Translator: Atlas / Editor: Regan
They were visiting Tinaâs boutique in preparation for Raphaelâs banquet at the palace. It wouldnât be just nobles from Deltium attending, but emissaries from foreign lands as well. All of them would be coming to celebrate Raphaelâs momentous achievement of becoming Master of Swords.
Which was why he could not imagine wearing pink.
Tina, spying the displeasure in his face, tried to talk him down.
âI wouldnât make you a full suit in this color,â she said patiently, as if she were calming a child. âI just want to add pink details to the collar, cuffs, or your tie. You wouldnât even like that?â
âI donât want it,â Raphael said, more stubborn than ever.
âYou donât like this, you donât like that!â Tina retorted. âItâs very annoying.â
The man knew nothing about fashion, and still had the temerity to veto her when she proposed the latest trends. Infuriating. As they glared at each other, Annette interceded.
âCalm down,â she said, stepping between them. She had been watching the argument escalate, and couldnât help sighing as she looked at the pink velvet in Tinaâs hands. The designer was right; it would match Annetteâs pink eyes perfectly. But it would be hard to talk Raphael into wearing that color.
Silently, she took the notebook where Tina sorted her fabric swatches, her eyes calmly scanning through the colors until she found a crimson. The deep, intense red was very elegant.
âWhat about this one, Raphael?â
âMuch better than the other one.â
âThis one will work for trim with dark navy blue as the base,â Annette said, placing a navy blue velvet beside the crimson she had chosen. âThe banquet is for Raphael. We should choose something that compliments his coloring.â
The combination was dark but intense, and when she tried to picture Raphael in the dark blue and red, she knew he would be wildly beautiful.
Really, it would be strange if something didnât flatter him, with his physique. Annette cast an admiring glance at his muscular body. He was a head taller than she was at the shoulder, and so impressive that he looked like a well-developed beast.
Thank God heâs my husband.
Annette shrugged inside. In theory, the banquet was an unprecedented celebration for Deltium, but in reality it would be a dangerous battlefield with many hidden traps. But that didnât mean they could just wear any old thing.
She wanted Raphael to look good at his banquet. She wanted him to look as impressive as his accomplishments. She wanted him to hold his head high before all the nobles of Deltium.
That was why she had brought him here. There would be different opinions throughout the process, but in the end, the outfit she had chosen would make him stand out.
âI agree with those colors,â Raphael said, nodding at Annetteâs choice with lamblike obedience.
âTina, what do you think?â
ââŠyou donât usually wear those colors, my lady,â Tina replied deliberately. She had been charged with Annetteâs wardrobe since childhood, and she knew better than anyone else what looked good on her. Navy blue and crimson?! Tina was unhappy.
Annette had delicate features and light colors. She looked best in spring shades. Pink like tulip buds, pale yellow like freesias, dreamy purple like lavender, light greens like leaves, and other similar colors.
But Annette was insisting on choosing colors that didnât suit her. Raphael had to be the center of attention at his banquet. But of course, it didnât mean that she would be drab.
âI know,â Annette said, trying gently to persuade her. âBut I have faith in you, Tina. Iâm sure youâll think of something wonderful. Besides, donât you think itâs time for me to change my style?â
Annette was no longer a hothouse flower, and it was time to put away pastels for something new. Tina nodded as if she were hypnotized by Annetteâs smile, which wasnât the innocent little girlâs smile she remembered.
âOf course, you can trust me, Lady Annette!â
âI have another favor to ask, by the way. Do you think you could do something a little different with the inner lining? It will be a slightly unusual material.â
Annette smiled as she made the odd request. She would be as prepared as possible of the banquet. A beautiful dress was important, of course, but she also wanted to survive wearing it.
It was always best to plan ahead.