# 111
Nothing in the world is better than free.
Deyarin never refuses freebies.
But the cloth offered by Sirius she could not accept easily.
It was a burden for her to simply accept. Even the free-loving Deyarin couldn't receive all of this without feeling like she owed something for its value. She felt she had to give back something equivalent to the value of the cloth.
What was worse was that Sirius' words did not mean that he would only end up with one dress for Deyarin.
."A dress too? Together?"
"also."
“Does that mean he wants to make something other than a dress?”
She didn't want to hear the answer, but she asked out of denial.
Sirius looked at her as if asking a strange, obvious question.
“My suit.”
naturally!
Naturally, this was the answer.
There was not the slightest chance that he would say something as ridiculous as, “Your pajamas, Diarren.”
“...Does this mean we will wear matching clothes and go to the party together?”
"Yes."
Dayarin felt dizzy in her head and lost the ability to speak for a moment.
“I'll go check if there's another fabric in the cart.”
She expected that the tailor would take this opportunity to get out of the situation.
“What are you thinking?!”
Deyarin asked him as soon as he heard the sound of the door closing.
Isn't it normal for things to calm down a little? Why does he seem to get crazier after recovering the memory?
“At the party, you should just stay by my side.”
"…What?"
“No talking to others, no dancing, no even drinking alcohol on the balcony.”
This made sense.
She wasn't thinking about enjoying the party at all. How could she think of wearing the dress and having fun while she was preparing for open war with the Second Prince?
"Of course. Do you think I would celebrate under those circumstances?"
“At the party there will be a lot of people who will try to get close.”
“I'll just reject them.”
“But it's easier to look coordinated.”
Sirius' explanation was a bit vague. It was clear that there was something she didn't know about the party, and Sirius intended to take advantage of that.
"What is this?"
Dearyn lowered her voice.
“What does it mean to appear in matching clothes at a party?”
“……”
Sirius closed his mouth stubbornly.
Deyarin's suspicions turned into certainty that he was hiding something.
“If you don’t tell me clearly now, I won’t wear the dress and won’t go with you to the party.”
Deyarin's threat was frightening.
The person who needed it the most was Sirius, and he couldn't resist.
“It means we are engaged.”
"…What?"
She had a similar idea.
She thought it meant they were together, or monopolizing each other, but she didn't expect the word 'engaged' explicitly.
Deyarin clutched her head as she lay on the sofa, stunned.
“When did I say I would marry you, Sirius?!”
“You said you wouldn't marry me.”
“...responds well.”
This situation bothered her even more because his response was so good.
“I remember you saying you wouldn’t marry me, so why are you planning to do that without me knowing?”
“I don't want you to sound rude, but I can't leave you far from my side...”
“Would I be rude if I didn't stay by your side?”
“A party is a social place. If you refuse to dance or talk more than three times, they will think you are rude.”
"Yes…."
Dearyn suddenly realized that she didn't really know anything about the peerage system.
What she knew of people was only a very small part.
Their real lives were filled with a complex and secret promise, so complex that even the stories told revealed nothing about it.
"But after this party, I'm not expected to appear in society again... And frankly, attracting attention with the news of the engagement might cause me problems later. It's better to just look like an impolite person."
“I hate it.”
“...I'm saying I'm fine.”
“I don't want you to lose anything because of me.”
Sirius's stubbornness made Dearyn laugh sarcastically.
He said his last memory was when he was a teenager, and even if he didn't grow up then he acted like a very young child.
This is definitely a deliberate act to make him look like a child. Does he think anyone will be fooled?
“How many things have I lost because of you, Sirius...”
She was about to say, “How much is it, and now you’re just talking about dignity?”
But suddenly I remembered, “Have I really lost anything?”
Threats to life were present even before Sirius.
Fights and the care of the insane were equally dangerous. Although Sirius has caused death threats, her life is still fine.
If I search for what I lost, maybe a little money and items hidden in the mansion? But she found a lot after entering the palace. She never thought about having to make money, she got a lot of what she deserved.
“…Did you lose anything?”
Sirius asked seriously.
Deyarin blushed and her cheek itched.
“…I don’t think so.”
“Fortunately.”
Sirius smiled softly.
