“My goodness, it’s perfect. My lady, you are the perfect creation to fulfill my creative desires! Bravo!”

Madame Lachapelle clapped as she looked at Riena wearing the newly made dress for the imperial banquet. Noah, sitting quietly in his chair, joined in the applause.

“Sister, you look incredibly beautiful!”

“Really?”

“Yes! You look like a real angel!”

“Thank you.”

“Young master, you have excellent taste as well.”

Noah squirmed shyly at Madame Lachapelle’s compliment.

She examined Riena’s dress more closely.

“Fortunately, the dress fits perfectly to my lady’s body line. No one could make it more perfect than this, unless they were a god.”

“Of course. Who could match Madame’s skills?”

Riena chimed in, and Madame Lachapelle laughed loudly.

“Let’s see. The dress needs no further adjustments and can be finished as is. Next is hair and makeup…”

She scrutinized Riena from a distance.

“Keeping your hair down like now would be good, but I think braiding it into one and adding hair ornaments would be better. To show off your perfect neckline and collarbone.”

Madame Lachapelle quickly braided Riena’s hair to demonstrate. She met Riena’s eyes in the mirror and asked,

“How is it? Isn’t it pretty?”

Amy answered instead.

“It suits the young miss so well! I think the braided hair looks good too.”

“And we’ll sprinkle pearl powder on the collarbone area. So it can subtly shine and show off its charm under the chandelier light. What do you think, Miss Carrot?”

“It sounds beautiful. Then we should prepare the pearl powder.”

Riena honestly thought it might be a bit excessive, but kept quiet. Madame Lachapelle knew the capital’s trends better than anyone, and Riena was aware that she needed to stand out for Winckler’s sake.

Everyone would be focusing on her anyway, and if there were any flaws or if she looked shabby, there would be gossip behind her back.

Madame Lachapelle inserted the accessories she brought into Riena’s braided hair. Then she marveled at her own work.

“Ah, it’s really good. If the Duke sees this, he’ll fall in love all over again. By the way, when is the Duke coming? He should try on his outfit too.”

“He said he’d be here soon. Ah, I think he’s here now!”

As Amy said, a knock sounded in the reception room. When she opened the door, Cassel appeared.

“Welcome, Your Grace. We were just eagerly waiting for you.”

Madame Lachapelle grabbed Riena’s shoulders from behind and turned her body towards Cassel.

Cassel, who had been walking slowly, stopped in his tracks as if time had frozen. His dazed gaze fixed on Riena’s face.

Madame Lachapelle chuckled again.

“I understand. Even to my eyes she looks so beautiful, how much more lovely must she look to you, Your Grace? No, that’s not right.”

Madame Lachapelle clapped her hands once.

“Miss Carrot. Let’s give the Duke and the young lady some time.”

She led the staff out of the reception room first. Amy also took Noah’s hand and followed them.

After the door closed, only Riena and Cassel remained in the large reception room. And still, Cassel made no movement.

“Um… Cass?”

Only after Riena called his name did he start walking again, as if given permission.

While staying at the mansion, she had countless conversations alone with Cassel. The time with him that was awkward at first gradually became comfortable, and now she even looked forward to it inwardly.

But strangely, this moment felt very unfamiliar.

It was different from that awkward, suffocating feeling when she first met with him alone. Rather, her heart was racing too much, and all her nerves were on edge towards Cassel, unable to calm down.

“You’re a bit late.”

Riena managed to speak with an awkward smile, but he didn’t give any answer.

Before she knew it, he had come right up to her and stroked the hair that had fallen onto her cheek.

“It’s my first time seeing your hair braided.”

“That’s right. I don’t often braid my hair, so it’s been a while since I’ve had this hairstyle. Come to think of it, you probably saw it when I was young.”

“Yes. I did see it then, but it’s the first time since we’ve reunited.”

“That’s true.”

Riena awkwardly twisted her hair.

“Is it okay? Madame Lachapelle and Amy said it suits me well, but I feel quite awkward.”

