episode_0032

“Alright, we’re done here, Miss. Is there anywhere uncomfortable for you when moving?”

The yellowish eyebrows resembling the color of her hair slightly furrowed above her sky-blue eyes.

Partly due to the overly friendly tailor sticking close to her.

And partly because even without a corset, the tightness around her waist was uncomfortable.

Despite Eleanor’s expression, the woman fitting the dress on Eleanor merely gazed at the beautiful platinum-haired doll she had created beyond the mirror, wearing a satisfied smile.

“Ah… um, this waist is quite tight, isn’t it?”

Eleanor hesitantly spoke up.

“Oh, then I’ll adjust the pin a bit back. Other than the waist, is there anything else uncomfortable?”

“And the chest too… it’s too revealing in this dress-”

“Oh, Miss, this is the standard nowadays. I’m sure Madam will approve of this level. Once you see yourself in a large mirror outside, you’ll feel differently. Let me adjust your waist first.”

Interrupting the noble lady’s words that were incomparable to her own, she urged and directed Eleanor with even her nasal voice.

However, Eleanor couldn’t muster a single word of dissent towards the woman.

Underneath her grand appearance, Eleanor had an ailment that prevented her from speaking out against others.

The symptoms of her ailment only manifested in department stores, clothing shops, or excessively stylish boutiques.

Just catching sight of a staff member approaching her while choosing clothes made her heart race, palms sweat, and even stutter, a terrifying condition.

Thanks to this, she would nervously pick up unwanted items in front of smiling staff and proceed to purchase them, and thereafter, she mostly stuck to online shopping malls.

Even though her body had changed, her condition showed no signs of improvement.

Strangely, while other women seemed unaffected, it always happened in the dressing room.

Especially now, her opponent was no pushover.

Bending her knees carefully, the woman tidying Eleanor’s waistline was one of Olivia Dressing Room’s elite, trained in the whims and tyranny of noble ladies.

So all Eleanor could do was yield her waist to allow the woman to easily remove the pin.

Sigh. It was all because of that Louis Edmund….

Originally….

Gritting her teeth, Eleanor recalled the red-haired man.

That day.

The minor incident between Eleanor and Louis Edmund in the courtyard of the Imperial Palace quietly concluded.

Yes, the events at the Imperial Palace ended as a minor incident.

Of course, it was not a small process to turn it into just a minor incident.

#.

On a peaceful afternoon bathed in the warm spring sun.

Everyone in the courtyard of the Imperial Palace learned why Etienne’s childhood nickname was “Mad Dog.”

The unleashed Mad Dog charged not only at the man who touched his daughter but also at the helpless maids and servants who had been mere spectators.

Living up to his name, the Mad Dog ranted in incomprehensible Western dialects and curses, prompting Queen Anne Rose to try to calm him down.

Eventually, the farcical drama where the lead actor lost control.

With excuses still pouring out, the flamboyant finale was delivered by Queen Anne herself slapping Louis Edmund’s cheek, her aunt, with her palm, delivering a resounding slap.

The sharp sound reverberated, bringing Etienne back to his senses.

In no time, the mad dog of the West transformed into a seasoned politician and negotiator.

Subsequently, to handle the aftermath of the incident, he pressured both the Empress and Lord Edmund, who hurried to the palace upon the Empress’s urgent summons.

Although Etier was considered a has-been in high society circles, here it was different.

It had been around thirty years since she married into the Beaurengue family.

She managed the vast lands of Beaurengue and the Western lords in place of her husband, who was often away on the battlefield.

Therefore,

The Empress, who only engaged in idle chatter with the ladies-in-waiting she handpicked and played childish games, and Lord Edmund, who believed in his younger sister’s power and played gang leader in the council, were nothing more than bite-sized pieces of cake in front of Etier.

Lord Edmund decided to isolate his eldest son and heir, Louis Edmund, from the family.

He also agreed to provide appropriate compensation for the psychological damage Eleanor suffered.

However, for the sake of Eleanor’s reputation, the matter had to be settled quietly.

Even though Eleanor was a victim, the mere rumor circulating could lead the cunning foxes of high society to force Eleanor into an unwanted pregnancy. Such was the terrifying reality of the social circles in the capital.

