“Put it away. That unfinished scrap of fabric.”

 

“…An unfinished scrap of fabric?”

 

A deep furrow formed between Silvano’s brows. He swept his hair back as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

 

“What are you talking about? It’s not like you’re an old man. Everyone wears things like this these days.”

 

It was as if Theodoro didn’t even hear the annoyed voice. 

 

He simply pressed firmly against Silvano’s chest, who was standing in front of Lilliana, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

 

“Hey?”

 

Pushed back unexpectedly, Silvano let out a disbelieving laugh, but such things were beneath Theodoro’s notice. 

 

He just acted like it was nothing, holding the dress he brought up against Lilliana’s body.

 

“Ah…?”

 

Lilliana looked back and forth between the dress and Theodoro with wide, round eyes. She couldn’t immediately process the fact that Theodoro had personally picked out clothes.

 

What he brought was a deep emerald green dress.

 

Perhaps he had no interest in trends. It wasn’t a knee-length, narrow pencil skirt or a full skirt billowing like a blooming flower, but a long column gown that trailed on the ground. 

 

It was a simple dress, with as little decoration as his own stark face.

 

But regardless of trends, it was undoubtedly an excellent choice. 

 

The boatneck dress, which showed just a hint of the collarbone, had an elegant mermaid line that clung tightly from the shoulders to the knees. 

 

It was a design that was undeniably refined and sophisticated.

 

“What? It’s better than I thought.”

 

Silvano’s mutter exactly matched Lilliana’s thoughts. 

 

It was hard to believe a man who wore nothing but black suits like a uniform had chosen it; the dress was superb.

 

Silvano looked the dress up and down, then subtly narrowed his eyes. Then he glanced at Lilliana with an inscrutable look. 

 

More precisely, at her emerald eyes, warmly tinted by the glow of the sunset—eyes that were almost the same color as the dress.

“…Hmm.”

 

He snorted and looked back at Theodoro. 

 

A somewhat suspicious smile had spread across his face, making Lilliana ask with an uncomfortable expression.

“Why? What’s so strange?”

 

It seemed Theodoro also couldn’t read his inner thoughts. He, too, twisted his lips in displeasure. 

 

But the person in question just kept snickering with an unreadable expression the entire time.

 

“Why are you acting like this? You said it was fine a moment ago. Doesn’t it suit me?”

 

When Liliana, a hint of irritation creeping in, pressed him for an answer, Silvano finally composed his face with unflappable ease.

 

“Ah, it’s nothing. ‘Doesn’t suit you’? As if there’s an outfit that ‘wouldn’t’ suit our Lily.”

 

“…What?”

 

“Let’s go with that one.”

 

Then, without a hint of regret, he hung the wine-colored halterneck dress he was holding back on the rack. That very dress he had passionately pushed for just moments before. 

 

Liliana was simply bewildered.

 

“But just now you said there was no dress like that one…”

 

“No, no. Just forget about that one. It’s our Theo who picked this out for you—of course, you should wear it.”

 

“Oh…”

 

Of course, if he was yielding like this, it was a welcome development for her. 

 

Theodoro’s choice was far better than an outfit that showed too much skin… and she liked the design, which was elegant yet not overly stiff.

 

“Then I’ll go with this one,” she said, taking the dress Theodoro had held out.

 

With the party dress design decided, Theodoro turned his indifferent face toward the tailor and jerked his chin. 

 

“Go get measured.”

 

He didn’t seem particularly pleased that his suggestion had been accepted. Nor did he look triumphant, as if he had known this would happen. 

 

He just stared at Liliana’s retreating back with his usual bored expression.

 

His poker face only broke when he noticed Silvano glancing at him out of the corner of his eye with a sly look. 

 

Instantly, Theodoro’s face crumpled like a piece of paper.

 

“What?”

 

Despite the aggressive tone, Silvano responded sluggishly.

 

“Honestly, I didn’t even know if Lily’s eyes were green or blue. Probably not just me, right?”

 

“So what?”

 

“No, well… just saying.”

 

He shrugged impudently, and another vein throbbed on Theodoro’s forehead. He looked like he had another ‘so what’ ready to leap from his throat, but he seemed to hold it back barely.

 

He clicked his tongue once and then callously pushed Silvano aside.

 

“Move. Don’t get in the way.”

 

Then he strode purposefully toward the room where Lilia and the tailor had entered.

 

Before he knew it, only Silvano was left behind. He silently watched Theodoro’s tall, retreating back.

Right after Theodoro entered the room… the laughter Silvano had been holding back began to leak from his lips.

“…Pft—haha… Ahaha!”

 

As he shook his head, a wine-colored dress came into his view. 

 

Ah, honestly, he still thought that color suited Lilia better. But, well. It wasn’t just anyone—it was Lord Theodoro who wanted the ‘green dress.’

‘So it’s worth giving up for.’

 

The reason he had suggested the wine-colored dress was that he was certain that if Lilia wore it, everyone would turn to look at her.

Silvano imagined it. 

