Episode 9.
After Adrian left while ridiculing her, Elisa focused solely on her work with terrifying intensity, even skipping lunch. Finally, when Elisa turned the last page of the documents and raised her head, the clock hands had just passed 4:55.
Elisa moved her stiff body, which had been in the same posture for a long time, stretching here and there.
And just as she was taking off her uniform jacket to prepare to go out, the office door swung open. It was Adrian.
He was arrogant enough not to seek knocking or permission. This time too, that is.
“Elisa, surely you haven’t already forgotten about our plan to go out together……”
Looking back and forth between the desk where the fully processed documents were neatly organized and Elisa, who had taken off her uniform, Adrian was so surprised that he even forgot the words he was about to say.
As if he hadn’t even expected Elisa to be competent enough to finish that much work on time.
“I suppose you naturally thought I wouldn’t be able to finish all the work on time? But what to do, Adrian? I’m not as incompetent as you think.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it?”
Adrian sighed briefly and looked at her. In his red eyes, his aura—telling her not to act tired over a mere matter like this—reflected out as it was.
“I’ll go first and wait, come out when you’re ready.”
Then, as if even the time spent bickering with her was a waste, he briskly exited the office.
Such calm and cold disregard. This felt even worse. Left all alone, Elisa felt as if she had become an immature child.
The kind of petty child who is anxious to fight with him somehow, and wants to strike up a conversation even if it means scraping at Adrian’s nerves like that.
As soon as Adrian left the office, Elisa slammed the uniform jacket she was holding onto the desk as if it were Adrian himself.
However, the anger that had reached the top of her head did not subside, nor did the fact change that she had to spend this evening pretending to be Adrian Oberon’s fiancée.
Ultimately, Elisa had no choice but to take reluctant steps.
However, even though she came outside the unit, Adrian Oberon was nowhere to be seen for a good while.
Elisa’s eyes sank coldly. With her brow heavily furrowed, she crossed her arms.
Just as five minutes were passing and Elisa, truly unable to endure it anymore, was about to actually turn back, she saw a carriage entering this way.
The carriage, made of conifers that do not grow in the South, was shining brilliantly with ornate antique crest decorations engraved in gold.
It was a carriage that was like a symbol of the North.
Sure enough, when the carriage door opened, Adrian Oberon was inside. Adrian reached out his hand from inside the carriage. When Elisa glared at his hand as if looking at something bizarre, Adrian flicked his hand.
“Get in quickly. There’s no time.”
However, Elisa looked at Adrian’s hand as if it were the most useless thing in the world and boarded the carriage by herself.
Why on earth did she need an escort, she who was neither wearing a dress nor high heels?
Adrian Oberon withdrew his hand without a hint of embarrassment, as if he had expected as much. Once Elisa took her seat, he started the carriage and handed her a basket.
“Eat. We have to fit the banquet and engagement dresses.”
Elisa looked at it dubiously before remembering the fact that she hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. Upon perceiving that fact, she suddenly felt hungry.
Well, the sandwich is not at fault.
Thinking so, Elisa unwrapped it and put the sandwich in her mouth.
Elisa’s eyes widened slightly after taking a bite of the sandwich. It was delicious. it was on a different level from what she ate at the cafeteria inside the unit.
Elisa, who was admiring the taste of the sandwich and about to take another bite, accidentally made eye contact with Adrian.
Adrian was forcedly holding back laughter as he watched Elisa, who was preoccupied with the sandwich.
In an instant, her appetite dropped sharply.
“Don’t laugh.”
“I didn’t laugh.”
However, contrary to his words, it was plain to Elisa’s eyes that he was forcedly pulling down the corners of his mouth that kept trying to go up.
Elisa began putting the sandwich she was holding back into the basket. Then, Adrian hurriedly discouraged Elisa.
“I really wasn’t ridiculing you. I won’t look, so finish eating.”
Whether he intended to actually keep that word, Adrian closed his eyes altogether and leaned his head against the backrest.
Elisa completely withdrew her gaze from Adrian and began bringing the sandwich to her mouth again.
Once her hunger was satisfied, drowsiness gradually rushed in. On the carriage seat, plush silk cushions filled with goose feathers were laid out all the way up the backrest.
