Wicked Husband-Chapter 39 - 38

Originally, the boutique had offered to come directly to Eileen’s house. However, Eileen had vehemently refused. Just the mere thought of trying on a wedding dress in her small, cozy brick house’s living room, surrounded by people, made her feel like the house would burst at the seams.

That didn’t mean she could call them to the Grand Duke’s residence either. There was a superstition that it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding. To prevent any chance of Cesare seeing her, the Grand Duke’s mansion was quickly ruled out.

’Of course, His Excellency wouldn’t care about such superstitions at all.’

But Eileen cared. So, she decided to go to the boutique herself.

’I wonder what the dress will be like.’

Excitement bubbled in Eileen’s stomach. Though she hadn’t participated in choosing it, a wedding dress awaited her at the boutique, ready for its final adjustments. Today, they’d tailor it to her form and personalize the decorations. A magazine article had piqued her curiosity, fueling her anticipation for this special fitting.

[...Grand Duke Erzet initiated the wedding preparations with an impossible schedule, coupled with the sudden announcement of the wedding. They had only one month.

(What do men even think about weddings! Any man reading this article should never follow the Grand Duke’s recklessness. Only a man with the looks, wealth, and power of Grand Duke Erzet could pull this off!)

To make the impossible possible, the top three boutiques in the capital have joined forces.

These rival boutiques have united to create the Grand Duchess’s wedding dress. Whether a masterpiece or a disaster will be born from this collaboration is anyone’s guess...]

There have been so many stories about her and Cesare lately that she rarely reads the newspapers. But when she bought a magazine for the first time in a while, she ended up reading it until the end because of that article.

In fact, the reason she bought the magazine was because of Ornella. Someone as prominent as Ornella was bound to have all sorts of trivial news about her in magazines.

However, there wasn’t a single snippet about Ornella. The entire magazine was too busy talking about the Grand Duke’s wedding.

After reading the whole magazine, Eileen only learned more gossip about herself. It seemed she would have to find out about Ornella in another way.

"Young Lady!"

Under the orange tree, Diego waved energetically, wearing his uniform with an incredibly cheerful demeanor.

It was a rare chance to see Eileen in her wedding dress beforehand, and everyone was clamoring to go. Even Senon had volunteered, expressing his willingness to stay up all night before the wedding if necessary, just to be the one to accompany her.

In the end, four knights gathered around and drew lots, with Diego emerging as the chosen one to accompany Eileen.

"Shall we leave now?"

He closed the door of the military vehicle and began driving, humming a tune. He had opted to come without a driver to ensure Eileen could converse comfortably.

Thanks to this arrangement, Eileen could ask Diego about things she had been curious about on the way to the boutique. She broached the topic of the dowry, a concern that had been weighing on her mind.

"Sir Diego."

"Yes, my lady."

"I spoke to His Excellency about the dowry."

As soon as Eileen began to speak, Diego burst into laughter.

"Ha, I’m sorry. It’s just that, oh dear, I can’t help it," he chuckled, struggling to contain his amusement. He laughed until tears welled up in his eyes, then finally managed to speak.

"I never imagined you would worry about that. This marriage was practically forced upon you. Of course, His Excellency will take responsibility," he said, attempting to restrain further laughter, his teeth clenched.

"Now that I think about it, His Excellency made a mistake. He should have discussed the dowry earlier to put you at ease. But, my lady, it’s so endearing that you thought of such a thing," Diego continued, clearing his throat in an effort to maintain a more composed demeanor.

However, Eileen was so accustomed to being treated like a child that she simply responded by saying the dowry was no longer an issue and moved on. She wanted to ask about Cesare, but they arrived at the boutique too quickly, so she had to postpone that question.

The boutique was on Venue Street. As Diego, in his uniform, and Eileen alighted from the military vehicle, they drew the attention of passersby. Eileen instinctively hunched her shoulders, but Diego, accustomed to being in the spotlight, was unfazed.

’I’ve heard soldiers have become quite popular in the capital recently.’ Eileen thought, recalling what she had read in the magazine. She hid behind Diego, staring at the ground as she followed him. It was only after they entered the boutique that she finally lifted her head.

