TFR 75

chapter 75

“Ahaha. You’ve arrived, Your Majesty. It’s probably just idle gossip circulating in the social circles. If Your Majesty hasn’t heard it…”

Alfredo quickly shifted his tone in response to Dantes’ rigid reaction. Yet Dantes’ expression remained unmoved. Alfredo lowered his eyebrows and spoke frankly.

“I don’t know who spread it. But at the time, there was talk that Your Majesty might propose, so I prepared this to… match the mood.”

“If I didn’t say anything, nothing would have started. I don’t know whose influence is at work here, but it’s not a pleasant feeling.”

“Your Majesty, please don’t scold Alfredo too harshly. Whenever a banquet is held, stories about the two of you inevitably come up in conversation.”

Milan tried to ease the tension. Dantes, however, looked even more displeased and continued.

“That’s precisely the problem. They should know better than to meddle.”

Dantes clicked his tongue. At the sight of him, Rosellina and the maids both shrank back. Dantes’ gaze fell on Rosellina, who kept her head lowered. Unlike her flustered appearance yesterday, her fine platinum hair now fell smoothly around her shoulders.

Dantes focused on the nape of her neck. The pale skin there… and below it, tightly covered by her maid’s uniform.

What would it feel like if she wore that dress? In truth, a simple, fresh dress would probably suit her better than something so elaborate. A soft, pure blue would be lovely, or perhaps a pink reminiscent of peonies.

Lost in thought for a moment, Dantes’ gaze returned to the dress. Slowly, he approached and examined it.

“Is the decoration too much?”

Seeing that Dantes showed even a hint of interest, Alfredo’s face brightened as he spoke.

“No, Your Majesty. Of course, compared to men’s clothing, it’s much more elaborate, but women’s attire generally includes many small details and ornaments. When worn, it gives a pure, elegant impression. It’s much lighter than the dresses Demeteria usually wears, with fewer layers underneath. When worn, it drapes lightly while embracing the body’s silhouette. That said, the fabric isn’t flimsy, so it won’t feel thin.”

Alfredo spoke rapidly, barely pausing to breathe. Dantes tapped the sleeve lightly and continued.

“I can’t tell without seeing it worn.”

“This is only a sample, Your Majesty. Haha. Once we take measurements and tailor it to Her Majesty the Empress, it will look even more beautiful.”

Alfredo rubbed his hands together, eager to shift the focus from Dantes back to the dress.

“Move this to the other room, Your Majesty. The true star I prepared for today is here. I’ve developed the design you chose last time…”

Dantes’ gaze suddenly stopped on Rosellina. The dress, placed on a model, overlapped her figure as it was moved forward. He thought the color matched her even better than he had imagined. The deep green and blue tones complemented her clear eyes and harmonized with her hair.

He couldn’t take his eyes off Rosellina as she carefully moved the heavy garment with the help of two maids.

“Wait.”

“Yes? What is it, Your Majesty?”

“I said I can’t judge how good the dress is without seeing it worn.”

“Your Majesty, how can you say that? It’s truly a beautiful dress. Milan, don’t you agree?”

Milan, this time, shook his head helplessly. Alfredo, holding onto his dress tightly, muttered indignantly.

“It’s a dress I can truly take pride in. You have no idea how much effort I put into it. I feel like I’m finally doing real work after so long…”

“Even though you complained about having no work, I entrusted you with the clothing for the staff, and you still had time left? Or did you just do it halfheartedly?”

“No, no!”

Dantes crossed his arms and looked at Alfredo.

“Then convince me right here, right now.”

“What? How…?”

Alfredo, clearly flustered, looked at Milan as if asking for guidance. When his incessant chatter finally stopped, Milan stepped forward and gently suggested.

“Alfredo, why not have one of the maids try it on? It’ll be easier for His Majesty to judge when it’s worn by a person.”

Milan knew exactly what Dantes wanted. He wanted Rosellina herself to wear the dress.

Alfredo, still unaware of Dantes’ intentions, looked at the maids with a hesitant expression.

