TDWO Chapter 34

“…?”

Anri was confused, wondering what kind of nonsense it was to say something like that with a smiling face.

She felt as though someone had struck her in the back of the head, leaving her dazed and her eyelashes fluttering rapidly.

‘Did he really just say that to me?’

Finally regaining her composure, Anri offered a kind and bright smile.

“I’m not sure I understand what I just heard. Could you please repeat that, Your Grace?”

“Hmm.”

Edwin crossed his arms and scrutinized Anri closely.

Specifically, he was observing what she was wearing.

“I think the dress you wore yesterday suited you better.”

What?

Anri was once again bewildered, fog swirling in her mind.

She couldn’t even remember what she had eaten yesterday, let alone what she had worn.

But then it came back to her.

Yesterday, she had worn a beige dress adorned with intricate beige embroidery all over. The dress snugly enveloped her upper body from neck to wrist, while the crinoline puffed out the skirt.

Today, the dress was brighter in color and revealed more of her shoulders and chest.

Both dresses were beautiful, so why?

Anri smiled, looking somewhat puzzled.

“I don’t dress up just to look good for you, Your Grace.”

Despite this, Edwin did not soften his disapproving gaze. Tilting his head slightly, he scrutinized Anri’s dress with a critical eye.

“Still, if you could tell me what you don’t like about it, I’d be willing to listen.”

Anri maintained a smiling expression.

What could she do if he didn’t like it?

But why were there so many people looking for trouble today?

Suddenly, Anri felt a pang of frustration.

She had been excitedly dreaming of a kiss with such a man, but now the thought had shattered and faded.

“Miss?”

Just then, Anais and Bonita, Anri’s ladies’ maids, approached her.

However, they noticed that Anri and the Duke were having a conversation.

“Oh dear, oh dear.”

They had no intention of eavesdropping, but the servants couldn’t help but hide and peek out. The duke’s dark gaze toward Anri was so intense and deep.

It seemed their relationship was indeed very special.

Yet what came out of his mouth was,

“What’s with the sleeves under your shoulders? Are they balloons?”

“…?”

Anri was dumbfounded.

What? Balloons?

Edwin likely had no interest in women’s clothing, but this was the latest dress from Charlotte and Audrey.

If it was a new product from Charlotte and Audrey, even if it were made from rags, everyone would look at it with envy.

But what? Balloons?

That’s an insult to the designers and customers of Charlotte & Audrey.

It’s clearly a challenge.

“Oh my, Your Grace. Balloons? It’s called ‘puff sleeves.’”

“Oh, I see. I was wondering why so many women have balloons on their arms these days.”

Edwin replied nonchalantly.

His indifference somehow made Anri even more irritated.

If you don’t know anything about women’s dresses, you should just keep quiet. How could he refer to puff sleeves as balloons?

If the red-haired Anne*, who loves puff sleeves, heard this, she would cry. (TL/N: Anne of Green Gables)

“Whether they’re balloons or puffs, aren’t they pretty?”

Anri asked, showing off one arm. However,

“Well, it looks odd, like pumpkins hanging from the sleeves.”

What? Not just balloons, but pumpkins?

(TL/N: Pumpkin is often used as a metaphor for something that is considered ugly or unattractive.)

Anri blinked rapidly, trying to process this.

He couldn’t possibly mean that she looks like a pumpkin, right?

Meanwhile, the servants gathered around the corner, dropping their hands from the wall they had been leaning against in unison.

They all shared the same thought and fear.

‘It seems the Duke dislikes puff sleeves.’

And the servants simultaneously recalled Miss Anri’s wedding dress.

Just then, the duke’s voice surged into their ears again, sounding like a condemnation.

“What’s with those clumsily attached ribbons? It’s not like you’re a child. It’s so childish.”

“…Excuse me?”

Anri, puzzled by Edwin’s repeated criticisms, tilted her head slightly while maintaining a smile.

What did you just say?

Do you want to get hit?

Of course, Anri’s dress had small ribbon decorations spaced evenly throughout.

However, they were only wrapped around a specific part below the waist, so it wasn’t excessive.

Rather, it was a decorative point that eliminated the dull and monotonous feel.

But clumsily attached and childish?

“Oh, Duke. Ribbons are lovely even for grandmothers. They’re so kind and charming.”

“…Hmm.”

Still, Edwin continued to scrutinize Anri’s dress, as if he found something displeasing.

Meanwhile, the servants trembled in fear, nearly losing their wit.

‘It seems the Duke dislikes ribbons too.’

They couldn’t shake the image of the lady’s wedding dress from their minds. The dress that had already been completed today would be kept safe until the wedding day.

How could the duke pick out only the trendy details to criticize like that?

The new Duchess’s proudly designed wedding dress, a blend of tradition and innovation, took a turn for the worse.

“…”

Anri wanted to criticize Edwin’s outfit, but it was perfect.

There wasn’t a single thing out of place or lacking harmony, so even if she wanted to nitpick, she couldn’t.

