Chapter 29

Since Ellie had thought about such things, she couldn’t answer right away.

“We trust Cal, and we’re ready to welcome whoever he loves as family. Edward and I became a couple not because of family or status, but only for love. By society’s standards, I myself was someone unfit to be the Grand Duchess, someone who didn’t deserve this position. If worries like that have made you hesitate, I wanted to tell you not to be concerned.”

Ellie felt she understood the Grand Duchess’s intentions behind sharing her honest story. It was a promise to support them, as long as they cherished and wanted each other, regardless of differences in status or what others might think.

The sincerity of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, who had told her to call them mother and father from the very start, finally felt real to Ellie, and she was able to smile brightly at last.

“Oh my, when you smile like that, it brightens everything around you. You’re truly the princess of spring.”

Even Anne called her princess, making Ellie’s cheeks flush. She felt embarrassed, wondering if everyone in the mansion would end up calling her princess.

“Mother, please speak comfortably with me.”

Relieved of her worries, Ellie asked, and Anne greeted her request with a warm smile.

Side Story 2 – Proposal

“Birthday?”

Ellie was startled to hear that Cal’s birthday was in a week and that a party would be held at the mansion to celebrate. She hadn’t even known it was his birthday and hadn’t prepared any gift.

“Cal, why didn’t you tell me sooner? I haven’t prepared anything…”

“Just having you here with me is the greatest gift, Ellie.”

Cal smiled brightly as he said this, but Ellie couldn’t just let it pass.

“Cal, is there anything you want? Tell me anything.”

“It’s really fine, Ellie. I just want you by my side.”

Cal kept refusing, which only deepened Ellie’s worries. She thought about what to buy, but knowing Cal lacked nothing, it wasn’t easy to choose. As she wondered what Cal might wish for, the Grand Duchess suggested they go out to the shops to pick out clothes for the party.

Anne, Cal, and Ellie rode together to the tailor’s shop. It was a skilled designer’s boutique that had been making clothes for the Grand Duke’s family for a long time.

“Welcome, Your Grace. It’s been a while, Young Master.”

“Madam, this is Elysia. She’ll be my daughter-in-law.”

“Thank you for coming, Lady. I’m Grace, the owner of the shop. I hope you have a wonderful time.”

“Hello, Madam. Please take care of me.”

Having grown used to the attitude of the household staff at the ducal residence, Ellie was able to respond calmly to the Madam’s welcome. Anne, satisfied with Ellie’s composure, exchanged a meaningful look with Grace.

They started with Cal’s outfit. Even though he was the party’s main guest, choosing his clothes didn’t take long. Cal quickly picked one from the catalog, Anne checked it, and it was decided. Measuring him took only a moment.

The real event was picking Ellie’s dress. They began by looking at the catalog, but Cal was even more careful with her dress than with his own.

“Ellie, how about this one?”

Anne chose a design with wide-open shoulders, showing off the collarbones. Cal objected before Ellie could even react.

“If Ellie wears that, she’ll catch a cold, Mother.”

“Oh, really? Then how about this?”

Anne’s next choice covered the shoulders but had a deep neckline, showing off Ellie’s full bust. Cal opposed this one, too.

“That’s just the same. No.”

“This one’s no good, that one’s no good, then what is good?”

With her son objecting to every suggestion, Anne pretended to be annoyed. Cal claimed he was worried Ellie would catch a cold, but Anne knew better—it was petty jealousy against any dress with even a bit of exposure.

“She won’t catch a cold from just this much. And Ellie’s neck and shoulders are so graceful, showing them off would be beautiful. Isn’t it better to dress prettily?”

“Mother, don’t force your tastes.”

Ellie couldn’t join in the mother-son debate and looked to Madam for help. Grace, watching with amusement, nodded with a smile.

Clap clap!

Grace clapped to draw Anne and Cal’s attention, then suggested a new design that would satisfy Anne’s preference for elegance and Cal’s desire for warmth.

“How about this? Your Grace, this design will show off the Lady’s elegant figure. Young Master, it covers from neck to wrist, and you can add a shawl for warmth.”

While Anne and Cal looked at the picture, Ellie quietly applauded. It seemed like this compromise would soon settle things.

“Hmm, if it’s this…”

“I like it. I’m happy with it. Ellie, how about you?”

“Yes, I like it too, Mother.”

Ellie answered quickly. In truth, it was her first time having a dress made to order, so she planned to wear whatever the two chose for her.

After deciding on the design, they moved on to choosing the fabric. Anne and Cal both insisted on their preferred colors.

Cal won. The dress was made of green satin, matching Ellie’s eye color, but Anne, unwilling to give up her choice of purple, ordered another dress for Ellie as well.

While Anne discussed the dresses with Madam, Cal leaned in close to Ellie’s ear and whispered.

“I can’t wait to see you in your new dress.”

“Me too. Cal will look handsome, too.”

Ellie whispered back, then straightened up. Cal smiled and blew softly into Ellie’s ear. Ellie flinched in surprise, and Cal whispered even more quietly.

“Do you know what it means when a man buys you clothes, Ellie?”

Strictly speaking, today’s dress was a gift from the Grand Duchess, but Cal pretended not to notice. He thought it wasn’t much different since he chose it for her.

Ellie chuckled. The innocent man who once got nervous just holding hands could now flirt like this. It felt very new to her.

“You’ll let me take it off, right?”

Cal’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, and Ellie, a bit embarrassed, nodded. At that moment, Ellie decided on Cal’s birthday present. She thought it would be the gift he liked most.

As the young couple whispered with red cheeks, the middle-aged ladies watching them laughed even more deeply.