When Elysia looked at Creighton with a frozen face, he smiled at her brightly.
“We talked about her at the last party.
Nerys Roshanak.
Her Majesty the Empress’s niece.”
“…I remember her,” Elisia answered deadpan.
How could she even forget Neris?
Her loud annoying laugh.
Her sideways glances as she clings to Franz.
Her striking beauty, and her even more sparkling dress.
All of this is still fresh in her memory, as if she can touch it.
"Didn't you say she's still in Naruto?"
Elysia said as she retreated into the shadow of a building, so that Creto would not see her expression.
Whenever Nerys was mentioned, her facial muscles would automatically freeze.
And Crichton will notice immediately.
Crichton tilted his head as he saw her retreat, but he quickly ignored it and continued talking as if nothing had happened.
“Yes, I said so.
But Glenna said she wanted to meet Miss Roshanack, so she decided to come back earlier than planned.
They have been close since childhood.”
“…You also said that the Second Prince was close to them.”
“Your memory is excellent!”
Crichton laughed heartily, pushing his hair away from his forehead.
"Well, it might be an exaggeration to call it first love or something.
They first met at Narut's spring hunt.
Since they were adults then, they weren't quite as close as Glenna and Roshanak."
Then he stopped and looked at Elisia.
“As I recall, you attended that hunt too, didn’t you, the Second Prince’s wife?”
“Yes, but I didn’t see you then.”
“That's unfortunate.
If that had happened, you might have become friends with Glenna faster.”
Crichton's tone seemed genuinely remorseful, but Elysia continued to listen without making any expression.
She didn't know what to reply.
When she remained silent, he added, smiling in a friendly voice, “I hope you didn’t misunderstand what Glenna said that night at the party.”
“I misunderstood?”
“There is nothing between Franz and Miss Rochanack.
They are just friends.”
'Two friends who will turn into lovers, no doubt.'
Elysia thought sarcastically, then nodded.
She wasn't interested in how Franz and Nerys spent their time in Narut.
Nor how they laughed and exchanged conversations in her absence.
She had exhausted herf enough in her previous life observing those details.
In this life, she wanted to get rid of those thoughts.
“No need to explain anything,” she replied in an emotionless tone.
“I didn’t take it wrong.”
“So, would it be okay to invite her?”
"naturally."
Elysia smiled gently as she looked at Crichton with warm eyes.
“It is the prince’s first birthday.
He should invite whomever he wants.”
“…You are completely different from what I expected, wife of the Second Prince.”
Upon hearing his calm voice, Elisia raised her head, after she was preparing to bid him farewell and return to the palace.
Those golden eyes, similar to Franz's, stared at her steadily.
“I don't know if you're being bold or just being careless.”
Crichton furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head, as if he did not want to delve into thought.
“Anyway, I think having someone like you next to Franz is better.
If she were an innocent and naive girl, it would be exhausting for both of them.”
"Thank you."
Elysia nodded politely, suppressed a bitter smile, then turned her back to return to the Second Prince's Palace.
But Crichton's words, which seemed like a compliment, weighed heavily on her chest.
'An innocent and naive girl.'
Which he clearly pointed out… was none other than Elysia in the past.
Dissatisfaction was evident on Madame Lucette's face.
Her expression was one of wounded dignity as a fashion designer.
In front of her, the second prince's wife was examining the dresses.
On the surface, she seemed interested, but her looks lacked any enthusiasm.
Lucette saw Elisia's indifference, so she put her hands on her waist and said, "So, you want me to adjust it?
Make it more modest?"
“It's very luxurious.”
“Luxurious?
Your Majesty, I told you more than once: This is a simple dress considering your status as the second prince’s wife!”
Lucette raised her voice as she pointed to the dress hanging on the rack.
“You said you liked the design when you saw the drawing!
Look at this beautiful dress—doesn't it move anything in you?”
"It's so beautiful.
