âYour Excellency! Where are you taking Sophia?â
When Killian took Sophia out of the countâs doorway, the count rushed over and grabbed her by the wrist.
As a result, Sophia stopped walking, and Killian looked back.
âYou havenât spoken to us properly yetâŠâ
âIâve talked about everything with my fiance.â
âWhat? Well, itâs the familyâs business too. I donât know what Sophia said, but you should talk to me, the owner of the houseâŠâ
âWhat do you want to talk about?â
Killian looked down at the count with a calm eye. To be sure, the source of this rumor was the count.
He raised his daughter as a maid.
âFirst of all, all the articles in todayâs weekly magazine are false rumorsâŠ!â
âIt should be a false rumor.â
Killianâs eyes turned to Sophia in a moment, and then turned back to the count.
âSo I believe the Count will do his best to clean up this disgrace.â
âWhat?â
âWhy is the rumor so strange that today my fiance is residing in the attic used by the maids?â
Killianâs eyes narrowed. There was a cold sweat on Count Fraussâs forehead.
âI hope the Count will pay special attention to avoid such misunderstanding. Isnât that also a disgrace?â
âYes, yesâŠ!â
Killianâs sentence was polite, but his voice was as cold as frost and made everyone shiver.
âWell, may I have some time with my fiance?â
Killian stared at the countâs hand, who had seized Sophia.
âIâll take care of her dinner, so you donât have to wait.â
Killian looked at the count with his eyes, meaning, âbefore then, improve Sophiaâs treatmentâ.
The count opened his mouth, but Killian turned and crossed the garden without hearing the countâs answer.
His grip on Sophia was not too strong, but she had no choice but to follow him.
Sophia saw the back of him striding ahead.
His head was larger than hers, and his back was wide enough to cover her.
Sophia thought he was a bit of a hero.
~*~
âSo where are we going now?â
âThe dressing room.â
Said Killian, resting his chin on his hand and stared out of the carriage.
A dressing room.
Sophiaâs mind saw the next development.
âA ropan dress!â
It is a scene that often appears before a ball or festival. Certainly, the archdukeâs fiancee should not walk around looking so shabby.
She looked out the window excitedly.
Beyond the window, the ropan landscape, which she had only imagined, became a reality.
âItâs like Iâm in a ropan theme park!â
There was a line of classical architecture along the road where stones were laid instead of asphalt.
All the clothes of the passers-by were unfamiliar.
It felt like she traveled to a faraway country that she wanted to visit before she died.
âWow, a very big carriageâŠ!â
Sophia gave a small exclamation and flinched.
âBut I canât see any fantasy.â
For a week, she studied harder than she did in her exams in her past life to discover this world.
She thought that if there was any special worldview, it would be helpful in deducing the title of the novel she possessed. However, the fantasy setting was not visible.
There were no magic, spirits, or powers handed down only to certain families at least, or notable myths and legends.
âI wanted to use something like magic.â
Sophia glanced at Killian.
âThe blood of demons and dragons flowing through the Grand Dukeâs family⊠No.â
She looked into it, but Killian inherited the noble lineage of the archduke, and he was a very ordinary man.
âIt seems that magical beasts do exist at leastâŠâ
That was a setting that comes out everywhere, so it was not special.
âMaybe it was designed to be used at a hunting contest.â
Killian stared at Sophia, who was looking at the window with a childlike look on her face.
âIt seems that she is a country girl who has come to the city for the first time.â
Even the dress she wore was old fashionedâŠ
The woman who boldly talked about the weekly magazine earlier made him wonder where she had gone.
However, Sophia could not feel his gaze at all, and she was busy looking outside with excitement.
A little smile spread and disappeared around Killianâs mouth as he watched her.
âWe have arrived, Your Excellency.â
The carriage, entering the city, stopped in front of a tall, red building.
The coachman opened the door and set the footrest. Killian, who was sitting across, got out of the carriage first and reached for the escort.
Sophia hesitated at the unfamiliar hospitality. It was an escort she had never received in real life. His charming eyes, like rubies, winked quietly and urged her.
âIt must be a routine for the male lead.â
Sophia put her hand on his, pretending not to win. His glove-covered hand supported and pulled her lightly.
Killian went into the dressing room with her without letting go of her hand.
âYour Excellency the Duke of Rivelon!â
As soon as they saw him, the employees and the manager inside rushed.
âIf you had called, I would have gone to the Duke!â
Killian naturally took off his coat and left it to them. Sophia looked around in the middle of the unfamiliar dressing-room.
A smooth marble floor, a colorful dress in an antique interior, and a hat with abundant feathers. It was more than a modern wedding shop that made her head dizzy.
âThis way, please.â
The manager led the two inside. Killian followed the manager as if he was accustomed to it.
Sophia followed him closely in case she missed him.
âIs this Miss Sophia from Frauss?â
âYes.â
Sophia nodded at the courteous question of the manager who was leading her.
The manager smiled as if he knew it.
The manager and other employees here must have seen the tabloid this morning.
Pls read only at pinkmuffintl.
âCountess Frauss has often used our dressing-room, but this is the first time Iâve seen you.â
âWeâll chat later.â
Killian cut off the managerâs curious words.
The manager smiled awkwardly and led them to a private room.
Inside the spacious private room, there was a red velvet sofa and a refreshment table.
Killian sat down on the sofa familiarly and crossed his legs.
Sophia also sat on the sofa in a stiff posture, following Killian.
The manager poured the tea himself with a kind smile.
Dark red tea and sweet desserts attracted her attention.
After that, a splendidly dressed senior designer came in.
He had a golden name tag written âAndreâ on his chest.
âIâd like to get a dress for my fiance.â
Killian said to the designer, without paying attention to the refreshments.
Andre smiled with his eyes, saying, âWelcome, Your Excellency,â and motioned gracefully.
Then, as if waiting, the employees brought in a hanger full of clothes, a design book, and a swatch of fabric.
The private room, which Sophia thought was spacious, felt full when two long hangers with dresses came in.
âChoose one, Sophia.â
Killian winked at Sophia.
âYouâll buy it for meâŠ?â
âI didnât come here as a guide.â
Killian, who nodded his head from her question, was embarrassed that Sophia had asked for nothing.
âOh. I just had to make sureâŠâ
âSuch a ropan moment!â
When the male lead brings the female lead to the dressing room, he passes the bill onto the female lead?
Itâs impossible. She already knew that much.
But when it comes to money because of her previous job⊠She still gets anxious.
âStrangely, youâre negative. I donât think the rumor was completely wrong.â
âIâm not being negative, Iâm just making sure Iâm on the money side.â
Sophia pouted and looked sullen. Then Killian laughed.
âIâll buy you as many as you like, so donât worry and choose.â
His definite answer spread a relaxed smile around Sophiaâs mouth.
âItâs my first time seeing him, but he must have a lot of money.â
Sophia was shameless and decided not to look at the price list.
Only look carefully at the fabric and design!
She tried on some of her favorite dresses and was careful.
Chief designer Andre recommended basic designs and special details just for her.
âHa⊠Itâs hard.â
Well, this one was pretty and so was that one.
Sophia fiddled with her chin and hesitated at the crossroads of choice.
Killian then spoke, who had been staring at Sophia.
âThis is taking quite a long time, isnât it?â
âYou have to shop cautiously. Itâs like a law, because I have to have no regretsâŠ!â
ââŠâ
Killian shook his head disapprovingly and closed his mouth.
And after much consideration, Sophia finally made a decision.