Me First Before Others - 3
A sense of déjà vu washed over me.
"Any style suits you so well, my lady, that choosing just one is terribly difficult. If it were up to me, I'd love to give you several."
"Please restrain yourself. Having multiple wedding dresses would be rather odd, wouldn't it?"
Watching Mar and the imperial tailor chat in such a warm, lively atmosphere, I felt the most intense wave of déjà vu. This was clearly the first time I was seeing this scene, yet somehow it felt as if I had lived through it before.
I stared blankly at the two of them until the realization finally struck.
She did the exact same thing before the abdication ceremony.
So that was why this unfamiliar situation felt so strangely familiar—I had been through something almost identical myself.
Before the abdication ceremony, Mar had used me as a mannequin for days on end. As godfather to the imperial grandson, I had to attend the ceremony, and she insisted we needed an outfit so magnificent that everyone would remember it. In the end the whole thing fizzled out and I just wore my ordinary uniform—but that did nothing to erase the memory of being a living mannequin.
Mar was the same now. No—unlike me, who had only grown exhausted, her eyes sparkled as she carefully examined every dress the tailor presented. If she had enough time, she would probably keep this up for weeks rather than mere days.
"Karl, which one do you think looks best?"
After talking with the tailor for quite a while, Mar turned and showed me no fewer than five dresses.
I flinched on instinct. Not only had the trouble suddenly landed on me, but just as the tailor said, every style suited Mar perfectly.
What do I do?
I couldn't simply say, "They're all beautiful!" This was a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, and we were choosing the precious dress she would wear for it. If the groom-to-be answered half-heartedly, how disappointed would Mar be?
"Well—"
"Oh my, my lady? There's no point asking the groom. He'll think you look lovely in anything, so if he doesn't suggest you just wear them all, you should count yourself lucky."
"I-is that so?"
Just as I was wracking my brains for an appropriate answer, the tailor's perfect support opened a path of escape.
I'm saved.
Watching Mar giggle softly, I let out a quiet sigh of relief. She wasn't so cold-hearted that she would follow up with, "So which one do you think suits me, then?" after hearing something like that.
When I casually glanced past her, I met the tailor's eyes as he quietly raised a thumbs-up.
A true professional...
I was moved. I had heard he was the finest tailor on the continent, but it turned out his service was just as unmatched as his skill. He didn't stop at creating beautiful clothes—he also protected his client's happiness and peace of mind.
Yes, that was probably why a mere commoner like him had been granted a barony. The imperial family truly had an eye for talent. The problem was that they then worked that talent like a slave.
"Hmm, I believe this dress would suit you best, my lady."
"So you'll base the new one on this?"
"Of course! These are only samples. We must create a unique, one-of-a-kind custom dress just for you!"
The tailor emphasized the word unique and naturally drew Mar's full attention. Watching that brilliant salesmanship, I quietly retreated into a corner.
It had been a long time since I felt grateful to the Emperor. Sending someone this capable was truly—
No, the Empress sent him.
I had momentarily thanked the wrong person. For the Emperor, a good scolding was more than enough.
My presence grew even fainter.
"So you've decided on this one? It's lovely. It suits you wonderfully."
"It's not too flashy... it feels just right!"
One by one, the other lovers who had been elsewhere in the mansion began to gather.
They arrived later than I expected.
I held my breath even more carefully and watched them launch into lively discussion and praise. Mar's wedding wasn't only her celebration. It was a kind of signal flare announcing that the other lovers' weddings were drawing near as well.
That alone made Mar's wedding dress more than enough to capture their interest, and even the tailor welcomed the newcomers. Different perspectives made it easier to catch details one person might miss, or so he claimed.
And so a gathering of collective wisdom opened—yet there was, of course, nothing I could do. All I could manage was to pray quietly that no one would ask me something like, "Which one looks prettier?"
"By the way, Your Grace and the young ladies, since you're already here, would you like to choose something you like as well? Her Majesty the Empress has entrusted me with the dresses you will wear too."
I silently thanked the tailor once more for steadily drawing all the aggro.
As long as that tailor was here, the chance of me suffering seemed infinitely close to zero percent.
I wandered here and there through the Empress's palace with our adorable daughter Charlotte nestled in my arms.
Ever since her eyes had begun to focus properly, her curiosity toward the world had exploded. Whenever I laid her on the bed she often stretched out both hands and fussed, so at times like this I had to carry her around the corridors until she settled.
As Empress I had many duties, so it could have been tiresome—yet astonishingly, not even a speck of such feeling arose.
"Aww—oo—"
"Hehe, do you like it?"
"Aww-oo—!"
How could I ever find it tiresome when that bright, beautiful smile welcomed me? If anything, I wanted to carry her around every day even if she disliked it.
