Chapter 26
The friendship dresses that Peroce made were truly beautiful.
Though they were crafted from the same fabric, the dresses gave off slightly different impressions, which was fascinating—and both suited them perfectly.
Liriope’s dress had an overall voluminous and cute charm, but without excessive lace or decoration, it also conveyed elegance and simplicity.
The shimmering crimson fabric, which glimmered gold whenever light reflected off it, was highlighted beautifully.
The balance of elegance and cuteness matched perfectly with Liriope’s deep golden hair.
“You look so beautiful, Lady Liri.”
Rosearin, hands clasped together over her lips in awe, spoke with admiration.
The platinum-haired Rosearin wore a dress that flowed gracefully, giving her the appearance of a goddess.
Its design suited her calm yet proud features so well that the goddess-like aura was undeniable.
The fact that dresses made from the same crimson fabric could create such contrasting impressions was astonishing.
Now Liriope understood why all the noble ladies, and Rosearin herself, revered Peroce.
At Rosearin’s words of admiration, Liriope gave an awkward smile.
Recently, whenever Rosearin looked at her, her cheeks flushed, which weighed on Liriope’s mind. But now, seeing them so deeply red, she concluded it must be because of Peroce’s crimson dress.
“You look like a goddess yourself, Rose.”
When Liriope smiled at her with that remark, Rosearin fidgeted, clutching her dress hem with both hands, not knowing what to do with herself.
Either way, Rosearin was overjoyed, and Liriope herself was also satisfied with how the dresses turned out.
Watching Rosearin admire herself in the mirror, Liriope imagined the two of them entering the imperial palace ballroom together in their friendship dresses, and how much of a sensation it would cause.
“This dress will surely set off a massive trend.”
And so, at last, the day of the ball arrived.
Most of the young noble ladies were left speechless upon seeing Liriope and Rosearin together, their expressions filled with wonder.
The power of the friendship dress was truly immense.
Just the fact that “Lady Liriope of the Duke’s house and Lady Rosearin of the Count’s house wore friendship dresses” elevated Rosearin to a position where she could no longer be treated with cold disdain.
Of course, it helped that Liriope had singled her out at the marquess’s tea party and invited her to the duke’s residence afterward.
Regardless, the young ladies who had previously snubbed Rosearin suddenly changed their attitude and began flocking to her, showering her with flattery.
“Oh my, Lady Rosearin! You look stunning.”
“In that dress, you look so graceful, my lady.”
“Goodness, a friendship dress with Lady Liriope herself!”
Surrounded by ladies each clamoring to speak, Rosearin responded with a face that was both flustered and delighted.
From a little distance away, watching her, Liriope felt relieved. This was certainly pulling Rosearin away from her “death ending,” and that pleased her greatly as she sipped her wine.
“Mmm, delicious.”
She murmured in appreciation as she looked down at the wine in her hand.
In her former world, she had always been a “soju-beer mix” drinker and had rarely encountered wine.
So only after coming here did she discover the true pleasure of fine wine.
And expensive wine was truly delicious.
The fresh, clean fruitiness lingered in her mouth long after swallowing.
“It’s similar to what I had at the duke’s house, but slightly different. Both are wonderful, though I think I prefer this one a little more.”
Liriope decided that once she returned home, she would pester her father into procuring this particular palace wine for her.
Still sipping, she turned her eyes back to Rosearin, whose expressions changed several times as she responded to the cluster of noble ladies.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and Liriope was feeling content when—
“Lady.”
A familiar, and not particularly welcome, voice came from behind.
Turning, she saw Cadin, dazzling in his platinum-blond hair, walking toward her with confidence.
He wore attire similar to what he had worn during the tea party with Rosearin, but it was a new uniform, red and white harmonized, which gave off the impression—at first glance—of being a matching set with Liriope and Rosearin’s dresses.
Though of course, unlike their shimmering fabric, his uniform lacked that iridescence.
“What happened to the outfit you showed off at the tea party? Why another new one?”
Cadin, who had shown up at the duke’s residence to flaunt his attire, now appeared oddly pleased as he revealed this new look.
“You came.”
She remembered that he preferred that greeting over a simple “hello,” so she indulged him—and his smile became blindingly bright, almost uncomfortably so.
“If I’d known, I would have worn all red as well.”
“…What?”
