About to question what that meant, Edith suddenly thought of Duke Devion’s situation. As an ally of the Emperor, opposed by both the temple and nobility, he had been recognized for his contributions in war and made a duke, though he was distant from power.

The Emperor planned their marriage because Edith’s family was a fallen nobility ‘deserving’ benefit. He intended to support Barony Brussel, thereby strengthening Duchy Devion.

‘…It’s to reduce discontent.’

She belatedly understood the Emperor’s intention. It seemed he wished to keep his efforts to aid Duke Devion as discreet as possible.

Of course, the arrangement of the marriage had already failed several times, and the involved nobility was likely aware of the situation, so perfect secrecy was impossible. Nonetheless, making even a tiny bit of an effort was different from doing nothing, and it seemed that was what the Emperor desired.

“This is part of that effort.”

Waiting silently to allow her time to understand, the Duke presented an elegant envelope. Edith tilted her head in confusion upon checking its contents.

“…An invitation?”

“The Emperor has sent it. There are two, so it’s intended for both Miss Edith and myself.”

Ah, that was what it was.

She finally grasped the Emperor’s intention. The invitation implied that they should be seen together before the wedding. It wasn’t a significant request, so Edith felt somewhat relieved.

“Would that be alright?”

“Yes, of course!”

It seemed fine, didn’t it?

With Edith’s cheerful consent, as she didn’t know what was going to happen next, the meeting concluded.

She had hardly enjoyed cultural events. Not for lack of interest but because she didn’t have the money or time. Busy with just surviving, where would she find the leisure for that? So, when the Duke mentioned they were invited to the opera by the Emperor, she didn’t mind.

Enjoying cultural life on someone else’s money! She was actually quite excited.

“What, what is all this?”

That was all she had thought, so Edith was thoroughly surprised by the scene before her.

“The Master has sent these outing dresses. Regrettably, due to time constraints, we had to prepare ready-made clothes. We hope for your understanding.”

On a long hanger brought by two maids were various dresses, each appearing expensive even to Edith, who had little experience with luxury goods.

“But I do have my own outing clothes.”

She spoke carefully to refuse the extravagant gift.

Of course, her clothes were not comparable to the dresses hanging before her, though she had her own neat attire, mainly worn for interviews, and had planned to wear that today. While she appreciated the Duke’s consideration, it was undoubtedly overwhelming. She had never worn this type of dress before!

“Forgive my forwardness, but Miss Edith, you haven’t yet had the experience of participating in the social world, correct?”

“That’s right, I haven’t.”

“The Master himself is not much experienced with high society either. It’s barely been over a year for him.”

Was that possible? Edith was taken aback.

She had heard that even before receiving his title, the Duke had been of noble birth. Nobles typically receive training in various etiquettes and public speaking from a young age in preparation for their debut in high society.

It was quite surprising to hear that he had no experience in high society until well into his twenties.

‘Ah, maybe because he was at the Magic Tower?’

Edith, who was puzzled, quickly found a plausible explanation. Until he went off to war, the Duke was said to be the successor of the Magic Tower. Naturally, he must have lived there, hence the gap in his social experience.

“I understand it might make you uncomfortable. It could be overwhelming, but—”

Edith was about to nod in agreement with Bill’s kind words but stopped midway as he continued with a very polite smile.

“—the Master is concerned about more uncomfortable situations coming, so please try to understand his intentions.”

…More uncomfortable situations?

The phrase was perplexing, but by then, the hanger had already been brought into her room. Edith realized further refusal was futile.

* * *

‘Wow, is this really me?’

Stepping out of her room, Edith was astonished and somewhat embarrassed by her reflection in the corridor mirror.

The maids had expertly braided her wheat-colored hair, sweeping it forward in an elegant style, and the beige chiffon dress she had chosen, which matched her green eyes perfectly, made her question if such a dress could suit her.

Yet, any worries were unfounded. It might be odd to say this about oneself, but she looked like a princess straight out of a fairy tale.

‘Keep your expression in check, Edith!’

Fascinated by her unfamiliar yet intriguing appearance, Edith was brought back to reality by the sound of footsteps in the corridor. Despite intending to refuse, she was excessively pleased with the outcome. Edith felt a bit embarrassed.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, is the Duke…?”

When she turned around as she had just stepped out of her room, she was startled by the Duke’s voice.

“…You’re perfectly prepared.”

The Duke, dressed in a sleek black tailcoat, was dazzling. Edith regretted her earlier thoughts comparing herself to a princess.

Seeing someone who truly looked like a prince made her previous thoughts vanish.

She then followed the Duke, struggling to maintain her gaze directly ahead. It wasn’t until they were seated in the carriage that she spoke again.

“Well, Duke, thank you for the clothes you sent. They were all beautiful. I’m still not sure if I should accept them all, though.”

Edith began with a word of thanks. Although she had asked Bill to convey her gratitude, it was proper to express it directly.

“Why do you think so?”

“…Pardon?”

She found the answer unusual. Without realizing it, she asked again, feeling as if she had seen this scene many times before.

“You will soon become the Duchess, and Duchy Devion has a budget has a separate dignity allowance allocated for the Duchess.”

“Ah, that makes sense.”

“Of course, luxury items are excluded, as they are not covered by the maintenance allowance. Isn’t that stated in clause twelve of the contract?”

“…Then, I’ll gratefully accept.”

That was clause twelve.

Her memory was a bit hazy, but she decided to just agree, sensing that the Duke’s explanation was probably accurate.

‘Still, is it really okay to just accept this? I should think about how I can repay this generosity later.’

A hint of worry flickered in Edith’s light-grey eyes, resembling the dawn sky before it faded away.

* * *

The carriage carrying the two stopped in front of the Robedon Imperial Opera House. Stepping out of the carriage, she immediately understood what Bill meant by ‘more uncomfortable situations.’

‘…My goodness, if I had worn that outfit, it would have been a disaster.’

The theater that was located in the center on a neatly paved road, the theater itself was like a piece of art.

The domed building was immensely majestic, and those entering through its grand, gate-like entrance were unmistakably nobility. Everyone was so finely dressed that had she come in her regular outing attire, she might not have even been allowed through the entrance.

“It seems everyone here is of high status.”

“The imperial theater is primarily frequented by nobility.”

Though it was more of a mumble, the Duke responded. Seizing the moment, Edith asked another question.

“Can commoners not enter here?”

“There are no restrictions based on status, as far as I know. However, securing good seats might be challenging.”

He gave a quick answer this time as well. Edith noticed a trait about the Duke; he seemed comfortable with a question-and-answer format.

Suddenly, she remembered a senior from her graduate school days who mechanically churned out papers, much like how the Duke spoke. That senior had so often engaged in Q&A sessions with professors that the style had become second nature.

‘…Could it be that wizards at the Magic Tower are like graduate students, with the Magic Tower’s head like a professor?’

With that thought, the towering figures seemed somewhat more relatable.

Wizards and graduate students!

Edith found her own thoughts amusing and chuckled a little. It was then that the Duke’s gaze, which had been fixed forward, shifted to her.

“Why are you laughing?”

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