Beyond the double doors, there were three attendants in the dressing room. They greeted Leah by bowing their heads.
“First, let us take your body measurements.”
The attendants approached, asking for permission to touch her body. Leah hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Leah took off her dress and stood in her undergarment as they took her measurements.
Leah moved as instructed by the attendants, who meticulously measured every detail from her height, shoulder width, arm length, chest, to waist circumference. Only after all this was completed did everything come to an end.
Despite their courteous and swift movements, the measuring process took a long time.
The seamstress then unfolded a catalogue on one of the tables and presented it to Leah.
“Can you pick the style of the dress you want?”
Flipping through the catalogue, the seamstress revealed sketches of dresses she had personally drawn, one after another. There was quite a variety, each showing a high level of care and craftsmanship.
Unable to make a quick decision, Leah hesitated and thought for a while. In response, the seamstress suggested a few dresses of current trends and some timeless classic styles.
“Well then… I’ll go with the ones you recommended.”
“Yes, duly noted.”
The seamstress quickly wrote something down on parchment.
“Party dresses, ball gowns, and evening dresses, each with two sets. That will be a total of six dresses.”
It was a large number, but considering the overlap of the coronation ceremony and the founding festival, it wasn’t surprising.
The seamstress highlighted that the process did not end with selecting dresses. She urged Leah to carefully choose shoes, gloves, and other accessories.
She presented several pairs of shoes as samples and demonstrated how matching jewels complemented Leah’s complexion.
Everything finally ended after what seemed like an eternity.
“I will get you perfectly dressed for the coronation ceremony.”
After tidying up the messy dressing room, the middle-aged seamstress and her assistants left the dressing room.
Relieved that it was finally over, Leah tidied her appearance and opened the central door.
“Uh…”
Caius, whom she expected to have left, was still seated in the same place.
He flipped a page of the document in his hands. It seems that he had been working here all along.
“Caius.”
Leah called as she approached him. Following the call, his azure eyes lazily met hers.
Through the window behind him, the sun had already set.
“Sit.”
Caius pointed to the opposite seat before lowering his gaze to the documents again. Leah sat as he instructed, but there was no further conversation.
A long silence ensued. Aside from the occasional sound of papers turning, everything was eerily quiet.
Unable to withstand the silence any longer, Leah finally spoke.
“I heard you recently visited the Western Palace.”
Caius lifted his gaze from the documents, meeting Leah’s eyes.
“Thank you for caring. Now that everything has been sorted, I should be able to follow the schedule as planned.”
She calmly spoke. Her eyes were faintly lit, but there was no apparent emotional change.
With a brow raised, Caius muttered softly.
“Do you not remember?”
“What?”
Observing her puzzled expression, it appeared that she couldn’t recall what happened that day.
Caius deliberately stared at her lips for a while, before slowly meeting her eyes. His clear pupils held a sense of curiosity.
For a woman who accepted his kiss with fully opened eyes, her expression now seemed quite puzzled.
“Um, did I make any mistakes that day?”
With no response from him, Leah nervously toyed with her fingers. With no recollection of that day, she had no way of knowing what had happened.
“Well…”
Caius increased her concern with an ambiguous answer. Setting aside the documents, he tilted his head to observe Leah’s reaction.
As her eyes wandered in contemplation, her expression became more serious. The more uncertain Leah became, the calmer Caius’s expression grew.
“I-I’m sorry. I can’t remember what happened, and I feel awful…”
Leah finally closed her eyes in defeat. Caius observed her intently with a faint smile on his face.
“Think about it. What did you do with me?”
Despite almost embracing a woman who had made such a mistake, he wore an indifferent expression.
She furrowed her brows, trying hard to recall the details of that night. The struggle on her face was amusing, and her bitten lips were no exception.
It seemed fine to let her misunderstand on her own. It would be much better if she spent the whole day worrying about it.
Caius tapped his toes, leaning his back on the sofa.
Certain aspects of that woman always gave him a strange feeling of satisfaction.
The sight of her crying and begging, including her fidgeting and indecisiveness, all gave him a similar sense of fulfilment.
After observing her for a while, Caius was reminded of another image.
It was the face of the woman who had a radiant smile last night.
“…”
The faint smile on his lips disappeared. However, it wasn’t a negative feeling. It was quite the reverse…
After staring at Leah for a while, Caius finally withdrew his gaze.
It was time to tidy up and leave, as he had wasted enough time.
* * *
Caius continued to send people to assist Leah in her preparations for the coronation.
“Your Highness, you should step to the left. That way, you can follow your partner’s movements.”
The dancer who had arrived the day before was busy teaching Leah the dance she would perform at the ball.
The Empire’s dance was similar to Ainel’s. Fortunately, having learnt it as a child, she found the instructions much easier to follow.
Leah followed the dancer’s instructions diligently but suddenly bit her lip at the recurring thoughts.
What did she do with Caius on that day?
This question unexpectedly crossed her mind, making it difficult to focus. Leah lowered her head slightly to refocus her scattered focus.
To avoid causing problems for Caius, she needed to learn and prepare diligently.
An hour flew by as she thoroughly learned the steps to the last melody.
