Dresses of various shapes and types were sketched inside the booklet.
All were gorgeous and luxurious.
"Which style do you prefer?"
Esther, knowing very little about dresses, concentrated as she tilted her head and pressed her nose into the brochure. However, she still had no clue.
"I'm not sure."
"They aren’t good?"
"No, they're all pretty."
Esther quickly shook her head as she witnessed Madame to be disappointed.
"Which one is particularly pretty? How about something like this?”
Madame softened her voice so that Esther could feel more comfortable. After selecting dresses each of different designs, she asked for Esther’s thoughts.
"Pretty."
"Then what about this?"
"Well… that's also pretty.”
Esther nodded roughly. For her, all the dresses seemed alike.
Whenever that occured, Madame checked the cost on a small note. The boring and affirmative responses were repeated several times. Keep asking for thoughts; keep writing the responses in her notes.
Esther was curious as to what the Madame wrote down, but her curiosity was long forgotten by the cookies. Even when Esther only took a miniscule bite at a time, the cookie seemed to quickly disappear.
Esther gazed at her empty hands with regret.
Then, the image of her being sold to this salon abruptly crossed her mind. Esther asked urgently, wondering if Darwin had really left her here.
"Where is his Grace?”
"He is waiting downstairs. I think we are finished now, so I will call for him."
Finished?
While wondering exactly what they were finished with, the Madame left the drawing room.
A moment later, Christine returned with a beam alongside Darwin.
"There are sixteen garments of the young lady’s choosing.”
"Can I bring them now?"
"No, I think it'll take some time. We must customize them according to her size."
What?
Esther, who had been listening to their conversation till that point, suddenly intervened.
"Wait!"
She didn't wish to intrude on their conversation, but there was no holding it this time.
It was because the ‘young lady’ in that conversation seemed to refer to herself.
Esther leaped from the high sofa and approached Darwin. Darwin bent this waist slightly and made eye contact with Esther.
"What's wrong?"
"Those aren’t... my clothes?"
Esther asked, emphasizing that they shouldn’t be at all.
Darwin's indifferent eyes loosened gently when he stared at her.
"That's right. I came to buy your dress. I'm glad you liked them."
"Yes? I didn't choose them. I just answered what was asked…”
The flustered Esther recalled the number of dresses she had just heard.
They seemed extremely expensive. Esther was speechless as to how he was thinking of buying sixteen sets of them at once.
"Then, do you wish to choose another one?"
"No! That's not it…”
While Esther panicked, Darwin held his chin and spoke, "If it's hard to choose, shall we buy them all?”
"Yes, we have enough budget for it."
Ben nodded and spoke while standing next to him, as if it were nothing.
Ben then proceeded to present the money.
Esther, the only one not able to adjust to the atmosphere, stamped her feet.
"Grand Duke! I don't need that much."
"Hmm."
Darwin's eyes thinned.
He really did want to buy all the dresses here, yet Esther couldn’t feel burdened.
Darwin replied in a calm tone after a moment's thought.
"I want to give you a gift. But if you feel pressured, I won't force you to accept it."
Her protest seemed to work, so Esther could finally calm down her surprise.
She was indeed surprised by the number of dresses that were to be purchased, but in reality, Esther was in need of clothes to dress in while at the mansion.
She naturally didn’t have any clothes to change into, as there was nothing to bring from the temple. Eshter concluded it to be better ending it here than to ask again another time.
However, the dresses seemed too fancy and expensive to receive as it is. Sixteen outfits would be a large burden on her.
"Well…. Can I ask for only seven? I think seven would be enough for me to change into.”
"Let’s do it that way then."
Esther then proceeded to explain why she only wanted seven, but no one listened to her talk.
Whether it was seven or sixteen dresses, the number didn’t matter at all, considering the wealth of the Grand Duke’s family.
Instead, Darwin pressed his lips together, attempting to remove the threatening smile from his face.
It was a special moment which Esther was using her words, when usually she would only break down and her face would become contemplative. Besides.
'You have cookie crumbs on your mouth.'
Esther's mouth was covered with crumbs. As she spoke, the appearance of her moving lips was cute.
Darwin's expression turned more firm to prevent his lips from curving upwards regardless of his will. He glanced at the window with his lips tightened, struggling not to smile.
In the meantime, Madame Christine smiled and approached Esther.
"Then, would you like to take a look at the brochure again?"
"Okay."
Esther chose carefully this time, knowing she would dress in these garments.
Among the clothes the Madame presented, she chose seven dresses that seemed as practical and comfortable as possible.
"Then I'll prepare it for you this way."
"Can we take it right away?"
"No, we have to make it the young lady’s size... Oh, would you like to wear this? It just happened to hold the right proportions.”
Christine pointed to a dress hanging on the mannequin.
It was one of Esther's chosen dresses, which seemed to fit her perfectly without having to be custom made.
Eventually, Esther was moved to the next room to transition into her new dress.
The maids in the dressing room helped Esther. The ragged clothes she wore were removed, and the new dress, which was put on display, took its place.
