C3
-... Young Duke, what do you think?
The hem of my pure white dress swayed as I moved.
Leandro looked at me and replied with a soft voice.
- It suits you very well.
It might have been a polite compliment, but it thrilled me.
- Which dress would you like to try next?
In response to the question from the clothing store employee who approached me, I looked at the dress hanging on a portable rack.
Each one is dazzlingly elegant and luxurious. Among them, I chose a dress with sleeves adorned with countless lace flowers.
- Hmm, I'll go with this one.
- Understood.
With a snap, the curtains closed.
At the same time, Leandro's figure, who was sitting on the couch, also disappeared beyond the fabric.
The location is the fifth salon of the Cassius family.
It's a personalized space for trying on and choosing clothing.
Instead of visiting a clothing store to buy clothes, you can bring the clothing store to your home.
And how common is it in Cassius to have a separate space like this?
"The Wallace family is noble, but they can't even dream of something like this."
When I thought of Ethel's family, my head suddenly spun.
- Ethel! Whatever happens, you must not miss the Duke Cassius!
- When else will you find a man better than him?
- This is an opportunity that doesn't come twice.
I didn't know it when I read the book, but Ethel's family was a perfectly vicious family.
In stark contrast to a family that loved their daughter very much.
"After all, these are people I won't have to deal with once I get married..."
I tried to clear my head and focus on changing dresses with the help of the staff. All of Madame Renoa's works, the empire's best dressmaker, were beautiful.
At that moment.
- Brother! I'm here!
A cute and cheerful voice came from the entrance.
- Liena! What's going on?
Liena smiled shyly in response to Leandro's question.
- I came to take a look. I want to see my sister-in-law in a wedding dress!
We haven't even gotten married yet, but Liena already calls me her sister-in-law.
Even when Leandro introduced me as the person he was going to marry, he treated me warmly from the very first meeting.
As described in the book, she is a truly kind and affectionate girl...
So much so that I feel sorry for feeling jealous of her.
I sigh.
At that moment, the staff who had been arranging the dresses withdrew their hands and opened the curtains.
- Oh my God, it's so beautiful!
Liena's eyes lit up when she saw my exposed appearance.
I greeted my future sister-in-law with a friendly smile.
- Welcome, Lady Liena.
- Did you decide on that dress?
- I'm going to try on a few more.
- Then, can I sit here and watch?
If the powerful young lady of the Cassius Duchy wants it, is there any way to refuse?
Moreover, it was much better to be a spectator than someone who kept repeating that I looked good in any dress.
- Of course.
I gladly accepted Liena's request.
Thanks to her, I'll be able to choose a wedding dress more happily.
... I thought at that moment. Very willingly.
In reality, my impression of the Cassius family, including Leandro, was quite good at that time.
When Leandro first invited me to the Duke's house, they were always kind to me.
They didn't belittle the decline of the Wallace family's fortune, and they didn't laugh at my bad table manners.
Although it was a place to introduce myself, the conversation strangely focused on Liena, which was a flaw... Well, I had prepared for that.
"Above all."
Because they were the main characters I liked.
When I read "Return and Walk Alone on a Flower Path," I often wished to have a family like this.
In the novel, Liena's family always gave her unconditional love and trust.
As an orphan in my previous life, I hungered for those things.
Although I'm not Liena, if I marry Leandro, I will be a member of the Cassius family. My hopes of becoming a part of their family have come true.
It was at that moment that optimism began to crumble.
It all started with a word spoken by Liena, who was looking at my dress.
- Can I try it on too?
- What?
- A wedding dress.
A blush blossomed on both her soft cheeks.
- When I saw my sister-in-law wearing it, she looked very pretty... I wanted to try it on too.
Adorable.
Yes, you can, you can.
There was a time when I also longed for a pretty wedding dress.
- What? What kind of wedding dress do you suddenly want?
Leandro reacted negatively to his sister's words.
Liena's eyebrows arched.
- Who wants to buy it? I just want to try it on for a moment...
It reminded me of a poor bunny shivering and wet in the rain, and my heart softened.
That's why I looked at the dressing room staff and opened my mouth.
- Wouldn't it be okay? It's a sample garment made for trying on anyway, and it doesn't wear out after wearing it once...
I looked at Leandro for consent, and he sighed with a reluctant expression.
- Do as you wish.
- Yay, I'm excited!
