Chapter 13
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Sponsored by Angela. Thank you ? (¾)
***
How much do you think I would be tempted to wear something like that? I coughed and then made a serious excuse.
“There was an unavoidable circumstance.” (Diana)
“Yes, yes. Tell me.” (Noah)
“I got a bonus when I was buying clothes, so the maid bought it secretly thinking I was too shy to buy it. I told her I definitely didn’t need it.”
I emphasized the words ‘didn’t need’ with all my might.
“Yes. You’ll wear this later on our honeymoon, right?” (Noah)
“Don’t get ahead of yourself…….” (Diana)
“I’ll get you a prettier one then. My taste.” (Noah)
It was a lazy voice laced with breathing. I wondered how he managed to make that sensual sound. I tried my best to keep my expression in check. He folded the slip neatly and placed it neatly in the chest of drawers and naturally sat on the edge of the bed.
“Did you practice the dance well?” (Noah)
“I learn quickly. I remember after a few times.” (Diana)
“I know, I know. You’re smart. Don’t dance with other men. That’s not why I want you to learn to dance.” (Noah)
Noah narrowed his eyebrows as if to warn me with a serious expression.
It seemed to mean that I had to dance only with him, but I pretended not to know and stared at him without answering.
Noah’s hard, tight expression slackened as he waited for my answer.
His mysterious deep blue eyes were like the sea on a quiet afternoon. When I was looking at the ocean, I couldn’t help but hear the words, “I want to jump in.” I turned my head away, barely passing the danger of falling, and averted my gaze.
“Yes, I’ll dance with a woman.” (Diana)
“No, no. Same goes for women.” (Noah)
“Then who do I dance with?” (Diana)
I asked back like I didn’t know, and Noah sighed, putting a hand to his forehead.
“I can’t believe you’re asking something so obvious.” (Noah)
“Who is it? I really don’t know.” (Diana)
I deliberately pretended not to know, knowing that was Noah’s way too. It’s the method he used to get me to give him the answers
he wanted to hear.
“You’ll find that out when you go to the ball tomorrow.” (Noah)
But it didn’t work for him, who was a high-level player. He slipped away as smoothly and effortlessly as a supple cat.
“I’ll read you a fairy tale from the newspaper. You like to read, don’t you?” (Noah)
“Yes. But how do you read? I don’t see the newspaper.” (Diana)
“It’s right here.” (Noah)
Noah pointed to his head with his finger. He sat down beside me on the bed and began to tell me the fairy tale in a tone that made me feel like he was reading me a book. To my surprise, he seemed to remember every word.
The fairy tale was about a black shepherd protecting a little girl from a fierce wolf. After reciting about two episodes, Noah slowly stood up, looking at his watch, “What did you do today?” “What dress did you buy?” Ask this and that, then he said.
“Go to bed early. Don’t stay up too late reading the racy book.” (Noah’
“I didn’t bring it with me.” (Diana)
“Well then, I’ll get you a new one. Good night.” (Noah)
Noah slightly closed the door and waved through the gap. I looked at the closed door and suddenly felt a pang of regret. I should have told him that I had the book, because now he might buy enough of those racy to fill the entire bookshelf.
“He’s so strange.”
I smiled, remembering him, and noticed a change inside. Even though he came and talked to me every day, it was not annoying. Rather, I was looking forward to it, and when he left, I felt sorry.
“I mustn’t do that.”
He was the only one whom I interacted with in this strange world, and he was too kind to me, who fell into the world empty-handed, so I have to rely on him, no matter what his intentions were.
I’m human too, so I have inherent loneliness. That’s why he’s not special to me. I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes, telling myself over and over.
He’s not special. He’s unique.
***
“Lady Parsene, wake up!”
Who is Parsene?
Oh, my newly given name was Diana Parsene. The maids woke me up early in the morning, probably for a ball at the Imperial Palace. The culprit who brought me the naughty slip, the maid named Rosie. I stood up, staring at her with a stiff gaze.
“Please call me by my name from now on. And the ball is in the evening, isn’t it?” (Diana)
“You have to get your hair done, try on your dress, and put on makeup too.” (Rosie)
It was not even a wedding shoot. The aristocratic ladies here have a hard time forcing themselves to do that every day of the ball. Rosie had already filled the bathroom tub with water and put in dried rose petals.
“I understand you like to bathe alone? You’re shy and don’t like to show my bare skin to others.” (Rosie)
I’ve never heard that before. Rosie smiled at my questioning gaze and left the bathroom. Molly had already seen my body, but I don’t know where the hell that came from.
It seemed to be words that Noah, who was also jealous of women, had told her separately, which made sense at first. He didn’t seem to be jealous of Molly.
Rosie dried my hair after I finished my bath and began to help me with her quick hands. My makeup was short as well as only my lips were painted, so It didn’t take long to do my hair.
Finally, it was time for the dress fitting from hell. I had to try on about seven dresses, and the servants, besides Rosie, huddled around me even more. I couldn’t hide the look of desperation on my face as I put on my winter undergarments and corset.
Time flew by and I couldn’t eat much breakfast and lunch. If I ate at a fixed amount, I felt like I would just regurgitate because of the constricting corset.
The dress that was unanimously decided upon by the maids after a long fitting trial was an art nouveau dress made of dark gray fabric with white lace and ruffles.
The dress tightened around my waist and hips, and the hem of the skirt widened as it went down, I felt a little suffocated. Only after putting on the shoes and a hat with a similar design to the dress, the grooming finally completed.
“So beautiful. I’m sure Master will be very pleased.”
“Hmm.”
Noah would react the same way whether I dress up or not, so I don’t know. He would just give me his usual smile and say that I look beautiful, and a few other ritualistic compliments. Those were words he would say even if I were wearing pajamas, so there was no point. When I left the room after finishing the preparations, Noah, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looked up at me silently.
