“Does it? The dress Kale gifted me didn’t fit at all, it was such a trial. Even though it’s an engagement that will be broken anyway, I wore it out of courtesy, but I really couldn’t bear it anymore.”

The boutique’s ladies secretly glanced at Arne. Though pretending to choose dresses, they all had their ears perked up to Arne and her maids’ conversation.

It was natural, given the attention she had attracted from the entrance. Everyone was itching to ask Arne questions but couldn’t bring themselves to, so they focused intently on the ongoing conversation with sparkling eyes.

‘This is exactly the situation I wanted.’

Pulling up the corners of her mouth, Arne naturally pretended to choose dresses while slightly raising her voice.

“I clearly said I wouldn’t get engaged to Kale, but the Duchess announced the engagement without consulting me, which has been no small trouble.”

“You must have been heartbroken.”

The quick-witted Agatha appropriately agreed while examining the dresses behind Arne, who was browsing them.

“It was really difficult. But I’ll definitely stop this engagement before the ceremony, so don’t worry too much. Oh, there will be an imperial banquet soon, what dress do you think would suit me well? How about this one?”

“Has there ever been a dress that didn’t suit you, my lady?”

Arne chuckled at Agatha’s smooth flattery.

“That’s right, everything suits you well!”

Arne laughed again at Penny’s sincere confession and reached for a blue dress beautifully embroidered with high-quality pearls. At that moment, someone snatched the dress away.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I picked it up first.”

Her face didn’t look sorry at all. Arne simply smiled brightly and reached for the dress beside it.

“Oh, I picked this one first too.”

“……”

Only then did Arne turn her body to properly check the face. She had abundant, well-maintained brown hair cascading down, but the dress she wore was slightly out of fashion.

“I’m Lucy de Envy of the Envy count family. You don’t need to explain who you are. The snow rabbit, right?”

At that mocking voice, Arne’s head tilted slightly. The Envy count family was once a prestigious noble family, but due to the Count’s recent gambling addiction, they were now among the fallen nobles.

‘A true noble would be finishing the fitting of a custom dress, like Cedric.’

This place, with ready-made dresses on display, was mostly filled with viscount or baroness ladies. Or the lady of the fallen Count of Envy.

‘Simply put, they don’t have enough means to afford expensive dresses.’

Of course, there were many dignified and excellent dresses here too.

Sometimes there were customers like Arne who needed dignified dresses that could be worn immediately.

Arne smirked and deliberately moved her hand toward a dress decorated with expensive jewels.

For a moment, Lady Envy’s eyes wavered, but she also placed her hand firmly on that dress. Seeing Lady Envy’s trembling hand, Arne spoke sharply.

“Is this your first time at Ella Roine Boutique? Since it’s your first time, you probably don’t know, but the dresses here are beyond what a ducal lady like you can afford.”

“Can you afford it, Lady Envy?”

“O-Of course.”

The lady’s eyes met with designer Jena, who was looking at her anxiously from beside Arne. Jena knew her circumstances all too well. That she could never buy all these dresses.

At that moment, Arne placed her hand on the dress displayed at the very front. Naturally, it was the most valuable item among the ready-made clothes.

Lady Envy trembled and couldn’t bring herself to reach for it. Arne’s smooth voice flowed.

“It seems I grabbed this one first?”

The lady’s face flushed red and blue. She probably couldn’t afford it either. After all, it was quite famous that she only wore black dresses.

“Custom dresses can have their prices set under the family name, but ready-made clothes require payment upfront. Jena, principles must apply to everyone.”

As Jena stood there with a troubled expression, the lady urged sharply.

“Hurry!”

Arne smirked and dropped a pouch of gold coins onto the table with a thud. Just from the heavy sound, one could gauge its weight.

“Jena, is it not enough?”

“No, it’s too much.”

Lady Envy’s face turned pale upon seeing the gold coins. The nobles who had been secretly watching the scene snickered.

“How do you manage this boutique? Even letting in the Empire’s mad villainess. Can’t buy dresses at a place like this.”

The lady threw all the dresses she was holding onto the floor. Jena’s eyes widened. These were all dresses that she had sewn and ironed all night like her own children. If any jewels got scratched on the floor, they would have to be discarded according to boutique policy.

