A member of the Henfrey Company’s upper management had come to visit Liam’s mansion. The woman was speaking to Rosetta, smiling ear to ear as the duke’s daughter tried on a pure-white dress in a dressing room.
“What do you think? It’s woven with thread made from the precious gemini plant. The weaver’s technique made it both light and durable. It’s not only beautiful but practical too: There’s purified silverwork in it, so it should serve as a powerful talisman for warding off evil. The price is, of course, significant, but the dress suits you wonderfully, Lady Rosetta.”
The luxurious, ridiculously expensive gown cost as much as a cheap mobile knight. The pure-white garment was so light that one could almost forget that they were wearing it. In addition to incorporating a precious plant, the design was crafted with other special touches as well. It clung delicately to Rosetta’s smooth skin, containing her large breasts without any spillage so she wouldn’t have to worry about an accident during the ceremony.
The design also accommodated Rosetta’s tastes, so she was more than happy with how it had turned out. It was the wedding dress of her dreams—only the exorbitant price made her head spin.
“The cost just has me a little dizzy…” she admitted. “A-and it’s so br-bright… It’s actually glowing a little, isn’t it?”
The faint light emanating from the dress hurt Rosetta’s eyes a bit. All the stitching had been done with thread made of gold, a material Liam adored. Several prototypes had been sewn before this one, and even with the dressing room light dimmed, all those expensive dresses glowed brightly around Rosetta.
Marie, who’d accompanied Rosetta to the fitting, wept upon seeing her in her wedding dress. “It looks wonderful on you, Lady Rosetta!”
“Thank you, Marie… Although I can’t quite wrap my head around the price.”
“Well, that won’t do. Why don’t you sit down and take a little rest?”
Marie snapped her fingers, and a chair glided quickly over to stop beside Rosetta, who sat down.
Marie turned to the merchant. “I’m surprised to hear that gemini has become so valuable. Weren’t those abundant enough that they were quite cheap not long ago?”
The woman from the Henfrey Company smiled awkwardly. “I think you must be mistaken. Gemini’s pharmaceutical applications were discovered a long time ago, so its cultivation is regulated strictly.”
“Regulated? Didn’t people used to carry gemini around as lucky charms because of its holy properties?”
“Gemini plants have always been strictly regulated as far as I know, since they can be used to produce illegal drugs.”
Marie’s knowledge—commonplace two thousand years ago—was proving unreliable during the era she’d found herself in. Noting the woman’s explanation, Marie made a request of her. “In any case, since Lady Rosetta seems to like the dress, I’m sure you won’t mind preparing another of the same as a spare?”
“A-another gown of this quality as a spare?! This is a bespoke piece sewn for this specific occasion. We could easily provide something else in addition to this one…”
“There’s always the chance of some trouble on the big day. We’ll need at least two gowns, just in case. In addition, Lady Rosetta will need other dresses for separate parts of the event, so we’ll need a few different designs for those as well.”
“You mean a few different designs of this quality?! If you could at least be satisfied with a step down…no two steps down…from this, I think we could deliver a few more dresses.”
“Enough! Lord Liam entrusted us with more than sufficient funds, so all your company has to do is be quiet and prepare some dresses Lady Rosetta will like!”
“Y-yes, ma’am!”
Despite what Marie said, Rosetta was overwhelmed. She’d been destitute for so long that, confronted with all the expensive goods around her, she completely lost her nerve. “No need to go so far for me, Marie. You only marry once, so I think one dress is enough.” And i-it’s crazy to pay so much for a dress you’ll only wear once.
Twisting around, Marie smiled widely at Rosetta. For a moment, Rosetta was relieved, thinking she understood. Then Marie spun back to the woman from the Henfrey Company and glared at her. “I want several lovely dresses of the utmost quality,” she insisted. “I’ll send you more specific requests later, and I expect to see at least three hundred design ideas in return.”
Rosetta tried to stop the knight, since hiring a first-rate designer to come up with a few hundred designs would already be incredibly expensive. “Marie, that’s enough. I like this dress, so this one’s fine.”
“You mustn’t compromise, Lady Rosetta! This will be a once-in-a-lifetime moment in the limelight!”
Rosetta was getting overwhelmed, but Marie seemingly wouldn’t stop no matter what she said to her.
Suddenly, Marie received an emergency message. “Who’s contacting me at this—Lord Liam?!” She quickly read the message and deflated, all her energy vanishing in an instant.
“What is it, Marie?” Rosetta asked, worried.
“Lady Rosetta… It’s possible the wedding may have to be canceled,” Marie said apologetically.
“What?”
“There’s been activity on the Capital Planet. Prince Cleo and Prince Calvin are preparing for a proxy war.”
“U-um…” Rosetta quickly understood what Marie was saying.
I suppose Darling will have to participate… And if it’s a large-scale war, then it’s sure to take a long time. We won’t have time for the wedding now.
Rosetta hung her head, and none of the maids waiting nearby could say anything to comfort her. However, she swiftly looked back up. “Well, we can’t do anything about that. Didn’t Darling summon you, Marie? Go to him quickly.”
“Are you sure?” Marie was asking whether Rosetta intended to protest.
“If Darling decided this, then it’s not my place to complain,” Rosetta said, shaking her head. “He’s deemed this necessary, right?”
“I shall make sure Lord Liam hears those words.”
When Marie left the room, Rosetta smiled somewhat sadly.
“I suppose the wedding’s getting postponed again.”