“The secret is the dance.”
Moiya, transformed into Princess Resilia, took a large bite of her cookie and replied.
The ladies tilted their heads, watching the Princess, whose mood had suddenly shifted.
“That... what kind of dance is it that the Prince fell in love with?”
Lady Ester’s question piqued everyone’s ears.
“Not only the Prince, but all the men in the Northern Continent’s celebratory delegation would laugh so hard their jaws would drop to the floor just watching that dance.”
“...Why do they laugh?”
“It means they’re that happy and joyful just watching that dance.”
That was Moiya’s interpretation.
“How do you dance it? Can we really learn it?”
The ladies all looked at Princess Resilia with longing eyes.
“Everything has a price, you know that, right?”
Moiya asked slyly, tucking a lock of Princess Resilia’s pink hair behind her ear.
“What price do you want?”
Esther wondered if Princess Resilia was asking for something valuable.
“Are your ears clogged... I told you, sausages.”
Princess Resilia, no, Moiya, was muttering quietly to herself, but when she said “sausages,” she spoke clearly.
“Huh?! You’re not joking?”
Lady Savannah asked incredulously.
The other ladies were dumbfounded as well. It wasn’t because they didn’t understand Princess Resilia. They were simply puzzled that the price she was talking about was nothing more than “sausages. ”
“Is this the place?”
The concubines and I entered the art gallery in the East Palace after receiving word that Crown Princess Jasper had come to purchase a dress to wear for the party.
The most famous dress designer in the palace had visited the palace, where the guests were staying, with dozens of the finest dresses from his shop.
After all, there had been an imperial funeral not long ago, so having a congratulatory delegation wandering around the palace to buy dresses would be unsavory, even to the commoners.
Everyone was grateful for Princess Jasper's consideration in these circumstances.
I wanted to ask her about Princess Resilia, but I thought it would be better to wait until after she had finished choosing her dress.
Princess Jasper, conscious of Rosie, was also holding back.
"Welcome. We're pressed for time, so I've summoned a designer to the palace. Feel free to browse, and if you don't see a dress you like, you can come to the shop and choose for yourself."
"I don't think that's necessary, do you?"
As soon as I entered the art gallery, my eyes were drawn to the gorgeous, beautiful dresses hanging on hangers.
The concubines were also busy choosing dresses.
"Come on! Before you choose your own dresses, it would be best to choose a dress that suits Rosie first."
I clapped my hands and reminded the concubines, who were preoccupied with their dresses, of our duties.
Fortunately, the concubines all exclaimed, "Aha!" and looked at Rosie, regaining their senses.
"We've prepared only the most fashionable dresses in the current Pasha Empire."
The designer spoke with pride.
“You must have a hard time choosing because you like all the dresses.”
I said with a smile, and the designer’s shoulders rose even higher.
But the concubines, looking at the dresses, grew increasingly embarrassed.
Why are they acting like this?
“Is there something wrong with the dress?”
I asked. Catherine, who was there, quietly replied,
“It’s not the dress, it’s the size.”
Oh, I see.
I hadn’t thought of that.
These days, unless it’s a special occasion, people prefer finished dresses over custom-made ones. They only alter the waist and length.
If it’s too big, they can have it shortened, but if the waistline doesn’t fit, there’s nothing they can do. Unfortunately, most dresses worn by noblewomen are designed for a slimmer figure.
So it was obvious that Rosie, already gaining weight, wouldn’t be able to pull off many dresses.
“Cheer up. Can you pick out a dress that fits Her Highness Rosie?”
Princess Jasper ordered the designer. The designer surveyed Rosie's entire body and said in a despairing voice,
"Unfortunately, there aren't many... I don't think there are any left."
"If there aren't any in the right size, why don't we just slit the waist and add fabric?"
The designer responded with a tearful face at my suggestion.
“If that’s not possible, I’ll have to do it, but even then, the fabric for the dress might not be in the costume shop, so our choices are extremely limited, Ma’am.”
“I know it might be a bit of a hassle, but since this is an important party, I’m asking you to make a special request.”
I said earnestly, taking the hand of a designer named Klang.
The designer promised to do his best and began searching for a dress that would fit Rosie.
Everyone was looking at the sizes, their eyes wide.
