Newlywed Life Begins with a Mistake - Chapter 54
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 54
“Really? I think this one’s fine too.”
At the plain evaluation, Evelyn scratched her head and smiled brightly.
When Evelyn spun around in place, those around her held their breath.
Even the Valhalla Knights who had come as escorts momentarily stopped breathing as they watched Evelyn.
‘Look away.’
Casian, captivated by the unfamiliar sensation, controlled his subordinates’ gazes and personally closed the curtains.
“How prudish.”
Christina clicked her tongue briefly and said kindly.
“It’s a form-fitting dress so her figure is quite exposed, but aside from the shoulders, there’s hardly any exposure.”
This much wasn’t considered exposure. That was what she meant, but Casian was firm.
“The higher the nobility, the better it is to have less exposure.”
With those words, Casian chose silence.
“I’ll show you the second dress.”
As soon as the Madam finished speaking, Evelyn appeared wearing a light purple dress.
The dress that spread out like a brilliant flower toward the bottom displayed a subtle luster and radiated mysterious charm. Like a violet.
“You look beautiful.”
Casian smiled gracefully, kissed the back of Evelyn’s hand, then placed a necklace around her bare neckline.
“That’s!”
“Paraiba?”
The Brussels staff were startled when they saw the gem with its intense yet prominent blue color.
Paraiba, which displayed brilliant light while containing rare blue and green hues, was not only astronomically expensive, but when used alone, people often became overshadowed by the gem, so it was usually kept for ornamental purposes.
When the gem that had displayed such extraordinary presence was placed around Evelyn’s neck, it glowed with a subtle light as if it had found its rightful owner.
“Damn, it suits her perfectly.”
Christina, who had given her honest impression, gritted her teeth and fluttered her fan while presenting the bill to Brussels.
“Wrap it up. Bring out the next dress too.”
“Yes, Dowager.”
The same thing repeated afterward.
Though they didn’t raise their voices, the two engaged in a subtle battle of nerves, criticizing each other’s taste.
Evelyn, who had tried on the remaining dresses in turn, asked weakly with a face that had lost its smile.
“Have you decided now?”
“I’m not sure. Try on the next one, dear.”
“I think I need to see more as well.”
Casian and Christina ultimately couldn’t reach an agreement.
In fact, the accurate response was that everything looked so good on her that they didn’t know what to choose.
But since the two couldn’t openly show this, they deliberately found fault with the clothes the other had chosen and dragged out the time.
Only after sunset did Christina and Casian each present blank checks to Brussels and her daughter, ordering them to complete all the dresses they had brought out.
Having engaged in such a meaningless war of words, they only turned to leave after Brussels said she would personally visit the manor.
* * *
“Huh?”
“You couldn’t decide on a dress?”
The maids asked with wide eyes.
“It wasn’t just anywhere, but Brussels?”
“How could that be possible?”
To go to a salon famous enough to be counted among the empire’s best and return empty-handed!
Rose and Mary, who had been excitedly organizing the dressing room, stopped arranging the bedding and dropped their shoulders pleadingly as they asked.
“My lady~ Was there really not!”
“A single dress you liked?”
Please say there was.
Desperate gazes poured out all at once, but Evelyn answered honestly.
“It’s not that there weren’t any. The candidate dresses will be delivered once the alterations are finished.”
“That’s not what’s important! We need to decide on the banquet dress!”
“That’s right~ That’s when we start preparing your look! On the banquet day, you need to be more perfect than anyone else!”
Under the resentful gazes, Evelyn stepped back and scratched her cheek with her finger.
“Um, maybe something I like will come up if I look again?”
“My goodness! They say everyone who sees Brussels salon dresses for the first time is blinded by them!”
“My lady must truly be extraordinary!”
It’s not that, it’s because I tried on so many that I couldn’t tell what was what.
Though she wanted to object, Evelyn kept her mouth shut.
‘Am I being too picky?’
When they went to the salon, Casian and Christina had been considerate of her, telling her to speak freely if there was anything she liked.
The two had made every effort to find a dress that suited her taste, but Evelyn couldn’t quite focus on the clothes.
The only opinion she had given was.
[The design doesn’t matter. But… please exclude the yellow dresses.]
That was all there was to it.