“Well, that’s enough for today.”
During this time, the dancer ended the lesson. After accompanying her to the door, Leah returned to the reception room.
Today, as well, all activities took place in the Prince’s Palace rather than the Western Palace. Everyone followed Caius’ instructions.
Leah sat at the table, tapping the tip of her shoes on the floor as she glanced out the window.
It was still bright outside, so Caius must still be preoccupied with work, but they would surely meet when evening fell.
Leah sat quietly, waiting for time to pass.
***
Leah opened her eyes as complete darkness fell around her.
Sensing a familiar presence, she slowly opened her eyes to discover the room was completely blue.
Blinking her dazed eyes several times, Leah soon spotted the familiar figure seated across her.
“Ah…”
Leah quickly got up to find Caius sitting with his legs crossed, calmly observing her restless movements.
“Caius, uh, when did you come?”
Flustered, Leah adjusted her posture and asked, causing Caius to tilt his head playfully.
His ensuing words were quite nonchalant.
“Probably around the time you were saying my name and laughing in your sleep.”
“Ah…”
Leah’s cheeks reddened instantly. Because she was constantly thinking about him, even in her dreams, it just occurred to her that he was there.
Realizing that he watched her sleep-talk, she couldn’t lift her head.
Leah played with the hem of her dress, trying to hide her flushed face. Caius leaned his back on the sofa and silently observed her.
His intriguing blue eyes were as calm as the surface of a peaceful lake.
It was a late night illuminated by the moonlight alone.
She quietly waited for him in his palace all day, even calling his name in her dreams.
He savoured this fact as the vague calmness blended with his strong desire. He felt as if everything revolved around him. She waited without being told and looked at him with unwavering affection even when hurt.
What was once uncomfortable had now become natural over time.
“Caius.”
Leah composed herself and slowly raised her head. Her amethyst eyes hesitated before finally looking at him.
“Well, um… thank you for helping with the preparations for the coronation.”
She spoke quietly with both hands placed on her knees. Caius’s calm expression subtly sank along with her words.
“I will never cause you any trouble.”
Her determined expression carried a hint of resolve. Caius ran his fingers slowly across his chin, his bright eyes fixed on her.
Sending people away was not for her benefit. It was solely for his convenience and reputation.
It was absurd that she, who would be abandoned after being used, thanked him. It was amusing. However, the familiar satisfaction grew inevitably.
Even in the face of abandonment, could that woman not show anger? Would she still plead with the same affectionate eyes?
The thought wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Caius’ expression darkened as he reflected on the situation.
His heart started to beat faster, but his expression remained the same.
Beyond the double doors, there were three attendants in the dressing room. They greeted Leah by bowing their heads.
“First, let us take your body measurements.”
The attendants approached, asking for permission to touch her body. Leah hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Leah took off her dress and stood in her undergarment as they took her measurements.
Leah moved as instructed by the attendants, who meticulously measured every detail from her height, shoulder width, arm length, chest, to waist circumference. Only after all this was completed did everything come to an end.
Despite their courteous and swift movements, the measuring process took a long time.
The seamstress then unfolded a catalogue on one of the tables and presented it to Leah.
“Can you pick the style of the dress you want?”
Flipping through the catalogue, the seamstress revealed sketches of dresses she had personally drawn, one after another. There was quite a variety, each showing a high level of care and craftsmanship.
Unable to make a quick decision, Leah hesitated and thought for a while. In response, the seamstress suggested a few dresses of current trends and some timeless classic styles.
“Well then… I’ll go with the ones you recommended.”
“Yes, duly noted.”
The seamstress quickly wrote something down on parchment.
“Party dresses, ball gowns, and evening dresses, each with two sets. That will be a total of six dresses.”
It was a large number, but considering the overlap of the coronation ceremony and the founding festival, it wasn’t surprising.
The seamstress highlighted that the process did not end with selecting dresses. She urged Leah to carefully choose shoes, gloves, and other accessories.
She presented several pairs of shoes as samples and demonstrated how matching jewels complemented Leah’s complexion.
Everything finally ended after what seemed like an eternity.
“I will get you perfectly dressed for the coronation ceremony.”
After tidying up the messy dressing room, the middle-aged seamstress and her assistants left the dressing room.
Relieved that it was finally over, Leah tidied her appearance and opened the central door.
“Uh…”
Caius, whom she expected to have left, was still seated in the same place.
He flipped a page of the document in his hands. It seems that he had been working here all along.
“Caius.”
Leah called as she approached him. Following the call, his azure eyes lazily met hers.
Through the window behind him, the sun had already set.
“Sit.”
Caius pointed to the opposite seat before lowering his gaze to the documents again. Leah sat as he instructed, but there was no further conversation.
A long silence ensued. Aside from the occasional sound of papers turning, everything was eerily quiet.
Unable to withstand the silence any longer, Leah finally spoke.
“I heard you recently visited the Western Palace.”
Caius lifted his gaze from the documents, meeting Leah’s eyes.
“Thank you for caring. Now that everything has been sorted, I should be able to follow the schedule as planned.”
She calmly spoke. Her eyes were faintly lit, but there was no apparent emotional change.
