Chapter 07
“What is this? This perfect extra-type dress?”
I couldn’t believe it and walked around the green dress displayed on the mannequin, checking it over and over.
‘Did they change the dress? Is this really mine?’
Who would ever think someone wearing this dress is a noble lady?
The dress Lana had chosen was not just plain—it was shabby.
It was made of good silk, but the design was so boring it looked dull at a glance.
‘I’m not asking for something overly flashy.’
But still, this was a debutante.
Wasn’t this basically destroying my own presence?
Even the reactions of the people around me felt strange.
“Oh my, it suits the young lady so well!”
“This dress truly shows the dignity of the Demierd family!”
Are they insane? I turned my head and looked at Lana’s mother, the Duchess of the Demierd family.
“Lana, this is a dress only you can pull off.”
She seemed genuinely satisfied, even though it was such a plain dress with no major accessories, and she was preparing to send her daughter to a debutante like this.
‘It’s your real daughter’s debutante! Are you really satisfied with this?! Aren’t you going to show the power and wealth of the ducal house?!’
Even though the dress gave off the level of dullness like a movie with 25 unnamed background characters, they kept praising it.
“Is it really okay?”
“Yes! It’s perfect!”
I couldn’t hide my disappointment.
And I couldn’t even hide how gloomy I felt.
I touched the dress.
Maybe it couldn’t be helped since it was an extra-type dress no one would notice anyway.
There wasn’t enough time to make a new dress either.
Simple is… best…
Let’s just go with that.
‘Yeah… for Selene’s dress to shine, even the princess’s dress has to look plain in comparison.’
I recalled that rule of this world and decided to accept my fate.
“In my opinion, there is no dress more beautiful than this.”
Even just looking at shop windows on the street showed dresses far more elaborate than this.
“As expected of the Demierd family’s young lady. Truly elegant. It is the most green dress I have ever seen suited to a lady!”
Now that I think about it… green… This dress doesn’t contain arsenic or anything, right?
I remembered those late-night “green dress horror” videos I once saw and shook my head.
No, this is a romance fantasy world.
I finished the fitting mechanically. The dress was perfectly tailored to my body with no issues left to fix.
“Then I will go back to my room now.”
“Very well. See you later.”
I quickly took off the dress and went up to my room.
I felt a little sad.
I had actually been looking forward to it.
When I first saw Lana’s wardrobe, I was already disappointed that a ducal lady had fewer elegant clothes than expected.
And now even the debutante dress was like this.
How could I not feel sad?
Pretty clothes, good food, a comfortable life… those were the reasons I liked romance fantasy worlds.
‘No, even extras should have flashy outfits, right? Even if they only appear once in a side story.’
But what could I do?
Still, there was one good thing.
I could decorate myself with accessories as much as I wanted.
‘Yes! I have a jewelry box!’
I remembered there were quite a few decent accessories since I was a ducal daughter.
Excited, I opened the jewelry box—but immediately felt disappointed.
‘Nothing matches the dress.’
Diamonds, Janet pieces, and others that didn’t match the green dress at all.
I fell into despair again.
‘Sigh… I know I should act like an extra…’
But I really can’t go to the debutante wearing just that dress.
And I had plenty of money in the vault I recently opened.
I could easily buy necklaces and earrings that weren’t as flashy as the heroine’s, but still pretty enough within my means.
My sadness suddenly disappeared, and I felt lighter.
As expected, nothing restores self-esteem faster than being able to spend money freely.
I was humming when Susan knocked and entered.
“Lady. A present has arrived.”
“Hm? Suddenly?”
“It is a gift from Young Lord Harriet. Would you like to go downstairs and check it?”
No.
I recalled the atmosphere in the reception room.
It would probably be messy, and Ever might be there spending a happy moment with the Duchess in my absence.
And opening Harriet’s gift there while listening to whatever comments they made… I didn’t like the idea.
I shook my head.
“Bring it to my room. I want to check it alone.”
“Yes. I will bring it!”
A few minutes later, Susan entered the room carrying Harriet’s gift.
‘What is this?’
It was a navy velvet box.
I carefully opened the lid.
‘…!’
Inside was a set of jewelry made of amethyst.
Along with a light green envelope.
“Wow, it must be a debutante gift.”
“…Seems like it.”
“Go on, try it on. It really suits you, Lady.”
Still confused, I put on the necklace and earrings.
It was an extremely elegant set, completely opposite to my usual appearance.
I touched the necklace nervously.
It was pretty, but I couldn’t explain this strange feeling of discomfort.
‘Ah…’
The moment I opened Harriet’s letter, I understood why I felt this way.
Because I knew that the person who cared so much for Lana now would, once the original story began, reject all other women and only look at Selene.
I could prepare myself for it now, but from Lana Demierd’s perspective, how shocking must that be?
‘Now that I think about it, why did Lana dislike Harriet?’
I had been too busy adjusting to this world to think about it.
I would have to investigate that someday.
Where did Lana Demierd’s soul go?
Lana Demierd was not someone who left traces everywhere.
She didn’t keep a diary and had no close friends.
She would occasionally go for walks or read books.
Except for not having any special ability, she had lived a life without any hardship at all.
So why did I end up in this body?
Thinking about the reason with no clues made my head hurt.
I had been too carefree after gaining a new body.
Now I really needed to find the cause and try to stabilize this life properly.
To lift my mood, I started reading Harriet’s letter.
“To Lana,
Time really flies.
Over the past year, I thought about what to give you for your debutante.
After much thought, I am sending something that I believe only suits you.”
No way.
Lana Demierd… what a terrifying woman.
How could she not feel anything for someone who writes letters like this?
With this level of restraint, he could become a Buddha.
I read on sincerely impressed.
“Although I cannot attend as your partner because you refused,
I feel like I will be watching only you the entire time.
If you change your mind, even on the day of the debutante, please contact me.
I want you to know I am always ready.
P.S. I wonder if the messenger animal arrived before this gift.
I look forward to the name you will give it.
And don’t worry—I will stand by your side even if Her Highness the Princess tries to persuade me.”
Ah, my debutante partner was my father, the Duke of Demierd.
A very standard extra-type arrangement.
‘Well, I don’t want to see a partner just staring blankly at the heroine anyway.’
By the time of the debutante, Harriet would likely already be connected to Selene.
And when they meet again, he would already be interested in her.
Because Lana would attend with her father, Harriet would arrive alone and end up showing Selene around the imperial banquet hall.
Just imagining that made my stomach churn a little.
I had once been the type of middle schooler who screamed at full volume just because my crush slightly interacted with someone else.
‘No. I am a rational adult. And things are different now.’
I would find Lana’s soul, decide whether to return the body or not, and then maybe do a contract marriage with Harriet…
Ah, saying it is easy.
Life had always been a long endurance test.
And this life was no different.
If anything, I almost wished I had possessed Selene or a villainess instead.
Sometimes patience was even more exhausting than direct action.
‘No, starting the original plot would be worse.’
I quickly regained my senses and removed all the accessories I was wearing.
I would wear them again on the day of the debutante.
The moment I closed the velvet box again—
‘Wait… why does this feel familiar?’
This jewelry… wasn’t it in the original story?
The color drained from my face.
Harriet had said it was something that only suited me.
But I should not be the one holding this right now.