Was it because I had experienced something disturbing?
Matthew who had given off an unsettling atmosphere, the bright yellow poison disguised as grain, and even the mysterious woman who had left the note.
There was a mountain of clues to unravel.
So Evelyn couldn’t concentrate very well.
But she couldn’t waste Casian and Christina’s time with personal matters.
“Don’t worry too much. Next time we’ll definitely choose a banquet dress.”
Just as she was shaking off her thoughts and heading toward the canopy.
“Ugh!”
“My lady!”
A faint memory suddenly rushed into Evelyn’s mind without warning.
* * *
When was this memory from?
“This is all?”
I saw my younger self.
Was I about seven years old?
Whatever I was so dissatisfied about, I was wearing a pale yellow dress and looking in the mirror with my lips pouted.
“This is all we can buy with the dignity maintenance allowance allocated to the Princess. I’ll request additional funds, so please don’t be upset.”
Seeing me grumbling, my nanny spoke kindly and patted my back.
I reluctantly nodded and asked my nanny to tie my hair in twin braids, puffing out both my cheeks, and only after my hair was finished did I head somewhere.
“Grandmother!”
“It’s Bell.”
The old woman who had been examining yellow granules smiled kindly and warmly welcomed me.
“What is this?”
“Something you don’t need to know about, dear.”
When I tried to touch the yellow granules with my hand, Grandmother said “tsk tsk” and wrapped the granules tightly in cloth before moving them far away from me.
I acted spoiled in Grandmother’s arms, and only when evening came did I sit up and ask majestically.
“That’s right. Grandmother! Is there anything you want for your birthday present? I’ll buy you everything!”
“The little one who spent all of this year’s dignity maintenance allowance on a dress sure talks big.”
“Ah, that! It’s because the dress was too childish!”
Grandmother comforted me as I whined, saying she just needed to stay healthy, and hugged me affectionately.
Right. Back then, the old woman was still healthy.
But as time passed, the old woman gradually grew weaker.
“Mother!”
“Grandmother!”
Grandmother, who had coughed up blood while eating soup, eventually lost consciousness in my arms.
Father called every renowned doctor, but they all shook their heads saying there was no hope.
The old woman gradually withered away like a dried leaf without moisture.
Having grown more than before, I stayed by the frail old woman’s side through the nights.
“Grandmother is sick! Do you really have to leave even if it means abandoning your parent?”
Ah, this was when it happened.
The woman in armor, that is, my mother, had gone to the battlefield while confining the collapsed old woman in the dark basement.
The me from that time couldn’t contain my anger and confronted her.
“Evelyn! What are you saying to your mother!”
“Don’t stop me, Father! Even if it’s the Emperor’s command, this isn’t right! This might be the last time…”
Father was startled and pulled me back, but Mother still went to the battlefield.
“Yes. Because that is my duty.”
After that, Grandmother met a lonely death.
“I offer my condolences for the deceased.”
Without seeing a single ray of light.
“Bell.”
“Grandmother!”
The fortunate thing was that just before her breath stopped, the old woman regained consciousness and reached out her bony hand to make a request.
“Don’t let it fall into anyone’s hands.”
With those words, the old woman closed her eyes.
While handing over the strange yellow granules wrapped in cloth.
Though it seemed somehow empty for a final wish, the me from that time hid the yellow granules so thoroughly that no one could see them.
“…Grandmother.”
When the sorrowful conversation ended, my head hurt as if it would split.
Gritting my teeth, I tried to steady my breathing and delved into the hidden memories.
In the memory, I was.
“Kyaak! Princess of Seldian! What is the meaning of this?”
“I was passing by and dropped some wine, and it seems the lady happened to be in that spot.”
Acting wickedly toward those who wagged their sharp tongues.
“Evelyn. Get a grip.”
“You’re the one who needs to get a grip. Don’t go crazy like Mother.”
I turned against my family members who were giving unwanted advice, sending them intense hostility.
Unable to control my raging emotions, I gradually began living my daily life with an increasingly numb expression as time passed.
One day, when I had become accustomed to skillfully managing my expressions.
“You were played by a mere bastard like this?”
After seeing the parchment, I couldn’t contain my rage and left the North.
Bentley.
To take that bastard’s life.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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