TCBCVF 12

~Chapter 12~

‘Is this the scale of a Duke’s family?! This is totally overwhelming!’

No matter how I think about it, I didn’t expect them to rent out the entire clothing store!

And furthermore…

‘This is the Kristensen Fashion Boutique!’

The Kristensen Boutique.
It was a high-end fashion store run by Madame Kristensen, one of the top designers in the empire, known for serving the nobility and even the imperial family. Recently, it gained fame for designing a foreign princess’s wedding dress.

‘I’ve never even seen Seraphina get a dress made here…’

‘Can I even afford this?’

My eyes shook as if there was an earthquake.
Especially since my allowance for maintaining my dignity had nearly run out.
This was all because Seraphina had sweetly blinked her eyes and said:

“Larit. I want a new dress.”

…And of course, being the official fool for Seraphina, I bought everything she wanted.

“What are you doing? Not going in?”

Lady Evangeline glanced at me sideways and then marched ahead, leading me.

‘Ugh.’

Like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse, I dragged my feet behind her.

I really wish I could pay in installments…

Two hours later.

“Ah, now this feels like we’re really out together.”

Lady Evangeline, looking at me carefully in the mirror, muttered contentedly.

“Indeed, you’re a lady worth dressing up.”

Madame Kristensen immediately agreed.

It was exactly as she said.
From head to toe, I was polished and gleaming…

‘Not bad, actually?’

My messy hair had been neatly half-tied.
The dress, a soft pink, gently cinched my waist to highlight my figure and complemented my eye color.
Even the ribbon-accented handbag I was carrying added a nice touch.

Even with my heightened standards from being around Seraphina and the lady, I looked quite pretty!

However, the biggest issue remained.

‘How do I pay…?’

I squinted my eyes shut and turned to Madame Kristensen.

“Madame Kristensen, is it possible to pay in installments?”

“Excuse me, what are you saying?”

At the same time, the lady glared at me.

“Are you asking me to make Lady Ansi pay for the dress?”

Then, proudly, she raised her nose.

“I am a Claudius. I am not poor enough to pass such a trivial cost onto someone else.”

“…!?”

What should I do?

I looked at the lady with awe in my eyes and reflexively muttered.

“I think I’m falling for you…”

“Hmph, with just this?”

The lady snorted as if to make sure I heard, and then glanced at Madame Kristensen.

“Send the bill for today’s shopping directly to the Duke’s household.”

“Yes, Your Ladyship.”

Madame Kristensen bowed respectfully.

The lady then suggested with a slight smirk,

“Shall we go for lunch now?”

We moved to a popular brunch spot known for its amazing food, widely talked about in the empire.

Lady Evangeline’s preparedness shone here too, as we were quickly ushered to a second-floor balcony with a perfect view of the street.

“Did you make a reservation in advance?”

“Of course. You can’t get in without a reservation at popular spots.”

Since yesterday, I had realized that, surprisingly, Lady Evangeline was quite practical.
Being from a prestigious family like the Claudius house, she could easily have secured a spot even without a reservation.

‘I can’t believe such a person is the “villainess” in the original story.’

I lamented again at the unfairness of this world.

“Order whatever you want. I’ll be right back, I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Okay.”

After she left, I stared at the menu for a moment, then glanced out over the balcony.

The people walking down the street all seemed happy.
And now, I too…

‘I must look like them, right?’

It felt so surreal.

I had always thought that only Seraphina was allowed to enjoy people’s goodwill and life.

But now, I felt like I was the main character of my own life…

“Larit?”

That voice?
I turned around reflexively and frowned.

Seraphina and Gregory were standing there, staring at me with wide eyes.

Of course, it had to be them.
I was starting to get tired of seeing their faces.

Meanwhile, Seraphina, who had looked as if she had seen a ghost, quickly composed herself and greeted me.

“I can’t believe I’m seeing you here, Larit.”

She quickly regained her composure and spoke with a sharp tone.

“Why are you at such a fancy brunch place?”

She seemed to emphasize the word fancy with a hint of mocking.

“The reason I’m at a brunch place is pretty simple.”

I shrugged lightly.

“I’m here to eat.”

“…”

Seraphina’s face twisted with annoyance as she bit her lips.

It made sense.
Normally, whenever Seraphina showed her irritation, I would have cowered.

She must have been wondering why I wasn’t crumbling under her gaze.

“So, did you two come shopping?”

Before I could finish my sentence, Seraphina proudly showed off the shopping bags in her hands.

“Yeah, Gregory is buying me a new hat.”

It was a subtle jab, implying I hadn’t received anything from my “fiancé.”

I feigned a look of sympathy.

“Wow, you carried all that around? Must be heavy. I went shopping too, but they’ll deliver everything I bought to my townhouse.”

“…What?”

Seraphina narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Most luxury brands offer delivery service for their VIP customers, and Seraphina, who was familiar with the high-end shopping scene, would definitely understand what I meant.

“Wait.”

At that moment, Seraphina’s gaze locked onto the handbag resting on my lap.

Her green eyes widened in shock.

“That handbag… is it from Madame Kristensen?!”

‘So, she recognized it immediately.’

The ribbon design was a signature of Madame Kristensen’s collection.
I felt a small sense of satisfaction.

Seraphina, now burning with jealousy, continued to question me sharply.

“How do you have a Madame Kristensen handbag? She only accepts the most exclusive customers!”

I tilted my head and looked at her with a slight smile.

“Are you implying I don’t deserve to carry Madame Kristensen’s bag?”

“…”

Seraphina clenched her teeth.

Of course, she was frustrated.
Madame Kristensen’s dress and bag were things Seraphina had never had, even though she was always dressed in luxury.

Now, not only was I dressed head to toe in Madame Kristensen’s creations, but I was also making her uncomfortable by constantly flipping her expectations upside down.

But Seraphina’s usual image was one of being sweet and innocent, making it hard for her to confront me directly.

‘Isn’t it?’

I gave Seraphina a sly smile and casually glanced at Gregory.

‘Odd, Gregory has been oddly quiet.’

I expected him to say something like, “This is too extravagant,” or, “You don’t deserve such high-end things,” but he was just staring at me with a strange look.

It wasn’t a hostile gaze.
In fact, it almost seemed…

‘…Like the way he looks at Seraphina.’

I felt a chill run down my spine.