— Cluck— cluck—— cluck!
— That thing—! Catch it right now—!!
— ——! ——!?
At the sudden commotion rising from afar, I gently smiled. At first I had been startled, wondering what on earth the racket was, but by now I had accepted it as ordinary life in the Imperial Palace.
"Looks like another escape."
"Aww?"
I carefully pressed a kiss to Charlotte's forehead as she babbled, seemingly responding to my murmur.
She was already this adorable even before she could speak properly—how happy would I be once her words opened up? My heart was already fluttering just thinking about it.
"Grandfather's chickens have come to play. When our Charlotte grows up, you'll be able to play with them too."
I deliberately left out the part about as long as they don't get eaten first.
The chickens causing a ruckus outside hadn't come to play; they had escaped, and thanks to the knights' desperate efforts they never made it inside the Empress's palace.
But once Charlotte could walk on her own two feet, she would be able to see those chickens for herself. Even though she had been born in the most exalted place in the Empire, she would still get to experience a little of commoners' lives.
"Waa—oo!"
Charlotte beamed as if she, too, looked forward to that future.
...Could our daughter be a genius who already understands her parents' words? No matter how I looked at it, it seemed true.
"Your Majesty."
Just as I was about to kiss Charlotte's forehead again, the chief lady-in-waiting's voice came from behind me.
"Baron Nilon has returned."
"He came back sooner than expected. He must have overworked himself again."
"He said he was actually delighted to see such excellent models."
At those words a laugh slipped out of me. Baron Nilon, the imperial tailor, was a genius born from the perfect union of talent, effort, and passion. That was why, no matter what task you gave him, he finished it at an astonishing speed and casually returned as if it were nothing.
Even so, I hadn't expected him to finish this quickly either. I had ordered him both to create Lady Margareta's dress and to begin preliminary designs for the dresses the Minister's other wives would wear. Physically speaking, it shouldn't have been something that could be wrapped up so fast.
Of course the actual dressmaking would happen after he returned, and the other wives' gowns were still only at the conceptual stage—yet the speed was still remarkable.
"Tell him he has worked hard. Once the work is finished, we must reward him generously."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
I watched the chief lady-in-waiting bow and step backward, then began walking again.
If I stayed in the same spot too long, Charlotte would grow bored. I did not want to see our little angel make a crying face.
"I'm sorry. It was a matter related to your godfather, so it couldn't be helped."
"Aww!"
When I spoke gently to Charlotte as she blinked up at me, she stretched out both hands again and beamed.
She's truly brilliant.
That smile made me grin foolishly in return.
And seeing how quickly she reacted to the word "godfather"—probably from hearing it so often—gave me hope that even after Charlotte grew up she would remain close to the Minister.
They'll get along well.
Recalling the Minister I had watched all this time, that hope solidified into certainty. Unless Charlotte hit puberty and started bickering with him, the Minister would cherish and look after her.
No—even if a fierce puberty did arrive, he would just sigh and continue caring for her. That was the kind of man he was.
"When your godfather gets married, let's celebrate together. He'll be happy if his goddaughter graces the occasion."
We had lent him St. Paronas Cathedral for the wedding venue and even sent the imperial tailor. Having already bestowed so many honors, it wasn't strange at all for the imperial family to attend as guests.
Besides, the Crown Princess's godfather was forming ties with a ducal house. It would have been stranger if the imperial family didn't show their faces.
Now we're even, Eri.
Since the first wife, Lady Margareta, was marrying with the full support of the imperial family, the second wife—the Magic Lord—would receive similar treatment. And once the first and second had held splendid weddings, it was only natural to treat the wives who followed the same way.
That meant the fifth wife, Eri, would also have a wedding second to none. We would finally be able to give the best possible repayment to the junior who had almost alone celebrated our own marriage.
...Though I never imagined they would open the cathedral.
Even thinking about it now it was so absurd that I smiled softly.
Of course, even if unexpected things happened, as long as the result was good, that was all that mattered.
When I woke up, the butler greeted me with a somewhat stiff expression.
"A gift has arrived from the Armein Kingdom. To be precise, it is under the name of the third prince, Prince Ryutis Lovens—"
At the words that followed I let out a hollow laugh.
He had said that even if he couldn't come as a guest he would at least send a gift, and yet the gift had arrived before the ceremony even began.
He sent it way too early.
Had that bastard decided that early was better than late and just fired it off? Knowing his personality, it really seemed possible.
...Thanks.
Even so, I sincerely offered my gratitude toward the absent Ryutis. In any case, he was congratulating my marriage.
It felt a little awkward to call it repayment, but I would at least treat the delivery person with the utmost hospitality before sending them back.
Next will be Later, I suppose.
Or maybe Tanian.
With connections scattered all across the continent, I really did go through all sorts of things.