find my eyes meeting Gabriel’s. It was a bit awkward, and I felt a laugh bubbling up inside me.
“Would you care to dance with me?”
Unlike before, when I had been the one to reach out, this time Gabriel bowed slightly and offered his hand first. Now that I was fully dressed, it seemed he intended to observe proper etiquette.
“One song won’t be enough.”
There were a ridiculous number of dances. I needed to practice each one at least once.
“I will accompany you for as many as you need.”
As our hands met, Gabriel took a sharp, quiet breath. Was he nervous? He had been completely shameless when kissing my hand earlier.
Come to think of it, this was the first time we had actually held hands, aside from when we parted ways. The thought of the kiss that would normally follow such a gesture made my cheeks feel a little warm.
Of course, that thought quickly vanished when I felt how hot Gabriel’s hand was. Seriously, why was his body temperature so high? Maybe it was true what they say: warm hands, cold heart.
As expected of a skilled dancer, Gabriel wrapped a hand around my waist and guided me smoothly into the starting position.
Though I couldn’t hear it, the music began. Relying on Gabriel’s lead, I took my first step.
Misha had claimed she wanted to see us together while I was in the dress, yet she had rushed out so quickly. I guess she just wanted to see Gabriel complimenting me.
“Misha didn't really need to leave us alone.”
It wasn’t like we were going to do anything strange; we were just dancing. Gabriel replied that it was likely her way of being considerate.
“It seems Schmitiana holds you in special regard, Lady Rohanson.”
“Because she let me call her Misha?”
“Yes. The nickname is one thing, but Schmitiana is notoriously selective about her clients. That is why it was so difficult for me to bring her to the Rohanson mansion in the first place.”
True. At first, she had claimed she couldn’t touch human skin, so there was no way she had come voluntarily. Gabriel must have dragged her here. But wasn't that less about being selective and more about avoiding criminals?
Well, considering how she threw her weight around with her employees and her pride as an artisan, it made sense that she would choose her clients carefully. Gabriel tore his gaze from the firmly shut door.
“She is far more discerning than she appears. Getting someone like her to make clothes for a maid is no easy feat.”
Discerning? To me, she just seemed like a romance fanatic obsessed with any hint of a romantic atmosphere, with a bit of a weakness for pretty faces. She was incredibly susceptible to Evangeline’s looks.
Our dance continued as we conversed. Fortunately, thanks to my thorough memorization of the theory, there were no disasters like stepping on Gabriel’s feet.
As the first song ended, we bowed to each other. At an official ball, a change in music would mean a change of partners, but since this was practice, we continued into the next dance together.
The distance that had opened between us closed once more. His warmth, now feeling familiar, settled gently around my waist.
What was the next dance? Unlike me, who was still mentally retracing the steps, Gabriel’s entire focus was locked on me.
They said it was polite to make light conversation while dancing. Where were we? Ah, right—Misha making clothes for the servants.
“Misha is just doing her job since she was paid.”
“Far from it. Schmitiana does not move for any sum of money unless her heart is in it. You, Lady Rohanson, have simply become her exception.”
Ah. This song was a waltz. It was hard to tell without accompaniment. In the absence of sound, I had no choice but to memorize the physical movements. Instead of music, I engraved Gabriel’s every motion into my mind.
Gabriel extended his left foot, his right foot shifted, and we turned. Then, as his left foot moved again, he looked deep into my eyes.
“It seems that is what happens when one beholds you.”