Chapter 12
After that, there was still a mountain of preparations left. Several maids gathered around to work carefully on Anne’s hair and makeup. Catherine also left to prepare herself.
Anne blinked at herself in the mirror. It felt awkward to say out loud, but she really did look too pretty. Really, overwhelmingly pretty. Of course, she still couldn’t compare to Marilyn.
Her waist had been pulled in so tightly that she had barely managed to eat lunch. It already felt like more than enough, but the accessorizing still wasn’t finished. Just as Anne was starting to grow tired, a maid rushed into the room in a hurry.
“He’s here!”
“Huh?”
“His Highness the Prince has arrived! Shall I show him in?”
The room became noisy in an instant. The maids’ eyes all sparkled at once. During the long engagement period, the number of times the prince had visited the Avery mansion could be counted on one hand.
Anne quickly checked the clock. She had asked him to escort her, but that only meant she hoped he would arrive before the party began. She hadn’t expected him to come this early. What should she do? Anne opened her mouth in confusion.
“Um, here… no, no, please show him to the drawing room.”
“Yes!”
Three maids answered at the same time. Then they glared at each other as if competing. If left alone, they looked ready to rush over together just to see the prince. The maid who had first announced his arrival quickly raised her voice.
“I’ll go!”
Before anyone could stop her, she ran out of the room. The remaining maids looked at the open door with envious expressions.
Anne let out a heavy sigh. They probably didn’t know what the prince’s personality was really like beneath that polished exterior. She spoke in a tired voice.
“Could you finish up? I think I should go down soon.”
“Yes!”
The maids refocused on her. Thinking they would be accompanying their young lady downstairs, they hurried their work.
Thanks to that, her preparations were finished quickly. Anne took her shawl and fan and left the room. As she slowly descended the central staircase, she saw Logan standing awkwardly in the lobby.
“Why are you standing there?”
“It’s comfortable here.”
Logan tilted his head crookedly and looked up at her from the bottom of the stairs. The moment their eyes met, his handsome brow twisted in displeasure. There was no trace of affection for his fiancée anywhere in his gaze.
But Anne didn’t care much. When had he ever been different? In fact, it was almost strange that he had come so willingly today. She calmly walked down the stairs.
Only then did his outfit catch her eye. A navy formal uniform tailored perfectly to his body. It certainly suited a prince and a male lead, but the problem was the color. On days like this, it was customary for partners to match their tones.
“Your clothes…”
“Ah, I forgot.”
Logan replied casually. He didn’t even bother to pretend properly. Forgetting was an absurd excuse. She hadn’t told him the color to begin with, and the royal chamberlain was not someone who would forget such a thing. In other words, he had deliberately chosen a different color from hers.
It really was childish.
Anne hesitated for a moment. She had two choices right now. Either attend the party like this in mismatched outfits, or go change her dress.
“Hmm…”
Considering people’s attention, the latter would be the right choice. But Anne didn’t really want to do that. Setting aside the fact that changing would take time, the dress she was wearing had been specially made for today.
Well, maybe it didn’t matter. Seeing the effort he had put into wearing a different color, it seemed fine to stay as she was. It wasn’t their engagement ceremony or wedding today, after all. If she appeared at her own coming-of-age party in an old dress, the Duke and Duchess of Avery would surely feel hurt. Having made her decision, Anne spoke indifferently.
“Yes, well. Suit yourself.”
Logan’s blue eyes wavered. That wasn’t the reaction he had expected. Even if she didn’t cry and protest, he had at least expected her to show some sign of being upset. Maybe make a fuss about changing her clothes right away.
But Anne wasn’t as petty as he had expected. Well, it couldn’t be helped. Just that much. She turned and spoke toward the maids who were hiding behind a pillar and watching the two of them.
“Where are Father and Mother?”
“Pardon?”
“Didn’t you tell them His Highness has arrived?”
“A-Ah, yes! We’ll tell them right away!”
The maids finally ran off in a rush. Watching them go, Anne let out another sigh. With his status as a prince and the male lead’s charm added on top of it, their reaction was only natural.
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