Chapter 17
Of course, undressing and trying on clothes here wasn’t ideal for Evina either. But these were used dresses, made to fit their previous owners. Buying without trying was impossible.
Something might be too big, too short, or too tight. She had to check.
The woman frowned, glanced over the stack of dresses Therese had gathered, and shut the door without a word.
Left in the cold, dark storage room, they could clearly hear the woman grumbling as she tidied the fitting room.
“No money and yet she still comes here. Why not just glance and buy? She just has to try them on… Look how many there are.”
The woman let out a loud sigh, as if she meant for them to hear, then yanked the door open again.
“Do you really have to try them all on?”
“…Excuse me?”
“I mean, it’s late. Do you really need to try on every single one? You’ve seen plenty of secondhand dresses. You could just eyeball it, couldn’t you? I’m really tired…”
“Then I’ll come back tomorrow with Viscount Derise. He might hate spending money on dresses, but he can’t stand having his pride crushed. What’s your name?”
“…There’s no need for that. Come this way.”
They said the age of status and rank had become meaningless before money, and Viscount Derise was famously a nouveau riche.
His family had been nothing to look at until his generation, but a business he dabbled in as a young man had struck gold, landing him on a pile of money overnight.
Though he was also famous for never spending a single coin on his wife, thirty years his junior.
But if Evina’s words proved true and the Viscount set his mind to it with wounded pride, ruining a commoner was nothing.
With a sour face, the woman who guided them didn’t even bother hanging the dresses. She dumped them roughly on the sofa and left the fitting room.
Therese let out a sigh.
“I’ll go get the dress accessories.”
“…Thank you, Therese.”
“Don’t mention it, my lady. Let’s finish up quickly and go home.”
She swiftly moved behind Evina and began untying the cords cinching her waist.
With each thick cord that came loose with a pop, a snap, her slender body flinched.
“Shall I help you undress?”
“No.”
Evina shook her head.
“I can do it myself. Go on.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Therese left, and alone now, Evina finished untying the remaining cords.
The dress slipped down her shoulders and fell softly to the floor with a quiet thud.
Evina stepped out of the dress, tidied the fallen clothes, and picked up one of the dresses she had chosen.
It was a modest dress she had suspected, while browsing, she would likely end up picking, barring any issues.
A basic design that didn’t chase trends, but the fabric wasn’t too thin or cheap. It was sturdy.
She guessed it had probably belonged to a middle-aged noblewoman.
She stepped into the dress and slowly pulled it up. The heavy fabric wrapped around her body.
She slipped her arms in one at a time, held the chest part so it wouldn’t slip, and examined herself in the mirror.
Not bad.
She waited for Therese, but she didn’t return as quickly as expected.
The accessories that matched the dress were all jumbled together, stored carelessly without any sorting. They were hard to find.
She felt sorry for Therese, probably getting glared at while searching alone for the accessories, and wondered if she should have gone with her. Then, the weight of the dress became too much, and Evina sat on the sofa.
She was checking the hem for any rips or tears when the door opened behind her.
Thinking it was Therese, she stood up.
Holding the chest of the dress, she slowly turned toward the mirror. And froze solid, unable to even scream.
He was a very large man.
Tall, with a big build.
Black hair, thick brows, sharp but not fierce eyes, a prominent nose, and a cool jawline.
Broad shoulders, a thick chest, a firm waist, and long legs that stretched down.
In the mirror, the man studied Evina with heated eyes. Her golden hair and golden eyes, her small shoulders and rising chest, and the bare back exposed through the gaping dress.
“Wh-who…”
She had been so startled her heart nearly stopped. She barely pulled herself together and tried to speak.
“Evina.”
The man’s voice was very low and rich.
It couldn’t be called soft, not by any stretch, but it was solid and powerful.
“Evina Siollier, is it?”
It was strange.
The moment she heard his voice, something deep inside her belly suddenly hummed.
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