Asha's long black hair, which had been tightly braided to her scalp, was now simply rolled up in preparation for trying on the dress. Her face, which had been massaged by a skilled maid, was now radiant, unlike yesterday when it was simply pale. When she put on the light indoor dress, her slender neck, which had been hidden under the bulky combat uniform, was revealed.
Carlyle whistled appreciatively, raising his eyebrows.
"This is beyond expectations, isn't it?"
Then he turned his gaze towards the maid with a flick of his eyes.
"You were too modest, Madame Luvar. This is good enough, isn't it?"
"But she is to be Your Highness's consort...."
"I know, she's not good enough for me. Let's just make do for now."
In the meantime, Asha, the subject of the evaluation, was thinking of her mother.
'Mother. If you really wanted to dress me like this, I would have died before I was even married.'
Even by Asha's standards, it was an uncomfortable outfit.
The fact that her neck was exposed and her stomach was so tightly cinched that she could barely breathe was secondary. The skirt, which was long enough to drag on the floor, tangled around her legs every time she took a step, slowing her down, and the fact that there was nowhere to put her self-defense dagger made her uneasy.
"Judging by your expression, you seem to be very uncomfortable."
Carlyle also quickly noticed her mood.
"It's uncomfortable… but...."
Asha glanced around and whispered in Carlyle's ear.
"Would you happen to have a self-defense dagger I could borrow?"
"A self-defense dagger? What would you need that for?"
Carlyle laughed lightly, his neck tickled by Asha's sudden breath.
This woman, who had a serious face but made funny noises, did not disappoint him this time either.
"There could be assassins among the maids coming from the Imperial Palace. I tried to bring my sword, but the maids said no...."
"So, you're saying that you're going to deal with the assassins yourself, while I'm sitting here? In that outfit?"
"...Yes."
Asha replied hesitantly, with a look on her face that said she didn't understand what Carlyle was asking.
Carlyle chuckled again.
"Let me ask you again. Do you think there is a fool who would attack the fiancée of Carlyle Evaristo, the Sword of the Empire, who was born with the blessing of the God of War Aguilus and protects the southern part of the Empire?"
Asha looked at Carlyle, who was praising himself, and thought that the nobles were really thick-skinned.
Then she asked.
"There is no law that says you can't. In a situation like that, if you're dressed in such an uncomfortable way and don't even have a weapon for self-defense, who will save you?"
Then Carlyle snorted again as if he found it absurd and pointed at himself with his thumb.
"Who else? Your handsome fiancé will protect you."
And soon, Carlyle was able to see Asha's expression that said, 'Did I just hear some nonsense?'
"I know very well that all you want from me is money. It's a good attitude. But until the job is done, I need you to stay alive."
"Of course."
"So you can leave this much to me."
He winked and sat Asha next to me.
Thanks to the maids' efforts, Asha gave off a fragrant scent of grass. It was a scent that women didn't often choose, but it was a perfume that Asha, who absolutely hated sweet floral or fruity scents, had barely compromised on.
'This scent suits her surprisingly well.'
Carlyle thought, taking a deep breath without realizing it.
Just then, a maid announced the arrival of the guests. It was Lady Alice Laurel, a senior maid of the palace, and the lower maids who followed her carrying a bundle of dresses.
"May the utmost honor be upon you."
"You've had a hard time coming here, Madame Laurel."
Madame Laurel greeted Carlyle and Asha with an elegant and dignified demeanor, as befitting someone who had worked in the palace for a long time.
"It seems like this is the first time I've seen you outside the palace, Your Highness. And it is an honor to meet you, Countess Pervaz."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Laurel."
Asha felt Madame Laurel examining her closely while pretending not to. She couldn't tell what she was thinking inside, but it seemed like she had decided to treat her as Carlyle's fiancée on the outside.
She unpacked the luggage she had brought, saying that she didn't have time.
"You're taller than I thought. And your shoulders are also...quite broad."
She stood up and muttered as she circled around Asha, occasionally sighing.
"Do you have a preferred style?"
"No. I've never worn a dress before. So I would appreciate it if you could just pick one out for me."
"Yes...?"
Lady Laurel asked back with a face that said she had misheard.
"You said you've never...worn a dress before?"
