Wait a minute. Hold the ceremony again?

Yelena, who had been frozen in place, sprang out of bed.

Thats right, I can just hold the ceremony again!

Theyd change the venue and officiator and hold the wedding ceremony again.

No one can say anything about me holding another ceremony.

It was a good idea. Yelenas face immediately lit up.

Then the new venue will be the ducal castle

Knock, knock.

Yelena.

The door opened. It was Liliana.

Older Sister? What is it?

I was going to take you out, but um it looks like youll need some time to get ready.

Liliana briefly stared at Yelenas hair, which had become a mess from rolling around on the bed.

Take me out? Where to?

The shopping district. Its been a while since youve been home. Youll have to indulge in my hobby.

I guess she wants to go shopping.

Okay.

Yelena nodded and rang her bell, calling a maid who would help her get ready.

Liliana left Yelenas room. And then she ran into Edward in the corridor.

The two exchanged curious glances.

***

Lilianas hobby was simple: going around the shopping district and dressing Yelena extravagantly from head to toe.

The sisters passed through the jeweler, the hat store, and the shoe store until they finally reached the dressmakers shop. Yelena was already exhausted by then.

I cant understand your stamina

Its because you exerted a lot of energy trying on this and that.

Liliana was right. Yelena put this on and tried that on, wore this hat and those accessories, tried these shoes on and tried those shoes on One would think that when playing dress up, the model just needed to stand there, but there were surprisingly many things the model needed to do.

This is the first creation of the new designer who was recruited last month. Try it on. You can adjust the size with the string.

Do I really have to put it on?

Im curious about how it will look on you.

I will assist you with getting dressed over there.

Yelena had no choice but to follow the employee.

The dressing room was in the inner part of the shop. Yelena imagined herself floating over there without taking a single step.

If Black Tower Owner was here, I think it wouldve been possible.

Sidrion did not accompany them on their excursion today. This morning, he had left a message saying that he had a matter to attend to at the tower.

It was a rare occasion in which Yelena was disappointed by Sidrions absence. She stood inside the dressing room.

I will help you undress.

The dress will certainly look good on you.

The designer must have created this dress knowing that you would be coming in today.

The endless chatter of the employees who were helping Yelena try on the dress went in one ear and out the other as Yelena was preoccupied with her own thoughts.

Is it just me or is todays shopping spree taking longer than usual?

Yelena had tried on more things than she had on previous trips. Plus, they stopped by more shops than usual. It felt as if they were taking longer to shop on purpose.

Maybe its just because its been so long since Ive gone shopping.

All done.

Kya, youre so beautiful!

The designer would be moved to tears if they saw you!

While Yelena had been lost in her own thoughts, she had finished getting dressed. The employees fawned over Yelena after putting the final touches on the ribbons on her waist and shoulders. It was worthless flattery compared to what the veteran maid Abbie was capable of, so Yelena wasnt very interested in it.

Then, the door to the dressing room opened.

For a moment, Yelena thought it was Liliana entering the room, unable to contain her excitement. But the person she saw behind the door wasnt who she expected.

A mask?

The person wore a mask and mens clothes. They had short, brown hair and a womans build, but because of their attire, it was difficult to tell their gender.

Excuse me, who are you? How did you get inside?

You cant enter without permission. Please leave before we call someone.

The intruder ignored the employees and spoke.

Duchess?

They had a thin voice. Yelena suddenly got goosebumps.

Who

Ill introduce myself later. First, please come with me, Duchess.

The corners of their lips curled up underneath their mask. A crimson light shone from the necklace they were wearing. Yelena faced the light directly.

All right, lets go.

Follow me quietly. Dont make a sound, the intruder commanded in a whisper. The employees in the dressing room froze in place like dolls.

Yelena stood still and stared at the intruder blankly. Soon after, she covered her mouth and retched.

Ugh, the stench!

?

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