That made her feel even more frustrated.

Damn it, Edwin!

“I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

Anri lifted the hem of her dress and stood on her tiptoes to get closer to Edwin’s ear.

Then she whispered,

“If you want to pretend to be a couple, you should say I look beautiful in whatever I wear. If you keep criticizing me like this, others will get the wrong idea. Well then.”

Without waiting for Edwin’s reaction, Anri turned away.

The servants were startled by Anri’s sudden action and hurriedly ran down the stairs.

‘The wedding dress is ruined.’

The ladies’ maids exchanged silent glances and rushed to the sewing room.

Fortunately, they still had two days left.

‘What a total jerk!’

Anri returned to her room without looking back.

If he wasn’t going to compliment her, he shouldn’t say anything at all. He used to say she was pretty, but now that her wedding was just around the corner, he was acting like this?

She was upset.

Anri reminded herself that, after all, her relationship with Edwin was merely a business arrangement.

‘It must be because of that dress.’

Meanwhile, Edwin watched Anri’s retreating figure, deep in thought.

The reason Anri looked so beautiful today.

Not just in Edwin’s eyes, but also in the eyes of footmen and other men…

Edwin didn’t like the fact that the woman who was going to be his wife was so beautiful and radiant.

That pastel lavender dress was like a mysterious, dreamy fog, making him even more irritable.

 

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

 

“……Huh?”

Night had fallen.

Anri and Eunice’s eyes met as they turned the corner of the hallway.

Both were in their nightwear.

Anri was about to visit Eunice’s room, draped in a shawl.

During the day, they had only exchanged greetings and hadn’t spoken a word.

With other people around, she couldn’t ask about how things were going with that man at the ball.

“Oh, hello……?”

As soon as Eunice saw Anri, she instinctively pulled the box she was holding tightly to her chest, as if to hide it.

Anri had already seen it.

Curious about what it was, Anri looked at Eunice but then simply clasped her hands behind her back and smiled brightly.

Her eyes sparkled like sunlight.

“Sis, hello?”

“…….”

Eunice seemed to be struggling to come up with something to say.

Before Eunice could break into a cold sweat or faint, Anri folded her arms.

“Do you want to come to my room?”

“……Uh, yeah.”

Eunice replied while hunching over, her head down.

However, Anri was already pulling her along.

Anri was unusually kind to Eunice, more so than usual.

‘Maybe then she’ll tell me how things are going with that man.’

Eunice was a fragile woman. She was more emotionally delicate than others.

It seemed like she was easily hurt and had a timid personality.

To get Eunice to talk about what had happened with the man over the past ten days, Anri had to be extra nice to her.

Anri was very curious.

Whether she had really received the letter, and if so, what it said.

‘Why is other people’s love life so interesting?’

Anri’s eyes curved like a crescent moon, and her smile was content and rising.

She felt like she needed to check whether the man Eunice was going to meet was a good person.

For some reason, she felt a sense of responsibility, and it was kind of exciting!

“Here we are.”

Eunice’s eyes widened in astonishment as she entered Anri’s room.

She had never seen a room like this before in her life.

Was this how the bedrooms of high-ranking noblewomen were all like—so luxurious and grand?

Anri was indeed impressive.

However, Eunice couldn’t muster the words “beautiful,” “I’m happy for you,” or “congratulations” that were on the tip of her tongue.

She felt inadequate and pitiful.

Eunice had taken a long time to leave her own room and find Anri.

She had been agonizing over whether it was appropriate to give a wedding gift, and whether Anri would be pleased.

After such a long hesitation, she had finally left her room.

She was very surprised when she ran into Anri.

“Isn’t it pretty? Sit here.”

Anri guided Eunice to a chair upholstered in red velvet and sat her down.

Then, Anri took a seat on her bed right next to the chair.

The bed was wide enough to roll around on it five times without stopping.

“What’s that?”

As Anri removed her shawl, her eyes lit up as she gazed at the box Eunice was holding.

It was clearly a gift for her.

“Oh? Um… it’s for you, Anri.”

“Hmm? For me?”

Anri jumped up from the bed in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected it at all.

Moreover, since Anri had dropped the formalities first, Eunice seemed to relax as well.

Eunice slowly extended the box toward Anri.

Anri eagerly took the box, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and opened it.

“Oh my goodness, I didn’t even think of it. Eunice, you’re so thoughtful.”

“C-congratulations…”

“Wow, this is the first wedding congratulatory gift I’ve received!”

“……”

Eunice clasped her hands and kept her feet together.

Fortunately, Anri seemed happy, which greatly relieved Eunice.

However, she felt anxious as Anri was untying the ribbon.

Will she like it?

Anri was genuinely excited.

What kind of gift had Eunice thought of to celebrate Anri’s marriage?

Given Eunice’s reserved and almost silent nature, Anri was curious about what kind of present she had chosen for her.

“Ah!”

Finally opening the box, Anri couldn’t contain her surprise.