And here's the problem—it's so beautiful."
Elisia looked at the dress with a puzzled expression.
It was truly a work of art, carefully stitched and designed to fit her perfectly.
The red gemstones and diamonds decorated on the tail are designed to embody the fire mana within.
Lucette spent a long time choosing a dark ruby red that would match her hair color.
“It may have looked like a red ripple in the drawing, so I think your surprise is understandable.”
Lucette softened her tone.
Elisia nodded her head.
The dress was not only luxurious, it was glowing.
Each of its movements will make the multi-layered tail sway, and hundreds of small stones will sparkle with it.
“Exactly.
To be honest, I don’t know if I should wear such a luxurious dress.
Someone should shine brighter than me on that day.”
“It's not really fancy, Your Majesty.
Even ordinary girls wear dresses decorated with jewels!”
“But just because others do it, doesn’t mean I should do the same.”
Lucette sighed annoyed at Elisia's coherent response.
Just a few days ago, she had delegated everything to Lucite's atelier.
Why did she change her mind so quickly?
Lucette looked at her for a long time.
A shadow of sadness had covered her usual radiance.
During the fitting session, she looked very happy.
Did something happen?
Lucette furrowed her brow.
Did someone make her feel embarrassed or wary of the looks of others?
But who would do that?
Who would dare make a princely wife feel ashamed of herf?
The royal family in the Loret Empire had overwhelming power.
Unlike nobles, they have strong mana that sets them apart.
With that strength, they led the empire through many disasters—ending droughts, putting out forest fires, and overcoming heavy snows—achievements beyond the ability of any noble.
Therefore, the loyalty of the nobles to the royal family is the key to their survival in power.
The princely wife wearing a luxurious dress is not considered strange.
On the contrary, wearing something simple will attract more attention.
It may be considered a diminishment of the status of the crown.
Even Princess Glenna herf had commissioned a stunning design from the Cornell Atelier.
Since the second prince's wedding, wide-waisted dresses have become popular, and Glenna specially requested a design with a puff train.
There is no doubt that it will be decorated with a significant amount of stones.
In fact, Lucette had refrained from decorating the entire chest with gems, even though she was able to do so.
However, the second prince’s wife, ignorant of all these details, described the dress as “exaggerated.”
How come Lucette doesn't feel suffocated?
“You said you trusted me, right?
So trust me again this time.”
Lucette said firmly, taking the princess's hand.
“Wherever you go, you must be the most beautiful and radiant.
You are the most important client of our atelier.
I will make sure that you shine as it suits you.”
At Lucette's cutting words, the faces of the female employees behind her lit up.
All eyes, full of determination, were trained on Elysia.
She sighed and said, “I can’t keep up with you, Lucette.”
“And you can't.
Don't even try.”
Lucette smiled triumphantly, while Elisia took a step back.
Then she quickly gave instructions to the female employees before the princess changed her mind.
There is no escape now.
Clearly annoyed, Elisia stepped into the underskirt the female staff had given her.
Lucette cinched the waist firmly, carefully arranging the folds around it.
A short time later, Elisia stood in front of the mirror, wearing a gorgeous dress as she had been on the night of the wedding.
Lucette clapped happily.
"See?
This dress was made for you, Your Majesty!
The neckline highlights your collarbones and slim waist, and the puffy skirt delicately wraps around your long legs.
Not wearing it is a crime!"
“Is that so then?”
Elysia gave an embarrassed smile, she had just almost been accused of a crime.
Even without Lucette exaggerating, the dress suited her perfectly.
The shiny gemstones sparkled even when they were standing still.
Under the lights of the dance floor, while walking or dancing, you will shine even more.
The almost perfect dress added to the beauty of Elisia.
If she shows up to the party looking like this, everyone will stare at her.
Among them, will be Lady Roshanak.
Elysia bit her lip, remembering her first meeting with Nerys, and the image of her that was still stuck in her memory from her previous life.