I Transmigrated into the Nameverse, and My Name Came with a Time Limit - Chapter 18

If he really thought it was his Name, then things seemed to fit together somehow. If that guess was truly correct, wouldn’t that actually be a good thing? It meant she would have many chances to interact with Leonhardt without having to cling to him herself. Then, while those opportunities arose, she could determine whether he truly was her Name pair.

But something still felt unsettling inside.

‘It’s good if he misunderstands like that… but why is he helping me?’

When she thought about it calmly, it was a little strange. Even if he assumed that Name was his, there was no real reason for Leonhardt to help her. Just earlier he had criticized her harshly for being coldly rejected, yet now he had openly declared her his partner in front of countless people.

People glanced at Mina with openly contemptuous eyes, as if she had approached him with impure intentions. She also had no idea how she should explain this to Duke Wittgen and Gisella. On top of that, remembering Leopold’s furious expression and Rose’s mocking face made her head throb.

While her mind churned with complicated thoughts, the carriage eventually arrived at the ducal residence. She couldn’t even recall in what state of mind she had parted from Leonhardt and returned to her room.

With a sigh, Mina slowly crawled into her bed. It had truly been an eventful day.

* * *

The surprising news that the protagonist of the festival had taken his former childhood friend as his partner during the festival quickly spread throughout the Berg Empire. It was already an enormous scandal that one family had produced two fiancées of the Crown Prince. And now the eldest daughter, who had been cast aside, had become the partner of a war hero!

Although it wasn’t a marriage proposal and was only a partner arrangement for a few days, Grand Duke Tessen was the only Grand Duke in the Empire who carried the imperial bloodline. On top of that, this outrageously handsome man was still unmarried!

If things went well, it could even be a tremendous opportunity to aim for the position of Grand Duchess. Naturally, everyone kept a close watch on the movements of the two of them with great interest.

Rattle!

When the carriage finally stopped, Leonhardt stepped down first and extended a hand to Mina. Awkwardly stepping onto the ground, she realized that the place where she had arrived was a luxurious street lined with the most expensive boutiques in the capital, Kisling. Her eyes widened in shock.

“Huh? This place…?”

“From now on, the official partner of Grand Duke Tessen needs attire that suits the position.”

Leonhardt answered bluntly as he led her forward. The place they entered was the most famous boutique in the Empire, ‘Amaryllis’. Even the most prominent nobles, not to mention the greatest aristocrats, were desperate to have their clothes tailored here.

Mina hesitantly followed Leonhardt inside, and her eyes widened. A faint fragrance drifted through the shop’s interior as the madame of Amaryllis hurried out and bowed gracefully.

“Welcome, Your Highness the Grand Duke! We have been expecting you.”

Leonhardt nodded indifferently, then slightly lifted Mina’s hand, which he had been holding while escorting her, and spoke.

“Something that suits her.”

“Oh my, it is clothing for the Ducal Lady. I will prepare the design that suits her best. Please wait a moment.”

Mina nervously hurried after Leonhardt as he walked into the shop with a calm expression. Inside, all kinds of dresses were displayed, and even the interior decorations were extremely luxurious. Dresses, jewelry, shoes, and accessories of every kind surrounded them, enough to make her eyes spin.

The madame first served the two of them fragrant, high quality tea. Then she immediately began bringing out all kinds of dresses for Mina according to Leonhardt’s command.

“Please come this way. I will help you change. I have prepared pieces that will suit you perfectly.”

Following the madame’s guidance, Mina walked toward the fitting room. As she entered, a variety of dazzling dresses greeted her, each boasting luxurious fabrics and delicate details. For a moment, overwhelmed by the splendor before her eyes, Mina froze in place.

“I will help you undress first.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes…!”

One extravagant dress after another, the kind a heroine in a film might wear, wrapped around Mina’s body. The soft, expensive fabrics and brilliantly colored dresses came in countless designs that delighted the eye.

Each time a bold style was placed on her, with the back deeply cut open or the shoulders daringly exposed, Mina gasped in surprise.

‘I already had trouble getting used to the dresses in this world, but designs this bold…’

However, what troubled her the most was the fact that Leonhardt personally inspected every outfit she tried on. Sitting comfortably on the sofa and sipping tea, he commented on each one whenever she came out of the dressing room.

‘Seriously, is this really the same man who spent all his time on the northern battlefield?’

Mina felt irritation rising at the blunt evaluation, but strangely enough most of his opinions were correct, so she couldn’t argue back.