Out of the dozens of dresses, only three had a generous waistline.
“The style is okay,”
Melanie said comfortingly, patting Rosie’s sullen back.
“If you had just controlled your diet since you came here, you could have chosen a few more.”
Catherine pointedly glanced at Rosie’s belly.
Rosie sucked in a breath at Catherine’s reprimand and pulled in her stomach, but it didn’t make much difference.
“You should pay more attention to your hair and makeup.”
Everyone agreed with me.
“For now, let’s try on the dress Klang chose first.”
Rosie and her attendant entered the dressing room, which had been prepared in advance, carrying a tube-top-style dress.
While waiting for Rosie, the other concubines and I each began selecting dresses to wear for the party.
We approached the full-length room and tried on our chosen dresses, waiting for Rosie.
Knock, knock.
A knock rang out in the art gallery.
Everyone's eyes turned to the door.
Princess Jasper nodded to the attendant standing at the door, signaling for permission to open.
As the attendant opened the banquet hall door, a swarm of young ladies, even more splendid than the dresses on display, swarmed in.
Eight young ladies, stepping in step, slowly approached me and the concubines.
"What brings you here, young ladies? Did you enjoy the tea with Princess Resilia?"
Princess Jasper asked with a slightly displeased expression.
None of the young ladies seemed to be uncomfortable with her.
Perhaps because her family had lost its authority among the nobles and was about to leave the palace.
“Yes. We were on our way back after enjoying refreshments, and when we heard the Crown Princess had brought a designer for the distinguished guests, we stopped by to help out.”
One of the young ladies spoke brazenly.
“Help?”
Crown Princess Jasper straightened her back and asked in a commanding voice.
“Yes. I thought you might need our insight.”
She smiled kindly and spoke as if she were trying to please us, but she knew what they were thinking.
“Um, who is Her Highness Rosie?”
The young ladies asked, rolling their eyes at me and the concubines.
Just as everyone was about to turn their heads toward the dressing room where Rosie had entered, the young ladies silenced us, saying they had a bet to guess which of us was Rosie.
The young lady, who introduced herself as Ester of the Duke Voltero, pointed at me and started to stumbled first.
“Your Highness Rosie, right? I have a feeling.”
“No. Miss Ester has a feeling it’s just wrong.”
My voice was refreshing, but my expression was determined and serious, so Miss Ester blushed and stepped back, apologizing.
Then Miss Glenn stepped forward and spoke.
“I thought it was Your Highness from the start.”
“You were wrong from the start.”
Catherine, already known for her cold image, responded sarcastically, causing Miss Glenn to flinch in fear.
As the ladies continued to make mistakes, they stared intently at Melanie and Pecilini, then all fixed on Melanie.
“This time, I’m sure of it. There were rumors going around that Prince Norton stopped seeing each other, but it was all a lie. You’re so beautiful.”
One lady flattered Melanie, admiring her beauty.
Pecilini, who was actually less beautiful than Melanie and therefore unselected for the wrong answer, snorted angrily behind me.
“You have a good eye, but you picked the wrong person.”
Melanie touched her face, pouted, and then pouted.
"Then, are you sure you're not Her Highness Rosie?"
Ester, who had initially pointed me out as Rosie, asked Pecilini with a slightly apologetic expression.
"It's not me either."
Pecilini's voice resonated through the art gallery.
It was the first time I'd seen the usually quiet Pecilini speak so irritably.
"So, who exactly is Her Highness Rosie?"
The bewildered young ladies' eyes wandered here and there.
Then they spotted Rosie hesitantly emerging from the changing room.
"It's me."
Rosie walked toward the ladies in a firm voice.
But then, the bust area of her dress began to sag.
“Ro, Rosie!”
I gestured for her to lift her chest, but she was too focused on the ladies to look at me or the concubines.
Rosie had a peculiar way of drawing all the ladies’ attention down. Only when the dress had slid down to a precarious point did Rosie realize that her breasts were about to be exposed to the world.
“Oh my!”
Rosie belatedly covered her breasts with both hands, but it wasn’t enough.
“You’re strangely smothering them,”
I muttered softly, and the concubines sympathized with me.
The ladies’ spirits had clearly diminished.
