Chapter 2 (Part 3)

“You have that glamorous dress, right?”

“A glamorous dress? You’ve always insisted you didn’t want to wear them, so this is surprising. Are you planning to wear it to a banquet?”

Although she had bought a glamorous dress under Richelle’s insistence, she had never worn it. So, her maid Nina asked with wide eyes.

It was natural for Nina to be surprised, as Reina, who always wore plain dresses to tea parties or banquets, was now looking for a glamorous dress.

“I thought glamorous dresses didn’t suit me, but now that I’m an adult, I want to change. So, I want to get used to my glamorous look before attending a banquet.”

“Oh my! Then, of course, I must help you! Look forward to it!”

Nina, who loved dressing Reina up, brightened up immediately at her words. She went straight to the dress room and brought several dresses.

After trying a few on Reina, she recommended an emerald dress that emphasized her slender neck and collarbone.

The crisscrossed strings on the deeply cut back, the tightly cinched waist, and the voluminous skirt highlighted Reina’s slim yet toned waist.

The lace that swayed elegantly with her every move added a touch of grace to her gestures.

Usually, she wore her hair in a ponytail during training, and otherwise, she just let it down. But this time, she spent hours meticulously braiding it up.

It was a hairstyle she had never done before, not even when attending a banquet.

“How do I look?”

Once the dressing up was complete, Reina stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself.

Even to her, her glamorous self looked beautiful and alluring. However, it felt awkward because it was so different from her usual appearance.

The makeup felt too heavy, making her feel like she was wearing a mask, and the dress felt like it didn’t suit her.

“You look so beautiful, my lady.”

“Yes, you look so lovely. Anyone who sees you will be mesmerized by your beauty.”

Despite the maids’ compliments, they didn’t feel sincere. They sounded like polite remarks, and Reina’s confidence plummeted.

It would be nice if it were true…

“It’s true. Any man who sees you will fall in love at first sight.”

“Yes, if I were a man, I would too.”

To boost Reina’s spirits, the maids continued to shower her with compliments. Hearing the same words repeatedly, her waning confidence gradually returned.

With her newfound confidence, she headed towards the training ground. Just then, she saw Walker, Ferguson, and Knox entering the mansion.

It was unusual for the knights to enter the mansion without the commander or deputy commander, but that wasn’t important right now.

Perfect timing!

She was curious to see how surprised they would be at her different appearance. So, Reina approached the three with graceful and dignified movements.

“What brings you to the mansion?”

Her voice was calm and gentle, different from usual.

“The Duke called for us.”

“…”

Walker answered on behalf of the group, and then there was silence.

Shouldn’t they at least compliment me or say I look different from usual?

Disappointed by the knights’ indifferent reactions, Reina tried not to show it. Instead, she subtly signaled them to notice her dress by fluttering her skirt.

Come on, look at me and say something.

She sent a hopeful look, but the knights remained unresponsive.

“Ahem.”

She deliberately cleared her throat to send an obvious signal.

“My lady, you look truly beautiful today.”

Noticing Reina’s signals, Nina loudly complimented her for the knights to hear. Only then did the quick-witted Walker start to compliment her.

“Oh! My lady, you are truly beautiful.”

“Indeed, you look stunning.”

Ferguson, glancing between Walker and Reina, added his words.

“Huh?”

Knox, who had been looking at Walker and Ferguson with a puzzled expression, quickly echoed their sentiments.

“Indeed. I almost didn’t recognize you because you look so different from usual.”

Seeing Walker elbow Knox to give him a hint, Reina pretended not to notice.

However, the forced compliments, which felt like they were given out of obligation, didn’t make her feel particularly good.

Am I really that lacking in feminine charm?

Even though compliments were exchanged, the atmosphere remained awkward and tense.

Having spent so much time together like family, the knights seemed completely indifferent to whether Reina dressed up or not.

“Hahaha.”

Trying to lighten the mood, Ferguson forced a laugh.

“Oh! Commander!”

Walker, also trying to change the atmosphere, called out to Patrick, who was passing by.

“Ah…”

Patrick stopped with a puzzled expression. He must have noticed the awkward atmosphere and tried to pass by unnoticed but got caught in Walker’s sight.

“My lady, you look truly beautiful today.”

Though Patrick offered a compliment, his awkward smile, stiff tone, and forced expression showed that he was just going along with the mood.

“Th-Thank you.”

Realizing his words weren’t sincere, Reina couldn’t bring herself to smile. She barely managed to lift the corners of her mouth, but her expression remained awkward.

