Chapter 27

Riene had also adjusted her new dress to fit Lane, so Lane would have to get a new one as well.

Just as she was about to do so, a message from Clarence arrived for Riene.

It said that he wanted her to prepare a dress for the evening party and that he wished to escort her on the day.

“What should we do?”

Lane asked, seeing that Alex had fallen silent with a troubled expression.

She was sure he would decline.

However, contrary to expectations, Riene smiled and said, “Since he’s gone to the trouble, I’ll accept.”

“Huh?”

“Because, brother will be escorting Lane, right? If that’s the case, I won’t have a partner. It would be difficult to find one now, and since he’s offered, it would be rude to refuse.”

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t Alex continue to escort Riene as usual?”

“No, that’s not possible.”

Alex had always attended events with his sister.

But now, because of her, Riene would be without a partner. Feeling guilty, she had suggested it, but it was quickly rejected.

“Surely the Holy Maiden will attend with Ada, so you mustn’t leave brother’s side.”

She added, looking troubled.

“Actually, if you want to apologize to Lane, you shouldn’t invite the Holy Maiden. It might end up like before. But even Prince Clarence can’t refuse the Holy Maiden’s participation. She has that much power... That’s why it’s troublesome.”

“Ah...”

Lane felt a bit gloomy, realizing that the Holy Maiden and Ada would also be attending.

As long as there were still monster attacks, the Holy Maiden’s power was essential.

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Lane just needs to stay close to brother. Besides, Prince Clarence is a prince. It’s obvious to everyone that he’s only escorting me out of obligation.”

Prince Clarence had not yet chosen a fiancée.

He had been engaged to a young lady since childhood, but she had unfortunately passed away from an illness.

He was currently being very careful in selecting a new fiancée.

Therefore, every time there was a party, the young noble ladies were on edge, wondering who he would escort.

“In that case, I’m just a commoner, brother’s sister. It’s impossible, so the others will be relieved.”

Riene explained, and Alex finally seemed to agree.

“Indeed, it’s better to have Clarence than some random nobleman.”

“More importantly, on the day, brother mustn’t leave Lane’s side. Many nobles might come to apologize, and the Holy Maiden won’t stay silent when she sees that.”

“Yes, I understand. But, I’ll have the dress prepared here. If I ask Mary now, it should be ready in time.”

“...Yes, that’s probably best.”

Riene decided to accept only the escort and decline the dress.

While the escort was fine, accepting the dress from a prince would complicate things.

Riene agreed and decided to send the response accordingly.

From then on, they began their busy preparations for the evening party.

Riene’s dress was ordered, and they visited Mary’s shop multiple times for measurements, fittings, and adjustments.

Lane’s dress was a light purple, and Riene’s was a deep green.

Mary seemed very enthusiastic, designing dresses that suited each of them.

“At first, it was just a small craft shop.”

While working busily, Mary told them about the history of her shop.

“My grandmother started it. But when I started selling clothes I had dyed myself, they became popular. Now, I can even make dresses for noble young ladies.”

Her customers had changed from local people to wealthy commoners and then to nobles, but she still enjoyed sewing, she said with a happy smile.

“To be able to sew dresses for the sister and partner of the hero who saved the world is a real joy. I’ll definitely have them ready in time, so you can look forward to it.”

Mary would surely make beautiful dresses.

Confident of this, they looked forward to the finished products.

With the dress and escort taken care of, Lane had one more thing to do: learn to dance.

Of course, she had never danced before.

“It’s better to learn how to dance.”

Riene, who had attended several parties as her brother’s partner, said this seriously.

“If you’re stuck talking to people you don’t know, dancing can help you get away. Especially this time, many people will want to apologize to you, so if it gets too much, you can just dance with your brother.”

“I see. I’ll do my best.”

Though she was determined, it was difficult since she had never danced before. She struggled to remember the complex steps and kept looking at her feet. She stepped on Riene’s feet multiple times and hurriedly apologized.

“It’s difficult.”

Riene encouraged her, seeing her about to give up.

“It’s okay. We’re not nobles, so as long as it looks like we know what we’re doing, that’s enough. Besides, your partner is your brother. Even if you step on his feet a little, he’s tough, so it’s fine.”

“I’ll be fine, but your partner is Clarence. You might need more practice than Lane.”

Riene’s shoulders drooped at Alex’s words.

“You’re right. I need to practice. Brother, will you help me?”

“Sure.”

Alex took Riene’s hand and started dancing.

Their shimmering golden hair glowed in the sunlight.

(Beautiful...)

Lane watched the beautiful siblings dance, entranced.

Spending time with people she could trust was peaceful and gentle.

Despite only recently meeting, Alex and Riene had become very important to her.

Talking about trivial things, showing off her favorite dishes, and discussing the future with Riene—everything was enjoyable.

When she lived in the village, she never imagined she would meet such compatible people.

She was happy.

Later, Lane would think that those times were the happiest.

Perhaps, those moments spent together as three were the last of their kind.