The ladies, who had seemed to be constantly meddling and sticking around, each hurried out, claiming urgent matters had come up.
As soon as they left, Rosie turned her back and grumbled,
“The zipper wouldn’t go up...”
The zipper of her dress had stopped at her tailbone.
The waist fit, but the chest area didn't fit, preventing the zipper from going all the way up.
The designer, admiringly measuring Rosie's bust with a tape measure, suggested adding a palm-width of fabric to the back.
"Everyone must think I'm weird, right?"
Moiya, transformed into Princess Resilia, took a large bite of her cookie and replied.
The ladies tilted their heads, watching the Princess, whose mood had suddenly shifted.
“That... what kind of dance is it that the Prince fell in love with?”
Lady Ester’s question piqued everyone’s ears.
“Not only the Prince, but all the men in the Northern Continent’s celebratory delegation would laugh so hard their jaws would drop to the floor just watching that dance.”
“...Why do they laugh?”
“It means they’re that happy and joyful just watching that dance.”
That was Moiya’s interpretation.
“How do you dance it? Can we really learn it?”
The ladies all looked at Princess Resilia with longing eyes.
“Everything has a price, you know that, right?”
Moiya asked slyly, tucking a lock of Princess Resilia’s pink hair behind her ear.
“What price do you want?”
Esther wondered if Princess Resilia was asking for something valuable.
“Are your ears clogged... I told you, sausages.”
Princess Resilia, no, Moiya, was muttering quietly to herself, but when she said “sausages,” she spoke clearly.
“Huh?! You’re not joking?”
Lady Savannah asked incredulously.
The other ladies were dumbfounded as well. It wasn’t because they didn’t understand Princess Resilia. They were simply puzzled that the price she was talking about was nothing more than “sausages. ”
***
“Is this the place?”
The concubines and I entered the art gallery in the East Palace after receiving word that Crown Princess Jasper had come to purchase a dress to wear for the party.
The most famous dress designer in the palace had visited the palace, where the guests were staying, with dozens of the finest dresses from his shop.
After all, there had been an imperial funeral not long ago, so having a congratulatory delegation wandering around the palace to buy dresses would be unsavory, even to the commoners.
Everyone was grateful for Princess Jasper's consideration in these circumstances.
I wanted to ask her about Princess Resilia, but I thought it would be better to wait until after she had finished choosing her dress.
Princess Jasper, conscious of Rosie, was also holding back.
"Welcome. We're pressed for time, so I've summoned a designer to the palace. Feel free to browse, and if you don't see a dress you like, you can come to the shop and choose for yourself."
"I don't think that's necessary, do you?"
As soon as I entered the art gallery, my eyes were drawn to the gorgeous, beautiful dresses hanging on hangers.
The concubines were also busy choosing dresses.
"Come on! Before you choose your own dresses, it would be best to choose a dress that suits Rosie first."
I clapped my hands and reminded the concubines, who were preoccupied with their dresses, of our duties.
Fortunately, the concubines all exclaimed, "Aha!" and looked at Rosie, regaining their senses.
"We've prepared only the most fashionable dresses in the current Pasha Empire."
The designer spoke with pride.
“You must have a hard time choosing because you like all the dresses.”
I said with a smile, and the designer’s shoulders rose even higher.
But the concubines, looking at the dresses, grew increasingly embarrassed.
Why are they acting like this?
“Is there something wrong with the dress?”
I asked. Catherine, who was there, quietly replied,
“It’s not the dress, it’s the size.”
Oh, I see.
I hadn’t thought of that.
These days, unless it’s a special occasion, people prefer finished dresses over custom-made ones. They only alter the waist and length.
If it’s too big, they can have it shortened, but if the waistline doesn’t fit, there’s nothing they can do. Unfortunately, most dresses worn by noblewomen are designed for a slimmer figure.
So it was obvious that Rosie, already gaining weight, wouldn’t be able to pull off many dresses.
“Cheer up. Can you pick out a dress that fits Her Highness Rosie?”
Princess Jasper ordered the designer. The designer surveyed Rosie's entire body and said in a despairing voice,
"Unfortunately, there aren't many... I don't think there are any left."
"If there aren't any in the right size, why don't we just slit the waist and add fabric?"
The designer responded with a tearful face at my suggestion.
