Chapter 26
“We can do it. There are five skilled seamstresses including me in this mansion. If we work all night, we can do it. Please let us make the wedding dress you’ve always dreamed of.”
All of a sudden, Rubica realized why Rosa was doing it.
‘She is pitying me.’
Preparation time of only a day and only two witnesses. It was way too simple for a duke’s wedding. Ann and Rosa wanted her to at least be dressed in the wedding dress she wanted, and Rubica could see that.
“Thank you... so much.”
Rubica smiled to them, and that smile was warm enough to melt any frozen heart.
“Then please, draw the wedding dress of your dream.” Ann believed she had gotten Rubica’s permission, so she pointed at the blank paper and asked.
Rubica stared at the white paper for some time.
‘... the wedding dress of my dream.’
In her last life, she hadn’t had any dowry at the age of 22. She had realized that she would never get to marry. Nevertheless, she sometimes imagined herself in a wedding dress.
A wedding dress made with the most expensive silk and decorated with flowers that were so beautiful that even nymphs from across the ocean would envy her.
However, after she came back in time and became 22 again, all her dreams about wedding dresses had vanished.
‘I don’t mind getting married in rags as long as it is Arman.’
However, she wasn’t getting married to Arman. Instead, she was about to marry Duke Claymore.
As it was a wedding with someone she didn’t want, she didn’t care about it at all. Whether it was simple or luxurious, it was none of her concern.
‘But...’
Looking at Ann and Rosa waiting with sparkling eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to say she was fine to wear anything.
She didn’t want to throw away their kindness.
‘What should I do?’
Then, she recalled a dress. One that hadn’t had the chance to show its true beauty. She had felt sorry for it when she found it in the closet. It had a beautiful silhouette, but it had been ruined by some decoration that was in fashion but wasn’t right for it.
Rubica looked down at the cushion on her lap. The symbol of the Claymore that had been embroidered on its corners had been done by the family’s seamstresses. That skill level would be more than enough to find the dress’ beauty.
Yes, if a dress had to be made, I should find its lost beauty.
“Um, how about fixing a dress we already have...”
“Fixing?”
“But wouldn’t it be better to make a new one?”
“Please don’t worry about us. We will work all night if needed.”
Rubica found Ann and Rosa willing to do anything for her very strange. It was weird indeed. She had thought people of such a prestigious family would be as cold as ice. Duke Claymore was cold as ice, but Ann and Rosa were different.
“However, it would be a problem if you fail to finish it on time. Also, people tend to make mistakes when working all night. Um, Rosa, we don’t have any... professional designer now, do we?”
Rosa’s face turned red.
“It is fine, we have some basic patterns. We won’t be able to do any experimental design, but we would be able to make the dress you want.”
“Oh, I wasn’t trying to be rude...”
“Please don’t say that. It is our joy to make the dress you want.”
Rosa was begging now, and Rubica knew how she was feeling. She had been so proud of herself when she did Angela’s hair.
It was a different joy from making yourself pretty.
‘... how should I convince them?’
Rubica decided it would not be easy to convince them with words since they were really afraid that she might not get to wear the dress she wanted.
Beauty might look extremely subjective, but it is objective at the same time. If Rosa saw the dress Rubica had found and heard her explanation, she was going to realize its hidden beauty. So, Rubica stood up.
“Let me show you the dress I want to wear.”
Ann and Rosa were surprised. Rubica then led them to the dressing room and opened the drawer full of formal dresses and took out the red dress she had found.
It had a unique elegant hue of the well-kept silk.
‘New silk cannot have this hue.’
But sadly, its laces didn’t match it and its sleeves were way too long. The seamstress who had made it must have added laces of the latest fashion to the old dress to prepare it quickly.
“Lady Berner, it is of good fabric, but...”
“It is not good enough to be your wedding dress. Wouldn’t this one be better?”
Ann chose a pale sky-blue dress with countless Retusa fringetree embroidered on it. It was beautiful indeed, but Rubica had excluded that dress in the beginning.
