“It’s alright, go ahead and pick. You should wear something beautiful to the festival.”

“We feel like we’re receiving too much kindness from you, My Lady. It almost feels overwhelming,” Lenci said, looking at Kristin.

Cindy also hesitated, lowering her hand that had been reaching for a dress, unsure of what to do. It was rare for nobles to give their maids expensive dresses, so both Lenci and Cindy were understandably uneasy.

As the two stood there, staring at the dazzling dresses with dry mouths, they heard Beatrice’s voice.

“Kristin, it’s been a while,” Beatrice greeted warmly.

She had just finished measuring a young lady for a custom-made dress and selecting the fabric and design when she emerged from the fitting room and saw Kristin.

“How have you been, Lady Beatrice?” Kristin replied with a smile.

“Kristin, I’m so glad you came. I’ve missed you so much. I’ve been worried about you,” Beatrice said warmly.

“There have been many things happening, but I’m alright. It seems I’ll be receiving an honorary medal from the palace for my work with the orphanage. I’m not exactly sure when, though.”

“Wow, my goodness. If only Elesia were alive, she would have been so proud of you. I’m so happy to hear this,” Beatrice replied.

“I was lucky that the situation at the Vincent Orphanage was resolved well. If Duke Raphael hadn’t helped me that day, I wouldn’t have been able to get out of there easily. You might be surprised, but we were attacked by masked knights. It was a mistake to go there with just my servants,” Kristin explained.

“Masked knights? There were knights at the orphanage? That’s not even a private residence! ” Beatrice said, clearly shocked.

She had heard rumors that Kristin and Raphael had been injured, but hearing the detailed account of the situation left her stunned. It was incomprehensible how the head of an orphanage could have knights guarding the place, raising questions about what else might be concealed there.

At that moment, the door of Sharon Boutique opened, and a figure who seemed to be a noble envoy entered, followed by several attendants. This scene was far from the typical entrance of a noble young lady, so even Kristin was taken aback and stepped back.
“The Princess of the Praga Empire, Princess Rebella. All noble ladies of Union Empire, please show your respect,” the envoy announced.

It was none other than Princess Rebella.

* * *

After distancing herself from Beatrice Charlotte, Kristin watched as Princess Rebella selected dresses with her maids.

With her chestnut-colored hair and luminous, translucent skin, Princess Rebella had a beauty that stood out even among other noble ladies, possessing a tall stature and distinct features.

Seeing her, Kristin felt a wave of embarrassment as memories of her past flooded back.

Unlike herself, Rebella exuded confidence, walking upright without hunching her shoulders, the sound of her heels echoing in the boutique.

Even the maids attending to her were clearly of noble birth, showcasing their status without reservation.

Cindy, standing in a corner, couldn’t take her eyes off Rebella and kept whispering to Lenci.

“Lenci, is that really Princess Rebella from the neighboring kingdom? She’s so beautiful! I’ve never seen anyone as gorgeous as her in my life.”

“Cindy, please keep your voice down a bit. If the princess hears us whispering, she might get upset,” Lenci replied nervously.

“I just can’t help it. I thought our Lady Kristin was the most beautiful in the world, but there’s someone else as pretty as her!”

Just then, as if the princess had overheard Cindy, she stopped choosing dresses and began walking toward her.

Click, clack.

The boutique was filled with silence, only the sound of heels echoing.

At that moment, Princess Rebella spoke to Cindy.

“Kristin? Are you perhaps referring to Kristin Edith?”

“Pardon?” Cindy stammered.

“Oh, the person next to the chair is Lady Kristin Edith.”

Startled by the princess’s sudden inquiry, Cindy stammered, “I-I’m sorry. You’re just so beautiful.”

“It’s alright. No need to apologize,” Rebella said dismissively.

She then turned her gaze to Kristin, her expression briefly hardening before she gave a strange smile and began to speak.

“I’ve heard quite a bit about Duke Raphael even in the Praga Empire,” Princess Rebella said with a smile.

“I’ve been so curious to know who Kristin Edith is. I wanted to meet the lady who has captured the heart of my fiancé, Duke Raphael. I even considered visiting your residence, but I’m glad we could meet like this instead.”

