Chapter 10 – Part 10

“Tenere. Joshua is now…….”
 
Leonard looked up, eager to inform her of the child’s extraordinary behavior.
 
But his words didn’t continue. It was because of Tenere, who came out after changing clothes.
 
Once dressed, Tenere wore a casual expression, as if trying to hide her awkwardness.
 
The white dress, which revealed her shoulders and collarbones, was delicately woven with lace, making it look elegant without being dull, and the skirt with rich shirring under the slender waist swayed like flower petals with every movement.
 
As she moved toward Leonard, the beading glistened in the light.
 
Joshua chuckled and clapped his hands.
 
“…Is something wrong?”
 
Leonard, who had been mesmerized, snapped out of his reverie at the cautious question.
 
His lips twitched for a long moment before he finally managed to say.
 
“It’s beautiful, really…….”
 
Despite being able to deliver words adorned with all sorts of praise and eloquence, the only thing that came out was this.
 
But no matter what words were spoken, didn’t they all convey the same meaning?
 
She was so beautiful in front of him, and he felt like a clumsy boy experiencing his first love.
 
“Thank you.”
 
Tenere replied briefly, smiling the same smile she always did.
 
She looked in the mirror and exchanged a few words with the designer before heading back to the dressing room to try on another dress.
 
“Your Majesty, may I offer you a cold drink?”
 
The maid asked cautiously. It was an odd offer, considering the day hadn’t fully unraveled yet.
 
But as soon as Leonard caught sight of his reflection in the mirror, he realized why the maid had spoken so suddenly.
 
“Yes. It’s a bit…… hot.”
 
Leonard replied, and the maid nodded and brought him a lemon tea with ice.
 
The child watched his father’s flushed face with curious eyes.
 
After taking a few sips of the cold tea, his flushed face seemed to calm down a bit.
 
The next dress had a flower-shaped lace design that wrapped around the bust and down to the waist.
 
It was a mermaid line that clung to the body, showing off every curve.
 
“How about this one? Would it be okay to add pearl decorations here?”
 
“This one is beautiful too.”
 
The clothes were different, but somehow the words were the same.
 
Was this all he could say? Couldn’t he express more admiration?
 
Or maybe he could say specifically where and how something is beautiful.
 
But what can he do when she is beautiful, no matter what she wears?
 
The rich dress with shirring was as elegant as a classic, and the dress with revealing lines was extremely alluring.
 
The dress with puffy sleeves was old-fashioned, and the dress with a skirt that fell naturally below the waist was as neat as a lily.
 
“Which did Her Majesty like best?”
 
After trying on seven dresses, Tenere quickly hugged Joshua.
 
They kissed as if they’d missed each other for a moment.
 
Leonard didn’t miss the opportunity to capture this moment, where Tenere looked beautiful and lovely even in everyday clothes.
 
“How about having… seven weddings?”
 
Tenere’s eyes widened at the casual remark. The people standing around him burst out laughing.
 
“…Since you look beautiful no matter what you wear, isn’t it difficult to choose?”
 
“Ah…….”
 
But Tenere didn’t laugh like the others; she merely scrunched up her face in surprise and awkwardly raised the corners of her mouth.
 
“……Thank you.”
 
It wasn’t an unfamiliar sight. Wasn’t she like this in that cabin too?
 
She’d stiffen as if she’d heard something she shouldn’t have, and then she’d force a smile. As if she didn’t want to hear my confession.
 
Even though she urged him not to rush, every time he saw her like this, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
 
What if she doesn’t change over time?
 
If she didn’t believe in my love and harbored thoughts of leaving even when she was physically present…
 
If he had realized his feelings a little earlier, it wouldn’t have happened.
 
If his grandfather hadn’t bluffed out of resentment at my neglected mother, if his father’s ghost hadn’t haunted him, if he hadn’t denied his own heart, he wouldn’t be so anxious.
 
The things he lost were too dark. He resolved to recover them, but as time passed, it only felt more daunting.
 
He couldn’t tell if she was happy or not when he did things for her that pleased her because she was always smiling, and if she said she was happy, he couldn’t tell if she meant it or not.
 
“If it’s difficult for Your Majesty to choose, I will consult with the designer and let him decide.”
 