Watching him sincerely care for her shook her feelings a little. Even her family and mother didn't care about her that way. After the battles they worried about her health, but what they thought about most was money.
But Sirius was worried about her own loss.
No matter how tied to his interest, where do you find someone who cares like that? Isn't it acceptable to wear matching clothes with him? Pretending to be his short-term fiancée wouldn't hurt.
Her deep conscience whispered cautiously:
“No, whatever, I can’t be his fiancée.”
“Why?”
“Not just for me, but for your future as well, Sirius.”
“If I think about my future, let’s get married now.”
“…”
This was madness that could not be tolerated. Her pensive mood was completely disappearing.
“Don't talk nonsense.”
“Do you hear my marriage is bullshit?”
“Exactly. Very. Very.”
Her firm refusal made Sirius become serious as well.
That was a different kind of scary. Maybe he would make a real engagement proposal in earnest now.
“If you start getting engaged suddenly, I will definitely reject you, so don’t dream about it.”
Deyarin refused even before proposing, afraid in advance.
Sirius shook his head quietly.
"I know."
“Oh, you know?”
"Yes. Love is the priority."
“…”
She can't even stop him from loving.
Her feeling now was: Let things take their course, whatever the outcome.
"Anyway, we're not allowed to wear matching clothes. No way. My dress is already enough, just match yours, Sirius. You're the hero here."
“Diaren’s dress should fit, too.”
“Why? Charlotte has already given you so many dresses.”
During her stay in the palace, she received several dresses, but she has not opened some of them yet.
There are dresses that are not for daily use, but rather very luxurious dresses that you did not find suitable to wear.
“I'll check it out.”
Sirius jumped to his feet and headed towards Dearyn's closet, who followed him in confusion.
“All very new. Very luxurious.”
“Standards for dresses at parties vary.”
“I don't have to be so glowing.”
Sirius is the star of the party. Even if it's not, it has to look like it.
Deyaren's turn is to support him by her side without attracting attention. A disabled person's cane cannot steal the spotlight. A wand may be fancy and ornate, but it is still a wand.
“The clothes right now are not fancy enough, they will stand out too much.”
“…to this extent?”
“Yes, to that extent.”
She had only been to one party, had worn a borrowed dress and had been invisible all night. It was a small local party.
Even the most modest dress than the one Charlotte gave would have placed her at the center of the party.
But even the most luxurious of these dresses was described by Sirius as “not luxurious enough to stand out.” What a huge party!
Dayarin could not even imagine the size and luxury of the royal family's parties.
Sirius began examining the dresses one by one with a critical eye.
“This doesn't suit your skin tone.”
“These decorations are poor.”
“This lace is not pretty.”
No dress would pass Sirius's evaluation easily.
Dayarin felt ridiculous at his behavior.
“Are you, Sirius, a princess and not a prince?”
“What is this talk?”
“How do you know all this about dresses? Even the names of the fabrics you memorize...”
Usually, whenever a prince is skilled in social life, he is also familiar with the world of women. But Ceres is only in his teens.
The royal family did not give early education about women's dresses, so it is difficult for him to have such extensive experience.
Even Third Prince Sevian did not seem to have received such an education.
Deyarin did not have a chance to ask Sirius about his past. She thought his life was easy as a prince, and she feared that her knowledge of his past would connect her to something deeper.
But you must ask about dresses.
“Have you ever had a fiancée?”
In the royal family, the place of marriage may be determined even before birth. Maybe he had a hidden fiancée and that was the reason for his deep knowledge.
"no."
"truly?"
“If I had a fiancée, and I told Darren that we should get married, I would be rude and foolish. I am not.”
Sirius began to explain, feeling aggrieved.
“I remember the names of the fabrics because my mother used to brag a lot about the gifts we received.”
"… Yes?"
“I heard the giver brag more than five times, so I saved it.”
"… Yes."
It was a small story but it made sense.
“As for the dresses...”
“Was it your mother too?”
“Yes, she would hold me by my side and explain to me while she made her choices.”
“…why?”
“To learn how to appreciate dresses and be able to compliment them well.”
...The late Queen's foresight was unwittingly causing Deyarin some trouble.
At that time, Deyarin felt something ominous when she heard the word “praise.”
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