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Chapter 58
But what’s he thinking?
He suddenly tells me to come to work.
Does he think I’ve been lazing around too much?
Well… fair enough.
I really have been living idly since coming here. Nobles may be like that, but Vincent, being royalty, always looked busy with endless work. Of course, he was capable enough to handle it all.
I wonder if those so-called noble brats even realize how much of an extreme job it is to be Crown Prince.
As I mashed a roasted potato with my fork and picked at it absentmindedly, Vincent placed a piece of chicken in front of me.
“Eat some more. You’ve gotten thinner.”
“How do you know that?”
“Well, I’ve seen enough to tell.”
“Ah.”
Right, he had carried me from the training ground earlier.
Even as I ate the chicken he gave me, I couldn’t tell—was he being kind or just polite? I tried not to overthink it, but sometimes, it just came back to me.
It’s probably just my feelings.
This growing fondness, this pull toward him—feelings I shouldn’t have—made me care too much about his every move.
The thought alone made the chicken feel stuck in my throat. I barely managed to swallow it with some water.
People seemed pretty shocked about a noblewoman wearing pants, so I decided to avoid it except for exercise.
In this world, clothing was strictly divided into outdoor wear, indoor wear, and sleepwear.
You could wear indoor clothes in your garden, backyard, or the dining room, but going beyond that made people stare.
And the Crown Prince’s office, even though it was indoors, counted as outdoors.
As I’ve said before, Amelia’s clothes—whether for indoors or outdoors—were all excessively ornate.
I always tried to pick the simplest ones, but even those were extravagant, and now I’d hit a wall.
I really need to buy more clothes from Laura Boutique.
Of course, that depended on me actually getting paid. I could, like before, buy on credit under the Wentworth name—but then all my expenses would be exposed.
The last time I bought one dress, they didn’t say anything, but if I kept doing it, they’d definitely start digging for reasons.
And once they find out I’m working in the Crown Prince’s office, they’ll start demanding more.
I had ignored three letters from the Duke of Wentworth so far. He was probably furious, but since I was inside the Crown Prince’s palace, there wasn’t much he could do.
Still, he’ll make a move soon.
Anyway, that wasn’t the issue now. Where was that dress I wore when I visited the Empress’s palace? It was the plainest one I owned.
No matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find it. In the end, I called for Vivian, who was on the first floor.
“My Lady, you called?”
“Vivian, do you know where my cobalt-blue dress went? The one you said looked dull.”
“Oh, that one? The hem got caught on something and tore, so I sent it to the repair room. Why, what’s wrong?”
“How long will it take to get it back?”
“Well, the seamstress is on vacation right now… maybe a week? Why?”
“Ugh, I don’t have anything to wear to work.”
I looked helplessly at my closet, filled only with dazzling ballroom gowns—each screaming Look at me, I’m the main character.
“Well, who cares?
As long as it’s pretty, it’s fine… right?”
“You don’t sound too confident. You think it’s too much too, don’t you?”
“……”
Even Vivian, who loved pretty things, looked unconvinced about me wearing such a gown to the Crown Prince’s office.
Never thought I’d be stuck because of work clothes.
It would be so much easier if I had a uniform. As I thought that, my gaze drifted to Vivian’s outfit.
Slowly, I stepped closer to her, reaching out my hand, and she froze.
“M-My Lady?”
“Hold still for a second.”
I leaned in and examined her clothes closely.
A neat brown one-piece dress that fell modestly below the knees, with a simple frill at the hem. The material was soft, flexible, and comfortable-looking—she could probably do a handstand without the skirt flipping.
Even though it was a maid’s uniform, it wasn’t cheap, probably because she served in the royal palace.
“M-My Lady, you can’t do that!”
Snapping out of my focus, I realized I was crouched in front of her, feeling around her waist.
“Ah, sorry.”
Yeah, that could’ve been misunderstood. I stood up and took another look at her outfit.
If I take off the apron and headpiece, and add a brooch instead, maybe I can make it look different enough.
After analyzing it thoroughly, I asked,
“Vivian, can you get me one of those in my size?”
“…What?”
“You can, right? You’ve got plenty of uniforms, don’t you?”
“Well, yes, but… wait, are you planning to wear this to work?”
At her horrified look, I shrugged.
“Exactly.”
“W-What?”
“Why, is that not okay? Hurry, Vivian. We don’t have time.”
“No, I mean—”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Go on now.”
I gently pushed the still-stunned Vivian out the door.
Not long after, she returned with a maid’s uniform.
When I tried it on, it was far more comfortable than I expected—and surprisingly cute. Someone had clearly put effort into the design.
Vivian stood nearby, muttering under her breath. When I listened carefully, I caught,
“It’s the same uniform we all wear… so why does it look different on her?”
“Vivian, what are you mumbling about? Does this waist ribbon go like this?”
“Oh—let me tie it for you.”
She tied the ribbon neatly, and I admired my reflection in the mirror.
“Vivian, this actually looks good.”
“No way.”
“Come on, it’s better than I thought.”
“That’s because you’re pretty! If you wear the same thing as us, it just makes the rest of us look worse!”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
I chuckled and patted her shoulder.
“Vivian, you’re adorable and pretty yourself. No need to compare.”
“…Sigh, you really have no idea how unconvincing that sounds. Anyway, sit down. You’ll tie your hair up, right?”
“Yeah. It’s annoying when it gets in the way.”
Grumbling as she worked, Vivian’s hands were skilled and gentle. She tied my hair up neatly and pinned it with a shiny hair clip.
To finish, I added a white flower-shaped brooch on my left chest—just to make it clear I wasn’t actually a maid.
Vivian explained that maids weren’t allowed to wear accessories while in uniform.
I guess a lot of uniformed jobs have strict dress rules.
When I’d passed by the eastern office before, I had seen a few female officials too. Their outfits were similarly modest.
“Okay, I’ll be off, Vivian.”
“Yes, My Lady. When will you be back?”
“Not sure yet. Depends on how it goes.”
“Alright.”
As I stepped out, escorted by Vivian’s farewell, Derek was waiting as usual.
“Sir Derek, I’m heading to the Crown Prince’s office. You’ve heard, right?”
“Yes, My Lady. I’ll escort you there.”
It felt strange to go to work with a bodyguard, so after walking halfway, I convinced Derek to let me go alone.
Because of waterproofing work being done on the bridge connecting the east and west wings, I had to exit and walk around to enter from the side.
I’ve never been this way before.
It felt unfamiliar, which meant Amelia had probably never used this entrance either.
It looked like the one used by the palace staff.
Well, doesn’t matter.
As I followed another official entering through the same door, I suddenly froze—there was something oddly familiar about his face.
