Revenge Comes with Interest - Chapter 51

Lea and the other two women were stunned when they opened the letter from Galdensia.

Inside was a sketch of the lace dress Rivette had requested. The letter was filled with her scattered, disorganized wishes.

Even more troubling, she hadn’t included her body measurements.

“This looks like a wedding dress, doesn’t it?”

Chenera tilted her head, clearly unimpressed by the design. Rivette had decided she wanted to wear a white lace wedding dress to the crown princess selection ceremony.

That alone would have been enough, but she also included a veil. On top of that, she asked for the hem of the dress to be scattered with jewels like stars.

Lea glanced at the sketch and let out a small laugh.

That is so like Rivette.

She had completely ignored the purpose of the event and was clearly just trying to make herself look beautiful.

Even so, if the dress were made exactly as designed, it would be stunning. Chenera was the one making it, after all.

But the Crown Prince and the Emperor might take it the wrong way. They could easily see Rivette as arrogant or inappropriate.

Is she trying to say she’s already the bride?

“Chenera, make it exactly as she wants. You can charge whatever you think is fair.”

“Okay, Lea. By the way, I finished the Empress’s lace cape.”

“Really?”

Chenera stood up for a moment and returned with the finished piece. As soon as Lea and Pauline laid eyes on the vivid green lace cape, they both gasped.

“It’s stunning, Chenera.”

Pauline gave her a big thumbs up in praise.

Chenera’s instincts had been right. The Empress, with her dark brown hair, would look especially radiant in a green cape.

“Lea, when are you going to the palace?”

“This afternoon, with Terran. Would you like to come?”

“No, I should stay and help Chenera. At the very least, I can get her whatever she needs.”

Pauline sighed at the absurdity of Rivette’s request.

“You’re fitting all three riding outfits today, right?”

“Yes. Oh, and Terran gave me this recently.”

Lea showed them a sheet of paper. It was filled with detailed information about horseback techniques. Each section was clearly written and easy to follow.

“Wow. I didn’t know the Duke was capable of this kind of thing.”

Pauline was honestly surprised. The paper included what movements were involved in each technique, common mistakes, and tips for better performance.

“I was genuinely touched.”

“Then you’ll be signing a grape tonight?”

Pauline smiled playfully.

“I suppose I should.”

Lea hadn’t fully realized just how important it was to test the riding outfits through real exercises on horseback.

That was something the royal family would definitely want to see. She had been so focused on the clothing itself that she had nearly missed the most important part.

“No one rides as well as the Duke.”

“Exactly.”

What touched her most wasn’t the content of the paper, but the fact that he went out of his way to help her in his own way.

Lea rode with Terran to the palace. In the carriage behind them, Sonya and Adolf sat quietly.

“There will be three riders, including the Empress. Once they wear the riding outfits on horseback, we’ll probably spot areas to improve.”

“That makes sense. But I’m sure there won’t be any major issues. You put a lot of thought into this.”

“I hope that’s true.”

Lea gently placed her hands on the box in her lap as if in prayer.

She hoped the riding outfits she had made would please the Empress just as much as Chenera’s cape had.

At last, Lea and Terran arrived at the Empress’s palace. Lea did her best to calm the nervous Sonya and Adolf as they stepped out.

The Empress welcomed them warmly. When she saw the vivid green cape Chenera had made, she smiled brightly, her teeth showing in full.

“As expected, she never disappoints. Lady Chenera Vizak is truly a treasure. No, she is exceptional.”

“I’ll be sure to pass on your kind words, Your Majesty.”

Lea responded with a polite and sincere smile.

Now it was time to present the riding outfits. Before that, Lea formally introduced Sonya and Adolf to the Empress.

“These are the two tailors who made your riding outfits. They once worked as royal dressmakers for the Sainteburque Imperial Family.”

“Oh my. I knew you looked familiar.”

At her words, Sonya and Adolf bowed respectfully.

“Your Majesty visited our country a long time ago,” Adolf added, smiling softly.

“You’ve gone through so much effort, Lady Vizak. You’ve brought such talented people here.”

The Empress spared no praise for Grace. Warm and cheerful conversation followed for a while before all eyes turned in the same direction.

Sonya and Adolf brought out the three riding outfits and hung them carefully on stands. The Empress and her two ladies-in-waiting watched intently.

A gentleman-style hat, slightly smaller than usual, a white shirt with a thin ribbon tie, a fitted black jacket that emphasized the waist, and clean, structured skirt-pants were all arranged neatly.