“Very well! It’s best to have someone actually wear it. But they’re maids, not attendants, so…”

“……”

Alfredo glanced at Milan and Dantes. Both seemed indifferent. He wasn’t thrilled about having the maids try on such an exquisite dress first, but he forced himself to continue.

“The dress is long, so the two small maids won’t fit. The one with short hair should try it. She’s so thin, I hope it fits…”

Alfredo assessed Rosellina’s body with his eyes, thinking she had the best proportions among them. Dantes felt a pang of discomfort at Alfredo’s blatant gaze.

It was natural for a tailor to inspect a client, but Alfredo’s look carried a certain condescension that made Dantes uneasy.

“So you’re saying I should find a maid and have her ready for this?”

Alfredo snapped to attention at Dantes’ firm tone.

“No, no! I’ll prepare them immediately. You two know the order for wearing the dress, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then get ready quickly in that room. Handle the clothes carefully!”

“Yes.”

Alfredo quickly handed the garments to Lexi and Maxie and turned to Dantes.

“Your Majesty, putting on the dress will take some time. Would you like to observe the newly made design in the meantime?”

“Very well.”

Dantes looked at his suit, matched to the dress Rosellina had gone to try on. She wasn’t dressing him today, but he would see her wearing a dress that matched his outfit. He wanted to see her in it more than anything.

Feigning indifference, he watched the door to the side room where Rosellina had disappeared.

“This is such a golden opportunity to try on a dress! I’m so bummed I’m missing it!”

Maxie stomped her feet. Lexi shook her head.

“The waist is so tiny, it would have burst if you tried. Only someone as thin as Lina could wear it.”

“But when will we get another chance like this?”

“If the dress bursts while you’re wearing it, do you think the tailor would stay calm? He’s already made it clear he’s not happy putting this luxury dress on us maids.”

Lexi frowned at Alfredo’s displeasure. Rosellina silently allowed them to help her into the dress.

“My goodness… Lina, why do you have so many scars?”

Although she wore a thin muslin slip, it couldn’t cover all the small scars on her arms and legs. Lexi’s gaze softened as she continued.

“Your father was a mercenary, huh? You grew up rough. Honestly, I thought being a maid meant you had it easy. Wow… that must have hurt.”

Lexi gently brushed away Rosellina’s minor scars. Despite this, her skin was smooth and soft. Rosellina appreciated their kind comfort more than wearing an expensive dress. Of course, being a human model for the tailor in Demeteria’s place was bittersweet.

Thinking this way, she realized her disappointments were many. She tried to shake off the thoughts, but it wasn’t easy. Lexi tightened the waistline from behind, and Maxie adjusted the front.

“My goodness… Lina, you look so pretty!”

“Like a true noble lady. Wait, is there a hair accessory we can add? Decorating the hair would make it even better!”

“You look amazing. Even without any adornments, just wearing this dress changes your entire appearance.”

Lexi and Maxie continued to fuss over the dress, unable to stop admiring it. But Rosellina was lost in thought, not hearing them.

The beauty of the dress didn’t matter to her. What mattered was that it was made for Demeteria, and Dantes wanted to see if the dress was more beautiful than anything else.

“Is he really going to propose? Would he think the dress looks nice even on me? No… he must want to imagine Demeteria wearing it instead of me.”

That thought made the dress feel even more suffocating. She could barely move in the unfamiliar garment. Thinking of Dantes and Demeteria together made her chest tighten painfully.

The vague idea of Dantes’ marriage now felt terrifyingly close.

“His punishment for me might be far crueler than I imagined.”

Rosellina suppressed her feelings for Dantes, feelings she couldn’t even acknowledge to herself, and looked into the mirror. The lavish dress, completely mismatched with her, felt like oil floating on water. She lowered her head. Maxie and Lexi exchanged glances, puzzled by her mood. Though they didn’t know why, it was clear Rosellina disliked the dress.

“Let’s show him quickly and then change back into your maid uniform.”

At Lexi’s words, Rosellina nodded firmly. Supported by the two maids, she took cautious steps forward. Toward Dantes.