“Father…… So you knew about this?”

“……”

However, when she met Gaizen’s eyes, who was trembling his lips without giving any answer, her heart sank once again.

“Did Father really know everything?”

Unable to close her mouth at the unbelievable and tragic reality, Biare could only stare at him blankly.

“……”

As she watched Gaizen, who still insisted on silence without saying anything, she felt suffocated, as if her breath was caught.

Although it was hard to bear why such things were happening only to her, she was trying her best to face the desperate facts properly.

Looking back, happiness for her was something that seemed within reach but quickly disappeared like a mirage.

It felt as if the emptiness and pain that remained after the happy times endlessly lingered around her.

“I’m so angry that I’ve been ignorant all this time.”

“Elder sister……”

“I really don’t understand. You, and Father……”

Above all, Biare was so angry at herself for not knowing anything that she couldn’t bear it.

She tried to hide her trembling fists, but she couldn’t hide the voice that carried her emotions.

“Are you really the person I knew?”

Gaizen, looking at her who was more pale than usual, couldn’t say anything.

His eyes were also as bloodshot as Biare’s, and he kept showing unstable behavior before mumbling.

“I’m sorry, elder sister. I have nothing more to say.”

He deliberately got up from his seat, fearing he might blurt out something if he stayed with his sister any longer.

“I need to go now.”

In the end, Gaizen didn’t give her the answer she wanted. He was just maintaining absolute silence.

As Biare remained lost in thought with a gloomy expression, Manolin, worried about her, carefully observed her and asked.

“Young lady, shouldn’t we start preparing the clothes for the autumn social season?”

Normally, madams would have already visited the duke’s residence with catalogs, but since work on the social season dresses had already begun, it would be overwhelming for them to visit in person.

Therefore, they had to visit the dressmaker’s shop two or three months before the social season started to order dresses.

Yet, Manolin seemed to be getting impatient due to Biare’s lingering leisure.

This autumn social season also included Biare’s first birthday banquet since her debutante, so her enthusiasm seemed to be overflowing already.

After pondering for a moment at Manolin’s suggestion to go out, Biare nodded, not wanting to be buried in thoughts all day.

“Alright, it would be good to take a look in person.”

“Then I’ll tell Diane to prepare for going out.”

“Why aren’t you coming along, Manolin?”

“That child would know better than me in many ways.”

In fact, Diane’s skills, who was in charge of Biare’s outfits, were no less than those of the imperial court’s designated outfit designers.

It was not easy to see dresses and various jewels popular in the empire with one’s own eyes unless one was a noble’s attendant.

Therefore, Manolin might have wanted to give opportunities to young maids with innate talent rather than to herself with more experience.

After finishing preparations to go out, Biare got on the carriage, saying she would only take Tonio as an escort since she was going with Diane.

There were two knights who looked disappointed at this, but there was nothing they could do about it.

The carriage interior would be too cramped for three large men and two women to ride.

Most of the dressmaker’s shops in the capital of Arkan were located on ‘Lanvin Art Street’, which could be reached by taking a path opposite to the capital square.

The Marta Empire spared no expense in supporting artists, even establishing an art academy in the capital and sponsoring enormous amounts.

As a result, all fields of art including fine arts, music, and literature were attracting attention by responding well to the times compared to other countries.

Art galleries and museums showcasing the pinnacle of imperial culture, opera houses and theaters, dressmaker’s shops and salons for nobles, and other eye-catching attractions were gathered together on Lanvin Art Street.

After becoming popular among the younger generation and establishing itself as a date course for couples, the street’s commercial district became even more vibrant.

Biare had visited this place with Dension in the past. Although it ended up being neither here nor there after they eventually quarreled…….

The frequent quarrels with Dension before the regression were because they didn’t know how to express love honestly.

She truly loved her lover, but it was difficult and frightening to confirm the other person’s feelings that could be compared to her own.

That’s why she doubted, misunderstood, and couldn’t trust love.

‘I guess I couldn’t fully trust the love you spoke of.’

Those petty thoughts would have taken pure love as a deficiency, and would have been the pretext for him to decide to break up.

