Chapter 44
“Aaaaaah!”
The glass display case shattered with a deafening crash, as if sliced by an invisible blade.
Jewelry—brooches, buttons, and accessories—spilled across the floor, mixed with sharp shards of glass.
“Susan! What the hell are you doing?!”
A middle-aged man with a monocle stormed out from behind a curtain, his voice booming with rage.
“Did you just break the display case? Did you hit it with your fist?!”
“I-I didn’t do anything! I swear! It must’ve been her—she used magic!”
“Magic?”
Odette shook her head at the man.
“I’m no magician. Are you the owner?”
“Yes, I am. I don’t know what just happened, but please get to the point.”
Rude.
He was just as unpleasant as his employee.
Should I just walk out and let this place go bankrupt?
But just then, the owner groaned, gripping his hair in frustration.
“Damn it, some of the buttons and accessories are scratched. This is a disaster. There’s an engagement ceremony in just a week! I was hoping to impress the groom and secure him as a client!”
An engagement in a week?
If there was another noble in Hohan District getting engaged at the same time, it would be a surprise.
The person the owner was talking about was likely Caesar Maes.
“You wouldn’t happen to be talking about Count Caesar Maes, would you?”
Odette casually guessed.
The owner stiffened.
“H-How did you know? The news hasn’t even spread across Hohan District yet! Oh! You must be invited to his engagement!”
“Something like that. I’ll be linking arms with him during the ceremony, after all.”
“W-What?! Then—could it be? Are you the Andersons’ newly adopted daughter?!”
High-end boutiques spent good money on information.
Clearly, this owner had paid a guild to receive updates, which explained how he knew about Caesar’s upcoming marriage before it was public knowledge.
“That’s right. That would be me.”
“Oh, my heavens! This is an honor! Please, my lady, allow us the privilege of making your gown for the engagement!”
“That might be difficult. You see, your employee just mocked me—said I was being sold off like some bride-for-sale. Do you really expect me to commission a dress from a place that insults its clients?”
The color drained from the owner’s face.
“S-Sold off?! Susan, have you completely lost your mind?!”
Thud!
Susan fell to her knees.
“I am so sorry! I had no idea you were Lord Caesar Maes’s fiancée!”
The owner dropped beside her, bowing his head in desperation.
“It was my failure as a business owner to not properly train my staff. Please, allow us to atone by making your gown as a gift!”
Not just the gown—
They were offering jewelry, accessories, shoes, a fan, and even a matching cloak.
All free of charge.
I could sell those for a fortune.
Besides, this was just a ceremonial engagement.
Fine. I’ll take it.
In the end, Odette decided to stay and have her dress made at this boutique.
“My lady, please, allow me to escort you to the VIP suite.”
Inside, rows of exquisite gowns lined the walls, each one meticulously crafted.
The owner gestured gracefully as he spoke.
“We will tailor the dress to your exact measurements. Please, select one that pleases you.”
“Any recommendations?”
“How about this one?”
A gown of pure white satin, embroidered with silver roses, was presented before her.
“Elegant, yet dignified,” Odette mused.
“It would be even more stunning with diamonds.”
“A lot.”
“Pardon?”
“Cover it in diamonds. As many as possible.”
“Ah, of course! There are many types of diamonds—I will bring samples right away!”
As the owner left the room, Odette slipped into the fitting area.
“Ugh, I thought I was going to suffocate.”
Her heart had been heavy and burning from the excess divine energy pooling inside her.
But the moment she extracted it into orbs, she felt lighter.
In just a few moments, she had produced enough divine orbs to fill an entire glass bottle.
“This power keeps growing… beyond control.”
She had shattered a display case with just a flick of her finger.
If she truly unleashed her strength…
Could I bring down an entire mountain?
Odette wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and stepped back out.
“Huh? I feel like I’ve seen this dress before…”
She was looking at an emerald green gown, unfinished, its back still unstitched.
It was impossible that she had seen anyone wear it— But for some reason, it felt eerily familiar.
Just as she reached out to touch it— “Odette, please, wake up.”
A vision struck her like lightning.
She saw Caesar Maes kneeling beside her, his face pale with desperation.
His hands trembled as he buried his face in her lifeless fingers, whispering in anguish.
And in that vision— She was wearing a dress exactly like this one.
What is this?
For a moment, Odette wondered if she was dreaming.
She lifted her hand and cast a shadow, watching as the sunlight streaming through the window created a dark outline on the opposite wall.
This isn’t a dream.
Besides, she had just been downstairs with several other people.
A vision had suddenly appeared in her mind—
A terrifyingly vivid one, where she seemed to be on the brink of death.
“Am I going to die?”
A cold shiver crawled down her spine at the thought.
“I should sit down for a moment.”
Just as Odette sank into the plush sofa, letting her body relax—
“Here, you may select a dress, and we will tailor it to your measurements.”
The voice of a boutique attendant drifted up the staircase, stopping on the floor where Odette was resting.
She turned her head slightly, just enough to glimpse the customer who had entered.
A female knight stood there.
She had golden hair and striking blue eyes.
Her tall, lean frame, sharp shoulders, and long legs were accentuated by riding trousers.
A tight leather belt cinched her waist, securing a beautifully crafted sword—a weapon that suited her perfectly.
Her long golden hair cascaded down her back, nearly identical in shade to Odette’s deep gold locks.
Hair like that isn’t common…
Perhaps that was why Odette couldn’t look away.
“Oh… um… there are quite a lot of dresses, aren’t there? Could you recommend one that might suit me?”
“Of course, my lady. Do you have a particular style in mind?”
“Ah… well… my preferred style is…”
The knight hesitated, glancing around the boutique, but her sentence trailed off awkwardly.
It was clear—
She had never picked out a dress before.
She probably didn’t even know what she liked.
Odette had often accompanied Lady Saxen to boutiques in the past.
She was familiar with selecting dresses, so she briefly considered offering help.
But before she could—
The rude attendant from earlier arrived, eager to interfere.
“Shall I offer a recommendation?”
The attendant pulled out a dress overwhelmed with frilly lace.
The knight’s expression immediately stiffened, but the attendant remained smug, lifting her chin as she spoke.
“For a slender figure like yours, voluminous lace is a perfect match.”
“I’d look like I’m wearing a feather duster.”
“Oh, my lady! Feather duster? This is what’s in fashion right now.”
“It doesn’t look particularly appealing to me.”
“Ah, so you’re not fond of lace. In that case, how about something completely unadorned?”
This time, the attendant pulled out a gown with a deeply plunging neckline and a dramatically low-cut back.
“If you’re trying to insult me, you should stop now.”
The knight’s expression hardened, her voice flat and warning.
But the attendant ignored her, stepping closer to hold the dress against her frame.
“Why? I think it would suit you perfectly!”
“Take it away.”
“Oh, don’t be like that! Just try it on—seeing it on is different from just looking at it! Come on, hurry and—AAAH!”
The moment the attendant touched the knight,
She flew backward into the air— Soaring like a rag doll.
What was that? Magic?
