The next morning, Anne and Emma guided Ara into a room. Anne's hand covered Ara's eyes as she walked blindly, groping her way forward until they finally stopped.
"Surprise!"
At their words, Ara slowly opened her eyes and took in the scene before her. The dress Emma had taken with her yesterday was now on display. For the most part, it looked like her white and purple dress, but the problem before had been that it was too plain. Now, however, the dress appeared completely different. Lace had been added to the sleeves and shoulders, and some beads had been sewn onto the skirt to make it more elegant. The lower neckline showed her bust, and the dress had been modified to emphasize her narrow waistline.
Despite the short notice, the changes to the dress were almost indistinguishable from those of a professional seamstress. Ara felt her mouth drop open in surprise.
"How did you do this on such short notice?"
"Oh... Milady, I didn't do it alone. I had Miss Anne's help," Emma stated shyly.
"Sister Ara, Emma did most of the design. I just helped a little. She's a genius, really," Anne praised the maid.
"Incredible! I didn't know you had such talent, Emma," Ara spoke from the bottom of her heart. Since she was a little girl, she had been completely illiterate when it came to fashion. She always liked traditional and simple designs rather than dazzling and glamorous ones, preferring to be on her own rather than draw attention to herself. Even her way of dressing was simple—Ara didn't consider herself very feminine.
"Do you think I would look good in this kind of dress?" she asked, doubt creeping into her voice.
"Of course, my lady. It will suit you so well."
"Yes, sister. You can tell just by looking at it—you're going to look like a princess in it," Anne remarked while touching the dress.
Ara turned to Emma and asked, "Emma, where did you learn this?"
"I learned it from my mother. She was a professional seamstress in our town. When I was a little girl, I used to sit with her while she designed clothes, and I've always wanted to be like her," Emma responded happily.
"What stopped you from being like her?" Ara asked. She noticed the change in Emma's expression before she spoke softly in a sad voice. "My mother passed away... and after her death, my sister and I couldn't afford anything, so we sold all her sewing equipment."
"Oh... I'm sorry about your mother. Do you have any plans to be a seamstress in the future?" Ara asked.
"I haven't thought about it, Milady," she replied.
"Oh, come on, Emma! You have such a beautiful talent; you shouldn't let it go to waste. You'd better think about it," Anne said with a wink.
"T-thank you, Miss Anne. I'll think about it," Emma replied.
"Emma, if you ever want to pursue it in the future, I'll help you if you'd like. Just tell me if you feel that way, okay?" At Ara's warm words, Emma nodded, and a grateful smile spread across her face. "Okay, I'll let you know. Thank you, my lady."
"You're welcome. I'm very grateful to you, Emma... and thank you too, Anne." Ara's dress was very satisfactory. Although Anne's dress had been ruined to make hers beautiful, Ara felt a little guilty about it. But Anne thought only of her, and a warm happiness filled her body.
Anne scratched her neck, then pointed to the altered dress and spoke. "Enough of the thanking, sister. I think you should try it on."
"Yes, my lady, Miss Anne is right," Emma added softly.
"Of course, I'll try it on." Ara hurried to put on the dress with Emma's help. She thought it would be wonderful to wear a dress that Emma created herself from start to finish one day.
After changing into the new dress and making the necessary adjustments, Emma drew open the curtains of the dressing room with a wide smile on her face. She was thrilled to see her mistress in a dress she had made herself.
Anne's mouth opened in surprise. Ara had gone a little overboard with her praise, and while the dress was well mended, the fact that the original dress was still out of style hadn't changed. But as soon as Ara wore it, it was transformed into something else. Her classic red hair and clear, pale skin made the dress even more breathtaking. The pale flesh of her cleavage enchanted the viewer, and the curves of her body, clinched into a small waistline, made her look elegant. Emma had only added mesh with lace and beads to the dress, but it felt more sophisticated than any other dress Ara had ever owned.
The dress wasn't what mattered—the wearer of the dress was magnificent. As Anne stared in fascination, Ara asked softly, "Is it bad?"
"Oh, come on, you look tempting! I feel like taking a bite. You're going to be the most bewitching woman at the banquet, even I can't take my eyes off you," Anne teased with a cheesy grin, making Ara blush a little.
"Stop exaggerating," Ara murmured.
"Milady, Miss Anne is right. You look dazzling—you make the dress prettier," Emma said with a proud smile.
Anne stretched out her arms and gave Emma a thumbs-up. "That's my girl."
It occurred to Ara that if Emma hadn't mended the dress, she might've thought the original was perfectly acceptable. She gave a twirl in front of the mirror and admired her reflection. "It's all thanks to you two that I'm wearing such an amazing dress."
"It's nothing, Milady," Emma said.
"Sister, someone might misunderstand if they hear you. Can you stop thanking us already?" Anne mumbled.
"No, I really love it, and I'm keeping it for the future," Ara said with a small laugh.
Emma blushed at Ara's words. To her, the dress was nothing compared to what she could really design—she had just fixed it up a little. Seeing her mistress in the dress made her feel proud, like a mother watching her child. And knowing how much Lady Ara liked it made her want to create even more. She smiled happily.
Anne's gaze suddenly fell on Ara's bare neck. "Sister, you aren't planning to go with a naked neck, are you?" she asked, hands on her hips.
Ara touched her neck and asked, "What's wrong with my neck being bare?"
Anne walked closer and stood beside her sister, looking at her in the mirror with a mischievous smile. "Don't you know it would be nice to have something to draw the eyes to the collarbone? Especially your killer collarbone."
"I don't think I have anything to go with this dress, but I have a few," Ara said with an awkward smile. Anne probably knew what was in Ara's jewelry box better than Ara herself. She still only had a few pieces she'd bought some years ago. Anne felt bad for her sister, who always liked saving money even when they weren't lacking. 'How I wish you could spend more on yourself, sister,' she thought internally.
Ara was such a lovely lady who could do with a few more adornments, but she would still be more beautiful than all the ladies at the banquet. Anne smiled secretly to herself as she remembered the witch Claire, whom she had only met once at a masquerade ball. She couldn't wait to see Claire's reaction after seeing her sister in such a fine dress this time. 'I'll make sure you regret ever messing with me, Claire,' she smirked at the thought of seeing her again.
"What's wrong, Anne?" Ara asked when she noticed her sister was quiet.
"Nothing, I just can't wait to go to the banquet... Don't worry, I'll give you some of my jewelry to wear."
"Wh-"
"And you won't refuse to accept it," Anne said firmly, leaving no room for argument.
---
At last, the day Anne had been waiting for finally arrived. As it was the wedding anniversary of the famous merchant, the event was extravagant. The people who attended the banquet were by no means common guests. As expected, the Morrisons were very famous in the northern part of the kingdom. No one invited would miss the chance to attend the infamous Morrison wedding anniversary.
As the time of celebration approached, magnificent carriages began to flow into the Morrison mansion. None of the invited guests treated the event lightly—everyone was elegantly dressed. High society was like a battlefield, where they all showed off their power.