“Are you going to a tea party in that combination?”
“Yes, it’s not weird, right?”
Since the Duke gave me permission to go to a tea party, I was preparing for it with enthusiasm… well, not really, but I was getting ready.
I thought I had selected the best dresses and accessories among the ones I brought from my parents’ home, but Rosa is showing a reluctant look.
Why? What’s wrong with it? I want you to name three specific things. Any more than three and I’ll get depressed, so stop at three.
“It’s not weird, but it’s not the best.”
Such a difficult phrasing! Is that poetry? Rosa, whose poem is that?
If it isn’t weird, isn’t that fine?
“Please wait a moment. We still have a few days.”
Saying that, Rosa leaves the room.
While I was blankly waiting to see what she went to do, she came back with older sister in tow.
In what world does a servant summon the favorite older sister for an invisible wife’s errands? Rosa, are you that much of an older sister fan?
“Eh, older sister?”
“How is this?”
Older sister comes into the room and immediately frowns upon seeing the prepared set.
“This is no good. Forty-five points.”
“By the way, out of how many points?”
“Out of one hundred points, forty-five.”
“Then it’s fine, right?”
Forty-five points is a high score.
“It’s not good. The young lady of the Abernethy Marquis family has been hitting on Glen for a long time. If you wear such a plain outfit, you will definitely be mocked. The young lady over there is persistent.”
“Older sister isn’t the one being told that, so isn’t it fine?”
“It is not fine.”
Information about the Abernethy Marquis’s daughter was shared when I got permission to attend the tea party. It seems she was someone who persistently wanted to become the Duchess of Durtal, and there were even marriage proposals multiple times. They were all flatly rejected, but it seems it was a tough ordeal because she wanted to be alone with him at evening parties and spread weird rumors.
That just means a popular man with a peerage and money has it tough.
Still, to think she’d start checking the clothes of me, an invisible wife.
Does the Duke of Durtal family have a family motto like, “We will not allow ourselves to be looked down upon in the name of the Duke’s family!”? Ah, maybe it’s because if I get looked down upon, it will backfire on older sister, too.
“Call that tailor right now. Have them bring as many ready-made clothes as they have, and the sizes are—”
“Understood.”
I am surprised as the conversation starts flowing in an incredible direction.
“No, that’s a problem.”
“Why? You got money from Glen, didn’t you?”
“I sent all of it back to my parents’ home.”
“…Ha?”
Naturally, I don’t have the courage to ask, “Can I get an advance or something?” from the very first month.
While brushing off older sister’s dumbfounded gaze, I inwardly admire that even with her mouth hanging open, a beauty is still a beauty.
“You didn’t leave even a little bit for yourself?”
“I thought I could get by with the dresses I had on hand. Hmm, then let’s cancel this tea party under the excuse of a sudden lower back pain… no, stomach ache.”
“Hah…”
Older sister places her hand on her temple and gently taps it with her index finger.
“I understand. I’ll pay for it.”
“Eep, that’s a debt! No, please spare me from debt! There’s nothing as scary as debt!”
Edil will get mad at me!
Debt is that thing, right? The one where you realize the amount has gotten huge before you know it!
Edil is scary when he gets mad! We even swore as a family that we wouldn’t take on any more debt! Debt is scary!
“It’s not like my dresses will fit you, so you have no choice but to buy them. We can’t let ourselves be made a fool of by the Abernethy Marquis family. I’ll buy them with my money.”
“No, thank you… If I’m going to borrow money from older sister, I won’t go to tea parties ever again in my life.”
Tea parties are supposed to be just sitting down, drinking tea, and saying, “The flowers are lovely,” right?
Though I’ve only ever attended when I was a child. The Count Blanchard territory is near the border. Unless you’re extremely wealthy, you can’t just casually go to the royal capital.
Even though I refused vehemently, older sister went ahead and called the tailor.
And to think a tailor comes immediately when summoned by the Duke’s household. At older sister’s command, about thirty dresses of various colors were brought over instantly.
“You said yourself that you’re an invisible wife, so just be quiet and behave.”
“I don’t want to!”
“Rosa, pull her away from the pillar.”
“Ugh, her grip is too strong, it’s impossible!”
“Well, just leave her like that and take her dress off anyway!”
“Eep! Older sister, please stop!”
“I’ll tickle your armpits, so use that opening!”
I was hugging the pillar even when told to try on dresses because I hated debt so much, but I was pulled away by older sister and Rosa. Before I knew it, multiple maids had been called in to help.
Ugh, I can’t throw a tantrum here and hurt Rosa and the others, after all…
I can’t let the day dress I’m currently wearing get torn either, so I reluctantly agree to change.
Or rather, the owner of the tailor shop is here, yet he doesn’t change his expression at all in this situation. Normally, isn’t it weird that me and the favorite older sister are together?
Furthermore, isn’t it weird that older sister is trying to buy me a decent dress?
I honestly expected only disappointing dresses to be brought in. But as far as I can see, they’re all pretty… there are no weird bird feathers attached or anything.
“That’s no good, yes, next is this one.”
“I don’t look good in pink, so…”
“Just put it on!”
“It’s fine! It suits you!”
Due to the mysterious pressure from older sister and the tailor shop owner, I ended up having to try on about ten dresses chosen by older sister.
“The size is mostly fine, but we need minor adjustments. Express delivery for this and this one. The rest aren’t rushed.”
“Understood.”
“Older sister, I don’t need that many.”
“You just stay invisible.”
“Older sister, if I have that much debt, I’ll die of fear. I’ll end up having to hold a funeral for an invisible wife…”
“It’s fine, I’ll deduct it starting next month’s share.”
“If you deduct that much, I won’t be able to send anything back to my parents’ home.”
“Then, I’ll spread the deduction over three months. This one and this one is a present from me. As thanks for finding my earring right away, how about that?”
“Then, I don’t need these five…”
“Ah, jeez! I’ll ask Glen to cover it! This isn’t a debt! Got it?!”
Even though I said I didn’t need the dresses, seven more were added due to older sister’s pressure.
I’m so scared I feel like crying. I wasn’t even allowed to see the price tags, and they weren’t attached in the first place.
“The Abernethy Marquis family is picking a fight with us. Isn’t it weird that she keeps clinging to him and asking for an engagement even though he hates it? That young lady has kept that up for a long time. Her parents are weird for condoning it, too. That’s why we have to accept their challenge. These are combat uniforms for that purpose, so half-assed things won’t do. If it’s me, I’ll just be looked down upon by that young lady because of my social standing, so I can’t protect Glen. That’s why you are going properly. Alright? Go fight that young lady in my place.”
I don’t think a tea party was supposed to be a battlefield…
The war just ended recently, after all… If the Abernethy Marquis tries to make sarcastic remarks about this royal decree to my father, he’ll probably reply, “You should have won military honors in the war.”
Maybe I can just use something like that.
“Hah… If you fight that young lady in my place, I’ll give you all these dresses as your salary. It won’t be a debt, is that fine with you?”
“I don’t really get it, but if it’s not a debt, that’s fine.”
“This girl is somehow a bit hopeless. I knew she was a little strange, though.”
After that, under the guidance of the fired-up older sister, I was coached even on my manners and ended up being sent off to the Abernethy Marquis family’s tea party.