# 25
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"Oh my god, really? I didn't know."
Yes, yes. I know.
The princess held Diana captive for three full pages of the novel, and she talks about that story.
Poor Diana had to stand there for more than 30 minutes, rigid as a board, listening to the Princess's endless chatter and speeches.
Suddenly, the eyes of the princess, who was staring at me with bright, sparkling eyes, narrowed.
“…Grand Duchess, are you sure you are the same person? The Duchess I know is not the type to care about things like this.”
Ah, it's unnecessarily insightful. seriously.
“People's interests can change at any time.”
I pretended to smile and pointed to my dress – a bright red pink dress into which Mrs. Zed had put her heart.
It was as if the princess had just noticed my clothes, as she looked me up and down with genuine amazement.
“…This…is an unusual style of dress, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is unique.”
Ms. Zed's masterpiece was asymmetrical, with the hemline flowing diagonally from my left waist.
Before Ms. Zed's designs were introduced to high society, all dresses adhered to strictly symmetrical designs.
The hem, sleeves, lace and even the delicate embroidery were carefully made to reflect each other, forming the standard of beauty of this era.
By contrast, Ms. Zedd's dress, deliberately made asymmetrical from the beginning, was groundbreaking for its time.
What caught most attention was the intricate micro-shiny effect at the bottom of the hem line.
She caught the princess's attention with a sharp look without much difficulty.
“These… decorations on the hem are not gemstones, are they?”
"No, these are made of magic stones. They glow brighter in the dark, I'm told."
“Hoho…”
Her eyes now shone with a different kind of interest.
“You didn't design this yourf, did you? Who is the tailor?”
The princess suddenly raised her head and stared at me intently.
I recognized that look.
Mrs. Zed was wearing a similar expression while taking my measurements.
It was the look of someone obsessed, almost to the point of madness.
'Well, that makes sense because Lady Zed's discovery is originally the role of the princess.'
I suppressed a shudder, and softly shrugged at the intensity of her passionate but slightly unsteady gaze.
“The seamstress is Mrs. Zed from Zed Salon. As you guessed, I didn't design it myf. I just modified one of her ready-made dresses.”
“Ms. Zed...? This name is unfamiliar to me.”
The princess nodded in confusion, and I nodded softly in response.
“She is not well known in the famous shopping areas yet. Moreover, she has recently become my personal tailor.”
“You hired her as your exclusive seamstress?”
“Yes, in a way.”
At my answer, the princess's eyes widened in surprise before her lips curled into a slight frown, clearly expressing her disappointment.
"How can you keep such a seamstress to yourf, Grand Duchess? That's strange. If she was so talented, I should have known about her…"
She seemed genuinely upset that she didn't discover Lady Zed's talent first.
No, you can't have it.
It belongs to Diana.
“Oh my God, if I had known Her Highness was interested, I would have mentioned it.”
Although the Princess frowned at my casual response, she did not press the matter further.
What can she do? Mrs. Zed was already mine.
I looked at her and smiled.
“If you want, I can introduce you to Mrs. Zed later. Since she is my personal seamstress, it may be difficult for her to make dresses for you regularly, but I am sure she can make some pieces.”
"….truly?"
The princess looked at me with a slight frown but a sparkle of excitement in her eyes, revealing her young age of 14 years.
I stifled my laughter and nodded.
“Of course. It would be a great honor for Mrs. Zedd, and I would be delighted, too.”
"… Is this correct?"
If she had been in a more tense mood, she might have accused me of befriending her, but between the incident with Isabella and my recognition of her dress, her attitude remained surprisingly gentle.
The princess looked between my face and my dress before clearing her throat and shaking her head.
“Okay... let's do this.”
“Of course, Your Highness. It would be an honor.”
“Well, I can't refuse when the Grand Duchess so kindly offers it!”
She seemed really happy with my offer, and had a bright smile on her face.
'Why were you so nervous?'
This was easier than I thought.
Satisfied with how smoothly things were going, I began to feel confident that I could clear at least half of the obstacles awaiting Diana upon her return.
“If you could tell me a convenient time for you, Your Highness...”
At that moment.
A middle-aged woman approached us from the far side of the greenhouse and greeted us respectfully.
“I salute the Second Noble Moon of the Empire, Princess Louisa Evgenia es Levant, and Grand Duchess Eloise Claude.”
When she saw her, the princess's face lit up and she lifted her chin.
“Okay, Duchess Breloze!”
huh?
The Duchess of Brilloz is the hostess of this party.
I blinked rapidly, and stared at the middle-aged woman standing in front of me.
“I did not expect the Duchess herf to come to greet us.”
Social events hosted by the Brilloz family were known for their large size, and because many of the young women lined up just to meet the Duchess, it was not easy to strike up a personal conversation with her unless you had a specific reason.
There is no doubt that being with the princess has its advantages.
The Duchess of Brillose approached us slowly.
“How are you, Your Highness?”
“We only met a week ago. It seems unnecessary to ask about that.”
Despite the princess's complaining, the duchess smiled warmly, unfazed.
"There's nothing wrong with asking about someone's condition repeatedly. I'm glad to see you're doing well."
The princess shuddered and cleared her throat.
"If you're planning on complaining, stop here. Now is not the time for class."
"I don't think I would consider that. I wouldn't dare spoil Your Highness's pleasure."
The Duchess of Brilloz was known as the doyenne of the social world and was responsible for teaching the princess etiquette.
Since the princess was a time bomb – or rather a bouncing ball – the current Emperor personally asked the Duchess of Brillose to supervise the princess's education.
Looking at all this, I couldn't help but feel respect for the Duchess in a different way.
'To teach that princess…'
“How did you find the food, Your Highness? I hope it suits your taste.”
“Mmm, it was very good. The pastry maker’s skills seem to be improving day by day.”
“I'm glad to hear that.”
The Duchess gracefully bowed her head in response to the Princess's satisfied response.
But I noticed something.
Behind her gentle expression, the Duchess's sharp golden eyes were quickly examining the princess.
She checked the princess for any flaws in the princess's posture, whether her clothes were untidy, and whether there were any traces of food on her hands or face.
It was the all-encompassing look of a teacher carefully examining her student.
Fortunately – or perhaps unfortunately – the Princess seemed completely unaware of the Duchess's watchful eye.
“Anyway, if the Duchess wasn't so strict, she would be a good person.”
The princess said with a malicious smile, tilting the glass of non-alcoholic juice as if it were wine.
'Is she really 14 years old...?'
I was quietly astonished, but what really shocked me was what the Duchess of Brillose said next.
"Understood. I'll keep that in mind. But, Your Highness…"
“Hmm?”
“With all due respect...your posture.”
The princess, who had been standing casually just moments before, stepped back and immediately straightened her posture.