With a brow raised, Caius muttered softly.
“Do you not remember?”
“What?”
Observing her puzzled expression, it appeared that she couldn’t recall what happened that day.
Caius deliberately stared at her lips for a while, before slowly meeting her eyes. His clear pupils held a sense of curiosity.
For a woman who accepted his kiss with fully opened eyes, her expression now seemed quite puzzled.
“Um, did I make any mistakes that day?”
With no response from him, Leah nervously toyed with her fingers. With no recollection of that day, she had no way of knowing what had happened.
“Well…”
Caius increased her concern with an ambiguous answer. Setting aside the documents, he tilted his head to observe Leah’s reaction.
As her eyes wandered in contemplation, her expression became more serious. The more uncertain Leah became, the calmer Caius’s expression grew.
“I-I’m sorry. I can’t remember what happened, and I feel awful…”
Leah finally closed her eyes in defeat. Caius observed her intently with a faint smile on his face.
“Think about it. What did you do with me?”
Despite almost embracing a woman who had made such a mistake, he wore an indifferent expression.
She furrowed her brows, trying hard to recall the details of that night. The struggle on her face was amusing, and her bitten lips were no exception.
It seemed fine to let her misunderstand on her own. It would be much better if she spent the whole day worrying about it.
Caius tapped his toes, leaning his back on the sofa.
Certain aspects of that woman always gave him a strange feeling of satisfaction.
The sight of her crying and begging, including her fidgeting and indecisiveness, all gave him a similar sense of fulfilment.
After observing her for a while, Caius was reminded of another image.
It was the face of the woman who had a radiant smile last night.
“…”
The faint smile on his lips disappeared. However, it wasn’t a negative feeling. It was quite the reverse…
After staring at Leah for a while, Caius finally withdrew his gaze.
It was time to tidy up and leave, as he had wasted enough time.
* * *
Caius continued to send people to assist Leah in her preparations for the coronation.
“Your Highness, you should step to the left. That way, you can follow your partner’s movements.”
The dancer who had arrived the day before was busy teaching Leah the dance she would perform at the ball.
The Empire’s dance was similar to Ainel’s. Fortunately, having learnt it as a child, she found the instructions much easier to follow.
Leah followed the dancer’s instructions diligently but suddenly bit her lip at the recurring thoughts.
What did she do with Caius on that day?
This question unexpectedly crossed her mind, making it difficult to focus. Leah lowered her head slightly to refocus her scattered focus.
To avoid causing problems for Caius, she needed to learn and prepare diligently.
An hour flew by as she thoroughly learned the steps to the last melody.
“Well, that’s enough for today.”
During this time, the dancer ended the lesson. After accompanying her to the door, Leah returned to the reception room.
Today, as well, all activities took place in the Prince’s Palace rather than the Western Palace. Everyone followed Caius’ instructions.
Leah sat at the table, tapping the tip of her shoes on the floor as she glanced out the window.
It was still bright outside, so Caius must still be preoccupied with work, but they would surely meet when evening fell.
Leah sat quietly, waiting for time to pass.
***
Leah opened her eyes as complete darkness fell around her.
Sensing a familiar presence, she slowly opened her eyes to discover the room was completely blue.
Blinking her dazed eyes several times, Leah soon spotted the familiar figure seated across her.
“Ah…”
Leah quickly got up to find Caius sitting with his legs crossed, calmly observing her restless movements.
“Caius, uh, when did you come?”
Flustered, Leah adjusted her posture and asked, causing Caius to tilt his head playfully.
His ensuing words were quite nonchalant.
“Probably around the time you were saying my name and laughing in your sleep.”
“Ah…”
Leah’s cheeks reddened instantly. Because she was constantly thinking about him, even in her dreams, it just occurred to her that he was there.
Realizing that he watched her sleep-talk, she couldn’t lift her head.
Leah played with the hem of her dress, trying to hide her flushed face. Caius leaned his back on the sofa and silently observed her.
His intriguing blue eyes were as calm as the surface of a peaceful lake.
It was a late night illuminated by the moonlight alone.
She quietly waited for him in his palace all day, even calling his name in her dreams.
He savoured this fact as the vague calmness blended with his strong desire. He felt as if everything revolved around him. She waited without being told and looked at him with unwavering affection even when hurt.
What was once uncomfortable had now become natural over time.
“Caius.”
Leah composed herself and slowly raised her head. Her amethyst eyes hesitated before finally looking at him.
“Well, um… thank you for helping with the preparations for the coronation.”
She spoke quietly with both hands placed on her knees. Caius’s calm expression subtly sank along with her words.
“I will never cause you any trouble.”
Her determined expression carried a hint of resolve. Caius ran his fingers slowly across his chin, his bright eyes fixed on her.
Sending people away was not for her benefit. It was solely for his convenience and reputation.
It was absurd that she, who would be abandoned after being used, thanked him. It was amusing. However, the familiar satisfaction grew inevitably.
Even in the face of abandonment, could that woman not show anger? Would she still plead with the same affectionate eyes?
The thought wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Caius’ expression darkened as he reflected on the situation.
His heart started to beat faster, but his expression remained the same.