"There's no special occasion to wear a dress in Pervaz."
"Ah, w-well...I see."
Madame Laurel smiled awkwardly and glanced at Carlyle, but Carlyle just watched quietly as if he was enjoying an interesting spectacle.
Madame Laurel, chuckling again, instructed the two maids who followed her to try a dress on Asha.
"What do you think? It's the latest style in Zyro."
The first dress she showed had a square neckline that dipped deeply, a tight upper body, and a skirt that didn't flare out much.
It was a design that accentuated a subtly sexual appeal, but Asha, not thinking much of it, nodded.
"It seems okay…"
"It makes your shoulders look too wide. Wearing that won't magically create curves that don't exist. Something else."
Cutting off Asha's reply, Carlyle ordered.
At his words, the maids swiftly brought out another dress.
"How about this? It's a design that emphasizes classic beauty."
This dress had three-tiered puff sleeves and didn't reveal much bare skin.
However, Carlyle rejected this one too.
"It's frumpy. Something else."
"Then, this…?"
This time it was a sleeveless top style dress adorned with lace and pearl decorations.
"Do you seriously plan to expose those flabby arms like that?"
In this way, Madame Laurel and the maids, watching Carlyle's every expression, tried on every dress they brought with them on Asha.
Asha, however, didn't care about her reflection in the mirror and was instead gauging the possibility of an assassin being present.
Suddenly, she came to her senses at the sound of Carlyle clapping his hands.
"That one!"
The dress Carlyle chose with a satisfied smile was a cream-colored silk dress with a faint grayish tint.
The only exposed skin was around the V-neckline, which dipped slightly. The only decoration on the sleeves, which extended straight down, were three small buttons at the cuffs. The wide skirt had no lace or ruffles. The only decorations were a large ribbon at the back and a vine pattern embroidered subtly along the neckline.
"Th, this…?"
Madame Laurel stuttered, flustered.
It was a dress she had prepared in case Asha was extremely shy or conservative, but it wasn't a design suitable for an Imperial ceremony.
Thinking it wouldn't do, she turned to Asha.
"Th, the, bride's opinion matters too! What do you think, Lady Pervaz? A wedding dress should be something the bride likes. Don't hesitate to speak your mind."
"Ah, I…"
"It seems a bit far from the current trends. There's no need to cover yourself up so much. You're still young…"
Asha looked at Madame Laurel, who seemed desperately insistent, with a puzzled expression and said:
"I like it."
"What?"
"I think this will be the most comfortable. It also… seems pretty."
Madame Laurel's face went pale, forgetting she was in front of the Prince.
Even though this marriage ceremony was a formality and everyone expected Carlyle to divorce in three years, she was unbearably disappointed that the dress of the bride she had prepared was such a simple design.
"Even so, it might be your only chance in life. Wouldn't it be okay to wear something more glamorous?"
"It will probably be the most glamorous design among the clothes I wear until I die. So please don't worry."
Madame Laurel's face turned even grimmer. The thought "This isn't a wedding" grew stronger in her head.
However, there was another reason why Carlyle chose such a simple and plain dress.
"Madame Luvar. Bring what I asked you to prepare."
At Carlyle's command, the head maid who was waiting nearby took out a velvet box from a nearby console drawer.
The heavy-looking box looked extraordinary at a glance.
"A small, but a wedding gift. I was hoping you would wear my gift with that dress at the ceremony."
Madame Luvae, as a trained maid, opened the velvet box silently and placed it in front of Asha without showing any expression.
The one surprised by what was inside wasn't Asha, but the Imperial maids, including Madame Laurel.
"Oh my, my! If that's the case, then things are different! Absolutely!"
Madame Laurel clasped her hands together with a happy expression in front of the bewildered Asha.
"To wear such a gorgeous ruby and diamond necklace, a simple design is better!"
"Ah… is this, ruby and diamond?"
"Yes…? Can't you tell just by looking? It's not just any ordinary ruby and diamond, either."
The necklace Carlyle presented as a wedding gift was a design with seven large rubies surrounded by dozens of dazzling diamonds.
However, for Asha, who had never seen rubies or diamonds before, their value didn't fully reach her.
To make it easier for her to understand, Carlyle kindly explained.