***
“I think Lili looks great in blue,” Michael murmured, casting a discerning gaze in my direction.
Hearing his comment, Julianne, who stood beside him, nodded in agreement a few times.
‘So, let me give you the lowdown on the situation right now.
We’re stuck in a discussion about choosing my party dress.
Or rather, it’s turned into a never-ending debate lasting a hundred minutes, with Julianne and Michael vying for the perfect dress for me.’
I wasn’t exaggerating either.
They had been deliberating their opinions on what I should wear for a solid two hours.
In the process, I had to change in and out of numerous outfits, twirling around and standing still until I couldn’t bear it any longer.
‘Even a bride choosing her wedding dress doesn’t go through this much scrutiny,’ I thought to myself as I gazed at them silently, releasing a sigh.
‘Stop this, you nutjobs…’
“I initially thought pastel tones would suit her well, given her pink hair.
However, she doesn’t quite stand out.”
“But that doesn’t mean she looks good in darker colors either.
Surprisingly, white didn’t work either, which was unexpected,” Julianne chimed in.
‘Oh, I see.
Well, I’m surprised that you two are so enthusiastic about this.
This was unexpected…’
I stared at the two adults in front of me with dull eyes.
‘I thought the spotlight would be on the Second Prince at this ball.
Yet, here I am, feeling like I’m getting more ready than him as a mere guest.’
Though the number of people involved had dwindled compared to the beginning, the process still felt never-ending.
I glanced over at Allen and Cedric, who had grown weary and sat far away, and let out a secret sigh.
Well, to be precise, it was those two who were getting fired up.
They had even gone to the extent of enlisting the empire’s top boutique designer.
Julianne had previously mentioned that Madame Duvell’s boutique was fully booked, but it seemed money spoke louder in the end.
My eyes shifted towards Michael, the one responsible for this situation.
If we were talking about wealth, Michael Evans wasn’t a bad choice…
No matter how much I contemplated it, Allen Lowell remaining a friend seemed like the best option.
“Lili prefers eating over dancing, so a comfortable dress would be better.
Madame Duvell, please design a dress that is voluminous without any waist constraints,” Julianne instructed, as she started directing Madame Duvell and experimenting with various fabrics on my body.
She seemed more enthusiastic than an actual designer.
Meanwhile, Michael knelt down in front of me, presenting different colored fabrics to Julianne.
‘They’re like a master artisan and her assistant.
They make a great team.’
“You can both sit down.
I can handle this…”
Finally, the real designer, Madame Duvell, who was sandwiched between them, couldn’t bear it any longer and hastily spoke up with a flustered expression.
However, Julianne immediately looked up and pursed her lips.
“No, it’s alright.
I want to do it myself.
Would that be rude?” she cautiously asked Madame Duvell, fixing her emerald eyes on her.
In that instant, I realized one thing for certain.
‘That woman…
I think she wants Lia as her muse.’
Madame Duvell would definitely design around a hundred dresses that suited her after she left.
‘I guess she can’t help it.
Lia is just too beautiful.
She even has a good personality.’
“I think Lili would look too pale if she wore something too dark.
So, I think a light blue would be better.”
“I agree with you, Michael.”
“Velvet tends to accumulate a lot of dust and is heavy, so silk would be a better choice.”
“Since it’s going to be a flowing dress anyway, I think organza fabric would be best.”
‘You two should have opened a boutique together, you know.’
I stood there, unable to do anything, and gave an apologetic smile to the designer.
‘I’m sorry, Madame.
My sister tends to go overboard sometimes…
And the person next to her goes overboard too if she’s involved…’
Putting her aside, after Julianne and Michael had a thorough conversation in front of me, they finally wore satisfied smiles on their faces when they reported the results they wanted to the designer.
I shook my head.
‘They’re taking it too far.
This is too much.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it were just Julianne, but even Michael?
Did he get brain damage when he gave me a piggyback ride?’
“I’m really glad you were here, Michael.
I was almost in trouble.”
Soon, Julianne spoke to Michael with a sweet smile on her face.
Only then could I understand Michael’s real intentions.