Hence, an agreement was made to send compensation not from Beaurengue but in the form of relief aid to the troubled North.

From the Empress, he secured a demand to extend the Changbaek couple’s stay in the capital and an assurance that neither he nor his husband would interfere with Eleanor when they returned to their estate.

Of course, it was called an agreement, but it was partly a threat.

Even if they sided with the Princess immediately, no one would dare point fingers at Beaurengue once they heard the full story.

Ultimately, the one who benefited the most from this minor happening was none other than the Duke of Verbriz, who wasn’t even present at the scene.

Naturally, the men of Beaurengue rushed to the palace upon hearing the news. Although it ended in a stalemate, they were willing to go to great lengths to protect their beloved youngest daughter. It was a predictable story.

Albris, the Oribe, declared his intention to expose Lord Edmund’s misdeeds accumulated over time in the council.

Oberth, the father, caused a commotion by threatening to bring up the long-forgotten tradition of the disappeared territory when he returned to the West.

However, with just one word from Etier, the matriarch of the family, advising them not to cause a ruckus, the two men’s uproar was easily quelled.

Yet, that didn’t mean the incident was completely swept under the rug.

The ambitious Lord Edmund seemed to find using only his family’s resources quite burdensome. He began advocating for national-level support due to the difficult situation in the Imperial Council.

Lord Edmund was not just a nobleman and member of the council.

As the speaker behind the Empress, his special proposals passed effortlessly like water flowing.

Once again, the Duke of Verbriz sat quietly, having gained another victory.

Moreover, strange rumors were spreading in the capital’s social circles.

There were whispers about Louis Edmund, the heir of Lord Edmund, who had made a grave offense against a certain noblewoman he couldn’t afford to offend.

Initially dismissed as light gossip for entertainment, the rumors gained substance when news arrived that Lord Edmund’s eldest son had been ostracized from the family, and Louis Edmund was seen wandering the city with a distracted expression.

And the noblewoman at the center of these rumors is now standing before her.

#.

“Oh, Mother, I feel like I’m going to die. Can’t we stop looking at dresses here?”

She stood before Etier, pulling back the waist of the dress slightly to make it more comfortable, wearing a tired expression.

“Hmm. If that’s the case with our daughter, shall we stop here for today?”

“Really? It’s not a lie, is it?”

Etienne grinned and got up from the couch.

“Sheesh! When have you ever seen Mom telling lies? Olivia, make sure to have the dresses you tried on today well tailored and sent to Bayern.”

“Yes, madam. I will have them sent as soon as possible.”

Leaving Olivia nodding behind her, Eleanor hung onto Etienne’s arm still wearing the dress.

“Right, Mother. Can we stop by the bakery before heading back? The… Chahul Bakery? They say their pastries are famous there.”

Eleanor looked at Etienne like a child asking for a toy.

In truth, Eleanor knew well what she was doing right now. Acting cute to get dessert. Probably when they returned to the room, she would throw herself on the bed in a fit of remorse.

But it couldn’t be helped. Her exhausted body and mind craved something sweet. She was a woman prepared to trade a man’s dignity for a dessert.

Seeing her daughter’s rare display of cuteness, Etienne met her gaze with a slightly awkward expression.

“Hmm? Ellie, doesn’t it seem like we might run out of time?”

“What? Time? Shouldn’t we have plenty?”

Eleanor widened her eyes in surprise.

From Olivia’s dressing room to Chahul Bakery in town, it wouldn’t take more than about 10 minutes, even if they walked. Perhaps around 30 minutes on foot for a woman, without a carriage, they should arrive.

Yet Etienne only looked at his daughter with affectionate eyes.

“We’ve reached the end of the dresses, so now we need to look at shoes that match them. And then we’ll have to look at jewelry too.”

With a grin, Etienne pushed Eleanor into the fitting room.

“Come on, hurry up and change. That way you can have your desired sweet treat.”

“Oh, Mother!”

“Ellie, you can’t just look at me with those adorable eyes. I said, the dresses are the end. Come on! Let’s go, Ellie. Tomorrow will be busy in many ways, so we need to finish everything today!”