 

A pale woman walking down the dazzling marble stairs under brilliant lights, clad in a dark red, blood-colored dress.

 

‘…Those dickheads won’t be able to help but turn and look, at least once.’

 

They would want to reach her. They would want to get close to her, and perhaps even imagine having her.

Yes, Silvano wanted that. He wanted everyone to fall in love with her.

 

Everyone had to crave Lilia… Because the unchangeable truth that she would eventually end up in his arms in the near future was utterly intoxicating.

 

However, with the appearance of the intense true green dress, Silvano changed his mind, deciding it was okay to switch his allegiance. 

 

After all, the presence of a single Theodoro was unquestionably greater than that of hundreds of other men.

 

He ran his tongue over his parched lips and muttered.

 

“Ha… I wonder how this will go.”

 

Judging things based solely on the fact that he had just helped pick out a dress was far too hasty. 

 

Recklessly so. It was still a minor thing.

 

But he couldn’t shake the thought that something interesting might happen. His highly developed intuition, honed over 33 years of pursuing nothing but pleasure, was telling him so.

 

💫

 

Lilia stood before the mirror in the designer’s studio, wearing a thin, white slip.

 

Everything felt unfamiliar. 

 

The fact that this wasn’t a common clothing store found on any street corner, and that a dress was being made specifically to fit her body.

 

Hugging her exposed arms, she looked around awkwardly. 

 

Is this what high-end clothing studios are always like? 

 

It felt like she had stepped into another world.

 

The room was entirely white. The ceiling was high, and from that distant height hung a sparkling golden chandelier.

 

One wall had a tall window that seemed to reach the ceiling, draped with cobalt blue curtains, creating a scene like a painting.

 

Even the single shaft of light seeping through the curtains felt unreal. Her gaze followed the slender beam of light. 

 

At its end was Theodoro, sitting on a beige sofa, looking at a booklet of evening wear.

 

Perhaps because the sunlight was dazzling, he frowned slightly and raised his head. 

 

At that moment, their gazes met somewhere in the air between them.

 

“…!”

 

Liliana flinched and quickly turned her head. But right where her gaze landed, Silvano was staring straight at her.

 

“Ack…!”

 

“You’re nervous?”

 

Her ears burned hot at his blunt remark. 

 

Silvano smirked annoyingly to himself, then lifted his chin to point to her right. The tailor, finished with his preparations, was walking toward Liliana with a measuring tape.

 

“Please stand facing forward…”

 

Liliana, who had been standing awkwardly, finally lowered her arms and stood before the mirror like a stiff piece of wood. 

 

The only saving grace was that the tailor paid no attention to her nervousness and deftly unfurled his tape measure.

 

By then, Theodoro had also closed the catalog he was looking at. He naturally looked up and stared at the rigid woman in front of the mirror… a strange voice flowed into his ear.

 

“Why aren’t you looking at the catalog anymore?”

 

Hearing the laughter-laced voice made Theodoro feel as though another layer of fatigue was piling on.

 

‘This bastard… why has he been acting like this since earlier?’

 

It definitely confirmed that bringing him along had been a mistake. 

 

Rubbing his deeply sunken eyelids, he replied as if sighing.

 

“There’s nothing more to see. Men’s tuxedos are all the same anyway.”

 

“Right, exactly. We’re just going to end up wearing something dull, so if that’s the case, isn’t it more meaningful to watch Lily? Don’t you think?”

 

“…What are you trying to do?”

 

Despite the icy, sharpened tone, Silvano remained unflappable. 

 

Still carefully hiding his true intentions, he answered evasively.

 

“Our Lily is pretty. How can a person be so long and slender? She grew up beautifully. Just like a ballerina.”

 

A sneer brushed over Theodoro’s lips as he listened.

 

“Our Lily? Since when did she become ‘our Lily’?”

 

“Why? Are you jealous?”

 

“You’re not the type to wag your tail like a dog over some woman. What’s your scheme, since you don’t even really…”

 

His sarcasm couldn’t last until the end. Likewise, Silvano’s teasing remarks about why he didn’t finish what he was going to say also failed to continue.

 

The two who had been watching Liliana and the tailor in front of the mirror without much thought.

 

“…Wait!”

 

“Hey, you!”

 

Suddenly, they stopped their conversation and shouted simultaneously. 

 

Even Theodoro reflexively tried to stand up but halted, while Silvano, next to hi,m had already jumped to his feet without realizing it.

 

…Thud!

 

The tailor, who had been holding a pencil between his lips, opened his mouth wide, causing the pencil to drop and roll alone on the floor. 

 

He had been measuring Liliana’s bust and was now frozen stiff, blinking his eyes.

 

“Huh? What’s wrong…”

 

He slowly turned to look at the two… but instead, they unconsciously turned their heads to face each other.

 

A strange, peculiar light passed through two pairs of pitch-black pupils. 

 

At that moment, the thought that arose in both their minds must have been exactly the same, without a single word out of place.

 

‘…Will you look at this bastard?’