As a result, the atmosphere grew even more somber.

“Let’s go in. The Duke is waiting.”

“Y-Yes, we should.”

“Yes, l-let’s go in quickly.”

Noticing Reina’s discomfort, Patrick hurriedly led the knights into the study, and they looked at him as if he were their savior.

Then, glancing around, they quickly entered the study.

“…”

Reina stood there blankly, watching them. Once alone with Nina in the hallway, she let out a deep sigh.

Am I really so lacking in romantic appeal?

Realizing that her plan to appeal with feminine charm had failed, Reina felt quite displeased. Her mood sank heavily.

However, since she had dressed up for once, she felt like she should go somewhere…

“How about a trip to the plaza for the first time in a while?”

“That sounds good.”

Even though she went out with Nina right away, her uneasy feeling did not improve.

They browsed through several shops, but nothing caught her eye. In the end, Reina returned to the mansion without buying anything for herself, only purchasing items for Nina and desserts for the working servants.

“Sigh.”

As Reina changed back into comfortable clothes and sat on the sofa with a deep sigh, Richelle knocked and entered the room.

It seemed she was surprised to hear that Reina, who always preferred plain dresses, had suddenly worn a glamorous one.

“I heard you wanted to wear a glamorous dress today? Doing something you don’t usually do… Did something happen?”

“No, I just want to become more mature now.”

“Suddenly? You?”

Richelle laughed as if it were unbelievable.

Why is she laughing? What exactly is the problem?

“Is it so funny that I want to become more mature?”

Reina looked at Richelle with a dissatisfied expression.

“It’s not that it’s funny; it’s just that your intentions are so obvious.”

“What?”

“You’re doing this because of that man, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

Richelle’s confident gaze made Reina flustered, and she started fanning herself, avoiding Richelle’s eyes.

“You seem to like that man, don’t you?”

“What? Me?”

Reina almost laughed at the absurdity of Richelle’s words. 

Like him? Who would like such a rigid and boring man?

“It’s that man from last time, right? The one whose necklace color didn’t change.”

“…”

“You seem confused because you’re drawn to his lower body. If it’s not liking him, what is it? Being constantly aware of someone is liking them.”

Is it really liking someone if you’re constantly aware of them? That’s absurd!

“I told you, it’s not like that.”

“Not like that, huh? So who is it? Can you tell me?”

“I can’t say.”

“Why can’t you tell me? Isn’t he a man who knows a lot about women? It seems like an innocent girl like you is being played by him.”

It seemed like Richelle’s response would change if she told her it was Patrick. But Reina couldn’t be honest about it.

“Is he a playboy? Is that why you’re confused? Right?”

“…”

No matter how much Richelle pressed, Reina kept her lips tightly shut. Richelle, realizing she wouldn’t get an answer, took something out of her pocket with a resigned expression.

“Do you want this?”

“What is it?”

Reina received the small pouch Richelle handed her with a puzzled look.

“It’s a talisman.”

“A talisman?”

“A talisman to help you achieve love. I got it from the temple a long time ago.”

“Why do you need something like this when you already have a lover?”

“Of course, I used it a long time ago. Since it worked for me, I’m giving it to you. If you don’t want to use it, give it back.”

When Richelle pretended to take it back, Reina hurriedly tucked the talisman into the pocket inside her dress.

“No, I’ll keep it for now.”

Since Richelle said it worked, there was no reason not to take it. Although she didn’t think such things could sway someone’s heart, she still wanted to believe in it, even just a little.

Seeing Richelle’s expression of “See? You do like him,” Reina added hastily.

“I’m just curious if it works. You know I’m naturally curious.”

Richelle laughed incredulously at her flimsy excuse.

“I didn’t say anything, did I? Anyway, if that talisman helps you achieve love, you owe me a treat.”

“Got it.”

After Richelle left the room, Reina took out the talisman again and looked at it. Seeing the ancient script that read “I support your love,” a smile naturally formed on her lips.

When he wasn’t around, she was curious, and when he was near, she couldn’t look at him but was constantly aware of him…

She couldn’t quite describe these feelings. Since it was the first time, she wondered if she could just call it curiosity.

However, she wanted to refute Richelle’s claim that these feelings were love.

There’s no way I like Commander Patrick!

She had seen him since she was young, and he was like family. How could she suddenly develop special feelings for him?

Reina wanted to think that she was merely curious about a man’s body for the first time.