Chapter 219
The Kingdom Enters the Social Season [Part 1]
"Francesca-sama's dress today suits her very well, right, Caitlyn?"
"Francesca-sama's dress today suits her very well, indeed, Catherine."
Francesca and the twins were now at a large-scale evening party held at the royal castle. After exchanging greetings, the twins began praising Francesca's dress.
The elegant cream-colored dress and the silky delicate lace had accentuated Francesca's femininity.
"Thank you. Catherine-sama and Caitlyn-sama's dresses are also wonderful."
The twins wore matching dresses with bright emerald green and pale aqua stripes. It was a design that would remind people of the sea upon seeing it.
"All three of you look lovely. See, all the noble sons around are staring at you restlessly, aren't they?"
Marion winked as she took a few drinks from the waiter and handed them to Fransesca and the twins in her usual ostentatious manner.
"Thank you! Marion-sama is very gorgeous as well, isn't she, Catherine?"
"Yes, Marion-sama is gorgeous, Caitlyn!"
Marion looked surprisingly good in a wine-red body-hugging dress.
" " " "Fufufufufu" " " "
The four of them looked at each other and laughed.
"Emma-sama is really amazing. No one would have imagined that these dresses are a remake."
Francesca looked at the dress which adorned her body, which had been dyed splendidly in cream.
"This dress is of the color of the East Sea, right, Caitlyn?"
"Uh-huh, it's the color of the East Sea, Catherine."
"The ocean has different colors, right?" the twins cheerfully talked to each other.
"This dress was originally black, but it has been completely dyed red."
Before, when the four of them expressed their regret that they could only wear the dresses Emma had prepared for them once, Emma introduced them to a certain tailor shop. It was a small tailor shop located in an unfrequented street in the royal capital's shopping district. When they visited, a handsome shopkeeper and a skilled seamstress couple were working happily with some small children from the slums.
"Emma-sama has given us instructions... to change Francesca-sama's dress into a cream-colored one, redesign the twins' dresses into an inverted pattern of emerald green and pale aqua stripes, and move the flower decoration on the shoulder of Marion-sama's dress to the waist area and dye it wine red."
"If it doesn't rain, the dresses will be ready tomorrow evening..." And just like what the shopkeeper said, the dresses were finished flawlessly at remarkable speed.
It seemed the modifications were done at the tailor shop, and the dyeing was done in the slums.
"We have not officially opened the dyeing service yet, but if you wish to request any at our tailor shop, we will gladly accept anytime."
"If you're the schoolmates of Emma-sama, we'll take on any of your orders, no matter how complex it is. I'm sure the children will work hard too." The couple smiled, looking very harmonious together.
♠♠♠
"Emma-sama always surprises me. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that she would spend her summer vacation in Imperial Japan..."
She would accompany Imperial Prince Tasuku on his return trip to Imperial Japan as an exchange student to broaden her knowledge and experience.
Marion bitterly smiled as she recalled her friend who would dive into things she would never have imagined without any hesitation.
"Emma-sama has been strange since the first time we met her, Caitlyn."
"Emma-sama has been strange since the first time we met her, after all, Catherine."
"Now, you two. There is no such... There is, indeed."
"...Right."
" " " "Fufufu" " " "
The four young ladies laughed together softly as they stood there in their beautiful dresses, catching the eyes of everyone at the royal palace's evening party.
Gentlemen from inside and outside the Kingdom were looking at them from a distance as they were attracted by the obviously different atmosphere they radiated. They seemed very fresh and relaxed compared to other young ladies, who were worn out by the dress preparation day by day and burdened by the pressure of being in a place full of dignitaries from various countries.
"Alright, alright, enough chatting for now. The music has started playing, you know?"
Arthur took his younger sister's hand. As Marion didn't have a fiance, he, the older brother, naturally became her escort. The two would really stand out when they danced because of their heights.
"Lady Francesca, would you like to dance?" Prince Edward invited Francesca to dance.
"Y-Your Highness?!"
"I heard from Emma that Lady Francesca is very good at dancing. Emma couldn't dance because of her body condition, but she told me she would like to see me dancing with Lady Francesca. So let's practice until Emma... safely returns to the Kingdom."
"Emma-sama mentioned that about me?! She still remembered what I said in passing in our first class... I will gladly accept, Your Highness! I must make Emma-sama happy."
Francesca gently put her hand on the Prince's outstretched hand. The Prince always looked cold, but only when he talked about Emma did his expression soften.
"Let's dance too, Caitlyn♪"
"Let's dance too, Catherine♪"
The twins held each other's hands and followed behind the Bell siblings while the Prince and Francesca moved to the center of the ballroom.