Esther stood still throughout, dazed. It was her first time wearing such a dress. The soft texture of the high-quality fabric felt somewhat awkward.
"I… Is it weird on me?"
"No. It suits you very well. The young lady’s skin is so fair that the color fits perfectly.”
Christine was very pleased to see Esther dressed in a proper dress.
While she was away, the maids had also brushed and adjusted Esther's chestnut hair beautifully. It was stiff due to lack of management, but the more they combed, the longer and softer it became.
"May I fix your hair? I think it'll become much better with your bangs moved from the forehead."
"...Yes."
Esther flinched whenever the maids' hands touched her head.
The only touch she’d ever felt in her lifespan was the abuse inflicted from Rabienne.
Therefore, such gentle strokes seemed awkward and uncomfortable.
The maid combed Esther's bangs to the side.
Esther's eyes were much more visible when her uneven bangs disappeared. Her thick, rich hair was tied.
Esther stroked the back of her neck, feeling awkward with her hair position.
After the brief touch-up, Christine accompanied Esther to the mirror.
"What do you think?”
Esther, of course, thought that she and the dress would not match in the least.
She couldn't bear to witness herself, so in the end, only one eye managed to peek into the mirror.
“Uh?"
However, it was better than she expected. Esther's eyes widened the size of a rabbit’s.
'This is... me?'
Esther, stupefied, stared into the mirror. The clothes seemed like wings. The person in the mirror seemed to be a year older.
Esther unconsciously approached the mirror and reached out her hand. The cold touch senses on her palm caused Esther to jump to her senses.
"How do you like it?"
Esther’s cheeks blushed at Christine's voice.
Christine's smile grew as the tiny girl moved from the mirror, wondering what to do with such adorableness.
"Yes, I've never worn such a pretty dress before."
"That's a relief. We will send the remaining purchases as soon as they are complete. I'm sure it will suit the young lady.”
Christine looked over Esther with a satisfied expression.
At first glance, she looked like a child picked up from the streets, but now Esther seemed like a proper noble spirit.
As the owner of the dressing room, it was the most honorable moment when the manager completely transformed a guest, like she had now.
Esther’s large eyes glistened as she glanced down at her dress.
It was pretty how the lower end fluttered whenever she moved her body. She couldn't remove her eyes from the close-knit glitter and frills.
However, Esther's elevated mood did not last for long.
On their way back to the drawing room, she suddenly turned dejected. She was anxious she would look ridiculous in the eyes of the Grand Duke, one familiar with such luxury dresses.
Since Esther received this as a gift, she wished to wholeheartedly present her thankfulness to the person who bought it.
The more they approached the drawing room, the more she felt nervous.
"Your Grace, we're here."
Christine walked into the drawing room and called for Darwin.
As Esther observed Darwin turn around, she unconsciously grasped the hems of her dress.
The moment Darwin witnessed Esther standing by the door, he jumped from the sofa.
'Considerable.’
Esther had turned into a completely different child from earlier.
The old smock from before emphasized her skinny body, but now that she wore a dress which fit her size, Esther’s skinny body was completely hidden.
The neat tying of her hair, which had been combed out thoroughly, also played a part in her appearance. As her pale and clear skin was revealed, a more pure atmosphere was excluded from her.
In addition, her red cheeks were lovely. If they were filled with more flesh, they would be much cuter than now.
“It suits you well. It’s lovely.”
Darwin spoke his thoughts from all his heart.
However, that compliment surprised everyone around him, causing their mouth to widen.
He was a man who seldom praised others. He possessed a heavy mouth and didn't speak a lot. Here, it was like a wild goose chase just to hear his praise.
Christine has laughed countless times with Darwin’s sons, but she had never seen such an expression or heard such a tone of voice from him.
‘Who is she?'
Christine's curiosity about Esther grew even more.
She was bewildered how this girl made the icy Grand duke smile; someone whose expression did not change under any circumstances.
On the other hand, Esther held a rather embarrassed expression as she had been praised.
Not only was she not used to these compliments, she felt like these clothes were not her own. Her mouth felt dry.
"I'm not sure I can accept such expensive clothes."
"Expensive? Esther, you need to be more familiar with who you are."
Darwin smiled, stroking Esther's head gently.
The daughter of the Grand Duke.
Esther's mouth opened slightly at his confident words. She unknowingly felt a thrill resonate throughout her body.
Christine held her breath as she gazed at her.
‘Who is that child?'
She couldn’t believe such a child exists. Who is she? Curiosity forced the Madame to continue staring.
"…I'll wear it well. Thank you."
Esther nodded with a more confident look.
Darwin's eyes curved slightly, satisfied with her response.
"Then, let's leave."
Before Darwin's party left the dressing room, Madame asked Esther for her opinion.
"What do you wish me to do with your previous clothing?"
"Please throw them away."
Esther answered without much concern.
The only reason she wore such old attire was there was nothing else for her to dress in. Otherwise, she would have thrown it as soon as possible.
Esther then came upon the realization she had really left the temple.