It was a state where she hadn’t been able to go home for several days and had only taken catnaps. Just preparing to welcome the delegation made her busy enough to spin, and in between, there were more than one or two times when Adrian Oberon acted bothersomely like today.
Yesterday, he hurried her saying she had to pick jewelry, and the day before, he was stubborn saying she had to pick decorations for the banquet hall. Thanks to that, all the backlogged work had to be resolved through overtime.
Today, going even further, she even had to have measurements taken for the dress, so Adrian persistently tormented Elisa and dragged her all the way here.
Adrian Oberon acted like a person determined to dry Elisa up to death. The more he did, the more Elisa bit her lip.
Elisa recalled the expression of Adrian Oberon when he barged into her office as soon as it became 5 o’clock.
He stood there with an expression that said he really didn’t know she would have finished the work.
If she hadn’t finished the work by then, and therefore had to say something apologetic to Adrian Oberon……
That was truly terrible just to imagine.
Just before Elisa fell into a slumber while continuing those thoughts, the horses came to a halt with a loud noise.
“Admiral, Vice Admiral, we have arrived.”
When the two got off the carriage, Catherine came out personally to greet them and guided them inside the shop.
After the employees sent Elisa inside the dressing room and took her
measurements, they began to display an enormous amount of dresses.
“You may try on all the dresses here. The designs were all made by Madame Catherine personally. Naturally, they are designs that have never been revealed to anyone.”
Of course, in Elisa’s eyes, those dresses were all just plain white dresses. She could distinguish what kind of bullets a rifle used just by looking at the muzzle, but dresses all looked exactly the same, this one or that one.
When Elisa shook her head saying she didn’t really know, the employees instead became more excited, spreading out all the dresses and beginning to hold them up against Elisa’s body.
“Then, we will pick for you! Since your shoulder line is so beautiful, an off-the-shoulder style will suit you well, and since your waistline is slender, a mermaid design will also be very……”
“Is that all? Her skin is so fair. Even if she wears a pure white dress, she won’t be washed out at all.”
“First, try this on. It’s silk infused with ground pearls, so it will sparkle brilliantly when it catches the sunlight. Moreover, the slit at the bottom is a trend that started in the royal capital’s social circles, so it will never look tacky.”
At the employee’s pouring words, Elisa nodded blankly. After barely putting on clothes with several layers, not by herself but with the help of the employees, she was already drained.
For Elisa, who had adhered only to comfortable and loose clothing that she could change into within 10 minutes even if she was soaked to the bone in seawater, ornate dresses were something she simply couldn’t adapt to.
However, the employees’ thoughts seemed different. They dragged Elisa in front of the full-length mirror placed in the dressing room. Of course, they didn’t forget to skillfully help Elisa, who almost fell over because she couldn’t adapt to the trailing dress hem.
“Oh my god, this is unbelievable. The owner of this dress is definitely the Admiral.”
“Really, I never imagined a disciplined body could be this beautiful.”
“Now quickly, go out!”
“Huh? Why? Is it over with this one outfit?”
Elisa asked with a bit of anticipation.
“Oh, what are you talking about. There are still many more dresses left. You have to try on the off-the-shoulder design and the design wrapped in see-through fabric as well.”
“Then, I should hurry and change more, so why go outside……”
Elisa even tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand at all, but the employees laughed as if she were stating something obvious.
“Oh dear, you have to show it to your fiancé as well! We can’t be the only ones to see this beautiful sight!”
“That’s right! When the young Duke sees this, he will definitely fall head over heels for the Admiral.”
Ah, in their eyes, Adrian and Elisa appeared to be an ordinary couple. Adrian Oberon’s acting was so excellent that everyone here was completely fooled.
“Ah, that’s okay. Rather than that, could you help me take this off?”
The employees were flustered by Elisa’s voice, which was colder than expected.
When they were wavering on what to do and reluctantly placed their hands on the dress at Elisa’s eyes, which had sunk indifferently, a low and soft voice was heard from outside the dressing room.
“Elisa, do you really intend not to show me your beautiful appearance?”
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