The air inside the boutique felt slightly stuffy, mannequins adorned in extravagant dresses were scattered around, spaced out enough to allow each dress to be fully admired.

As they ventured further inside, they encountered three women dressed in very distinctive outfits, engaged in a heated argument while holding a large board covered with various fabric swatches. The surrounding staff members were nervously attempting to calm them down.

Eileen wondered why no one had come to greet them, but it seemed the women were so engrossed in their intense conversation that they hadn’t even heard the bell on the door. One brave employee attempted to mediate.

"Lady Elrod is expected to arrive soon... Could you please stop the discussion and..."

"Does it look like we’re just having a discussion?" snapped the woman in the bright, primary-colored outfit in a high-pitched voice. The woman across from her immediately retorted.

"No, but at least pretend to be civil. Stop behaving so rudely."

The woman dressed in muted colors shot back, causing the woman next to her to laugh sharply.

"Civil? Ciiiiviiil?"

The woman in the dress with the elaborate damask pattern mimicked the last speaker’s words mockingly.

Eileen realised who they were: the owners of the boutiques who had come together to create her wedding dress. Despite their supposed unity, it looked like they were about to come to blows.

Diego intervened with a loud voice.

"Isn’t anyone working here?" His tone was quite rough, drawing everyone’s attention towards them. The women, upon seeing Diego, broke into wide smiles. The woman in the ornate patterned dress clasped her hands together and exclaimed,

"Oh my! The Grand Duchess of Erzet has arrived...."

Eileen peeked out from behind Diego, and the woman’s previously bright expression gradually hardened. She stared at Eileen in disbelief, finishing her sentence with a somber tone.

"...You’ve arrived."

Silence slammed into the boutique like a dropped curtain, muffling the previous cacophony. Moments ago, the three stylists were locked in a heated debate, their voices sharp as scissors. Now, stunned silence reigned, punctuated only by the frantic fluttering of their eyelashes as they all darted nervous glances at Eileen.

No words were needed. Despair painted a universal language on their faces. Even Eileen, usually oblivious to such nuances, felt a prickle of unease. Self-consciously, she reached up to touch her cheek.

Huddled together, the stylists engaged in a rapid-fire whisper session, their voices barely audible. A flurry of hand gestures accompanied their hushed exchange.

"Bangs, first things first," one hissed, glancing at Eileen’s forehead. "And the glasses, definitely the glasses."

"Agreed. Worst case, we can camouflage it with a veil," another chimed in, her voice tight.

The weight of their serious discussion settled on Eileen’s shoulders, a pang of guilt twisting in her gut. She hung her head, a whisper escaping her lips, "If I were Ornella..."

The thought, a constant shadow in her mind, was quickly banished with a shake of her head. Eileen was starting to see the comparisons becoming a self-destructive habit. With a practiced smile, the stylists smoothed their worried expressions and glided towards Eileen, their movements regaining their usual practiced grace.

"Lady Elrod, thank you for coming. It is an immense honor to create the wedding dress for the Grand Duchess," one of the women said respectfully.

"Would you please come this way? We will show you the dress. But first, we thought, perhaps, we could just, ever so slightly..."

"How about we just trim your bangs a little?"

"Let’s just leave it as it is," Diego interjected firmly. He looked down at the women with an impassive expression. Despite the imposing presence of a burly soldier, the boutique owners were not easily intimidated.

"The Grand Duke himself demanded the finest wedding dress," one woman huffed, her voice tight with indignation. "How can we achieve that if we can’t even graze a single strand of hair?"

"Surely a touch of styling is necessary to complement the dress," another woman chimed in, her voice laced with a hint of condescension.

Diego’s short laugh sent shivers down their spines. It was a sound devoid of humor, a barely veiled threat.

"Just stick to your job."

The women’s faces flushed crimson, their practiced smiles replaced by steely glares. Eileen, ever the peacemaker, stepped forward, her voice trembling slightly.

"Sir Diego, please," she pleaded. Taking a deep breath, she removed her glasses, setting them aside. A perceptive staff member, sensing the rising tension, quickly offered a hairpin. With a nervous hand, Eileen pinned back her bangs, her eyes darting nervously between the fuming stylists and Diego’s stoic expression.

"Will... will this be alright?" she asked in a timid voice, her question laced with insecurity.

***