“Does this one suit you? Your skin is so fair, pink would look wonderful on you.”
Erensia waved her hand as if she hadn’t even properly looked at the dress. Her expression was unusually dark.
Anes quietly observed Erensia for a moment before sending Andre away.
“Miss, are you troubled about something?”
Erensia shook her head vaguely.
“No.”
“Is it about your partner?”
Ah, right. I was worried about that too. But that wasn’t the main issue right now.
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then… did I do something wrong, miss?”
Why is the conversation going there?
Erensia quickly denied it again.
She rested her chin on the back of her hand and fell into thought. Anes silently watched her.
“Hey, Anes. I have something I’m curious about.”
No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t find an answer. In situations like this, she needed conversation.
“Yes, go ahead, miss.”
“How do I look these days?”
“Miss… nothing bad is happening, right?”
Anes asked worriedly.
“No, really, nothing. I’m just curious.”
Erensia smiled brightly. Her face was completely free of any shadow, and Anes felt relieved.
“How do you look? You look absolutely wonderful, of course. As always, beautiful, wise, brave, embodying noble dignity herself….”
“W-wait.”
Erensia raised a hand to stop her.
“Anes, you can be honest.”
Erensia realized she might have asked the wrong person, but she had no alternative.
“I promise I won’t punish you for what you say.”
“Miss isn’t the kind of person who would punish me for something like that.”
That’s a dangerous level of trust.
Erensia almost corrected her, but decided to let it go.
“Alright, that question was too broad and difficult. I’ll change it so you can only answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
She repeatedly insisted that Anes must tell the truth.
Then she asked what she truly wanted to know.
“Am I a bad person?”
Anes’s eyes widened.
“No!”
It was as if she had heard something outrageous. Anes frowned fiercely, as if Erensia had just insulted her parents.
“No, I don’t mean crimes like theft or murder. Something simpler… like a villain in a fairy tale?”
“Miss, not at all! Didn’t you hear what people are saying? Ask anyone on the street—everyone says you are absolutely not a bad person!”
Anes grew heated. She went on and on, practically shouting, explaining how good Erensia’s reputation had become lately.
The more she spoke, the more Erensia’s mood sank. It was now undeniable that all her efforts had gone to waste. There were too many examples supporting it for her to even deny it.
“Alright, I get it. Stop.”
Erensia calmed Anes down for now.
Then she sat back and reflected on her actions.
Insulting Stein, riding a horse into the city, buying countless unnecessary things and throwing them away…
She had worked very hard—and very well—at doing bad things, things that should have ruined her reputation and made enemies.
So why did everything keep going wrong?
Erensia pressed a hand to her forehead.
“Are you really going to wear this?”
After calming herself with tea, Erensia began choosing a dress in earnest.
Her sudden enthusiasm had briefly moved Anes—until she now asked with a serious expression.
Erensia was holding a bright red dress up to her neck in front of the mirror.
In the empire, young noble ladies typically preferred pale colors and voluminous skirts.
At debutante events especially, pastel shades like pink, light yellow, and light green were the trend.
But the dress Erensia chose was the opposite. The vivid red gown clung tightly to her body, with an open back.
In a society where “cute femininity” was idealized, this design was practically begging for criticism.
‘Our young lady is going to be treated like an exhibit at an imperial fair!’
It was bold—and so revealing that even Anes was blushing.
“Miss, that’s not even a dress most actresses would wear. I only brought it for study purposes, never to sell.”
Andre laughed awkwardly, trying to take it from her.
“Really?”
Erensia answered indifferently.
Anes and Andre nodded quickly, relieved.
The moment she saw their reaction, Erensia made her decision.
“Then I’ve decided! I’ll wear this.”
Her satisfied voice rang out.
“Miss, from a professional perspective, the pink dress Anes is holding would suit you much better,” Andre insisted.
But Erensia shook her head.
“I want this one.”
Anes’s hands trembled as she held the pink dress.
“Not that one. This one.”
Erensia confidently lifted the red dress.