The princess smiled as she spoke, but there was a clear sense of rivalry in her words, which seemed quite firm.

Kristin found herself unable to respond for a moment, finally managing to say,

“Hello, I am Kristin Edith from the Union Empire. It is an honor to meet Her Highness Princess Rebella of the Praga Empire.”

Although Kristin spoke these words, she couldn’t help but feel her pride crumbling.

It wasn’t just because she was the fiancée of Raphael; it was because Princess Rebella’s gaze looked down on her.

With a taller stature than Kristin’s, the princess’s attendant was glancing at her, and the gazes of the maidens were equally sharp.

They had all come here after listening to the conversation between Raphael, the Emperor, and Princess Rebella at the dining table.

Having heard everything, they were not pleased with Kristin Edith.

While it was true that Kristin Edith was beautiful, they felt she could not even be compared to their beloved Princess Rebella.

Although they tried to hide their disdain with stiff expressions, their contempt for Kristin was evident even in their faces.

“Oh, I think I’ve heard of the Edith family. Wasn’t your father the viscount who was called a murderer? I heard he drove his first wife to her death, is that correct?”

At the princess’s words, all the young ladies in the boutique were left speechless. However, Kristin refused to let herself be intimidated by the situation and slowly responded,

“It is a fact that cannot be denied, but I’m surprised you know so much about my family.”

At Kristin’s words, Princess Rebella’s lips curled into a smile as she replied,

“I can’t not know. It’s the family of the woman who almost married my fiancé. It would be absurd for me not to know that, wouldn’t it?”

Rebella’s thoughts were clear as she looked at Kristin.

‘She’s even more pitiful than I expected. How could His Grace ever be interested in someone like her?’ she mused inwardly.

“You seem to be here to pick out a dress, but I’ve heard that the Edith family’s financial situation isn’t very good. Is that correct?” Rebella said, openly dismissing Kristin’s family.

The dresses at Sharon Boutique were known to be more expensive than those at most other shops. They offered custom designs where clients could choose everything from the fabric to the accessories. Even a dress of the same design could be categorized as high or low quality, depending on the materials and decorations used.

Noble ladies would often come to Sharon Boutique together to have dresses made, but each one would choose a dress that matched their family’s financial standing. The difference in quality between their dresses often revealed their social and economic statuses, highlighting the harsh reality of the aristocratic world.

Some noble ladies, not wanting to be looked down upon, would scrape together money to order expensive dresses. However, their efforts were often in vain, as it didn’t take long for others to discover that they came from families in financial trouble.

In this cold and unforgiving world of nobility, the Edith family’s struggles were well known, which only made Kristin a target for Rebella’s contempt. This kind of treatment was all too common in their world.

“I never expected Princess Rebella to be so concerned about my family’s financial situation,” Kristin said, her anger bubbling up as she stared at Rebella, who had so openly humiliated her in front of the other noble ladies.

It was disheartening to have to make this kind of comparison.

A daughter of the imperial family versus a daughter of a viscount’s family.

Kristin thought that if the nobles were asked to choose between the two families, they would undoubtedly choose the daughter of the imperial family.

Standing beside Princess Rebella were the envoy and the attendants, which only served to intimidate Kristin further.

Sensing the atmosphere right away, Rebella glanced around before speaking again.

“Since there are other young ladies here, why don’t we find a quiet place to talk? It wouldn’t be appropriate for the princess of the Praga Empire to stand here discussing matters with the daughter of a viscount in a dress shop. Besides, we have things to discuss.”

Kristin hesitated for a moment at Princess Rebella’s suggestion.

This was an entirely new situation for her. She never imagined she would face Rebella alone.

After all, she assumed that Raphael would eventually marry Rebella. Even though her feelings had started to shift toward Raphael as his behavior changed, if Rebella was this determined, Kristin might have to let him go this time, as she had in the past.

“Very well,” Kristin said.

“If you could guide us to a café, Lady Kristin, we can go there.”

At that moment, she remembered the Begonia Café, where she had once gone with Raphael. If she was indeed going to let him go to Rebella, she thought it would be fitting to choose the café where she had spent time with him.

“I think the Begonia Café would be a suitable place,” Kristin suggested.

“Is that so? Then let’s head there,” Rebella agreed.

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories