Since the party hosted by Lexion Duchy was scheduled to take place in a few days, the Portrion Mansion was bustling with untimely party preparations.

“Reinhardt, convey my gratitude to Lady. Thanks to calling the designer in advance, the dresses could be adjusted.”

When Helen spoke, Reinhardt also smiled softly.

“There were quite a few dresses canceled in the middle of the process due to the state of Gavon, fortunately. It’s a relief that we didn’t end up going to the party with dresses that don’t suit a gathering of high nobles.”

“If it were Portrion, we’d have gone with whatever was available. Spending precious taxes on such things is ridiculous.”

“But if the lord doesn’t observe the formalities, won’t it bring shame to the domain residents? The money you use is the private asset of Lady Portrion, not the budget, so it’s okay.”

“Is that so…”

Helen remembered Lady Gray emphasizing how important attire and accessories were in the social circles of the capital.

Although she didn’t particularly enjoy wearing voluminous dresses, if enduring a bit of discomfort could bring luck to the domain, she was willing.

“Then, give the final check on the escort for the party.”

Helen said so and entered the large reception room. There, mannequins brought by the designers, dresses, and numerous accessories were laid out.

Among them, what stood out was Edith, trying on a newly tailored dress.

“Oh, Lady Portrion. This year’s trendy dress suits you very well.”

“If you wear this shawl too, you can surely make an indelible impression on everyone’s minds as Lady Portrion.”

The seamstresses were expressing their satisfaction while presenting various headpieces, including lace, to her rich blonde hair.

In Helen’s eyes, Edith radiated so much brightness that it couldn’t be thought of as a dress hastily bought after being canceled by someone else’s order.

‘Balter seems to know why he’s spending money on Edith.’

Helen had told her to consider it as compensation for the time spent imprisoned in Portrion.

But in reality, Helen, who hadn’t even played with dolls in her difficult childhood, was using Edith, who looked like a drawing even with roughly fitting clothes, to fill a secret desire.

“I’m glad it suits you well. Thank you for making it a comfortable dress to move in.”

Edith, who was not revealing her pregnancy during the fitting process, was expressing her gratitude while sweeping her chest.

‘For a first child, it seems that the belly doesn’t show much. ‘

As it was, with the lower belly slightly showing, people wouldn’t suspect anything even if she indulged in delicious snacks in the capital.

At this rate, without taking the medicine to hide the signs of pregnancy obtained from Sulliban, it seemed she could deceive people until she was five months pregnant.
Not familiar with corsets, she nearly fainted, so when she lied that the corset was uncomfortable, the designers changed the direction to a rich dress that wasn’t tightly fitted and added a shawl.

Thanks to that, the dress she wore was relatively comfortable yet had a splendid taste.

‘I wonder how Balter will react when he sees her like that.’

While wearing her own dress, Helen glanced at Edith. Lately, some people, including her, at Portrion Mansion had been observing the two as if reading a serialized novel in the newspaper. It was a sort of shared hobby.

It was quite amusing to watch Balter, who was once as sharp and imposing as a wounded beast when he just joined the mercenary corps, completely transform into a different person when dealing with Edith.

Helen could finally see Balter’s reaction, which she had been anticipating, on the day of the Lexion Duchy’s party.

“Shall we start…?”

Balter, who was urging them to move while saying something, stopped in his tracks when he spotted Edith wearing gloves with long sleeves and a shawl.

Edith was wearing a dress made of ivory-colored fabric with splendid gold embroidery. Every time she carefully descended the stairs, the swaying of the voluminous skirt resembled a handful of flowers.

Balter couldn’t take his eyes off her, as if he were seeing a woman in a dress for the first time in his life. Whenever Edith brushed her hair aside, thoughts of the strict things one could do in a dress flashed through his mind, leaving him bewildered.

“Balter, your hairstyle is different today.”

Edith noticed Balter only after almost coming down the stairs. She was extremely cautious, fearing the child might get hurt if she stumbled and fell.

However, unlike usual, when he was neatly dressed and had his hair combed, she wondered why she hadn’t noticed him before.

Even though he was wearing the same clothes as the other guards, there was an illusion that light radiated only from Balter.

“It suits you well.”

Edith acknowledged and, to avoid getting noticed while her chest was throbbing, walked towards the carriage with a slight sway.

Vivian and Cassius, who had been watching from a distance, enjoyed the tingling sensation as if they were the ones teasing each other.