“Miss, please…”
Anes tried desperately to persuade her—
“Ah! Good day, Lady Erensia.”
Someone called out to her.
All three turned around.
Anes looked at the newcomer with a tearful expression. He looked familiar.
“Frederick. I am the aide to Lord Euclid Gredellos.”
“Ah!”
Erensia only recognized him after his introduction.
Even though she had seen him several times, she simply didn’t remember him. That was Erensia’s nature. And partly Euclid’s fault too.
When she looked at Euclid, she didn’t notice anyone else.
He was someone who absorbed all light and attention around him.
‘Sigh, what a waste.’
If only he weren’t from Gredellos… or if only this wasn’t her fourth life…
“Hello.”
Anes greeted him on Erensia’s behalf.
“Are you here to choose a dress? Ah! A pink dress? Then the lord should match colors too.”
Frederick spoke excitedly on his own.
“Does this mean you accepted my proposal for a partner?”
Erensia’s eyes lit up at his appearance. Andre perked up too, listening closely.
A scandal between Novellita and Gredellos!
Andre didn’t just design dresses—he also designed rumors.
“That is not the case.”
A deeper voice interrupted.
Even hearing it alone made it obvious.
Euclid.
The door to the VIP fitting room opened.
After Frederick insisted, Euclid had come to the boutique—and immediately frowned at the carriage parked outside.
“Looks like Lady Novellita is here.”
On the carriage, a pure white emblem with a golden deer head—the symbol of House Novellita—was clearly visible.
Frederick unnecessarily pointed it out as if explaining something obvious.
“Since we’re here, let’s settle the partner issue as well.”
Frederick was always excited whenever anything involving Erensia came up.
He became lively, talkative, and unusually proactive.
Recently, he had been dumped by his lover.
He claimed it was because Euclid worked him too hard and left him no time, but Euclid didn’t care.
Work always came first. If a partner couldn’t accept that, it was better to break up early.
Frederick, trembling with anger, had once told him he would grow old alone with that mindset—but only in his head.
Since then, Frederick had enjoyed situations where Euclid was inconvenienced.
Since he couldn’t trouble him through work, he enjoyed everything involving Erensia.
Euclid clicked his tongue and entered the shop.
He was guided to the VIP room.
On the second floor of Andre’s boutique, there were two exclusive VIP rooms.
Euclid was guided to a different room from the one Erensia was using.
Perfect timing—voices drifted from outside.
It sounded like an argument over dresses. Pink versus red.
Euclid could not understand why women were so obsessed with dresses.
He didn’t care much about appearance.
In fact, he had planned to just wear something he already owned to the banquet, but Frederick had dragged him here.
“Shall I go inform her that you’ve arrived? You will greet her, right?”
Frederick’s eyes sparkled.
Euclid nodded slightly.
Do whatever you want.
Frederick practically flew into the other room.
Euclid followed at a measured distance.
Then he clearly heard Erensia’s voice:
“Does this mean you accepted my partner request?”
Was she happy? Annoyed? It was hard to tell.
‘That woman again.’
Ever since last time—proposal, partner request—she made the request herself, then tried to run away when he responded.
It irritated him.
If he treated her coldly, it was all her fault.
The door opened.
“It is not.”
Erensia’s faint smile appeared.
Euclid stared at her.
“…Then are you rejecting my partner request?”
Erensia had originally wanted Euclid as her partner—to avoid being overshadowed by her future husband at the banquet.
But his ambiguous attitude made her uncomfortable.
‘And Andre will spread rumors anyway…’
If he rejects me, will I become “the lady who was rejected for a partner”? That’s not so bad.
Erensia stared at his lips, preparing her performance.
He would definitely refuse.
Euclid’s eyebrow lifted slightly, then returned.
“There is absolutely no such thing.”
What?
Again that ambiguous Euclid-style answer.
Erensia became uneasy.
Whenever he spoke like this, it never ended well.
Euclid smiled smoothly.
A perfectly practiced fake smile.
“Then it should be me asking. Lady Erensia, would you grant me the honor of escorting you to the banquet?”