The wedding was supposed to take place at dusk. The color sky-blue wouldn’t match the light. In addition to that, Rubica’s milky white skin tended to turn to dirt-like color when met with that kind of pale sky-blue dress.
“I am not saying I will wear this unfixed... how about getting rid of these laces and ruffles, cut the sleeves short, make the front part as luxurious as possible with gold embroidery from the chest down to the knee, and leave the back blank to show the smoothness of the silk?”
Rubica excitedly explained, but she then paltered and glanced at Ann and Rosa. The seamstress studied the dress carefully.
Then she closed her eyes and tried to imagine the dress after the changes Rubica had just suggested.
‘It would be better to embroider big things than small things. Yes, the flower design in fashion now wouldn’t be right. The bold eagle pattern in that book from eastern kingdom we just got from desert merchants. Yes, it would do. If we embroider the center part, do her hair in a bouffant style, and make her wear the duchess’s tiara that is similar in color with the embroidery...’
“It would be beautiful.”
Rosa exclaimed before she even opened her eyes. Rubica was glad to see she was sharing her imagination. She was the head of the seamstresses who had worked for the Claymores for decades. Just being good at doing embroidery couldn’t have been enough to get that job. She had to have the ability of finding beauty better than anyone else’s.
“Yes, isn’t it beautiful Rosa?”
“Yes, just imagining it makes me happy. My, how could you think of such a design?”
“As for the pattern...”
“Wait, wait? Allow me to draw it first.”
Rosa hurriedly ran to the table on which the pen and paper were waiting. Rubica just smiled at seeing her run. Ann asked, quite confusedly, “Rosa closed her eyes... and then she suddenly yelled it was beautiful. What on earth did she see?”
“The real self of this dress.”
“The real self?”
Ann closed her eyes as well. Then, she tried to imagine.
As Rosa had done, she embroidered the red dress in front of her with a golden thread.
Small and detailed strawberry flower patterns that were in fashion now...
“But it’s not pretty.”
It might surprise you, but there are only a few people who can recognize real beauty.
So, Rubica just dragged her hand.
“Now, now, Mrs. Taylor. Please don’t be like that. Let us go to see what Rosa is drawing.”
“Lady Berner! You shouldn’t call me that!”
“Oh, right. Ann.”
This time, Ann didn’t miss Rubica’s mistake.
However, as Rubica warmly took her hand and dragged her along, she lost the will to get mad at her.
‘She is such a charming lady.’
historical
She had ordinary brown hair and auburn eyes. Her skin wasn’t pale white that was one of the requirements of a beautiful lady nowadays but just white as milk.
But when Rubica smiled brightly, it was like the sunlight was coming through the shadowed window and a new bud was coming up in the cold frost.
It had the power of melting the watchers’ hearts and making them smile together.
Ann was drunk on her smile and forgot to be mad. She just followed Rubica and soon arrived at the table.
“Lady Berner, please look at this? How is it?”
In the meantime, Rosa had finished roughly sketching the embroidery design. Rubica smiled brightly at seeing it. The sketch was even bolder and more beautiful than she had imagined.
“Oh, it’s so pretty. Ann, look at this.”
“... oh.”
Ann blinked with her two eyes and looked at the sketch again. Then, she looked at it yet again. Soon, joy started to appear in her grey eyes as well.
“Oh, my!”
Luckily, she wasn’t completely ignorant in fashion. Given the right lead, she could see the dress’ real beauty.
“Oh my... Lady Berner, I think the antique dress’ luster and this embroidery will match well.”
“Yes, Ann. You are right, new silk doesn’t have that elegance. I am sure of that, it would be better to repair the dress than to make a new one. It will be much more beautiful.”
“... then you will not have to work all night, right?”
Ann and Rosa laughed at this.
“Of course. A few hours of work will be enough.”
“A few hours?”
“We don’t have time to waste here!”
Rosa was already excited. She took the dress and ran to her colleagues, leaving her basket behind. Rubica was a little surprised while Ann warmly took her hand.
“Well, now that we have decided on the dress, shall we go to see the jewels?”
Rubica’s surprise vanished at that offer. Instead, she brightened up. Now she had the chance to see the treasures of the Claymore Family.