"Wow, what's all this about?
It's amazing!"
Sarah looked around the bedroom in surprise.
The vast room was filled with white—so many wedding dresses that all the wedding dresses in the world seemed to be gathered there.
“Sara, give me some chocolate.”
Elysia spoke clearly tiredly.
She had been tortured all day by the staff.
From the time she woke up until now, at noon with the sun at its peak, she had no idea how many dresses she had tried on.
Her body was so exhausted that her hands were shaking.
“Here's another one.”
Elisia opened her mouth and accepted the chocolate.
Even then, three staff members were still busy with her.
“When will this end?”
“We are almost there, Your Highness.”
Mrs.
Lucette, owner of Lucette Shop, smiled sweetly to calm Elisia down.
Elysia took a deep breath of exhaustion.
“Madame, I told you before—I don't care much about the wedding dress.”
"It can't be!
This is a once-in-a-lifetime event!"
Lucette spoke firmly.
“Only a few dresses left, please bear with me.”
"Good."
Elysia took another deep breath.
Even repeating this conversation was tiring.
Lucette was gently reassuring her as they tried on dozens of dresses.
The dress doesn't mean anything anyway.
It was a marriage that wouldn't last.
So what's the point?
Elysia glanced around the room wryly.
The room was as large as Franz's, filled with rows of dresses.
Indeed, Lucite's shop was living up to its reputation as a trendsetter throughout the empire.
Dresses not only from Loret, but also imported from Patash and Astraea, were waiting their turn.
It wasn't like this last time.
Elisia remembered her previous marriage.
One day, a large box was delivered to her isolated villa.
Inside the box was a single white dress, silver shoes, a knee-length veil, and a crown.
The dress was a conservative design with long sleeves and a high neck.
It didn't fit her, and she looked strange in it.
The veil almost hid her face.
At the time, Elysia still had romantic notions about the wedding—and she was devastated.
But she had no choice.
She had to wear the dress that was given to her.
Even though she entered the place in a ready-made dress, she believed that the important thing was the person she married.
But that one turned out to be the worst of them all.
Elisia frowned and looked at herself in the mirror.
The red-haired woman in the elegant square-neck dress was looking at her.
The dress was beautiful.
At first glance, a mermaid-style dress appeared simple, but it was finely tailored.
It hugged her waist and carefully followed the curves of her hips.
"This suits you too.
Oh my god, it's hard to choose!"
Lucette said as she pinned a diamond hairpin into Elisia's hair—a pin that matched the delicate details of the diamond embellishments on the bodice of the dress.
“Then let's go with this.”
“Wait a minute—how about trying this too?
It might give a different impression.”
“Madame...”
Elysia stopped talking, looking at Lucette.
Lucette was surprised by her persistence, so she turned to Sarah for help.
“You should walk into that hall looking gorgeous.
You will be the most beautiful and happiest bride in the world, right?”
"She's right.
Ah, Your Highness, I think this dress would look lovely too."
Sara pulled a dress from the model's side—a dress with a cinched waist and a bell-shaped skirt that flared dramatically.
“You'll look like a fairytale princess.”
“Okay.
I'll try it too.”
Elysia gave in and pointed at Lucette.
The staff quickly moved behind her to undo the tapes.
As they loosened the tight straps around her waist, Elisia remembered a certain hand.
A warm, careless hand had touched her back.
What's the worst I can remember...
She tried to put Franz's face out of her mind.
She didn't want to be one of those women who gets emotional thinking about their groom while choosing a dress.
This was not a romantic wedding.
But the moment she turned her head away from the mirror—there he was.
“Franz?”
Elisia opened her mouth in astonishment.
Franz was leaning against the door that connected their room.
His eyes were fixed on her, his gaze low and burning.
Her heart began to race under his piercing gaze.
Hastily, she turned again towards the mirror.
The woman reflected in it had reddened cheeks.
Don't be upset.
This is a normal reaction.
Anyone would have responded like that if they were stared at like that...
But why was he looking at her like that?
Elysia bit her lip.
She tensed her body, while Lucette, who was about to fasten her dress, stared at her with eyes full of worry.
“Your Highness, are you okay?
Is the dress uncomfortable?”
Lucette looked at the staff—and then exclaimed in surprise when she saw Franz in the mirror.
"Oh my God!
The Second Prince!"
With her sudden scream, everyone present froze.
They headed at the same time and bowed their heads towards Franz.
“We salute His Highness the Second Prince.
May the glory of the sun descend upon you.”
“Get up.”
Franz leaned out of the door with his head slightly tilted.
He was wearing a dark blue uniform with gold stripes, and he fluttered his arm over his coat delicately before returning his gaze to Elysia again.
His eyes were scanning her exposed collarbones and the fullness of her chest above the square neck.
As she sighed deeply, he frowned and turned his head away.
Lucette smiled at him.
“Your timing is perfect.
Every dress looks amazing on her—it's impossible to choose.
Maybe we should ask for your opinion.”
Lucette, the skilled saleswoman, was smoothly offering compliments to Elisia.
"Her Highness has the perfect body, so any dress looks tailored to her.
One moment with this dress, then another.
We can't decide."
"…Understood."
“Yes, even this one looks great, but the one before it was no less beautiful.”
Franz looked at Elysia again.
Thanks to the quick hands of the staff, the straps were tied back on, and she was ready to walk down the aisle at a moment's notice.
Their gazes met in the air.
In an instant, fire seemed to flash in his usually cold golden eyes.
“Then,” said Franz, “wear them all.”
"That was our suggestion too, but she can only wear one dress to the ceremony.
The reception dress will be separate."
Franz ignored Lucette's words and stepped forward.
Elisia watched him in amazement as he walked between the rows of white dresses.
The light filtering in from the window made his golden hair shine dazzlingly.
The shadows on his sharp features made them look gorgeous.
Every movement made the golden bands on his broad shoulders sway.
“In my opinion...”
Franz was suddenly in front of her, looking down at her.
He gently reached over and removed the diamond leaf wreath pin from her hair.
As the pin slid down, her thick red hair fell in waves.
Franz took a lock of it that fell over her shoulder.
“This suits you too.”
Elysia took a deep breath.
The hair had no sensation—but her heart trembled strangely.
It was a strange feeling.
She wanted to push his hand away.
To tell him, don't touch me again.
But her lips did not move.
All she could do was look at him, ignoring her words.
“Shall we keep it like this?”
Lucette asked from behind her, clasping her hands together.
Franz answered slowly, his eyes still fixed on Elysia.
“My wife looks better with her hair down.”
"Her hair is really pretty.
Maybe we could leave it loose or braid it into one."
Lucette nodded enthusiastically and began quickly giving instructions to the staff before turning back to look at Franz.
“Any other instructions?”
“...my wife...”
Elysia's limbs trembled.
Whenever Franz said “my wife,” her chest tightened.
He was merely stating a fact, and yet she couldn't help but give it meaning.
She had vowed not to be so stupid anymore.
“My wife does not need fancy decorations to be beautiful.”
As it is.
Franz's voice was low, surrounding her ears.
At that moment, she felt a burning pain in her heart.
As if someone had squeezed her tightly.
She held her breath and leaned forward, taking a sharp breath.
“Your Highness!”
“Liz!”
As the panicked voices grew louder, she extended her hand to the person she hated the most.
Franz was holding her hand tightly.