Chapter 15
Chapter 15: A Beautiful Royal Guest
"If it weren't for Your Majesty the Queen Consort, I would have raised my voice a long time ago. Thank you."
"Don't mention it, Margo. I was just as fed up. It's the first time I've ever hosted a guest so futilely."
Beatrix, looking genuinely tired, boarded the waiting carriage first. Following her, Margo also got into the carriage, and the carriage for internal Royal Palace use departed smoothly.
As the weather had become quite chilly, the Queen Consort wrapped a shawl around herself, and Margo closed the open window. The Queen Consort aimlessly gazed at the familiar Royal Palace scenery passing by before subtly turning her gaze to Margo.
"Miss Liberty, she's nineteen this year, isn't she? To graduate from Herrington at that age is something, but to have already graduated. I've never seen the King so pleased."
Margo smiled and nodded.
"She's remarkable. And despite appearances, that girl is strong."
Olivia was so impressive that Margo, who was not usually friendly to others, had put aside all her annoyance and followed her all the way here.
The Queen Consort hesitated for a long time before bringing up something she had been pondering for days.
"Would it be possible to ask Miss Liberty to be our Lucy's governess…?"
"……."
Margo simply looked back at the Queen Consort. Only the clattering of hooves filled the air between them.
As the carriage entered the main fountain garden of the Guest Palace, the Queen Consort nodded ruefully.
"I suppose… she's too beautiful for that."
She heard that at the party she wasn't at, the scoundrels had been rude to Olivia in front of everyone. Not even the daughter of a low-ranking noble would have been cornered like that.
Olivia, a commoner without family, was likely to become beautiful prey.
"Furthermore, Herot is closed off," Margo added cynically, and the Queen Consort of Herot could only sigh softly, unable to refute it.
Wasn't it a place where even the princess couldn't go to school without her father's permission?
"Pretend you didn't hear that, Margo. Instead, when you return, please occasionally pass on news of that young lady. I think I'll be curious."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Queen Consort."
The moving carriage gradually came to a stop. Beatrix changed her worried expression to a bright one and said cheerfully.
"It seems we've arrived. I hope you like the dress."
Frankly, Margo didn't want Olivia to wear a dress at this party either, but she couldn't bring herself to show it.
No matter how rebellious Margo of the Royal Family was, she couldn't interfere with the Queen Consort's gift.
Time in Herot was a series of surprises and embarrassments.
Just as she heard the news that the event had been canceled, an elegant middle-aged woman with her hair up came to find Olivia.
"Hello, Miss Liberty. It's nice to meet you. I'd like to have a long and friendly greeting since I've met a celebrity, but I can't. Now, first, take off your clothes."
"...Pardon?"
Coming out of nowhere and telling her to take off her clothes?
Taken aback, Olivia was led by her with tremendous spirit, and she clumsily took off Olivia's shirt and skirt.
"Hey? What are you doing?! Just a moment!"
"It can't be just a moment, miss. I've been doing this for 30 years, and it's the first time I've ever had a fitting on the day of. Let go of the shirt you're holding."
"Who are you?! You have to explain!"
When Olivia firmly shook off her hand and became serious, she sighed deeply and said, placing her hands on her hips.
"I'm Jane Ambrose of Ambros Atelier. Nice to meet you. To fit the dress, you have to take off the clothes you're wearing first. That's how you try on the dress, right?"
Jane Ambrose constantly reassured Olivia, saying that there were only women here and that what was on the young lady's body was also on her body. This was because there was barely enough time to make it to the party today.
"Dress?"
Jane pointed to the dress on one side and casually unbuttoned Olivia's shirt.
Olivia was startled and began to unbutton herself, carefully taking off her skirt as well.
"The dress that Her Majesty the Queen Consort ordered should have been fitted no later than yesterday. It's already late."
"I just thought I'd wear a shirt and skirt?"
At those words, Jane glanced at the shirt and skirt casually draped on the sofa, then widened her eyes as if she had heard something absurd.
"How can you do that as a guest of the Royal Family? Now, let's put this on first."
Jane's words were so fast that Olivia forgot the embarrassment of taking off her clothes in front of others.
However, the problem was what came next.
She put on the light cream-colored corset as she was told, but...
"Now, miss. With the feeling of stacking and fixing each vertebra, with the feeling of folding in the ribs~"
Huh??
"Now, endure it!"
Olivia had no choice but to entrust herself to this absurd order, and Jane Ambrose pulled the corset strings as hard as she could.
"Gasp……!!"
Her grandmother Susanna had been wearing corsets all her life, but Olivia, who had always gone to school, had never worn one before. Olivia's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected pressure on her waist and chest.
"D-Do I have to wear this?"
"Of course? All the women of Herot wear corsets."
Olivia was speechless at the words that seemed to ask the obvious.
