◆ Bonus: Mr. Julius, the Dress, and I
THE fluttery white chiffon skirt went down to my ankles. My off-the-shoulder dress was tied at my waist with a black ribbon, and small, glittering jewels were sewn throughout the fabric like stardust scattering across the sky.
Complete with my half-up hairdo and a small, golden, floral hair ornament decorated with a red ruby in the center, I felt like gold. I had no doubt about it. I was surrounded by ladies-in-waiting as they polished me from head to toe. As I adorned my body in a lavish dress and wore extravagant accessories, I felt like I was able to look like a noblewoman for the first time in a long while.
I was wrong.
The dress looked so expensive that I was unable to perform any alchemy for fear of sullying my clothes. I couldn’t ride on Helios, and a quick jog or a fall would cause me to rip my delicate attire. I felt incredibly gauche.
While I was trembling with fear and finishing my preparations in the morning, I thanked the ladies-in-waiting of the Holy Palace and returned to Mr. Julius, who was still snoozing away in the bedroom.
Even after the battle in Rasheed had ended and we partook in the banquet and festivities hosted by the Holy Palace, Mr. Julius and I were still receiving their kind hospitality. I felt like a noble as the maids and other ladies took good care of me, fitting me in a dress every day.
My clothes had been prepared by Layla of House Fatima. I initially refused her kind offer, stating that I preferred my usual clothes.
“You should take better care of yourself, Chloe!” Layla had scolded me while pushing various dresses my way. “Don’t waste that pretty face of yours!”
And so, I allowed myself to be squeezed into these glamorous clothes. Predictably, I wasn’t used to it. I used to spend my life at dinner parties in gorgeous gowns, but I’d spent years working as an alchemist, and my apron dresses were easier to move around in. They felt more comfortable to me. The rough fabric allowed me to be as active as I liked, and that put me at ease.
The dresses, hair ornaments, and unsteady heels were all stunningly beautiful, and I was happy to be able to wear such dazzling clothes, but I just couldn’t feel comfortable in them. Furthermore, every day, Mr. Julius would relentlessly mock me for my appearance.
Since I went through all the trouble of dolling up, I wished he’d offer me a word of praise or two, but all he’d say was, “Looks like you’re trying to camouflage yourself,” or “The dress is wearing you,” or “The fabric around your chest looks loose.”
Admittedly, the fabric around my chest was loose, and I had nothing to say to that, but there weren’t several dresses conveniently on standby that were a perfect fit for me. I assumed that some of these were Layla’s and were fit to her stature. Her chest size and mine were…well, different. How different? It was like comparing a deep-dish bowl (that Mr. Roge often ate out of) piled with a mountain of rice with a regular plate of rice.
So…yeah. The fabric around my chest was loose. The ladies-in-waiting had done their best to arrange it, but there was no changing our chest sizes. Before I went to Mr. Julius, who was sleeping away, I checked myself in the mirror one last time. This dress made me look a bit more mature. I called myself a young beautiful maiden without hesitation, but this design was a bit more adult than what I usually wore and was very revealing from the chest up.
It was tight around the waist, and I was worried that the dress would slip and fall off my body at any moment. If I had a curvy body like Layla’s, I’d have nothing to worry about, but unfortunately for me, I just couldn’t fill in the chest part. It’s not too loose today, though, I told myself. I’m fine today. The dress fit me quite well, and it wasn’t too baggy. The white garment made me look modest and ladylike, perfect for me.
The small jewels scattered throughout the fabric glittered with every step I took, but it didn’t look tacky at all. Had Faisal seen Layla in this, I was sure that he would’ve said something along the lines of, “Even a goddess would pale in comparison to your beauty,” or “My stunning queen, will you kindly permit me to touch your supple hand?” or “Layla, you’re more beautiful than any dress I’ve ever seen.” I knew he’d whisper sweet words of love in her ear with a serious gaze, remaining as earnest as ever.
Not like I want Mr. Julius to say that to me, though. The day I’d receive a compliment like that from him would be the day I’d suspect he must’ve fallen ill from eating something weird. But would it kill him to just say that the dress suits me or something? According to him, my face was average, and I looked plain. I wanted to think that I’d look decent if I dressed up a little, but…
“Are you awake, Mr. Julius?” I asked, opening the bedroom door. “Good morning.”
He was sitting on the side of his bed, the upper half of his body naked for some reason. Numerous scars stood out on his muscular frame. Some of these wounds hadn’t been treated properly and closed up on their own, while other parts of his body were discolored from being badly burned. His burly frame and bulging muscles were of breathtaking beauty, resembling a marble statue. My dolled-up appearance didn’t hold a candle to him. I’m sorry! I just feel like I have to apologize here!
“Why are you half-naked?” I asked.