“Really…”

After catching his breath for a moment, he continued.

“Really, you’re beautiful.”

Unlike his usually plain voice, it was a voice strangely tinged with heat.

It wasn’t just his voice. His gaze looking at Riena, and the touch of his hand on her cheek were also hot.

Riena’s face naturally flushed.

“…Then that’s good. I guess we’ll go with this hairstyle for the banquet.”

“…”

Cassel didn’t say anything more and silently observed Riena. She felt as if she was being stripped bare wherever his gaze touched.

It was embarrassing, but somehow that feeling wasn’t unpleasant.

Eventually, his hand moved from Riena’s cheek to her ear. He tucked the hair that had slightly come loose from the hasty braid behind her ear.

It probably wasn’t intentional, but his fingers brushed against her earlobe. It was really just a trivial touch, but Riena flinched for a moment, feeling strange.

“I already knew you were beautiful, but to think you’d be this pretty…”

His hand slowly moved downward. The hot body temperature passed her neckline, heading towards her collarbone.

He seemed unaware of his own actions. However, the reason Riena didn’t stop him was because there was a different emotion in his eyes instead of unpleasant lust.

It was a pure and plain affection that couldn’t simply be called a man’s natural desire towards the opposite sex. It seemed to contain respect or awe as well.

At this moment, Riena felt like a woman deeply loved by Cassel. To be honest, she felt good about his attitude, but she couldn’t bear it any longer.

She finally couldn’t stand his hot gaze and pushed his shoulders. It wasn’t a very strong force, but Cassel obediently stepped back.

“Everyone’s waiting. You should try on your outfit quickly too.”

“Ah…”

He showed a regretful expression but soon walked over and opened the door.

Madame Lachapelle, who had been waiting outside, observed the two with a curious look.

“If you’ve talked enough, shall we move on to the Duke’s turn?”

The male staff member Madame Lachapelle had specially brought today guided Cassel to the dressing room.

By the time she had managed to calm her rapidly beating heart and cool her flushed face, Cassel came back in.

Riena unconsciously parted her lips slightly at the sight of his formal attire she was seeing for the first time.

She understood why Cassel had looked at her with that expression earlier. From Cassel’s perspective, she was probably making a similar expression.

Her heart, which she had barely managed to calm, started racing wildly again.

She already knew Cassel was handsome. He was so stunning that she would stare at him in a daze even when he was wearing a rain-soaked hood with his hair messily disheveled.

Of course, the casual shirt he usually wore suited him well too.

But the splendid formal attire that Madame Lachapelle confidently said she had poured her entire soul into really made Cassel stand out.

His hair wasn’t specially styled and was left slightly disheveled, but that unkempt look strangely exuded a wild atmosphere.

“Oh, you look so wonderful! Bravo!”

Only when Madame Lachapelle clapped and cheered beside her did Riena break free from the spell Cassel had cast.

Madame Lachapelle made a rectangle shape with her thumbs and index fingers, then looked at Cassel and Riena through it.

“How can there be such a perfect pair? You two will definitely be the stars of this banquet. Yes, of course.”

After showering them with praise to the point of embarrassing the listeners, she concluded that Cassel’s clothes had no issues either.

“The chest and waist areas are a bit tighter than intended, perhaps because your muscles have grown, but that actually accentuates your charm well, Your Grace. Then I’ll finish up like this and visit you again on the day of the banquet.”

After Riena and Cassel changed back into their clothes, Madame Lachapelle and her staff left the mansion with the outfits.

In an instant, only Riena and Cassel were left in the reception room again.

“Thank you for making time despite being busy. I’ll see you at dinner after finishing my work.”

As Riena greeted him and tried to leave the reception room, Cassel grabbed her hand.

“Do you know that we have to dance at the banquet?”

“Of course. That’s the basics of a party. Even if not with others, you must have the first dance with your partner.”

“Then…”

Cassel swallowed dryly.

“How about practicing once before we go to the banquet?”