-16-
After returning to the Duke’s estate, the marriage discussions progressed quickly. With only about two months left until the wedding, there was a mountain of things to do, and the days passed in a whirlwind of activity.
Thanks to the emperor’s consideration, the wedding would be held in the temple within the imperial palace, and the banquet was also set to take place in the palace’s grand hall.
Even though he was now a Grand Duke, Lucius was the emperor’s younger brother and a former prince. So, it wasn’t unusual for the wedding to be held at the imperial palace.
His mother, the Dowager Empress, still held firm influence within the palace, which probably played a part in the arrangements.
Knowing how much Rayel cared for his younger brother, there was no reason for us to refuse. Most of all, the Marquis was extremely pleased. He must’ve pulled some strings.
I didn’t care where it was held, but if it was to be in the imperial palace, it would undoubtedly be the pinnacle of extravagance. When would I ever experience such a lavish wedding again?
It was something only possible in this life. In my real life, this would’ve been utterly impossible.
“These are the lists from the various salons. The original designs are included as well, so please take your time reviewing them.”
“Thank you, Alfred.”
With the venue and banquet matters wrapped up, the next step was choosing the wedding attire. The highlight of the ceremony—the bride and groom’s outfits!
Choosing the wedding dress and tuxedo was no small task, so I scrutinized every detail with hawk-like precision.
As I carefully reviewed the lists Alfred handed me, Inabel placed a teacup on the table and struck up a conversation.
“Wow, all of these are from famous salons in the capital… The list looks quite long too. Will you really be able to go through all of it, milady?”
“I already have a general idea of the design I want, so it’s fine. I just need to skim through and select a few.”
“Is that something you can skim through… with this many pages?”
“Yeah. This won’t take long.”
Did she think I’d blink at a stack of papers like this? I’ve got years of corporate experience. This is a piece of cake.
Having already glanced through them once, I pushed the thick pile aside and pulled out a separate stack I had set aside. The scent of the fragrant tea enticed me, and I took a sip before moving on to the rest of the list.
As my hand flipped rapidly through the papers, Inabel, watching in awe, pointed to the discarded pile with a curious tone.
“You’ve already seen all of those?”
“Yep. I filtered out the ones that didn’t meet my standards or looked too tacky.”
“What? You looked through all of that? That fast?”
“It’s not that much. The important part starts now. Hopefully, there’s something decent among what’s left…”
“I see…”
Leaving the hesitant Inabel behind, I returned my focus to the list. This one looks too mature. That design’s way over the top.
Did they throw in every trending element they could think of? Why didn’t I discard this one earlier? Must’ve been a mistake.
Clicking my tongue, I pulled the sheet out and placed it atop the reject pile. Inabel, catching a glimpse of the sketch, gasped in surprise.
“Milady, that design is by a very famous designer! Salon Artena is one of the most prestigious in the capital. And Elroim Herona is their head designer!”
“Prestigious or not, if the design doesn’t suit my standards, it’s out.”
“But it’s so elegant and beautiful… and very trendy too.”
“Even if it’s stylish, beautiful, and trendy—if it doesn’t suit the person wearing it, it’s not a good design. Sure, it’s trendy, but it’s way too much.”
“Is that so? Ah… now that you mention it, it does feel a little busy…”
“It doesn’t suit His Grace or me. What matters is how well the design fits us—how much it feels like it was made for us.”
Both Tiana and Lucius gave off a cool rather than warm aura. A calm, quiet elegance suited us far better than frilly ribbons and elaborate lace.
Each person has a design that suits their image and vibe. One that highlights their strengths and softens their flaws—something that would make even their weaknesses look like charms. That’s what Lucius and I needed.
A design that wasn’t too flashy, but refined. One that would balance our cool atmospheres while bringing out the utmost beauty.
“…Ah…”
“…Milady?”
As I removed design after design that didn’t fit, only one remained. And that’s when I saw it.
“…Found it.”
It was clear at a glance—it was on a different level from the rest. The balance between fine and bold lines created a form that was a work of art in itself.
A dazzling silver dress and a golden formal suit. The design clearly showed a deep understanding of both Tiana and Lucius’s image. The colored rendering was so captivating I found myself stroking it with my fingers.
I could already picture us in these outfits. It felt as if Lucius and I would step out of the page at any moment.
I didn’t expect to find such a sophisticated design. Who drew this?
I quickly looked for the name listed at the bottom of the sketch. Salon Drieta, Chief Designer…
“…Alexandra Louisa?”