Even if it was a trivial emotional game played with worthless pride and stubbornness, it was still a precious memory for Biare.

A bitter smile lingered on Biare’s lips for a moment, and the carriage was running towards the vast plain that stretched out.

Once they passed this plain, Lanvin Art Street, loved by all artists, would soon reveal itself.

“Young lady, we’re about to arrive, they say.”

Tonio immediately informed Biare after hearing the coachman’s message, and she said while putting on a wide-brimmed bonnet.

“Alright, let’s get ready to get off.”

Biare, who got off the carriage holding the knight’s hand, began to stroll through the art street while holding the parasol prepared by Diane.

Befitting a hot summer day, strong sunlight was pouring down on the street, and that heat remained densely on the ground.

Beads of sweat were forming on Tonio’s forehead, who couldn’t wear light clothes because he was on duty despite the hot weather.

Watching this, Biare hurried her steps and whispered to Diane in a voice only she could hear.

“Let’s have the clothes made only at Florman’s dressmaker’s shop.”

“Yes, young lady. But is it alright not to visit other places?”

She seemed quite disappointed, wanting to visit various dressmaker’s shops since they had come all this way.

No matter how renowned Florman’s dressmaker’s shop was in the empire, it was by no means the best dressmaker’s shop.

Moreover, since it was Biare’s first social season after her debutante, Diane looked puzzled, having been repeatedly told by Manolin that they should prepare with extra care.

However, to Biare, who had already chosen and worn dresses numerous times before the regression, these were just out-of-fashion things that held no interest to her eyes.

She had probably just visited this place without any particular intention since she had her birthday banquet dress made here before as well.

“Madam Louise’s dressmaker’s shop is enough.”

The maid had no way of knowing that choosing dozens of dresses now held little meaning for Biare.

In the end, having to follow the young lady’s wishes, Diane said she would go ahead to Florman’s dressmaker’s shop.

Showing determination to secure even one more dress by visiting the dressmaker’s shop as soon as possible.

Since it was practically right in front of them anyway, Biare shook her head with an insipid smile and looked at Tonio indifferently.

“Go wait inside the carriage.”

“No, young lady.”

“There will only be women there when we go in, are you sure you’ll be alright?”

Although she said it like that, Biare was actually worried about her escort knight.

Recognizing her goodwill, Tonio bowed his head and said.

“Thank you, young lady. Then I’ll have the carriage waiting three hours later.”

“Do so.”

Even from the outside, Florman’s dressmaker’s shop reflected in the glass was already crowded with people.

As they entered, a clerk who had been notified in advance of the princess’s visit was waiting, and soon guided her to the innermost reception room.

Diane, who had arrived earlier, seemed to be examining catalog books quite carefully and meticulously.

Upon spotting Biare, she greeted her with a bright smile.

“Young lady, I’ve pre-selected a few catalogs.”

“I see. Good work.”

“But where is Sir Tonio?”

“He’ll be resting in the carriage and come to pick us up three hours later.”

Only then did Diane seem to realize her consideration, and kept smiling, seemingly deeply moved by Biare’s thoughtfulness towards them.

“Young lady……”

Feeling awkward at that reaction, Biare looked indifferently at her maid and said.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing. I think we can choose the tea party dress from this catalog without any problem.”

As if thinking that repaying the young lady’s kindness was to do her best in her role, Diane showed the dresses she had pre-selected.

After quickly examining them, Biare nodded in satisfaction.

“It seems so. Let’s go with this.”

“Young lady, wouldn’t it be better to check in person?”

“It’s fine. This is enough.”

Seeming more disappointed than Biare, who didn’t appear very interested in the clothes, she quickly flipped through the pages, scanning the catalog.

“Then please add this dress and that shawl as well.”

Diane called a clerk and explained the dresses from the pre-selected catalogs, and the clerk quickly wrote them down.

As she meticulously went through other necessary fabrics and jewels to be embroidered on the dresses, order forms were piling up in no time.

‘This should be enough to last not just autumn, but even winter.’

Biare couldn’t help but laugh at Diane’s passionate demeanor, but she just left her to do as she wished.