“You look beautiful.”
Noah complimented me briefly. He was wearing an overcoat over his black ceremonial uniform with shoulder straps, insignia strings, rank insignia and medals, and now I thought that the uniform here was really nice.
When worn by a well proportioned man, it made him look even more sophisticated and elegant. The suits are nice, but I prefer the uniforms, and they give me a good deal of eye candy.
“You look beautiful too, Noah.”
“I’m beautiful?”
“Yes.”
I took the opportunity to stare at Noah. His bangs were swept to the side, revealing a handsome forehead and eyebrows.
“You flipped your bangs. You look different.” (Diana)
“Are you in love?” (Noah)
“Yes.” (Diana)
I answered casually, but my eyes glanced at the jawline of the handsome man looking at me. Then, feigning nonchalance, I got into the car with Noah escorting us to the capital.
We arrived at the city of Effenberg, the capital of Progen, after an hour’s drive. The buildings of the Imperial Palace, visible in the large square, were very extravagant and ornate, but similar to the Winter Palace I had seen in the world I lived in.
Built in the Rococo style, the emerald exterior walls of the Imperial Palace were painted with gold in places, as were the roofs and statues. It seems that the artist set the motif of the real Imperial Palace.
In the square, luxury carriages and classic cars were competing with each other. The drivers were busily dropping off the women. Perhaps it was because of the open river in front of us, the fierce north wind was cold to the bone. I took Noah’s hand and tightened my coat as I got out of the car.
The driver got out of the driver’s seat and bowed. It was a long way to the entrance of the Imperial Palace, so I walked with trembling lips, hanging on to Noah.
“It’s really cold here. Aren’t you cold?” (Diana)
Noah quickly picked me up when I asked.
“I’m cold too.” (Noah)
“What’s wrong with you?” (Diana)
“It’s warm holding a furball. Let’s go quickly, princess.”
He held me in his arms and started running.
The gazes of the nobles who were walking around with solitary faces, feigning coldness, immediately focused on us. The scene of a high-ranking official as well as an authoritative Duke running across the square with a woman in his arms was ridiculous, but Noah seemed fine.
“Noah, you’re a man of social standing! You have to protect your appearance!”
“But my Princess is cold.”
He seemed to be very into the princess play. He reached the entrance of the Imperial Palace in no time, perhaps because of his long legs or because he was a fast runner. Noah tried to go straight to the dance hall with me still in his arms, but he let me down after I did much whining.
“Noah, bend down.”
Noah bowed his head and I reached out to tidy up his disheveled hair.
“Your hair got messed up.”
“Thank you.”
Noah looked up and smiled. The corners of his eyes, which were usually lifted, bent downward when he smiled, making him look gentle.
It was amazing that he wasn’t out of breath after all that running. I crossed my arms around Noah’s firm arm and headed through the arched corridor to the dance hall. The large and fancy dance hall was already packed with people. An orchestra with stringed instruments played tunes, while the nobles mostly conversed and men and women danced in pairs.
While walking with Noah, countless people’s eyes were prickly inserted. I felt pressured. I don’t like being around a lot of people. A man who didn’t show up in places like this very often showed up with a strange woman, so it’s only natural that he attracted the attention of the public. People’s curious eyes immediately turned to action.
“Colonel, who is the lady with you? She’s beautiful.”
A young man who looked like a soldier approached, saluted and asked. Noah glared at him with a cold face.
“Don’t take any interest in her.”
He said he’d let me make my debut in society. So I thought he was going to introduce me to people. But he seemed to be trying to isolate me and bury me. Several women came up and asked about me, and Noah explained that I was a Princess and he wanted to marry me but I enjoy dating more. I thought I was going crazy. A noblewoman asked.
“Princess? Where are you from? Looking at your appearance and hair color, it looks like you’re from Medea.”
“No. ….”
Medea? I wondered about the incomprehensible term, and I couldn’t answer, “I’m the daughter of Admiral Belford, an enemy of Progen, and I was abducted.”
“So this is what the Duke likes.”
The middle aged noblewomen laughed as if they were looking at young men and women in their prime.
“Is it your first time to enter the social world? You must be happy that the first dance is with a great Duke.”
“Yes, it’s nice.”
‘I don’t see what the point of the first dance is.’
The interest in Diana Parsene’s first appearance in the ballroom was naturally bound to be high.
Everyone seemed to think that we were engaged. Ignoring the outpouring of interest and curiosity, I sipped strawberry-flavored champagne. At that moment, a woman with pitch-black hair and blue eyes approached us and smiled beautifully at Noah.
She looked a little different from the Progen and Belford people. Pretty eyes.
She was a woman of small build.
“Noah, long time no see.”
“Yes.”
Noah gave a bleak answer and turned his back.
“She’s the one you’re going to marry? Oh my, she has dark hair, which is hard to find in Progen.”
The woman spoke again, holding Noah back as he tried to leave his seat. Noah looked somewhat uncomfortable. He gave her a cold smile as he looked back at her.
“Yes, like you.” (Noah)
The young lady, whose mouth closed straight at the invocation of “you,” swung her glass round and approached me, greeting me with arrogance. Her lips were smiling, but her eyes were frozen cold.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Princess Erica Spencer Grace of Medea.”
I heard that in social circles, the person with the highest rank spoke first. I followed the etiquette here, grabbing the hem of my skirt and bent my knees.
“Hello, Princess. I’m Diana Parsene.”
“Oh, yes, Miss Parsene.”
Erica smiled with her eyes folded beautifully and approached me, whispering quietly.
“Don’t believe the Duke’s sweet words recklessly. He asked me to marry him once, too.”