Why is her name here?
Alexandra Louisa. More precisely, Alexandra Louisa Hartmann. Rayel and Lucius’s younger sister—and the only princess in the empire.
Wait, why would she send in a design?
“Milady, is something wrong?”
Inabel asked with a puzzled look as I stared seriously at the sketch. Alfred, noticing something was off, stepped closer and asked as well.
“Is there a problem?”
“…Alfred. Did you happen to send a request to Her Highness, the Princess?”
“Pardon? Her Highness, the Princess?”
He looked startled, eyes darting. I nodded and showed him the sketch. His expression changed instantly.
“Ah…”
“It looks like she sent this herself. Did you not make a request?”
“No. Her Highness doesn’t accept commissions, so we didn’t send one.”
“…Then she sent this on her own?”
“Most likely… she probably submitted it along with the others. Since we sent out requests to nearly every salon in the capital, word must have spread. Upon hearing that…”
“…”
I knew in the original story that she ran a salon.
Salon Drieta—Alexandra’s dream project. Operated in secret, and not even the highest-ranking nobles could easily commission her.
Her standards were strict. She only accepted projects when she felt like it and only for people she wanted to design for. Countless nobles wanted her work, but very few passed that narrow gate.
Usually, she only made outfits for Rayel or Lucius when the mood struck. The only one known to have met her standards was the original heroine, Angelica.
In the original, she designed the wedding attire for Angelica and Rayel.
So she also designed wedding attire for Tiana and Lucius?
It was possible, considering she got along well enough with Lucius. But I couldn’t imagine her going out of her way like this.
Especially since she had no known connection to Tiana. Or… was there something I didn’t know?
I stared at the design she sent. It was easily the most outstanding of all I’d seen. Perfect for Lucius and me.
More refined and elegant than anything else—stylish yet composed.
Most importantly, the silver and gold matched Tiana’s silvery-gray eyes and Lucius’s golden ones. A design that merged both our atmospheres. I absolutely loved it.
If it fits our image this perfectly, then she must know Tiana and Lucius well… But how does she know Tiana?
Could it be that they met before I possessed her?
Inabel and Alfred both looked flustered after glancing at the design. It was obvious they knew something about my relationship with the princess.
“Alfred. If you know something, please tell me. Don’t hide it.”
“…”
“Have I met Her Highness before?”
“…Yes.”
When I pressed him, he finally nodded solemnly and returned the sketch to me.
“You met her once. Two years ago…”
“Two years ago?”
“Yes. You met Her Highness at the palace with the Duke. After that, she invited you to the palace a few times, and she visited the duke’s estate as well.”
“Really? So we were… close?”
“…Yes.”
What is this? Tiana and the princess were already close? They knew each other before? That’s not how it was in the original…
Wait, two years ago?
“What about since then? Has she not visited recently?”
“Well… for the past two years, there’s been no interaction between you. You used to exchange letters, but that also stopped in the past two years.”
“Why? What happened?”
“That’s…”
What could’ve happened before I possessed Tiana for them to go no contact for two years?
The princess was known for cutting ties cleanly, but if they had exchanged letters, they must’ve been very close. It didn’t make sense for it to end so abruptly.
Could Tiana have ignored the princess like she did her own family? What kind of nerve did a mere noblewoman have to slight a princess?
There must have been a falling out. I wanted to know more, but Alfred looked troubled and remained silent.
I looked to Inabel, but she turned away in surprise. What in the world happened that no one will tell me?
“Is there a reason you’re hiding this from me? What exactly happened?”
“That…”
“…Did Father tell you not to tell me?”
“Ah…”
“So that is it? But why?”
Edwin told them not to? My voice trembled with confusion and panic. Why would he hide something like this from me?
Could it be worse than what happened with Lucius? What happened two years ago?
My mind spun from the confusion and rising headache. I wanted to know the answer, but Alfred and Inabel refused to say a word.
As I rubbed my temples in frustration, the two hovered nearby, unable to hide their concern. If you’re that worried, then just tell me…
At this point, I had no choice but to confront the person involved. Too many things didn’t add up.
I shook my head at the two watching me warily and stood up.
“Where is Father right now?”
“Milady…”
“I’ll ask him directly.”
I felt sorry for the two trying to stop me, but unless I resolved this curiosity, I wouldn’t be able to move on.
Clutching the sketch tightly in my hand, I stepped past them toward the door—only for it to open from the outside.