“If that’s not possible, I’ll have to do it, but even then, the fabric for the dress might not be in the costume shop, so our choices are extremely limited, Ma’am.”
“I know it might be a bit of a hassle, but since this is an important party, I’m asking you to make a special request.”
I said earnestly, taking the hand of a designer named Klang.
The designer promised to do his best and began searching for a dress that would fit Rosie.
Everyone was looking at the sizes, their eyes wide.
Out of the dozens of dresses, only three had a generous waistline.
“The style is okay,”
Melanie said comfortingly, patting Rosie’s sullen back.
“If you had just controlled your diet since you came here, you could have chosen a few more.”
Catherine pointedly glanced at Rosie’s belly.
Rosie sucked in a breath at Catherine’s reprimand and pulled in her stomach, but it didn’t make much difference.
“You should pay more attention to your hair and makeup.”
Everyone agreed with me.
“For now, let’s try on the dress Klang chose first.”
Rosie and her attendant entered the dressing room, which had been prepared in advance, carrying a tube-top-style dress.
While waiting for Rosie, the other concubines and I each began selecting dresses to wear for the party.
We approached the full-length room and tried on our chosen dresses, waiting for Rosie.
Knock, knock.
A knock rang out in the art gallery.
Everyone's eyes turned to the door.
Princess Jasper nodded to the attendant standing at the door, signaling for permission to open.
As the attendant opened the banquet hall door, a swarm of young ladies, even more splendid than the dresses on display, swarmed in.
Eight young ladies, stepping in step, slowly approached me and the concubines.
"What brings you here, young ladies? Did you enjoy the tea with Princess Resilia?"
Princess Jasper asked with a slightly displeased expression.
None of the young ladies seemed to be uncomfortable with her.
Perhaps because her family had lost its authority among the nobles and was about to leave the palace.
“Yes. We were on our way back after enjoying refreshments, and when we heard the Crown Princess had brought a designer for the distinguished guests, we stopped by to help out.”
One of the young ladies spoke brazenly.
“Help?”
Crown Princess Jasper straightened her back and asked in a commanding voice.
“Yes. I thought you might need our insight.”
She smiled kindly and spoke as if she were trying to please us, but she knew what they were thinking.
“Um, who is Her Highness Rosie?”
The young ladies asked, rolling their eyes at me and the concubines.
Just as everyone was about to turn their heads toward the dressing room where Rosie had entered, the young ladies silenced us, saying they had a bet to guess which of us was Rosie.
The young lady, who introduced herself as Ester of the Duke Voltero, pointed at me and started to stumbled first.
“Your Highness Rosie, right? I have a feeling.”
“No. Miss Ester has a feeling it’s just wrong.”
My voice was refreshing, but my expression was determined and serious, so Miss Ester blushed and stepped back, apologizing.
Then Miss Glenn stepped forward and spoke.
“I thought it was Your Highness from the start.”
“You were wrong from the start.”
Catherine, already known for her cold image, responded sarcastically, causing Miss Glenn to flinch in fear.
As the ladies continued to make mistakes, they stared intently at Melanie and Pecilini, then all fixed on Melanie.
“This time, I’m sure of it. There were rumors going around that Prince Norton stopped seeing each other, but it was all a lie. You’re so beautiful.”
One lady flattered Melanie, admiring her beauty.
Pecilini, who was actually less beautiful than Melanie and therefore unselected for the wrong answer, snorted angrily behind me.
“You have a good eye, but you picked the wrong person.”
Melanie touched her face, pouted, and then pouted.
"Then, are you sure you're not Her Highness Rosie?"
Ester, who had initially pointed me out as Rosie, asked Pecilini with a slightly apologetic expression.
"It's not me either."
Pecilini's voice resonated through the art gallery.
It was the first time I'd seen the usually quiet Pecilini speak so irritably.
"So, who exactly is Her Highness Rosie?"
The bewildered young ladies' eyes wandered here and there.
Then they spotted Rosie hesitantly emerging from the changing room.
"It's me."
Rosie walked toward the ladies in a firm voice.
But then, the bust area of her dress began to sag.
“Ro, Rosie!”
I gestured for her to lift her chest, but she was too focused on the ladies to look at me or the concubines.
