‘Everitt…’

Grand Duke Everitt Myers, 24 years old. He was the ruler of the Windswell Grand Duchy located in the northeastern part of the Empire. Always cold and rigid, but warm only to his woman.

If asked to pick the one she felt least attached to among the five male leads, Bella would probably think for a long time before choosing Everitt.

Even the late-game dates after maxing out his affection were somewhat lackluster compared to the other male leads. Perhaps he was too cold, making him seem stiff and distant.

‘But I have to admit his face is…’

His coldly set face would melt like spring snow when looking at the Princess. Bella couldn’t help but like him for that smiling expression alone.

Even now, he was faintly smiling, barely perceptible, while having a cozy conversation with Natalie.

There was a reason they seemed so close from the first day of the ball. They were cousins.

Everitt was the child of the current Emperor’s sister—Natalie’s aunt—who had married into the Windswell Grand Duchy. So they had known each other since childhood.

It was a somewhat dangerous relationship, you could say. A character designed to appeal to those with forbidden tastes. Unfortunately, Bella wasn’t into that.

She could guess what they were talking about. Having played the game so many times, about half the script was embedded in her mind.

‘It’s unusual for Brother Everitt to attend a ball.’

‘I came because you called, Natalie. If it were any other woman, I wouldn’t have bothered.’

‘You’re saying things you don’t mean. I know you came for political reasons.’

They would be having some sweet conversation like this.

‘Hehe, I can hear it all even without actually hearing it.’

Bella was grinning as she picked up a new glass of champagne from the table when someone spoke to her from the side.

“Hello. Your dress is truly beautiful.”

Turning her head toward the voice, she saw two young ladies in classical dresses standing there with sparkling eyes.

After a brief self-introduction, the expected questions followed. How she came to be wearing the same style of dress as the Princess, where such a dress could be obtained, whether the Princess planned to continue wearing such dresses.

Once noticed, people gathered around Bella. They were mostly those who didn’t have enough familiarity with Natalie to ask her directly.

There were also men like Blake who wanted to ask her to dance despite hearing she was a lady-in-waiting.

Eventually, Bella fled to a nearby balcony with her champagne glass.

She escaped to the balcony connected to the garden, closed the glass door, and even drew the curtains to prevent others from entering.

And as she turned around with a sigh of relief, she saw someone leaning against the railing. There was already someone there.

The full moon brightly illuminated the balcony, revealing the silhouette of a large man.

A man with hair darker than the night sky was looking at Bella with red eyes wide open in slight surprise under his straight eyebrows. It was Everitt.

‘Wow, look at that face…’

Sculptured features, skin that shimmered softly in the moonlight, cold elegance flowing along his masculine jawline.

‘Right, his face was always the most striking.’

Even among the handsome men appearing in this game, Everitt was a man with an exceptionally good-looking face. Even somewhat boring events would become interesting just by seeing Everitt’s face.

This game really had an amazing balance. The visual buff was real.

Bella stared at Everitt for a moment, lost in thought, until she noticed the puzzled expression on his face and hurriedly spoke.

“Ah, I-I’m sorry. I thought no one was here. I’ll go back inside.”

“No need. I was about to return to the hall anyway. Let me make way for you.”

As she turned to leave, Everitt’s voice held her back. His low baritone seemed to resonate in her heart.

‘I had no idea his voice was like this… Even his voice is handsome.’

Bella hesitated and turned to look at him. Since the game had no voice acting and she had only read the text, seeing his moonlit face while hearing his voice made him seem even more handsome.

Everitt rose from the railing.

“The night view is beautiful. Please enjoy it to your heart’s content.”

Bella bowed her head slightly in gratitude.

As Everitt approached the glass door leading to the dance hall and was about to pull back the curtain, he noticed her gesture and stopped in his tracks. His cold gaze swept over Bella’s body.

“Before I go, I would like to know the lady’s name.”

“Bella Carta.”

As soon as she said her name without thinking, Everitt let go of the curtain he was holding.

“So you are that lady-in-waiting.”

His previously indifferent voice instantly became sharp. Bella raised her head in confusion, saying, “Pardon?” The red eyes looked down at her from above.

“You’re the insane lady-in-waiting who made that innocent child wear such a nightgown-like dress.”

“Nightgown…?”

Before she could finish speaking, Everitt took a large step, pressing close to Bella.

The champagne glass Bella was holding in front of her chest collided with his body, spilling champagne onto her dress.

Everitt paid no attention and reached one hand behind Bella, firmly grabbing her b*ttocks.

Bella was too shocked to scream. Frozen is in a position that makes it appear she is being embraced by him. Unable to do anything, she hears a cold voice in her ear.

“You’re not even wearing proper undergarments. Without a corset or pannier… exposing every curve of your b*ttocks and br*asts, letting them be seen among all those men. Have you lost your senses? Even street prostitutes maintain more modesty than this.”

The word “pr*stitute” brought her to her senses, and rage boiled up inside her.

‘This bastard who knows nothing about fashion history, sexually harassing me out of nowhere!’

Bella shoved Everitt’s chest hard. He didn’t budge at all, but he released his grip on her b*ttocks. Bella backed away until she was out of his reach and glared at him.

“Do you know… how heavy and hot these dresses are?”

“What?”

“Do you have any idea about the hardship women endure, wearing corsets and stomachers that suffocate them, layering multiple heavy dresses on top in summer? At least with a dress like this, women won’t collapse from the heat.”

The champagne-soaked area around her chest clung to her skin.

This was the dress her digital daughter had given her, and now look what had happened.

Bella angrily thrusts out her chest.

“And it covers my body properly. Isn’t it rude to comment on someone’s curves while looking at this dress?”

“Do you know who I—”

“I’m not finished. Men can casually remove their outer garments in the training grounds in the summer and expose their upper bodies without any problem, so why must women wear multiple layers? You do know that corsets were once exclusively worn by men, right?”

Everitt lifted his chin and snorted. He waited until Bella finished speaking before opening his mouth.

“Values respected in each era differ, and the time when men’s corsets were considered proper etiquette has already passed. Now is the era when women must wear corsets. It may change someday, but the pioneer of that change… should not be the Princess.”

His voice lowered as he mentioned the Princess.

“Even for the Emperor’s beloved youngest Princess, there are lines that cannot be crossed. Especially as an unmarried woman, she should be careful about her conduct.”

‘How old-fashioned, making such a fuss over a dress.’