Chapter 57
“Walking around looking like that just makes you seem even dumber!”
Even though it had only been in a dream, those words—spoken just as she was about to lose a tooth—still rang vividly in Nina’s ears.
And the look in Diana’s eyes when she said them…
A silence hung in the air.
While Rabian watched Nina with an unreadable gaze, Dite and Kis exchanged blank stares once more.
For Dite, the idea of parents speaking that way to their child was unimaginable. For Kis, the thought of a princess like Nina hearing those words was beyond belief.
At that moment, Charlotte, who had been watching from a distance, approached to shift the mood.
“Uncle Rabi, what were you doing at the White Doll boutique? We were about to head there ourselves.”
“Ask her.”
By “her,” he meant Katya.
Katya glanced at Nina’s expression before explaining hesitantly.
“We came to order some clothes for Nina. I just tagged along to help her pick something she might like. Honestly, I don’t know much, but everyone knows White Doll is popular these days—”
“Aha, I knew it. That blockhead couldn’t possibly know about such a high-end brand! Perfect, let’s raid his wallet.”
Dite burst into hearty laughter, clearly having waited for this moment.
But when Kis shot him a contemptuous glare, his laughter stopped instantly, and he bristled.
“What’s your problem?!”
“No matter how terrible your fashion sense is, why would the captain of the guard need girls’ clothes?!”
“H-hey, who said I was buying them for myself?! We’re talking about shopping for the kids while draining his wallet!”
“Shall we start with your measurements? This is your first time in our store, right?”
At the friendly staff member’s words, Nina silently nodded.
She simply wasn’t in a state to speak.
Wow…
Her head spun as she looked at the dazzling array of dresses displayed around her.
She had never seen so many clothes in one place.
And every single piece was so beautiful and elegant that she was almost entranced.
Curious how Katya was doing, she glanced back. To her surprise, Katya sat with little interest in her surroundings, crunching on the cookies provided by the staff.
“You don’t really like this place, Katya?”
When Nina approached after being measured, she asked quietly.
Katya widened her eyes, then chuckled.
“Of course not. It’s not like I’m in a position to say whether I like it or not. I just don’t look at things I can’t reach for.”
“Things you can’t reach…?”
“Yeah. No point in wanting something I can’t have—it’ll only make me miserable.”
Though she wasn’t sure she fully understood, Nina found herself staring at Katya’s face.
“Anyway, are you feeling better now?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Thanks.”
She was still embarrassed, but being distracted by the lavish boutique made her feel far less ashamed than before.
Running her tongue over the gap where her tooth had come out, she felt a sharp sting.
“Thanks for what? I didn’t even do anything. Ugh, I must be a total failure as a caretaker.”
“That’s not true. I just didn’t say anything because I was embarrassed.”
“What’s so embarrassing about it? I lost a molar just the other day.”
“…And you’re still eating like that?”
Katya laughed, stuffed another cookie in her mouth, then lowered her voice suddenly.
“By the way, that girl—Salad, or whatever her name was.”
“Huh? Oh, Charlotte.”
“Right, Charlotte. Anyway, who is she?”
“They say she’s the guard captain’s niece. She came here for her health, but I just met her today.”
“…I see.”
Just then, the dressing room door opened, and Charlotte emerged.
She had changed into a fluttery pink dress adorned with lace.
“Tada! How do I look?”
“You look pretty.”
Nina’s admiration was genuine, but Charlotte only pouted and sighed.
“Ugh, I know. This style doesn’t suit me.”
“Huh? I think it looks really good on you…”
Nina, aware of her ignorance in fashion, spoke carefully.
“Really? Do you honestly think so?”
“Yeah.”
“Phew, thanks. The truth is, I really like this style. But my mom insists it doesn’t suit me and only ever buys clothes she likes.”
“What kind of clothes does she get you?”
“You saw what I was wearing earlier, right? That was from Redveil. I hate that brand.”
Charlotte flipped her red hair in frustration.
Indeed, compared to the light and lively designs here, the Redveil dress she had worn before was far more refined and mature.
But to Nina, both styles looked beautiful—certainly far more than anything she had worn in the imperial palace.
“Nina, you should try something on too. I bet it’ll look amazing.”
Katya brushed cookie crumbs off her hands, her eyes sparkling. Charlotte quickly chimed in.
“Yeah, hurry up! We’ll pick something for you.”
Meanwhile, the adults were causing an unintended disturbance at the other end of the store.
“Whoa, are these really socks? They’re so tiny you couldn’t even use them as gloves! Hey, Rabi, look at this!”
“Boss, check this out! Are these jewels real?”
A tattooed muscleman with an intimidating aura, a flamboyantly dressed man fit for the theater, and a shifty-looking guy who resembled someone from a wanted poster—together, they made for a bizarre trio stomping around the boutique.
The sight unsettled not only the staff but also the other customers.
In a high-end children’s boutique like this, such unruly types would normally have been thrown out immediately.
But with the elusive owner—who only showed up once every three days—having just made a rare appearance and issued strict orders, the staff couldn’t risk it. Their jobs, and maybe even their lives, were on the line.
A few quick-witted employees trailed after Rabian’s group, trying their best sales pitches.
“Hoho, children’s clothes are rather small and adorable, aren’t they? This season, the trend is knee-high stockings rather than socks. We just received a new imported set from Normandy—perfectly paired with shoes—”
Of course, none of the three were listening.
Kis, especially, was overwhelmed to find real jewels on children’s clothing.
“Whoa, look—this bib has jewels on it…!”
“That’s not a bib, you idiot, it’s a collar. Anyway, Rabi, what was that earlier?”
“What do you mean?”
“What Nina said—about her mother. What did she mean?”
“How should I know? Don’t ask me.”
Rabian brushed it off casually, heading toward the dressing rooms where the girls were.
The other two, along with the eager sales staff, followed him like chicks trailing a mother hen, chattering nonstop.
Everyone was talking over each other so much that it was impossible to tell who was saying what.
Normally Rabian would have snapped at them in irritation, but this time his mind was elsewhere. He didn’t even have the energy to get angry.
“…What the hell is this.”
When he finally reached the dressing rooms, he frowned.
While two girls were holding a fashion show, Nina just sat on the sofa watching.
As Rabian approached, Nina turned quickly.
“Uncle.”
Katya, just stepping out of the fitting room, froze when she saw him.
Rabian clicked his tongue and sneered.
“Painting stripes on a pumpkin doesn’t make it a watermelon…”
“Sh-shut up! I know it doesn’t suit me!”
“No, Katya, it really does look good on you.”
Nina’s sincere praise made Katya’s face flush bright red. She shot Rabian a glare before retreating back into the fitting room.
And then, as if on cue, Charlotte emerged from the next stall.
“How do I look? What do you think?”
“I’m a thug, not a fashion critic. What do you say, Captain?”
“Like pearls on a pig.”
It seemed Dite had caught Rabian’s bad habit.
Charlotte pretended to lunge at him, ready to hit him in mock anger.