Rosie had a peculiar way of drawing all the ladies’ attention down. Only when the dress had slid down to a precarious point did Rosie realize that her breasts were about to be exposed to the world.
“Oh my!”
Rosie belatedly covered her breasts with both hands, but it wasn’t enough.
“You’re strangely smothering them,”
I muttered softly, and the concubines sympathized with me.
The ladies’ spirits had clearly diminished.
The ladies, who had seemed to be constantly meddling and sticking around, each hurried out, claiming urgent matters had come up.
As soon as they left, Rosie turned her back and grumbled,
“The zipper wouldn’t go up...”
The zipper of her dress had stopped at her tailbone.
The waist fit, but the chest area didn't fit, preventing the zipper from going all the way up.
The designer, admiringly measuring Rosie's bust with a tape measure, suggested adding a palm-width of fabric to the back.
"Everyone must think I'm weird, right?"
"They're probably more jealous. You seem so assertive,"
I replied, giving a thumbs-up.
"Of course, you just showed off your charm."
Melanie's consolation was met with Catherine's approval.
"Yes. Rosie, your strengths are... so distinct, I like them."
A smile crept into Rosie's face at the continued praise.
Three days later, the pre-crowning party was held.
We were delighted to see Rosie enter the party hall with Prince Norton, adorned with the most expensive and splendid jewelry.
Prince Norton escorted Rosie throughout the party, greeting them with greetings.
Most of the ministers and nobles present seemed to disapprove of the two of them wandering around the hall together.
Rosie kept looking at me, seemingly awkward.
I kept encouraging her to straighten her shoulders and walk, and the other concubines met her gaze and sent her encouraging looks.
“Is Princess Resilia not here yet?”
Melanie asked me.
“She’ll be here soon.”
I wish she hadn’t shown up at all, but the Princess I knew wasn’t the type to miss a party.
Princess Resilia showed up an hour after the party had started.
She entered the hall, drawing everyone’s attention like the star of the show.
Her beauty was enough to command attention.
She had lost weight, perhaps from the hardships of prison life, but it somehow evoked sympathy.
Around eight young ladies, led by the three concubines considered as potential concubines, swarmed around Princess Resilia like bees.
I felt Rosie flinch at Princess Resilia’s appearance, and it was a pity.
“Has she already got the young ladies’ support?”
I picked up my juice glass, motioned towards Princess Resilia, and asked the concubines.
“She invited the ladies to the Empress’s palace and even enjoyed refreshments, so she must have won their favor. Did she give them money?”
Melanie grumbled, glaring at the Princess and the ladies.
“They might even have some kind of deal.”
I retorted, setting my finished juice glass down on the table. Then, my eyes met with Moni’s, who was peering out the window of the party hall.
“What about Moiya?”
I approached Moni and asked, her ruby eyes darting around.
“What trouble have these guys caused again?”
An ominous feeling began to creep in.
Moni hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Master, Moiya went to get sausages, right, Moni?”
“What do you mean? Where is Moiya right now?”
“I~t~o.”
No way.
I never saw Moiya wandering around in here.
The moment I turned around, the music changed to a brisk waltz.
Suddenly, Princess Resilia and the young ladies came out to the center of the hall.
The young ladies lined up on either side of the Princess.
"What is this?"
They were looking in the direction where Prince Norton and Linel's party were gathered.
"...Why are they doing this?"
Melanie grabbed my hand and pulled me closer, telling me to take a closer look.
Everyone's eyes were focused on Princess Resilia and the young ladies.
Princess Resilia suddenly shook her shoulders from side to side, and the ladies began to follow suit.
"What did they eat wrong as a group...?"
It was a truly comical move, perfectly complementing the brisk waltz.
Thanks to this, the party quickly erupted into chaos. Everyone burst into laughter, clutching their bellies, while the nobles, seemingly from the royal family, performing the shoulder dance, knelt and writhed in embarrassment.
Princess Resilia's movements were the most dazzling.
Gone was the tragic woman from earlier, her determination burning as if determined to make everyone laugh.
Linel shrugged at me, then burst into laughter, unable to conceal his bewilderment at the unfolding scene.
Perhaps he had a crush on a lady, but Raphael was the only one among Linel's party who joined in the shoulder dance.
