# 15
---
She stared at Mrs. Zed, who was full of determination, then glanced around the dressing room.
Dozens of dresses that Mrs. Zedd had brought were lined up in the middle of the room.
Thanks to a dazzling chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the dresses seemed to sparkle even more than they did in the store.
Mrs. Zed, still smiling from ear to ear, followed my gaze and began to speak.
“As you requested, I have sewn these dresses according to your exact measurements. Oh, while I was making adjustments, I made some improvements to some of the dresses. I hope you like them.”
She continued to chatter, offering several dresses.
"I have decorated this dress with sapphires and emeralds to complement the color of Smoke's eyes. This dress has a fuller underskirt to enhance your silhouette..."
Her face lit up with excitement as she explained, but to be honest, I barely understood half of what she was saying.
With a gentle smile, I listened to it with one ear and let it flow out the other.
“…And this, this is my masterpiece.”
She said at the end of her long speech, holding up a dress.
It was completely red, reminiscent of a luxurious rose, with a voluminous skirt.
My eyes, which had been losing focus due to her endless chatter, widened at this sight.
“Oh...this...”
It's really beautiful.
“It's unique. I love it.”
I said, expressing my agreement, causing Mrs. Zedd's face to light up with pleasure.
"Didn't you? I really put my heart into this piece."
She said proudly, lifting the hem of the dress to show it.
"But that's not all. I have a secret weapon. Just wait."
She raised one finger and walked off somewhere before returning with something in her hand.
It was a milky white stone, about half the size of a palm, encased in a small container.
"What is this…?"
"It's a magical artifact. This will be the final touch," she said, holding the stone near the hem of the dress and shaking it.
From within, bright, star-like particles flowed out.
“Oh my God, what is this?”
“This is the highlight of my masterpiece.”
I had heard in the original novel that tailors often used magical artifacts to decorate dresses, but seeing it in person was much more interesting.
“Now, please try it.”
While I was still amazed by the display, Mrs. Zed quickly helped me into the dress.
Its claim that it was tailored to my measurements perfectly was no exaggeration – it fit perfectly, without the slightest inconsistency.
Standing in front of the mirror, she turned the skirt around.
Eloise's gray hair, turquoise eyes and vibrant red dress created a captivating combination.
Every time I gently moved the skirt, the sparkling particles of the magic stone sparkled like dew or stardust.
“With a luxurious dress like this, I could wear it to an imperial ball.”
At my words, Mrs. Zed practically jumped in place.
“What do you mean? This is ready to wear for light parties or casual occasions! But for an imperial ball, I will put my life on the line to make you the most beautiful dress.”
“…Is this really necessary…?”
I wanted to say something, but her eyes were so bright and passionate that I couldn't bring myf to say anything.
After examining my face with a serious expression, Mrs. Zed clapped her hands.
“How about wearing this to Duchess Brillose's season party?”
"Duchess Brilloz? Ah."
she shouted, slower than usual.
'If you think about it, Duchess Brillose's season party is around this time.'
The Duchess of Brilloz has been a prominent figure in the social world for decades.
Her influence was so great that young women preparing for their first engagement would line up for her advice.
It hosted seasonal parties, to which noble ladies were invited, and they were large-scale parties, like huge banquets.
This event was eagerly awaited by everyone, as it was an opportunity to hear all kinds of news from the capital and nearby cities.
'Of course, Eloise received invitations but she rarely attended.'
“This time, it looks like she's throwing a bigger party to celebrate her 30th wedding anniversary.”
“It will definitely be a huge gathering.”
I nodded, easily picturing the scene.
“I heard that Her Highness the Princess will also be attending.”
“Princess?”
My expression, which had been indifferent until now, changed.
“Princess...”
Even with my poor memory, it wasn't hard to remember.
She was the legitimate heiress, the Emperor's younger sister, and Ian's half-sister. With her older brothers becoming Emperor and Grand Duke, she became first in line to the throne.
‘She is also the one the Emperor Faction is promoting as the next queen, because they are wary of Ian, who was born of a concubine.’
In simpler terms, she was at the center of the storm of internal family conflicts.
She also played an important role in the original story.
Not only was she the first to recognize Lady Zedd's dress and started a new trend, but she also served as an antagonist who constantly picked fights with Diana after her return.
'For some reason, she never liked Diana and always found faults in her.'
In short, she was a thorn in Diana's side, causing trouble even when there were no other major challenges in her life except Ian.
“Of course, your highness will attend as well, right?”
Mrs. Zed asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
'The original Eloise would have completely ignored this, but…'
The fact that the bad-tempered princess would attend piqued my interest.
‘Moreover, with an event of this magnitude, it would be a good opportunity to make a good impression on people who might become allies.’
It was a chance to meet those who were supportive of me and those who weren't, so it wasn't a bad idea.
“Unless something unexpected happens, I will attend.”
Mrs. Zed's face lit up at my response.
“Of course! I will make more adjustments to the dress and turn it into the best dress ever!”
“…More adjustments?”
“It's the first event you'll be attending with one of my creations, so I have to make sure you stand out more than anyone else!”
...This seemed unnecessary.
But with her eyes shining like that, I couldn't bring myf to argue.
I sighed internally.
'Well, making Lady Zed famous is one of my goals anyway… I'll leave her alone.'
To be honest, I didn't think stopping it would work either.
After getting my reluctant approval, Mrs. Zed happily gathered up the red rose dress and dressed me in a relatively simple green dress, which she said would be suitable for everyday wear.
Of course, even this was more extravagant than what Eloise usually wore.
'Now I understand why Eloise prefers simpler clothes.'
After enduring Mrs. Zed's constant attention for a while, I felt extremely exhausted.
"I'll be leaving then. See you soon!"
"Give yourf to me."
As soon as Mrs. Zed left, I immediately headed to my office.
Since I was letting all my invitations pile up there, the letters were piled high on a side table.
It did not take me long to find the invitation of the Duchess Brilloz among them.
“Let's see… at the end of the week, a week from now.”
It was faster than I expected, but the timing wasn't bad.
“It's time to show my face, anyway.”
Now the only problem was Ian.
I grabbed the invitation and headed straight to his office.
But before I could get there, I ran into him walking up the stairs.
'Speak of the devil, and he will appear.'
“Good evening, Your Highness.”
“Yes,” he answered indifferently, nodding slightly.
He quickly noticed my dress.
“Are you going out again?”
Only then did I realize that I was still wearing the daily dress that Mrs. Zedd had dressed me with.
“No, it's just a new casual dress. What do you think?”
His expression became a little embarrassed.
It was the kind of face that said, “What am I supposed to do with this?”
Where did all the lessons you learned before go?
Even if he couldn't give a nice look, he could at least try to apply what he learned.
“Would you like to give me some feedback?”
After a long pause, he finally said,
“…It's a calm shade of green.”
Is this your best?
I forced my lips into a rounder smile as I answered,
“This is the situation where you have to say it suits me well, or it is beautiful.”
After ending the desperate conversation, I gave him another bright smile.
“Actually, I came to see you because I have something to discuss.”
"What is it?"
“It's nothing major, but I'm planning to attend the Duchess Brillose's seasonal party. I heard she's hosting it on a grand scale this year to celebrate her 30th wedding anniversary.”
“Yes, and...?”
Ian looked at me as if he didn't understand why I was telling him this.
Did he really think I just wanted to show off by being invited to a party?
“So, I was wondering… would you accompany me to the Duchess’s palace?”