At his sudden words, Liriope blinked in confusion. Cadin ran a hand down the red trim of his uniform, smirking.
“Be honest. You asked Madame Peroce to show you my uniform in advance, didn’t you?”
“…Huh?”
“Next time, just tell me plainly you want to match me. You don’t need to copy only the red accents on my outfit.”
“What kind of nonsense is this?”
Liriope’s eyes narrowed instantly.
“You don’t have to go so far as using Lady Rosearin as a decoy to sneak out and wear a couple’s outfit with me. I permit it, so from now on, just freely dress to match me.”
Her face soured as she listened to the absurdity spilling from his mouth.
She had only drunk a few sips of wine, but she wondered if she were tipsy and hallucinating.
“Haa…”
She let out a weary sigh and set down her beloved wine on the table.
Then, unwilling to hear another word of this lunatic prince’s delusions, she stood up.
But the oblivious narcissist followed her, spouting more drivel.
“Are you leaving because you’re so happy I gave you permission? Don’t be embarrassed. This is nothing—what I can do for you is far greater.”
Liriope shook her head and walked away.
Naturally, Cadin trailed after her.
“Where are you going, Lady?”
“Anywhere you’re not, Your Highness.”
“Ah, you’re embarrassed because your little scheme got exposed?”
“What in the world is this madman saying?”
“You could have just accepted my permission to wear matching outfits. But no, you play coy. Well, no matter. I’ve decided I’ll marry you, so drop the act and return to how you were.”
At those words, Liriope’s quick steps froze.
In the original novel, there had never been a single line describing Cadin as stupid.
So why was this breathtakingly handsome crown prince before her such a colossal fool?
Now she fully understood why Theo always called him an idiot.
“Unless… maybe he isn’t stupid, but cunning.”
Perhaps Cadin, insecure about his position, felt he needed her engagement in order to secure the duke’s support for his eventual claim to the throne.
Their union would be tantamount to wielding the duke’s power as his own.
“But honestly, that isn’t even necessary.”
In the original story, even after Liriope’s death, Cadin had grown his influence just fine without the duke’s support.
So there was no need for all this—but of course, Liriope couldn’t just explain that aloud.
“Anyway, I have to shake him off. Otherwise, he’ll drain the life out of me.”
“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
As she stopped walking, Cadin also halted and turned his eyes to her.
Liriope wondered what kind of words would penetrate his thick skull. In the end, only blunt truth would work. She drew in a breath, then spoke.
“I love Lord Theo.”
The triumphant curl of Cadin’s lips froze solid.
“…What?”
“It’s been some time now. I’ve fallen in love with him.”
“What nonsense are you saying?! Look at me, Lady! I’m the crown prince you’ve adored since you were this high!”
Cadin raised his hand about waist-height, shouting.
Theo’s words echoed in her mind—how right he had been.
Just how long would Cadin keep milking that ancient history?
“Maybe he literally cannot comprehend me loving anyone else… or maybe he simply refuses to allow it.”
Either way, that was his problem. But if he kept pestering her, it would become hers too.
So she resolved to end this cleanly here and now.
“Not anymore. I don’t know why you won’t believe me, but I love Lord Theo. Not just ‘like,’ but ‘love.’ And surely you know those two words mean very different things.”
Cadin’s eyes widened in shock.
At last, he looked genuinely shaken.
Liriope let out a short sigh and continued.
“Your Highness, you were someone I liked—someone who was good to see, pleasant to be around. I liked you that much.”
“Exactly. And knowing that, even now, we could—”
“But Lord Theo is different.”
Instantly, Cadin’s face stiffened.
“Lord Theo is someone I cannot live without.”
The stiffness in his expression drained away, leaving him pale as a sheet.
Liriope looked at him and pressed on.
“Not merely someone nice to have around—but someone I must have. Do you understand what that means?”
She almost cringed at her own words. To actually say such a cheesy, romance-novel line herself… her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
But if she didn’t spell it out, Cadin would go on forever with his delusion of “you like me, don’t you?”
So, gazing into his eyes—eyes that now looked ready to pop out—Liriope said calmly:
“That is what love is.”
“…So I hear.”
And in that moment—
A smooth, deep baritone voice came from behind.
Liriope’s heart plummeted straight to the floor.
Turning her stiff neck, she saw, to her dismay, Theo standing there—watching her intently with an inscrutable gaze.
