Chapter 31

It was the morning of the day of the night party hosted by General List.

"Lady Laila, Lord Julius has sent a gift for your attire today."

While fixing her hair, Laila turned around at Helka's words from behind, surprised.

"Could it be... a new dress for today?"

"Yes, actually, that's right."

Helka smiled knowingly.

Laila had been anxious inside because nothing was said about the dress she would wear today, even yesterday. She had trusted Helka, thinking everything would be fine, but she hadn't expected a new dress.

(When was it made? But I'm sure Helka designed it.)

"That's exciting. Helka's designs are always wonderful."

"…About that. Please come this way."

Called by Helka, Laila headed to the reception room. There, she widened her eyes at the brand new dress hanging on the wall.

It was a deep blue dress. The fabric had a luster, and the design minimized skin exposure.

The neckline was wide, with a gathered, light blue fabric that flared out. The sleeves were cinched just above the elbow, and the skirt flared out like a noblewoman's fan. When lifting her arms, the fabric would flutter, revealing her forearms encased in thin, long gloves.

The skirt was bell-shaped, creating a natural, not overly wide, bulge. The fabric was gathered and tied at the left hip with a ribbon made of the same material. This raised the left hem slightly, revealing glimpses of the lace on the white petticoat underneath.

(A beautiful dress…! But it doesn't seem like Helka's usual style…?)

Helka usually insisted on embroidery, so she would have wanted to add it to the hem of the skirt and the cuffs. Nevertheless, the dress, which restrained flamboyance and emphasized the inherent beauty of the material, was elegant and captivating.

"Beautiful… Did Helka really design this?"

"…First, please change. Lord Julius is waiting."

Her words were vague, and Helka, who had taken off the dress, urged her to return to the room. As Laila changed out of her loungewear and into new undergarments, she suddenly noticed the dress Helka held.

A gift from Julius.

A design unlike Helka's.

The time when Vernelle had carried a large box, and Helka had prevented her from questioning him.

(Could it be…?)

The deep blue dress fit Laila perfectly. The gathered fabric skillfully concealed her slightly wider waist compared to a noblewoman's. The design was practical, allowing for easy movement when needed, clearly tailored for Laila.

"Here, this."

After finishing her makeup and hair, Helka handed her a small box containing a pendant. The gemstone in the pendant was smaller than the one with the family crest Julius had given her before, but it had a mysterious hue that appeared yellow or sunset-colored depending on the light.

(My outfit today is blue, but this could be a nice accent color.)

Trusting Helka, Laila put on the pendant and went up to the third floor where Julius was waiting.

Vernelle was in the hallway, looking Laila up and down a few times before nodding.

"Not bad. As expected of Yuu—"

"Stop there. …Lady Laila, please go in. Lord Julius is waiting."

"…Okay."

Vernelle had started to say something but was silenced by Helka's sharp tap on her back.

Vernelle had clearly been about to call Julius by his first name. So, it must be that—

Laila opened the door and entered the living room. Julius, standing by the window, turned around, his well-groomed long wheat-colored hair flowing smoothly.

He was wearing a wine-red winter formal suit. The jacket's hem was long and slightly cinched at the waist, accentuating his alluring figure.

His vest was a darker red, and the cravat pin at the collar of his gray shirt, as well as the ribbon tying his hair, were a light purple. Although his red tones seemed to contrast with Laila's blue, the dark shades harmonized surprisingly well.

This suit was one Laila had designed. She had been excited to see him wear it today—

(As expected… it suits him so well…!)

Before Laila could speak, Julius, approaching to greet her, smiled.

"As expected… it suits you very well. Blue really brings out your beauty."

"Ah… thank you…"

She almost clutched the skirt in embarrassment but quickly released it, nearly ruining the dress Julius had given her just twenty minutes after putting it on.

"Um… that suit also suits you very well. I designed it… how do you like it?"

"This? It's very comfortable, and I like that it's not too flashy. It seems to match my hair color too, and your choice is perfect."

"…So do you, Lord Julius."

When Laila said this softly, Julius blinked.

"Ha… did you notice? I designed it myself."

"Yes, I thought it was a bit different from Helka's style."

Indeed, the dress had been designed by Julius.

"There's less skin exposure than usual, and no embroidery, which Helka likes. If it wasn't Helka, it had to be Lord Julius."

"Yes, you're right. …On the day I called the tailor for my winter suit, I also wanted to give you a dress I designed myself, so I consulted with the tailor and Vernelle."

…Julius's aesthetic sense was very unique, and Vernelle and the others had warned that giving him free rein to choose a gift for Laila could lead to disastrous results. They didn't give details, but apparently, he tended to add unnecessary embellishments and suggest strange color combinations.