Chapter 32: Costume Preparation

“Wow, Eliza-sama, I think this is the first time I’ve seen you wear white!”

At Reka’s words, I glanced down at my attire again.

I had casually left the request to Yulia, telling her to just make something to match Emilia’s outfit. Unsurprisingly, she had come up with a design in men’s style for me. Considering the concert setting, it wasn’t knightly dress, but rather a simple white tunic reaching mid-thigh, cut straight and loose.

The sleeves and boots fit snugly, while the fastening slanted diagonally from my left shoulder down to the front of my right thigh, allowing for more movement than it seemed. Beneath it, I wore a high-collared shirt dyed pale violet, paired with a silver hair ornament set with a stone of the same color. I tied my hair up high for the first time in a long while, and fixed the ornament in place.

Yes. It was certainly a look I had never worn before.

White cloth is expensive. To have an outfit made entirely in white fabric was an idea I’d never considered.

“It resembles a bishop’s vestments, but it looks unexpectedly good on you. I’d never thought of this combination before,” Tira observed as she adjusted the outfit, her eyes sharp with a mix of admiration and envy. She still seemed undecided about whether to let the purple drape trailing from my left shoulder hang or to fasten it at the arm.

In contrast, Athrun seemed simply pleased. “That diagonal collar looks Altlasian, doesn’t it? Like the ceremonial uniform of the King’s Spear, Muchaitrel. I think it’s excellent.”

Since Emilia’s dress incorporated Lindahl-style embellishments, Yulia had cleverly added foreign touches to mine to balance them. Using decorations from the defeated kingdom would have been inappropriate, so she invoked the Shiru tribe connection instead. Though Lindahl and Altlasian fashion differed, they resembled each other more than they did Arxian styles.

“In any case, my preparations are done. Let’s move on to Emilia-sama’s attire.”

“The seamstresses should be finishing the last decorative stitches,” Tira murmured.

Unlike me, Emilia wore a dress, which meant her preparations took far longer. After dressing her, the seamstresses had to hand-stitch floral decorations in balance, a process I’d only heard about but already found daunting.

Her preparations were being done in the dining hall, chosen for its size and easy access to the entrance. Knocking on the door, I waited for permission to enter. Yulia peeked out, eyes gleaming.

“A rare privilege!!”

“…What?”

“N-nothing. Please, come in.”

Coughing to cover her outburst, Yulia quickly pinned a small bouquet of silk flowers to my left shoulder before ushering me in.

There in the center of the room stood Emilia. Our eyes met.

“Ah… Count Kaldia…”

She startled, as the seamstresses were still stitching decorations onto the hem. “Please, Emilia-sama, don’t move,” one of them admonished immediately.

It was… good. Better than I had imagined.

“Does it match your vision?” Yulia asked.

“Yes. As expected of you, Yulia. Excellent work,” I replied.

Emilia’s dress embodied purity. The priestess selection was a religious ceremony; a gaudy evening gown would be inappropriate, but plainness would not do either. As academy students, our attire had to convey dignity.

Her dress, like mine, was themed in white and violet, though hers leaned more towards a reddish purple. The neckline was new—lace encircled her shoulders, covering the décolletage entirely. The skirt, shaped like an inverted blossom, spread naturally without any patterns, layered with gradient-dyed tulle. The floral ornaments being stitched were hidden beneath the tulle, visible only faintly through it.

“…It suits you more than I expected,” I murmured.

The gradient-dyed fabric recalled the styles of Planates, known for such techniques. The addition of sheer tulle was a Lindahl-like touch, though in Arxia it was known only in some southwestern regions.

“But… it seems rather different from current royal trends,” fretted Lady Heideman, overseeing matters. She cast uneasy looks between Emilia’s gown and mine. Yulia ignored her, leaving me to simply shrug. Elise and Rachel had already approved it, so I had nothing more to say.

“Emilia-sama, do you like it?”

She had been too busy with other preparations to focus much on the dress design. Still, she smiled, her eyes melting with delight.

“Yes, Count Kaldia. It’s truly… truly beautiful.”

Her expression was almost painterly, the very image of maidenly grace. I thought instinctively how easily such a face could be immortalized in art.

Recently, Emilia had learned to wear her emotions more freely in public. If her engagement into the Dovadain archducal family was confirmed, this would serve her well. Innocent charm could be a shield in courtly life.

I clenched my fist slightly. Today, I had to do everything I could, so that her future might be brighter.

Because tonight… would be the last time I could directly help her.