True to the reputation of the palace's open trousers, the zipper automatically lowered itself as they danced.
"Ah—so magnificent, so magnificent."
I shook my head and looked away.
Moni had sneaked into the party hall, sneaking a bite of cake, and then grinned at me.
"Is that Moiya?"
I asked, pointing at Princess Resilia and mouthing the question. Moni nodded.
"!"
Oh my goodness.
What on earth is going on?
Just then, a servant came into the party hall carrying Rams.
I replied, giving a thumbs-up.
"Of course, you just showed off your charm."
Melanie's consolation was met with Catherine's approval.
"Yes. Rosie, your strengths are... so distinct, I like them."
A smile crept into Rosie's face at the continued praise.
***
Three days later, the pre-crowning party was held.
We were delighted to see Rosie enter the party hall with Prince Norton, adorned with the most expensive and splendid jewelry.
Prince Norton escorted Rosie throughout the party, greeting them with greetings.
Most of the ministers and nobles present seemed to disapprove of the two of them wandering around the hall together.
Rosie kept looking at me, seemingly awkward.
I kept encouraging her to straighten her shoulders and walk, and the other concubines met her gaze and sent her encouraging looks.
“Is Princess Resilia not here yet?”
Melanie asked me.
“She’ll be here soon.”
I wish she hadn’t shown up at all, but the Princess I knew wasn’t the type to miss a party.
Princess Resilia showed up an hour after the party had started.
She entered the hall, drawing everyone’s attention like the star of the show.
Her beauty was enough to command attention.
She had lost weight, perhaps from the hardships of prison life, but it somehow evoked sympathy.
Around eight young ladies, led by the three concubines considered as potential concubines, swarmed around Princess Resilia like bees.
I felt Rosie flinch at Princess Resilia’s appearance, and it was a pity.
“Has she already got the young ladies’ support?”
I picked up my juice glass, motioned towards Princess Resilia, and asked the concubines.
“She invited the ladies to the Empress’s palace and even enjoyed refreshments, so she must have won their favor. Did she give them money?”
Melanie grumbled, glaring at the Princess and the ladies.
“They might even have some kind of deal.”
I retorted, setting my finished juice glass down on the table. Then, my eyes met with Moni’s, who was peering out the window of the party hall.
“What about Moiya?”
I approached Moni and asked, her ruby eyes darting around.
“What trouble have these guys caused again?”
An ominous feeling began to creep in.
Moni hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Master, Moiya went to get sausages, right, Moni?”
“What do you mean? Where is Moiya right now?”
“I~t~o.”
No way.
I never saw Moiya wandering around in here.
The moment I turned around, the music changed to a brisk waltz.
Suddenly, Princess Resilia and the young ladies came out to the center of the hall.
The young ladies lined up on either side of the Princess.
"What is this?"
They were looking in the direction where Prince Norton and Linel's party were gathered.
"...Why are they doing this?"
Melanie grabbed my hand and pulled me closer, telling me to take a closer look.
Everyone's eyes were focused on Princess Resilia and the young ladies.
Princess Resilia suddenly shook her shoulders from side to side, and the ladies began to follow suit.
"What did they eat wrong as a group...?"
It was a truly comical move, perfectly complementing the brisk waltz.
Thanks to this, the party quickly erupted into chaos. Everyone burst into laughter, clutching their bellies, while the nobles, seemingly from the royal family, performing the shoulder dance, knelt and writhed in embarrassment.
Princess Resilia's movements were the most dazzling.
Gone was the tragic woman from earlier, her determination burning as if determined to make everyone laugh.
Linel shrugged at me, then burst into laughter, unable to conceal his bewilderment at the unfolding scene.
Perhaps he had a crush on a lady, but Raphael was the only one among Linel's party who joined in the shoulder dance.
True to the reputation of the palace's open trousers, the zipper automatically lowered itself as they danced.
"Ah—so magnificent, so magnificent."
I shook my head and looked away.
Moni had sneaked into the party hall, sneaking a bite of cake, and then grinned at me.
"Is that Moiya?"
I asked, pointing at Princess Resilia and mouthing the question. Moni nodded.
"!"
Oh my goodness.
What on earth is going on?
Just then, a servant came into the party hall carrying Rams.
Comments
Post a Comment