“What… what is all this?”
The surprise was probably written all over my face. Even so, the head maid answered confidently without the slightest hesitation.
“These are dresses.”
Rrrrk.
The moment she finished speaking, the maids lined up behind her wheeled in several rolling racks packed with dresses.
And that wasn’t all. Shoe boxes were stacked beside the bed, and a jewelry case overflowing with ornate accessories had been placed on a small table.
It looked as though an entire boutique had been moved into the room.
At first glance, someone might think I’d just been gifted the private dressing room of their dreams…
“Yes, I know they’re dresses. I understand that much. I do. Hahaha.”
My stunned gaze wandered through the air.
Dresses, accessories, shoes… sure, fine.
That was all well and good, but the problem was that everything in front of me looked as though it had been abandoned for at least a hundred years.
The dresses in particular were practically rags. The fabric was rotting, the designs looked outdated even by fantasy-romance standards, and it felt like they’d fall apart if I tried to wear them.
‘Ancient relics?’
Not only were they old, but it was painfully obvious they hadn’t been maintained at all. They were probably left hanging somewhere damp and forgotten for years…
The shoes were just as bad. I seriously doubted I could even walk properly in them.
In fact—
“Uh… the sole is coming off. Hahaha…”
The moment I put on a shoe, the leather sole detached.
At this rate, it would be a miracle if the heel didn’t snap while I was walking.
‘Is this for real?’
Wasn’t I supposed to be the duke’s fiancée?
Sure, the duchy was a mess, but nobody ever said I had to be this poor when it came to clothing.
No matter how hard the game leaned into its territory-management concept, this was a little too much.
And then—
And then!
The jewelry, the one thing that should have aged the least, was the most disturbing of all.
Why?
Because necklaces, rings, and earrings were covered in a suspicious black substance that had dried and crusted over.
‘That’s not blood… right?’
Please tell me it’s just rust from improper storage.
Or… tell me the room they were stored in had a leak or something.
Sob.
Apparently oblivious to how uncomfortable I looked, the head maid calmly continued her explanation.
“These dresses were custom-made by the most prestigious and luxurious ■■ dressmaker in the Belmont Duchy. They are all masterpieces of the highest quality.”
Let’s just say they used to be masterpieces.
Trying to stay open-minded, I asked,
“Thank you. Really, I appreciate it… but why are you showing these to me now?”
“You will be dining with His Grace the Duke today. Although it is somewhat late to call it lunch now… in any case, since this is your first meeting, Miss Windsor requires a formal dress.”
“A f-formal dress…”
I glanced down at the dress I was currently wearing.
Since this was virtual reality, the default outfit provided by the game never became seriously dirty or damaged. Still, it was fairly plain and definitely didn’t meet the head maid’s standards for “formal.”
Even so, I asked desperately,
“What about the one I’m wearing now…?”
“That will not do.”
The head maid, who had been surprisingly lenient with me lately, sounded completely firm this time.
But there was no way I was putting on one of those decaying dresses she’d brought.
‘Do I have to use the cash shop?’
Tempted, I discreetly opened the catalog.
‘Oh, of course!’
Searching the clothing section for “dress” brought up all kinds of outfits.
[Queen Arabella’s Dress — 8,000 Diamonds]
“Ghk!”
I nearly yelped just from seeing the price.
And that was only the first result.
The other dresses weren’t much better.
‘N-no way.’
Wasn’t there anything cheaper?
After sorting by lowest price, I finally found something somewhat affordable.
[Fresh Spring Dress — 1,200 Diamonds]
A light green dress filled with the energy of spring. It makes those who see it feel relaxed.
Purchase Bonus: Matching Fresh Spring Shoes available for 500 Diamonds.
S-so it has some sort of special effect…
No idea what it actually does, though.
Holding back tears, I bookmarked the dress.
“C-come to think of it! I think I brought a spare dress with me!”
First, I needed to get the head maid out of the room.
Though she looked slightly suspicious, she eventually accepted my clumsy excuse and left.
Once alone, I let out a sigh of relief and purchased both the Fresh Spring Dress and the matching Fresh Spring Shoes.
[Set Effect Activated! Powerful phytoncide effect that stabilizes mind and body within a 3-meter radius.]
…The set bonus was a little ridiculous, but whatever.
Standing before the mirror, I inspected my new outfit.
The pale green silk draped elegantly down my body.
It looked a million times better than those ancient, falling-apart dresses.
Then, while staring at my reflection, a dreadful thought suddenly crossed my mind.
‘…Do I have to buy a new dress every time I meet the duke?’
Judging from what had just happened, if I didn’t wear proper clothing, the head maid would probably keep dragging in piles of antique dresses.
And there was no way I wanted to touch those things.
The fabric looked so cold and damp that it felt like it would start decomposing the moment it touched my skin.
“You had such a dress all along…”
A soft voice of admiration sounded from behind me.
Only then did I realize the head maid had knocked and entered.
“Ah, does it look alright?”
“Yes. It’s excellent, Miss Windsor.”
Fortunately, she didn’t seem suspicious at all.
Instead, she looked genuinely impressed.
“By the way… the aide oversees the protocol department, correct?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Then I’ll need to speak with him later. Could you let him know I’ll visit around this evening?”
“Certainly, Miss Windsor.”
I turned back toward the mirror.
‘I can’t keep solving my wardrobe problems with diamonds forever.’
I had to get something out of this.
Anything.
After steeling my resolve, I headed for the dining room to meet the duke.
I worried that I’d been delayed too long choosing a dress, but thankfully the beautifully set table was still empty.
Edwin arrived just as I was taking my seat under a servant’s escort.
He looked much the same as he had the night before.
Familiar.
Yet I immediately realized he was an entirely different person from the Edwin I’d met yesterday.
The biggest difference was his eyes.
‘He seems… strangely gentler.’
Unlike yesterday, when he looked like a starving beast, today he seemed remarkably rational.
Not that he looked warm or friendly.
Just controlled.
I’d been staring at him blankly for a while before I finally came to my senses and stood.
“H-hello. My name is Nadia Windsor.”
“…Didn’t we meet yesterday?”
What was that supposed to mean?
Before I could figure out how to respond, he spoke first.
“It seems you already know that wasn’t me.”
“Um… yes. More or less…?”
“Then this will make things easier.”
Having said that, he walked straight toward me instead of taking his own seat.
Unlike the version of him from last night, who had seemed slightly unhinged, his movements were precise and disciplined, and his expression restrained.
There was something about him that instinctively made me want to lean away.
…But how was the romance route supposed to work in a situation like this?
A peaceful love triangle since they technically shared the same body?
Or an intense rivalry between two personalities?
Lost in those increasingly unrelated thoughts, I lifted my head when I caught a refined woody scent nearby.
‘That’s different from yesterday.’
Yesterday he’d smelled like a cool breeze.
Did his scent change depending on which personality was in control?
Or did he simply use different fragrances?
As I found myself dwelling on that completely unimportant question—
“Miss Windsor.”
Edwin had already approached close enough to call my name.
“Y-yes?”
“You’ll have to tell me about the conversation you had with that bastard.”
Comments (0)