Chapter 97: The Price Of A Plain Dress

A shop on the quietest corner of the commerce district.

There was no sign above the door. Only a small brass plaque with a needle and thread engraved on it.

"Deena Lant."

Adonis mentioned, pushing the door open.

"She’s a top tailor to the royal family, half the dresses you’ve seen on the queens came out of this place."

"Half?" Noelle asked softly.

"Probably more. I’m being modest."

A bell chimed when they stepped inside, the air smelled of fresh silk and lavender, and the walls were lined with gowns that looked like they’d been cut with celestial scissors.

Prussia stopped just past the threshold.

’Are all of these... dresses?’

She’d been to the boutique with Mariella a month ago, and thought she understood what a fine dress was, but clearly she didn’t. The ones here had a variety of colors and jewels on their colors that looked liked they’d sprouted there.

’These are... too fancy...’

If she walked out wearing one of these, no one in the festival would mistake her for anything other than a Falsbane noble.

She exhaled through her nose.

’...Well. In this case, that might be a good thing.’

Beside her, Noelle clasped her hands and smiled at the nearest rack.

"They’re wonderful. I’ve seen most of Madam Deena’s work from the few nobles that attend the church. I heard she also made the queens’ coronation robes, the princess’s debut gown... it’s a shame I can’t buy any of them."

"Why not?" Alpis asked.

"Because everyone would recognize them. They’re made exclusively for the peerage."

Noelle laughed, a little thinly.

"The daughter of a top church figure walking around in noble attire? These days, with how tense things are, anything can set off either side. I’d rather not be at the center of it."

She said it lightly.

But her eyes had drifted to Adonis and Prussia, who were standing shoulder to shoulder, murmuring about the colors, and smiling at each other.

Noelle’s smile faltered.

’Ah. I’m in the way.’

She turned and patted Prussia’s arm.

"Well! Since you’re not actually pregnant, you can focus on picking your festival attire. Unfortunately, I can’t do that here, so I’d better start searching, hm?"

The smile on her face was warm. It was also longing. She wanted to stay, and didn’t want to be a bother, and wasn’t sure which of those feelings was bigger.

Prussia saw all of it.

And she understood that Noelle still liked Adonis, and didn’t know what to do with it. Pressing her would only make it worse.

’It’s better to respect it.’

With that, Noelle and Lloyd left, and then it was three.

"Ahh. Welcome, welcome."

A middle-aged woman emerged from behind a curtain with tape measure over her shoulders like a scarf. Her gray hair was pinned neatly back, and her fingers were stained faintly with dye.

Lady Deena Lant had dressed three generations of queens.

"My, my... what an honor. A member of the royal family, and the daughter of the Marsofian Union’s head, under my roof in the same afternoon. And..."

She looked at Alpis, feeling unsure what to say.

"...The prince’s beautiful royal jester?"

Alpis’s eye twitched.

Her mouth opened. Every insult she had ever learned, in dragon and in human, was lining up on her tongue, and she was going to scream them at this woman as loud as her lungs would allow—

A hand clamped smoothly over her mouth.

"Mmph?! Mmmph-mph!"

"She’s very excited to be here," Adonis said coolly.

Alpis flailed both arms in the air like a drowning bird.

Deena only smiled and didn’t ask. A royal tailor learned early to ignore what she wasn’t paid to see.

"Today I’ve prepared a small selection for the festival, I am very certain that when the two of you step out together, everyone will see a betrothed couple."

...Clap, clap, went her hands.

Her assistants wheeled out two racks. One held gowns in cream, wine, and violet, with long sleeves and embroidery so fine it looked painted. The other held men’s attire, and almost every piece was black.

Adonis had grown fond of the color ever since Minerva had her tailors cut those black hussar jackets for him. Jackets that, he’d been informed, very clearly suited only royalty.

’Black does look good on me.’

He wandered toward the dresses instead.

Deena lifted a sleeve of ivory brocade.

"This one is stitched with silverleaf thread. It moves like water under the right lighting. The queen wore its sister to the Spring Court. And this—"

A wine-colored gown with a plunging back

"—is cut to be seen from the balcony. A woman in this will be remembered by every man in the hall."

"Mm. And this?"

"A ceremonial piece. Quite heavy. One does not sit in it."

Adonis nodded along, then shook his head.

"No. None of that."

Deena’s brow rose a fraction.

"I just want something casual for her, so she isn’t in armor or anything combat-related during her free time."

He leaned close to Deena and glanced at Prussia, dropping his voice into a whisper.

"My fiancée is a bit of a man, you see. You can tell from her arms. Even worse, she’s a bit of a brute. She hunts. She eats wild meat. So perhaps something that makes her look very elegant, but captures her... endowments?"

Both of them were now looking at Prussia.

Prussia rubbed her arm and turned her face away.

’He’s always doing this to me lately...’

Her heart was far too loud for such a small shop.

"I understand perfectly," Deena said. She was already pulling dresses off the rack, one after another, with the efficiency of a woman who read bodies for a living. "Lady Prussia has a full chest and a prominent backside. The cuts Queens Lucelia and Minerva favor will suit her best."

Adonis snapped his fingers.

"Oh, and a nice blue. So it matches her eyes."

Deena let out a proud chuckle.

"Prince, I’m already a step ahead of you."