Tenere said it politely. Leonard seemed not to be the only one who noticed something odd.
 
The designer and her assistants, who were smiling at the two of them, exchanged glances.
 
“However, since it’s a wedding dress, if Your Majesty isn’t too busy, wouldn’t it be better for you to choose it yourself…?”
 
“If you’re having trouble choosing, how about taking them out one by one? ”
 
“Ah…”
 
Hearing the designer’s hesitant words, Leonard opened his mouth as if it were nothing.
 
“Then why don’t we leave out the third one, since it’s a similar design to the one from the first wedding?”
 
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
 
“And the fifth and sixth, I think, would be plain enough without the addition of decorations.”
 
“Yes.”
 
Leonard offered a few more suggestions, and Tenere nodded in silence. She seemed to be lost in other thoughts.
 
Leonard glanced at her, and after a moment of silence, he spoke.
 
“The seventh one has a wide hem, which I think would suit me too. What do you think?”
 
“Yes, that’s fine…… Yes?”
 
Tenere, who had answered nonchalantly, looked up in surprise.
 
Leonard laughed softly at the narrowing of her pale violet eyes.
 
“You need to concentrate.”
 
“Oh…….”
 
Tenere looked away, embarrassed.
 
“I apologize. I was…… thinking of something else for a moment.”
 
“Did you get a good night’s sleep?”
 
“That’s…….”
 
Tenere glanced at the people standing around her, then opened her mouth.
 
“The excitement of getting my wedding dress fitted made me lose a little sleep.”
 
She was conscious of the stares she was receiving. She didn’t want anyone to think that the Empress was being cold to the Emperor.
 
“Since the chandelier in the venue is so splendid, the first one you wore would be fine.”
 
As Tenere smiled and spoke, the designer eagerly presented her choice, mentioning that the beading decoration would shine even more brightly in the light.
 
After deciding on the dress, the next steps became much smoother.
 
The accessories, veils, bouquet, and wedding shoes were chosen to match the dress.
 
It was just as they were beginning to choose their reception dresses that Delus, the aide, burst in. 
 
With a pale face, he held onto the open door, panting heavily.
 
“Your Majesty, I think you’ll have to come in for a moment.”
 
“I thought I told you I had plans today.”
 
Leonard quirked an eyebrow.
 
“I apologize, Your Majesty, but the matter is urgent…….”
 
Delus inclined his head as if to ask Tenere’s pardon, then turned to Leonard and spoke softly.
 
Her beautiful face suddenly distorted at his words.
 
“…… It looks like it’s urgent, Your Majesty.”
 
Tenere said quickly, sensing something was wrong. Leonard let out a short sigh.
 
“I still haven’t picked out a dress for the reception.”
 
“I’m glad you’ve seen it so far, and I think me and Miss Laura can look at the rest together.”
 
Tenere smiled softly and said.
 
Leonard was still in a sour mood, but eventually he nodded.
 
* * *
 
It was already getting dark by the time she had chosen a dress for the reception.
 
Trying on and off several dresses was quite tiring.
 
“First of all, since you’ve decided on the dresses you’ll wear for the ceremony and reception, we’ll come back soon with samples for casual wear and banquet dresses.”
 
The designer and her assistant bowed politely and left the room.
 
Tenere was exhausted and took a short break on the couch.
 
“……You’re tired, aren’t you?”
 
“A little.”
 
Tenere leaned back against the backrest and closed her eyes.
 
‘I should have endured it… … .’
 
She guesses he was disappointed that he acted sweetly at times, as if trying to sway her heart, but didn’t tell her anything really important.
 
Still, she shouldn’t have shown it. It was in front of other people and in front of their child.
 
Moreover, even if they were alone, she was not in a position to rely on his favor.
 
Even a generous man shouldn’t be presumptuous.
 
“……I’m going to take the prince to visit my brother; would you like to come with me?”
 
Eric hadn’t gotten out of bed yet.
 
He insisted he was fine, but the court had told him to stay in bed for at least two weeks.
 
He had complained of some soreness when Leonard had visited him the day before.
 
Laura nodded, and Tenere rose and opened the door.
 
She said nothing until they reached her brother’s room.