Liena was filled with joy and ran to the rack where the dress hung.
How could she be so happy?
While she tried on dresses behind the curtain, I sat down next to Leandro.
- It's nice to have some time to rest. Actually, changing clothes is quite tiring.
I thought his reaction was because he was concerned that Liena would interrupt my time.
- ...Yes, I see.
But for some reason, Leandro still seemed distressed after hearing what I said.
- Brother. Is Liena here?
At that moment, two visitors arrived in the reception room.
- Father, Leheim.
Duke Cassius and his second son approached us.
- We were going to have tea with Liena, but we heard she was here.
Upon Leheim's explanation, the Duke nodded briefly as if he also agreed with me.
Leheim looked at me.
- Lady Wallace was also here.
It is my responsibility to choose the dress, of course I am here.
- Hello, Duke. Young Master Leheim.
Instead of giving a refutation with a lot of common sense, I greeted them.
- But brother, I can't see Liena. Where did she go?
- Liena...
Before Leandro could respond, the curtains were raised.
- What, when did Dad and my brother come?
Liena's appearance with a very beautiful wedding dress was revealed.
- ......
- ......
- ......
The three men stared at Liena with wide-open eyes. They seemed so deeply absorbed that they wouldn't even care if someone hit them on the back of the head.
Leheim suddenly jumped up.
- Why are you wearing that?
- Because I wanted to wear it.
- Why do you want to wear it?
While the two brothers argued, their father, the Duke, spoke with a voice full of emotion.
- It seems like just yesterday you said you would marry me when you grew up.
Liena shouted as if she were embarrassed.
- Dad, when did I say that?!
Leheim frowned.
- What do you mean? Was it me Liena promised to marry?
- Nonsense. It's a shame that dementia has already developed at such an early age.
- I'm definitely the one! I clearly remember the time and place! It happened in the Cassius mansion's rose garden in April exactly thirteen years ago...
- Do you remember it in detail? I've heard so many things that I can't remember them all.
- Ugh. Anyway, it was me she decided to marry!
- It was me!
Huh? Hello?
Will I be the one to get married?
I watched in bewilderment as the two people engaged in a childish argument.
Suddenly, the atmosphere became very strange.
The dressing room staff also observed Duke Cassius and the young master.
"...Is this the extent to which these people have deviated from their path?"
Then, suddenly, Leandro stood up.
- What do you think you're doing?
Yes. As an outsider, I find it a bit uncomfortable to interfere, so he should stop them.
But the words that came out of my future husband's mouth were completely unexpected.
- Liena said she would marry me!
Eh?
- The first person she said she would marry wasn't my father or Leheim, it was me!
...You are supposed to marry me, right?
The three of them began to argue.
- Well, you three calm down...
I tried to stop them before the atmosphere became more chaotic.
- You are rude to the patriarch of the family.
- In times like this, my father, who emphasizes his status, is a coward.
- My brother often boasts about being the heir.
- When did I do that?
No one could even hear it.
However.
- Stop!
Everything stopped at a word from Liena.
- Dad and my brothers too! Why are you acting like children over something I said when I knew nothing?
Then, she threw out bait that the three men couldn't refuse.
- I'll put on a different dress and come back so you can see what it's like.
- Another dress...?
- Yes, of course.
- You'll look so beautiful.
Duke Cassius and his two sons sat silently in their seats, murmuring like people in a trance.
Meanwhile, they never stopped arguing quietly about who should marry Liena.
I huddled in the farthest corner of the couch, feeling left out.
What happened after that...?
I didn't do much except listen to all the compliments Liena received every time she tried on a new wedding dress.
Oh, sometimes I heard them grumbling that they couldn't marry Liena to any bastard.
Clearly, it was a warning to the crown prince, as things were going well with Liena at that time.
- My lady! How about this one?
- You have fair skin, so you look great in anything you wear!
The dressing room staff seemed to have noticed the power dynamics in this house and treated Liena with more enthusiasm than me.
They are people who really know how to do business.
"I'm tired..."
Feeling tired for some reason, I tried on a few more outfits while Liena rested and then stopped using them.
After that, the Duke and Leheim took Liena to have tea as per their original purpose.
While I was finally choosing which dress to wear, Leandro made a suggestion.
- How about this dress? As the young lady said, it's quite beautiful.
I turned my gaze to follow the direction he was pointing.
There was a dress I had never worn before.