“We’ve already informed her that Viscountess Schneider is visiting, so she’ll be out to greet you shortly. Would it be all right if I showed you to a private room first?”

Viscountess Schneider nodded and waved to her fan lightly.

“The season is almost over… Is she still that busy?”

“Yes. She actually is. It’s all thanks to distinguished ladies like yourself who continue to visit our dress shop so faithfully.”

A dress shop’s reputation was largely determined by the people who patronized it.

The more famous the ladies of high society who visited, the more prestigious the shop became.

“Well, that’s not a bad excuse. You certainly know how to flatter your customers.”

Viscountess Schneider gave a small, amused snort.

Rather than continue complaining, she gracefully made her way farther inside.

“What would you like for your welcome tea?”

“What do you have?”

“Besides herbal and fruit teas, we also have hot coffee and chocolate.”

“Hmm… I’ll have coffee.”

After answering, Viscountess Schneider turned to Beatrice.

“I’ll have both fruit tea and herbal tea. And for dessert…”

The two women continued listing their preferences in considerable detail, and the attendant quickly wrote everything down.

“And what may I prepare for the young lady?”

“Herbal tea, please.”

“Certainly. I’ll bring everything shortly.”

Once the attendant left, Viscountess Schneider leaned comfortably against the sofa and looked through the dress sketches spread across the table.

Then she leaned slightly toward Evelyn.

“Evelyn, what do you think of this?”

The sketch Viscountess Schneider held up was one Evelyn herself had noticed earlier, a cream-colored dress decorated with striking embroidery.

Beatrice glanced sideways at it and hurriedly spoke.

“Mother, that one…”

Viscountess Schneider shot her daughter a warning look before turning back to Evelyn.

“It’s modest without being plain. I think it would suit you perfectly, Evelyn. What do you think?”

Evelyn smiled faintly.

‘So it begins.’

Whenever the seasons changed, Viscountess Schneider had a new dress made for Beatrice.

She always claimed that Beatrice had grown and therefore could no longer fit into her old dresses.

Evelyn had accompanied them to the dress shop every single time.

“Well… I think this one would suit you better, Evelyn.”

“Yes, Sister. This dress would look better on you than that one. Do as Mother says.”

“…Do you think so? Should I try it on?”

“Of course.”

Whenever Evelyn painstakingly chose a dress, Viscountess Schneider and Beatrice would find one excuse after another to reject it.

“Now that you’ve tried it on… I’m not sure about that dress. Your father, Marquis Ceres, and your brother are both fighting for the empire on the battlefield. Evelyn, if you appeared in public wearing such a flashy dress, don’t you think people would gossip?”

“Yes, Sister. Mother is right. Everyone would point fingers at you and say you’re enjoying a life of luxury in safety while everyone else is suffering.”

“Then… what about this one? Yes, this should do. Try this one on, Evelyn.”

The changing continued until Evelyn had tried on countless dresses and finally waved her hands in exhaustion, insisting that she had had enough.

Afterward, Viscountess Schneider and Beatrice would order several new dresses without Evelyn even trying them on, then leave the dress shop together with bright smiles.

It had been the same when Evelyn’s long-awaited debutante ball finally came around.

For Evelyn, Viscountess Schneider had prepared an outdated dress from a previous season and jewelry made from imitation gemstones.

For Beatrice, she had purchased a fashionable dress from one of the most popular dress shops and expensive jewelry.

It had been a deliberate ploy to make Beatrice stand out by comparison.

The nobles had been visibly bewildered by Evelyn’s appearance, which was so plain that she looked almost shabby.

Not a single young lord had readily asked her to dance.

The only person who had extended a hand to Evelyn that night had been Alexis.

Evelyn had believed he was the only one who hadn’t judged her by her appearance and had instead seen the person she truly was.

Looking back now, it had been a hopelessly foolish judgment.

With a trace of self-mockery at the memory, Evelyn finally spoke.

“I’m fine.”

She flatly refused Viscountess Schneider’s suggestion that she try on the dress.

Then she gave them a peculiar smile.

Viscountess Schneider and Beatrice stared at her in confusion.

Just as Viscountess Schneider parted her lips to ask why, a knock sounded at the door.

“My apologies. I was told you had been waiting…”

Madame Charlotte, the owner of the dress shop, entered the private room.

Naturally, the attention of Viscountess Schneider and Beatrice shifted from Evelyn to Charlotte.

At this time of year, every noblewoman was practically frantic.

They all wanted to know in advance what the other ladies would be wearing to the upcoming imperial palace ball.

While the three women became absorbed in conversation, Evelyn quietly watched them.

Then she set her teacup down on the table.

Without a word, she slipped out of the private room and headed toward the carriage.

She took out a bundle of parchment that had been placed in the luggage compartment beforehand and returned to the dress shop.

“Please give these to Madame Charlotte.”

The attendant looked at Evelyn with mild confusion but soon accepted the parchment she held out.

All her life, Evelyn had been taught that outward appearance wasn’t particularly important.

There was no need to obsess over one’s looks or spend too much effort beautifying oneself.

What mattered more was cultivating one’s inner qualities.

Evelyn agreed with that philosophy.

That was why she had never complained much, even when she was made to wear dresses that were too small for her body.

But was there really anything that revealed a person as easily as their appearance?

It wasn’t as though you could look someone in the eye and immediately understand what kind of person they were.

So, in this second life she’d been given, Evelyn intended to enjoy everything she was capable of enjoying.

“Where did you suddenly go, Sister?”

Beatrice asked when Evelyn returned to the private room.

Madame Charlotte had apparently already left, leaving only Viscountess Schneider and Beatrice inside.

“I went to have some tea.”

“Oh… Is that so?”

Beatrice quickly seemed to lose interest in Evelyn and turned her attention back to the dress sketches scattered across the table.

Then she spotted a dress she liked, and her eyes lit up.

“Mother, what do you think of this one?”

“Let me see.”

“Don’t you think it would look good on me?”

Evelyn glanced at the two of them as they examined the sketches and chose their dresses.

Then she quietly took a seat in the empty chair.

Some time passed.

Eventually, Viscountess Schneider called for an attendant.

“Oh my… What was I thinking? This is a problem.”

Just as she finished placing her order and was getting to her feet, Viscountess Schneider suddenly spoke as though she had only just remembered something.

“What is it, Mother?”

Beatrice asked.

Viscountess Schneider answered with an awkward expression.

“We haven’t chosen Evelyn’s dress.”

“Oh, you’re right. What are we going to do?”

Beatrice exchanged a glance with her mother and put on an equally troubled expression.

“What happened?”

Evelyn looked back and forth between the mother and daughter.

“Madame Charlotte has other business today, so apparently the shop is closing early.”

“Yes. They mentioned it while you were away for a moment.”

Both women maintained their carefully troubled expressions.

But Evelyn quickly saw through them.

They had already chosen their own dresses.

They simply wanted to leave.

“There’s nothing we can do about it.”

Evelyn shrugged as she spoke.

“Are you really… all right with that?”

Viscountess Schneider asked, eyeing Evelyn strangely.

Apparently, she found it odd how readily Evelyn accepted the situation.

“Of course.”

Evelyn gave her a faint smile.

“Thank you, as always, for visiting our dress shop. We’ll contact you as soon as your dresses are completed.”

The attendant bowed deeply as the three women left the dress shop.

Viscountess Schneider gave a small nod and exited first.

Beatrice followed close behind.

Evelyn was the last to leave.

Just as she was stepping through the doorway…

“Wait a moment, Lady Ceres.”

Madame Charlotte called out to Evelyn, stopping her.