The Creditor Is My Husband? - Chapter 34

The shop owner exclaimed with a satisfied expression. The staff who had assisted Giselle with her clothes also nodded in agreement.

“The President should have seen this in person, what a shame. Are you not disappointed?”

“No, not at all. Work comes first.”

Giselle shook her head and answered sincerely. Although it should have been easier than the days she spent poring over ledgers, for some reason she felt more tired now than then.

‘How many dresses have I tried on already.’

She stifled a sigh that was about to escape. It felt like she was playing a game of dolls she had never experienced as a child, only now she was the doll.

But if he had been here…

‘Oh, god. I should thank the secretary who packed Senior’s schedule so tightly today.’

She could vividly imagine it. Lucas sitting askew on that sofa, wiggling his finger to instruct her to put on the next dress.

It was much better to be doing this alone.

“Well, he is a very busy person after all… But seeing how he sent a knight and a carriage personally, I can guess how precious you are to the President.”

“Is that all? The President even sent someone personally to instruct us. He said money is no object, just make sure it’s the best and something the young lady likes.”

An employee quickly chimed in to the owner’s words and glanced at Giselle with an envious expression.

Giselle smiled awkwardly at their envious gazes.

「The President said he had an unavoidable schedule today and couldn’t come to the dress shop with you. Instead, I will be accompanying you for the day, so please let me know if you need anything.」

That was what Lucas’s chauffeur, who had come to the Anticia mansion early in the morning, had said.

Giselle, who had been thinking she would have to go alone in a carriage when she heard he couldn’t come to the dress shop, blinked in surprise.

「Accompany? You, me?」

「It’s the President’s instructions.」

Since it was Lucas’s order, she couldn’t refuse. As a result, Giselle had no choice but to come to the dress shop in the carriage he sent.

The gazes that poured on her as she got out of the carriage were vivid.

Mixed with envy and jealousy.

The glances wondering how on earth she had managed to seduce ‘Lucas Taylor’ into marriage were almost blatant in a way.

And those gazes were the same even now.

They were barely hiding it only because she was a ‘customer’.

Giselle could feel the appraising glances of the shop owner and staff even as she was trying on dresses.

Honestly, she knew very well that she was by no means a great beauty.

She didn’t have the kind of stunning looks that would instantly captivate people’s attention. Nor was her figure more voluptuous or seductive than others.

Rather, she was thin and slender, so her chest and hips were quite flat.

So most of the praise about her being beautiful must be empty words.

She looked at herself in the full-length mirror again.

The dress, which exposed her shoulders and upper chest, sparkled in the light. They said diamond dust was mixed into the fabric, which was why it sparkled.

As Giselle quietly looked at the sparkling dress, the owner approached and asked.

“How is it, young lady? Do you like it? In my opinion, this dress suits you the best.”

“Oh, yes… But, you know.”

She hesitated before bringing up what had been bothering her for a while.

“This dress. Isn’t it a bit too revealing?”

“Revealing? Which part are you talking about?”

The shop owner widened her eyes at Giselle’s words and made a puzzled expression.

“Here, the chest area seems to be cut quite low.”

This was also one of the reasons why it was fortunate that Lucas wasn’t here right now.

She pointed to the mound of her chest exposed above the dress, her face reddening.

Although her chest wasn’t particularly large, the rounded contours were fully exposed, which made her feel embarrassed.

“Oh my! You’re saying it’s too revealing just for this much? Young lady, you’re good at joking.”

The owner burst into laughter upon hearing Giselle’s words. The staff also seemed to listen to her words before laughing.

Flustered by this, Giselle waved her hands and spoke again.

“No. It’s not a joke, really…”

“This level of exposure is normal these days. Do you know how many ladies show their chests even more daringly than you are now? Besides, the day you wear this dress is the day you become the most beautiful bride in the world! It’s your day to be the star!”

“……”

“So for the wedding dress at least, close your eyes and wear it boldly. You look so pretty right now.”

“But…”

Despite the owner’s words, Giselle couldn’t easily answer and rubbed the bare part above her chest with her hand. At that moment, the owner’s eyes lit up.

“Ah! Just a moment. You might feel more awkward because you’re not wearing a necklace yet. The jewels ordered by the President haven’t arrived yet, so for now, with what I have…”

“…Pardon? What did you just say?”

What did Senior order?

Giselle tilted her head at the words the shop owner had muttered to herself. But instead of answering her question, the owner returned with a necklace.

“If you wear a necklace like this, it will cover a bit and be fine. How is it, young lady? It’s okay, right?”

“Ah… Well, it is.”

The pendant of the necklace the owner put on her was quite large, so it covered the cleavage area Giselle had been concerned about to some extent. Giselle’s expression relaxed as she examined herself in the mirror.

Confirming this, the owner added with a pleased smile.

“Besides, the pendant you’ll wear at the wedding will be much larger than this, so you don’t need to worry.”

“That’s right. It’s a 25-carat diamond after all…”

“……!”

Giselle’s eyes widened and she turned her head upon hearing the employee’s interjection. The employee looked at her with a nonchalant expression.

“What’s wrong, young lady?”

“W-What did you just say? 25 carats?”

Surely, she must have misheard something. A 25-carat diamond? Such a thing couldn’t possibly exist, and moreover, why would she be wearing such a terrifying thing around her neck?

“Yes, 25 carats. It might even be a bit larger… Oh, didn’t the President mention it to you?”

The employee casually responded with a look full of envy, then belatedly, with an awkward expression, asked the question. It was only then that they noticed Giselle’s shocked and flustered expression.

“Oh my, what should we do? It seems the President was planning a surprise gift.”

The shop owner, seemingly grasping the situation now, spoke in a troubled tone. Giselle told them it was fine, but her expression showed she was anything but fine.

A 25-carat diamond.

It was so incredible that it didn’t even feel real. But her body seemed to react honestly to it, as her hands began to tremble.

Along with that, a terrible imagination unfolded in her mind.

A blood-soaked wedding dress.

And her story adorning the front-page headlines of major newspapers.

[The tragedy of a bride beheaded on her wedding day! The beginning of that tragedy was a 25-carat diamond necklace]

“…Oh my god.”

Giselle staggered, covering her pale face with her hands. The owner quickly approached to support her and guided her to a sofa.

“Are you alright, young lady? Should I bring you a cup of tea?”

“No, I’m fine.”

She rejected the owner’s offer and then took a deep breath. The owner, sensing that Giselle was more burdened than pleased, hurriedly spoke up.

It was out of concern that Giselle might go and say something to Lucas like this.

“There’s no need to feel so burdened, Miss Anticia. The President secretly prepared it for his beloved bride.”

“That’s right. Moreover, he’s the richest man in the kingdom, so what wouldn’t he do for his wife-to-be?”

“Of course. I’m really envious of you, young lady. The President is not only generous to you but also to your family members, oh my, I’ve spoken out of turn again…”

One of the employees who had been chatting along with the owner to soothe Giselle’s mind hastily closed her mouth. But it had already reached Giselle’s ears.

She lowered her hands from her face and looked at the employee who had just spoken.

“My family… No, what did my family receive from him?”

The shop owner and employees only then realized how such a gentle face that had been constantly flustered and awkward could become so stern.

And also how persistent and tenacious she could be in demanding answers.

* * *

“Are you back, Miss? Did you choose your wedding dress well?”