ICBFE 03

The path to becoming the Crown Princess was no easy feat. Out of more than ten candidates, only three who passed the trials were selected as official fiancées. These noble daughters, now candidates, would then enter a competition to demonstrate their qualifications as the Crown Princess.

Only the top performer among them would be chosen as the Crown Prince’s fiancée.

Once the engagement ceremony was held, she was considered the de facto Crown Princess. She would then gradually prepare herself for the role, and upon turning twenty, she would marry and enter the Ruby Palace, the residence of the Crown Prince and Princess, thus officially becoming the Crown Princess.

Two days before the selection ceremony for fiancée candidates, I visited Marianne’s boutique. Marianne Isabel, the Empire’s most prominent designer.

Her garments, always created using innovative materials and unique designs, were frequently the talk of the town—but wearing her clothes didn’t guarantee attention. That was because most noble ladies purchased their clothing from her boutique anyway. If one merely bought a dress with low-impact design, it was just seen as basic.

“Basic” here meant something only sufficient to maintain the dignity of a noble family’s daughter. To truly stand out, one had to wear something shocking. And that’s when people would either criticize or admire you.

Some dresses drew criticism.

For example, a countess once wore a newly designed dress named A Midsummer Night’s Affair from Marianne’s boutique, right after becoming a widow. She had failed to research the name and meaning behind the dress and ended up ridiculed and shamed by society.

That’s how much buzz Marianne’s clothes generated. And today, I intended to be one of her topics of discussion.

As soon as I entered the boutique, the staff recognized my family’s crest and quickly approached to bow before me.

This was that kind of place. Unlike other boutiques where money alone could buy you clothes, here, wealth wasn’t enough.

Honor and status had to accompany wealth to make a purchase.

That was the way of this boutique, and nobility loved it even more for that reason. Wearing a dress with this boutique’s crest alone was enough to highlight one’s worth.

When I handed over my bag, a staff member stepped forward gracefully and received it.

“I’m here to see dresses for the fiancée selection ceremony. Please show me your latest—and most unique—designs.”

When they heard the Lady of the Lyshire family had arrived, the staff began murmuring. The Lyshire Ducal House, second only to the imperial family, was the most powerful in the Empire. Naturally, they were more astonished by the crest on my bag than by me.

“I’ll bring Marianne right away. Would you like to wait in the VIP room, Lady?”

The staff moved efficiently again. Once inside the VIP room, they sat me down, switched my shoes to comfortable slippers, and two attendants stood by my side to serve me.

“We’ll bring you a drink. Would you like a specific tea or beverage?”

“I’d like a refreshing glass of orange juice, please.”

“Certainly.”

As I sipped my drink and waited for Marianne, I looked around the VIP room. It looked just as I remembered from my past life. At the center stood a plush velvet single-seater sofa. In front, only a handful of dresses were on display.

Soon, Marianne approached with an intrigued expression.

“I apologize for the wait. I wasn’t expecting Lady Vanity to visit my boutique herself. I last saw you a year ago, I believe—and it seems you’ve grown even taller since then.”

“Yes. You saw me at home, with my mother.”

At my reply, Marianne bowed gracefully.

“Yes, indeed. It’s an honor you remember me.”

“No need for formalities. More importantly, are these all your current designs?”

“If you’re here to choose a dress for the selection ceremony, the Duchess has already paid us a visit, Lady.”

I already knew which dress my mother had chosen—after all, I had worn it in my past life. It was elegant and stately. Right now, it was likely being tailored to my measurements.

“Shall I bring it out for you to see?”

“No. Please halt its production.”

Marianne’s eyes widened at my request. It wasn’t unusual for noble daughters to take an interest in dress codes, but in matters as important as the selection ceremony, everyone followed their mother’s choices. So my insistence on choosing something different naturally shocked her.

“Do you mean to choose the dress yourself, Lady?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s not possible. I’ve already received an order from the Duchess. I can’t cancel it.”

“That’s fine. Then go ahead and finish it. I just won’t wear it. I understand the importance of your deal with my mother.”

If I didn’t wear it, the value of that dress would diminish. Marianne firmly believed I would become Karzan’s fiancée. But if I didn’t wear the dress, it would never be seen. And since my mother had already purchased it, it couldn’t be sold either.

So the dress would simply vanish into obscurity.

No designer wanted their creation to disappear without recognition. Marianne gave a slightly forced smile.

“I didn’t expect you to be so headstrong, Lady.”

“Thank you for putting ‘stubborn’ so elegantly, Marianne.”

“As expected of the Lady. You truly are Crown Princess material.”

Not a chance.

The reason I asked to halt the dress wasn’t because it was lacking—it was because it was too exquisite. If I abandoned such an exceptional piece in favor of something outrageous, I’d be branded with the label I wanted: “the mad lady.”

Today, I planned to pick a dress that would shock even Marianne.

“I’m afraid all of our finest dresses already have owners. It’ll be difficult to find something more refined than what the Duchess ordered.”

“I’m not looking for something refined. Show me what’s trendy—something so dazzling it hurts the eyes.”

I seemed to be shocking Marianne repeatedly today. Her expression betrayed her confusion at my request.

“You want to wear something flashy—for the fiancée selection ceremony?”

“Yes. Show me something more dazzling than any other candidate will be wearing.”

Marianne brought out three dresses. One of them wasn’t just flashy—it looked luxurious enough to buy a castle. Diamonds were embedded all along the hem.

Wearing that to the ceremony would definitely make me look insane.

Which is why I liked it.

When Marianne brought it out, she looked at me as if to say, Surely you’re not going to choose this one?

“I must’ve brought the wrong dress.”

I stopped her as she tried to take it away.

“No. Leave it. What’s the name of this dress?”

“It’s called Golden Waves.”

Golden Waves. I felt like I’d heard the name before, but I couldn’t recall clearly. In my previous life, I hadn’t paid any attention to fashion. Even up until the wedding, I only wore whatever my mother chose. To me, it just looked like an absurdly extravagant noble’s outfit.

So the name suited it perfectly. It was so over-the-top, even high-society ladies would hesitate to buy it. It wasn’t just excessive—it looked like something a nouveau riche would covet.

Its price probably rivaled that of a small castle. Who would choose someone wearing a castle’s worth of jewelry to a fiancée selection ceremony? Even if she passed the other trials, she’d be marked down in the personality category.

“Let me see it.”

The staff hesitated and looked at Marianne, who quickly nodded at them. They held the dress up before me. The luxurious golden fabric—possibly woven with real gold—looked stunning against my pale skin.

Despite the embedded diamonds, the dress felt light. Lighter than what I usually wore.

“You really like this one?”

“Yes. It’s light and nice. The ceremony is in two days, so you can alter it to fit me by then, right?”

“I’ll make sure it’s ready by tomorrow.”

“I’ll pay for it after the selection ceremony. Is that alright?”

“The Lyshire family pays at the end of each month, so you needn’t worry about that, Lady.”

I hadn’t known that. Then again, my mother not only ordered my clothes here but also her own and the maids’ as well—monthly billing made sense.

Everything had gone perfectly—except for Marianne’s strangely unpleasant smile.