Chapter 14

The dress prepared for Alek's sister, Riene, was a beautiful dress in a vivid cobalt blue.

Sally apologized many times, saying that as Alek's sister, she could only prepare a dress that was made for someone else.

Wearing ready-made dresses was something that wealthy commoners did, but all the dresses of the noble class were custom-made. It seemed that Rane, as Alek's partner and a participant in the event, could not wear a ready-made dress.

Therefore, the dress made for his sister had to be hastily adjusted to fit Rane's figure.

But to Rane, it didn't matter whose dress it was. She was more preoccupied with tomorrow's events. Before meeting Aider, she had to properly fulfill her role as Alek's partner.

Still, when the beautiful dress was brought before her, she felt a little intimidated.

"Will such a beautiful dress suit me...?"

This was a dress made for a noble young lady who had been raised with care since birth.

As just a village girl, she might only look ridiculous wearing it.

Feeling anxious, she couldn't help but say this aloud, and Sally looked at Rane and said:

"Riene-sama, like Alek-sama, had radiant golden hair and clear blue eyes, and was a very beautiful young lady."

Rane nodded, thinking that Alek's sister must indeed have been like that.

Sally then led Rane to stand in front of a mirror.

In the large mirror, Rane's entire body was reflected.

Her skin was white, but she wasn't particularly tall, with slightly dull golden hair and somewhat unusual purple eyes.

"Are you from the capital, Rane-sama?"

"No, I'm from Kikito Village. It's a very small village in the north."

"I see. That's why your skin is so white."

Kikito Village was located in the mountains to the north.

As Sally seemed to understand, it snowed in winter, and the snow didn't melt easily even in spring, making it a barren land. Therefore, Rane spent more time doing handwork indoors rather than fieldwork.

The village's specialty was pattern-embroidered carpets made by several women working together.

Since Rane mostly worked indoors, she didn't get as sunburned as the men in the village.

"The cobalt blue dress will look beautiful on your white skin. Your wheat-colored hair also suits your gentle features very well. Everyone will be captivated by your amethyst-like beautiful eyes."

Hearing this, Rane instinctively touched her hair.

"It was dull and I was often teased for it."

She smiled wryly, remembering the past.

Aider, with whom she had been engaged, didn't say it, but her other childhood friends often did. They said she was plain and had no redeeming qualities.

"Thinking that being flashy is good is just foolish. Rane-sama, you are very beautiful."

"...Thank you."

She softly said, believing Sally's words as if they were magic. If she believed this, she felt she could fulfill her role as the hero's partner.

Riene was apparently tall, so the dress needed to be shortened.

There were also other adjustments needed, such as tightening the shoulders. Sally reported this to Alek and quickly arranged for seamstresses. They also needed to choose jewelry, such as hair accessories, and decide on a hairstyle. It was decided that it would be better not to expose too much skin, so only part of her hair would be tied up, and the rest would hang down her back.

All the preparations were completed well past midnight.

The seamstresses gathered would work through the night.

For Rane, it wasn't over yet.

This time, she was taken to a bath to have her skin scrubbed. After that, she was led to a bedroom and told that it would be better to get some sleep.

The bedroom was larger than the house where Rane had lived.

The floor was carpeted, and the embroidery was so exquisite that she couldn't help but be captivated. It was different from the patterns passed down in Kikito Village. Where did it come from?

After admiring it for a while, she finally looked around the room.

In the spacious bedroom was a large bed. It seemed that three people could sleep side by side. When she gently sat down, it was soft and she sank into it.

(Amazing... Can I really sleep in such a place?)

She was worried, but she must have been exhausted from all the unfamiliar activities.

She intended to lie down for a little while, but soon her consciousness faded, and she fell asleep.

After Rane had fallen sound asleep.

Sally stood in front of her room. She opened the door slightly, confirmed that Rane was sleeping on the bed, and then gently closed the door, careful not to wake her.

"Who would have thought that Alek-sama would bring a woman back. Rane-sama from Kikito Village. I must inform him."

Sally whispered this softly, looking at Rane's room with a face that seemed to sympathize with and care for her, and then left.