"The dress that Her Majesty the Queen Consort is presenting today is a work by the chief designer of our Ambros Atelier, which even the promising young ladies of Herrington cannot obtain. Look at these beautiful pearl and bead decorations. Doesn't it look like the sparkle of a night sea reflected in the Milky Way?"
Olivia nodded with a pale face, but couldn't bear it and said.
"Please loosen it a little. I can't breathe."
Only then did Jane realize that her condition was unusual and quickly approached Olivia.
"Oh dear. Have you never worn a corset before?"
"Yes, it's my first time."
"I see. I'll loosen it a bit for now. But I can't take it off completely."
Because that would be like rejecting the Queen Consort's gift.
Loosening the knot made it easier to breathe. It was still uncomfortable, though.
"It can't be looser than this."
"I'll try to bear it."
When Olivia nodded, Jane gestured to the staff who had come with her. The staff quickly put the dress on Olivia.
The light sky-blue dress, like the dresses of Herot noblewomen, was cut in a square shape from the outside of the collarbone to the chest, and the waist was tied with a darker blue silk ribbon.
Pearls and beads were subtly embedded in the skirt, which fell richly with several layers of transparent and fluttering thin silk, sparkling.
"Stay still, or you might get pricked by a needle," Jane said, holding a pin, and Olivia widened her eyes and balanced herself. Every life has its own hardships, and it seems that the life of a noblewoman is not easy either.
"...Okay, all done."
After a while, Jane stepped back, looking at the overall shape. Then Olivia's appearance came into view at a glance.
"Oh……."
This beautiful dress suited her so well that one could believe that the designer had made it with Olivia as her muse.
Although she had not yet done her makeup and hair, her rich black hair and white skin harmonized exquisitely with the sky-blue dress, making it impossible to take one's eyes off her.
"It really suits you!"
When Jane exclaimed, the staff nodded without exception.
However, Olivia's expression, looking in the mirror, was not so bright.
"What's wrong? Is it still uncomfortable?"
"No… it's not that."
"Tell me."
Olivia carefully covered the white upper chest that was constantly rising and falling outside the dress with her hand each time she took a deep breath.
"Isn't it cut too low?"
She was very concerned about the white exposed chest, but Jane reacted as if it didn't matter. She pointed to her own clothes as well as the clothes of the staff who came with her and said casually.
"That's how Herot dresses are shaped. Everyone is like that. The fashion of raising the collar ended half a century ago. These days, even old women prefer this design. It makes the neck look longer, doesn't it?"
Only then did Olivia blink and look at their clothes. Come to think of it, their clothes were the same. She just didn't know because she hadn't been aware of it.
"And now you can't change the line. It's just beautiful, isn't it?"
At that time, the maid announced that the Queen Consort and Princess Marguerite had arrived. Jane and the staff quickly stepped back. Olivia stood with her hands neatly gathered, looking at the door.
As the door opened, the Queen Consort with a gentle expression and Margo appeared with the sound of light clothes rustling. And as soon as they entered the room, they widened their eyes and looked at Olivia.
"My goodness!"
"Oh my, Olivia!"
Not only the Queen Consort but even Margo exclaimed. The thought that it would be better to put on the clothes she had brought disappeared in an instant, and the thought, 'Yes, it would be nice if our Olivia wore pretty clothes too!' dominated her reason.
Olivia glanced down at her clothes at the pure admiration of the Queen Consort and Margo. She was still concerned about her white exposed neck and uncomfortable with the corset that was constricting her body, but she didn't dislike the beautiful dress she was wearing for the first time.
When she glanced at the mirror, there was a woman who looked like a noble, unfamiliar even to her.
The Queen Consort approached Olivia, looked at her without being burdensome, and sparkled her eyes.
"I wondered why wives with daughters went to boutiques together so often, but I vaguely understand it now. When Lucy grows up, I will be like that too. Miss Liberty, do you like it?"
"It's the first time I've worn such a beautiful dress. Thank you, Your Majesty the Queen Consort."
Olivia bent her knees to greet her and carefully expressed her gratitude.
Her blushing cheeks and light pink lips were so lovely.
"I thought blue would suit you well, and indeed it does. You all worked hard too. I'm very satisfied."
At the Queen Consort's praise, Jane and the staff bowed their heads. The Queen Consort looked at Olivia again and spoke kindly.
"Thank you for generously understanding Lucy's mistake the other day. This dress is a souvenir of your visit to Herot and a gift of apology. The party will begin around sunset. Enjoy the last night to the fullest."
At the warm welcome, Olivia carefully bowed her head. She wiggled her fingers as if something was tickling somewhere in her heart.
"The world is inherently unfair. Acknowledge it, but don't conform to it."
As her grandmother said, the world was unfair, and there were countless things to endure. The discrimination that permeated everyday life was as natural as breathing, but it always pricked somewhere in her lungs.