Four dresses were soon laid out before him on a long cushioned table. Sapphire, midnight, powder blue, and a pale sea-green with silver stitching.

"How much are these?"

"Between one and five gold coins."

Adonis’s face squeezed a little.

’Gold, gold, gold... Let’s see.’

A silver coin bought a decent meal and a bed at a roadside inn. That worked out to roughly twenty dollars in his old world. A hundred silver made a gold, so one gold coin was about two thousand dollars. By that math, these dresses cost anywhere from two to ten thousand each.

’Well, that’s nobility for you.’

Ostentatious. Unrefined.

A modern designer would have fainted at all the ruffles.

But then, a modern designer didn’t have to dress a queen.

His expression must have been fairly grim, because a hand touched his sleeve.

"Adonis."

Prussia stood beside him. She had not caught most of his muttering, but she had seen the way he looked at the price tags.

"You don’t have to spend so much on a dress, I know you used a lot of your money developing that water spear."

"It’s fine."

He didn’t take his eyes off the dresses.

"You know, I received a substantial reward for winning my case against Vesta. I own a trade route now, remember? Things like this cost very little to me."

"Ah." Prussia scratched her cheek. "Well, that... makes sense."

"Besides, I still have all that gold I scammed off your father."

Bam! Her fist hit his arm hard.

"Owww! Prussia?!"

The honey-toned lady looked away with a proud huff and folded her arms.

"Why do you always bring that up? You know it’s my least favorite memory of you. And yet you keep saying it. It isn’t funny. Hmph."

Her face went very flat, this was a trademark look of hers you’d see when she was prentending she wasn’t hurt.

Still sorting through the dress, Adonis was smiling.

"It’s my favorite."

"...What?"

"It’s my favorite memory. That’s how I knew I’d get to keep you by my side. You’re one of the top maidens on the continent. I never thought I’d have a chance. So being able to prove my worth to your father, and become his ally so I could be with you... it’s one of the things I cherish most in my life."

That was far from the truth, but a dating sim expert such as himself knew how to frame these things.

Prussia wanted to stay apathetic, but her eyes kept sliding toward him from the corners, bit by bit, and then her lips, almost without her permission, spoke.

"I-, If that’s how you feel, then I... suppose I give you permission to cherish it."

Warm arms wrapped around her from behind.

Adonis pulled her against his chest and rested his chin on her shoulder. His familiar breath tickled her neck as he took in the sweet scent of her skin.

"Thank you."

"Mh... mhm."

Prussia nodded stiffly, like a soldier receiving an order.

She still wasn’t used to being held. There was something nice about being wrapped up in a man’s arms, though, and she wanted to stay like that longer.

From the corner, Lady Deena folded her hands and smiled.

’Ahh. Young love.’

"...Hm?"

Adonis lifted his head.

Something at the edge of them caught his eyes, and he let go of Prussia to follow it.

On a mannequin near the back stood a dress.

White at the bodice, fading into a deep, ocean blue at the skirt. Armless, with a high collar that rose, and fine gold trims laid with great care along the seams. There was a soft, open space where the neckline dipped for her cleavage.

"Ah, that one." Deena mentioned. "A little plain for someone of her status, I must say. Most of my ladies prefer more embroidery, layers, and attention. That one has none of it. The line is simple, the colors are quiet. For a festival, I’d call it humble."

Adonis said nothing.

He glanced over his shoulder.

Prussia was staring at the dress.

She wasn’t aware of it, probably. Her lips were slightly parted, and her hands had drifted up to her chest, and her eyes were soft that it told him she wanted it.

Years of dating sims and a life spent dodging real relationships had taught him one iron law: never try to impress a woman with your money. That road led to those weird noble slobs who could only win a woman with gold. A true gentleman bought what she wanted, not what his ego needed.

’Besides, if she likes a dress this plain, it can’t cost much.’

Prussia was a warrior-type beauty, after all.

She had an affinity for common things.

In other words, she was affordable.

And that was by no means an insult.

’In the life of a broke man, she’s the perfect lady.’

He felt very proud of himself.

"How much is this one?"

"10 gold coins."

"Eh?"

"The bodice is woven with Blue Hawk feathers, and the skirt is lined with the scales of a wyvern. It increases mobility, and coats the wearer in a formidable fighting spirit. Both attack and defense are improved. Noble ladies wear these against assassination threats, or when traveling long, dangerous distances. It took the best of my [Craftsman] class to make this one."

She sniffed.

"But I call it as I see it. For a noble, it’s a plain thing."

"Mhm." Adonis nodded slowly.

Behind them, Prussia tilted her head.

’She has a [Craftsman] class. That explains why she can make such beautiful dresses so quickly.’

Adonis looked at the dress.

"I’ll take it."

Deena bowed so fast that her hairpins rattled.

"Thank you very much for your purchase!"

Even her voice sounded like it was running at 2x speed. She was already waving at her assistants to wrap it and box it, before the prince could come to his senses and ask for something cheaper.

She was, undeniably, a business-minded woman.

[Ding! Opportunity Detected.]

[You may present a high-grade gift to the target, Prussia Dunamis, by enchanting the purchased item. Reward upon success: Fairy King’s Star Dress.]

Adonis’s eyebrows slowly rose.

’Oh?’