‘Look at this guy!
He took advantage of the fact that others didn’t know much about dresses!’
He was more cunning than I had imagined…
had he accumulated all that knowledge for this day?
‘Looks like being knowledgeable is a good thing…’
“Finally done?”
As soon as the designer left the parlor with a dazed expression, Allen, who had been lounging on the couch, got up in a hurry.
At the same time, Cedric, who had been knitting all along, also stood up, stumbling.
‘It’s a different color.
Looks like he finished knitting the one from last time… it always took me a few months to finish something though.’
“So, what did you decide on in the end?”
“It’s not among the dresses Lili tried on today.
We decided to have one made for her.”
“Oh… you’ve been through a lot, Lili.”
Allen slowly shook his head and looked at me with pity, so I met his eyes and smiled faintly.
‘Thank you for understanding.
I really thought I was going crazy…
I couldn’t even escape because Julianne was so focused.’
It was a relief if she was satisfied with the results, but I couldn’t go through something like that again.
‘Next time, I’ll just throw a tantrum to wear whatever I have…’
“Lili looks pretty no matter what she wears.”
But immediately, Cedric muttered with a serious look on his face, and Julianne nodded as if it were obvious.
“Of course, she’s my sister.”
‘Hey, you’re not the type to brag about your sister that much, Lia.
Of course, I do agree that I look good in whatever I wear, but still.
Maybe we should restrain ourselves a little in front of others…’
As I was lost in thought, Cedric hesitated before asking Julianne,
“When winter comes, I plan to knit a scarf that suits Lili.
Is that okay?”
‘Big improvement compared to before!
Quite bold of you.
As expected of someone who made himself Julianne’s date.
Looks like I won’t even need to help now…’
Feeling like a mother bird watching her baby flap its wings, I smiled proudly at Cedric.
‘Good, not enough for me to leave you unsupervised, but… you’ve grown a lot.’
“Oh, of course, it’s okay!
I know you’re busy at the end of the year, so thank you, Cedric.”
Immediately, Julianne smiled widely and expressed her gratitude.
Watching her, Michael, who had been observing their conversation, couldn’t stand it and immediately joined in.
“By the way, Julianne.
I told the Madame to let Lili keep all the things she tried on here.”
“What?
Michael, that’s too much…”
“Since these clothes perfectly fit Lili’s figure, it’s only right for her to wear them.
Remember when you mentioned your concern about Lili not having any casual clothes?”
A gentle smile adorned his lips as he softly whispered his words.
But you see, the reason I lacked casual clothes was because I never wore an outfit more than once.
‘Well, I have to say, he could probably sell the Brooklyn Bridge with that kind of persuasion.’
I clicked my tongue while observing Michael Evans and his cunning way with words.
‘Not a bad approach, Michael…’
“Thank you, Michael.
I’ll take care of the expenses separately later.
I’ll send them to the mansion.”
‘Unfortunately for you, Lia finds such grand gifts burdensome and declines them.’
In response to Julianne’s expected answer, I nodded as if I had anticipated it.
‘How about giving knitting a try?
Knitting can be seen as an essential activity for couples.
Of course, knitting doesn’t automatically make you a couple, but still!’
I glanced at the three little rascals engrossed in their own tasks in the distance.
‘So, they were enjoying themselves while I suffered, huh?
I won’t forgive them.’
“Great job, Lili.
Shall we head over there and enjoy some dessert now?”
Julianne tightly embraced me and spoke joyfully.
I nodded and whispered softly into Julianne’s ear.
“After everyone leaves today, Lia, I want to eat.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s have dinner first!”
As I finished speaking, I flashed a bright smile.
Julianne blinked a few times and slowly nodded.
‘Ahaha!
They were probably eagerly anticipating dessert, but there won’t be any treats today!
They could have at least checked if I was okay while they were with me, those fools.
After dinner, I’ll indulge in crème brûlée!
I might even ask for two!’
I giggled and hugged Julianne tightly.
‘Suffer in agony, you pitiful little lambs!
Because today, I’ll savor a delicious dessert all by myself!’