Seeing the upset Jena, Penny quickly picked up the dresses.

“How could you throw such beautiful dresses on the floor……”

Moreover, it was a pretty dress that she had liked. Penny dusted off the dress and handed it to Jena, and Arne spoke.

“Penny, do you like that dress?”

“Yes, it’s really pretty.”

“Is that so? Jena, pay for that one too. It would suit Penny well.”

Penny’s eyes widened.

“No, my lady. This……”

“You have a daughter, right? Millie, I think she would like that blue dress.”

“That’s true, but…… No, that’s not it.”

“Agatha, you choose one too.”

“Thank you.”

Unlike the hesitant Penny, Agatha promptly replied and stepped on Penny’s foot as she continued.

“To think you’d gift me a dress that even Lady Envy couldn’t obtain, I don’t know how to repay this gratitude.”

“Just work harder.”

“I will work harder.”

At Agatha’s words, Lady Envy gripped her skirt with trembling hands, contorted her face, and fled the boutique as if escaping.

“Jena, I’d like to see necklaces or tiaras too.”

“Please sit at this table. I’ll bring them.”

Opposite the table Jena guided her to, Cedric had been watching for some time. When his red eyes met Arne’s, they flickered. Arne took a deep breath and sat down in the chair, pretending to be nonchalant.

When Jena disappeared, ladies who had been watching the situation slid into seats at Arne’s table and spoke to her.

“I’m Patricia. That was quite interesting just now.”

“I’m Raniarne. As you probably already know from earlier.”

“Actually, I have many questions, may I ask?”

Arne smiled brightly. This was what she wanted.

“Why did you suddenly visit Ella Roine Boutique? From what I’ve heard, you received a ton of amazing dresses in Renigrad. They must be far superior to the dresses here.”

“My sister Bianca often mistreats me. She must have been bothered by me wearing pretty dresses. Not only did she tear my dresses to shreds, but she also poured filth on them, so I don’t have any dresses to wear.”

“Oh my, how could such a thing happen.”

“So I almost couldn’t attend the Renigrad banquet I was invited to.”

Cedric’s dilated pupils trembled as their eyes met. Arne spoke the words she had wanted to say to Cedric, but couldn’t for fear of sounding like childish complaints.

“I was really upset.”

Strength gathered in Cedric’s interlocked fingers that were resting on his knees.

Sensing the strange exchange of glances between Cedric and Arne, Patricia’s eyes sparkled as she asked.

“By the way, what’s your relationship with the young master of Renigrad?”

Arne bit her lip once firmly. Looking at Cedric, she recited the painful truth.

“We’re…..”

Seeing his pupils tremble, she finally uttered.

“Nothing to each other.”

Cedric’s increasingly pale hand trembled, unable to withstand the pressure. Arne had only spoken the truth, but it was unbearably painful. It felt like a sword piercing her stomach and stirring her insides.

Cedric’s gaze toward Arne showed no sign of faltering. Patricia’s eyes moved back and forth between Cedric and Arne.

‘No matter how I look at it, they don’t seem to be nothing to each other.’

Arne was the first to avert her gaze and look at Patricia. Though she could still feel Cedric’s gaze burning into her, she deliberately spoke to Patricia.

“By the way, did you also come to look at accessories?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

Patricia’s attention returned to Arne at her question. Despite the persistent intense gaze she felt, she kept turning her head toward Cedric.

“My lady, I’ve brought only the pride of Ella Roine. Oh, it’s Patricia!”

Just then, Jena arrived. Arne deliberately fixed her gaze on the accessories Jena brought and said,

“I’d like to see the pearl necklace and the amethyst necklace.”

“How about this?”

Arne briefly examined the pearl necklace and amethyst necklace that Jena took out. She planned to pretend to buy accessories since suddenly carrying around Rein’s crystal ball artifact would raise suspicion.

At that moment, Patricia’s eyes lit up. For Patricia, a lady from a baronial family without a title to inherit, these were all items difficult even to look at. Even the peridot necklace she was wearing now was a fake.

“I’ll take them all.”

“All of them?”

Patricia, surprised by her own outburst, quickly pressed her lips together.

Arne stared at Patricia and then picked up the peridot necklace.

“This seems like it would suit you well, don’t you think?”

“Ah……”