On the jacket’s chest, the Lubeck royal crest had been embroidered in gold thread. The long deerskin boots looked incredibly soft, even at a glance.

It was obvious to anyone that these clothes had been made with great care and attention.

“Even better than I expected, Lady Vizak.”

The Empress stood up from her seat, clearly impressed by the riding outfit.

A masculine suit had been beautifully reinterpreted to suit a woman’s figure, yet the grace and elegance unique to women had not been lost. That balance was masterful.

The Empress’s ladies-in-waiting were just as pleased. They clapped their hands in delight.

“Without excessive decoration on the skirt-pants, the lines are clean and the natural sheen of the fabric really stands out.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. And if I may, I have a suggestion to offer.”

“What is it?”

“This idea came from the Duke. He believes it would be helpful if one of Your Majesty’s attendants tried on the fitted outfit and rode a horse. That way, we can assess its strengths and weaknesses more accurately.”

The Empress had been thinking the same. It would be risky to discover problems during the actual event because they hadn’t tested the outfit in advance.

No doubt, the other royal families were also making thorough preparations.

It was possible another candidate might show up wearing a similar skirt-pants style. The key would be to create distinction and comfort during the performance. The design that allowed more freedom of movement could determine the winner.

“I see.”

“If there is any discomfort, we must fix it.”

“That is a very good idea. Hmm, how about Mary? She’s the most sensitive among us.”

The Empress pointed to one of her ladies-in-waiting. Sonya quickly guided Mary to the fitting room to help her into the outfit.

When the Empress and the others stepped out to the riding arena, Terran was already there, waiting.

Lea stood by with her heart fluttering, waiting for Mary to appear.

Finally, Mary emerged riding a white horse, wearing the black riding outfit.

“Wow.”

Gasps and murmurs of admiration came from all around. Mary looked stunning in the outfit. Lea quickly pulled out her notes, ready to evaluate.

Just then, Terran walked up to Mary and whispered something in her ear.

Lea felt a slight sting in her chest. There was really no need to whisper like that.

What made it worse was the smile Terran gave Mary afterward. Mary nodded and began to guide her horse forward.

After Mary slowly circled the arena, Terran approached her again. This time, Mary whispered something into his ear.

Terran then crouched down and adjusted her leg position.

Why is he touching her leg like that?

Granted, her skin wasn’t exposed. She was wearing tall boots, so there wasn’t any direct contact, but still, the sight of Terran touching another woman’s calf so casually made Lea uncomfortable. Maybe she was overthinking it.

But after correcting her leg position, Terran and Mary exchanged a few more looks and nodded at each other. They even smiled, as if they were silently communicating.

Mary guided her horse over the obstacles, jumping them smoothly. Applause broke out across the arena.

However, when Mary returned to her spot, her expression wasn’t completely satisfied.

She had more to say. She leaned in to whisper to Terran again, and he placed his hand gently on her waist to adjust her posture further.

That was not all. They began discussing the outfit, pointing to the underarm seams and sleeve area, going back and forth in detail.

It was all perfectly reasonable, of course. But then, when Mary began to ride again, Terran followed her slowly on his own horse and called out.

“Excellent. That was very well done.”

Lea had never heard that kind of warmth in Terran’s voice before. It was surprising to hear him praise another woman so openly and without hesitation.

In that moment, she looked around. Everyone else was clapping and smiling, but she felt like she had been dropped into another world.

Every one of Terran’s actions, every glance he gave Mary, every small expression Mary made in return struck a nerve. She found herself reacting to things she would normally ignore.

A heavy feeling settled in Lea’s chest. This wasn’t like when Terran had complimented the Empress just to make her jealous.

This felt worse. Maybe it was just her being childish and petty. Maybe Terran really was only helping her, and she was the one overreacting.

Focus on your work.

Lea shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

But she couldn’t ignore what happened next.

Terran suddenly mounted his horse and pulled Mary up to sit in front of him. They rode together through the arena, clearing obstacles as they went. Even as they rode, they kept talking to each other constantly.

Is that really necessary?

What pushed her past her limit was when Mary grabbed the reins, and Terran placed his hand over hers.

The Empress’s voice snapped Lea out of her thoughts.

“The Duke has become quite kind, hasn’t he? It must be because of Lady Vizak.”

“Excuse me…? Well, any gentleman should act that way.”

He doesn’t need to be a gentleman to other women though.

Finally, the riding demonstration ended.

Terran helped Mary off the horse by holding her waist. He remained a perfect gentleman to the end.

So thoughtful, so caring, so polite. Lea felt like she could cry.

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