"Have you seen anything you like, my lady?" Hildegard asked, stepping closer to the closet to see what Edith might choose.
"Pick whatever you wish. It's all the same to me. Honestly, I'd much prefer a pair of pants at this point," Edith replied, prompting the maids to exchange surprised glances.
It was rare for women to wear trousers, though whispers had circulated about some noblewomen requesting them—always in private, away from judgmental eyes. They never expected to hear her say it so casually.
"I'll see what I can do about that, my lady," Hildegard said. She had already informed Evans of the kind of dresses Edith preferred, and he'd promised they'd be ready soon. He hadn't questioned her or reacted strongly, so she assumed he wouldn't oppose having pants made for Edith either.
"My lady, Sir Evans said the dresses you requested will be ready shortly. Please be patient for a while longer."
Edith turned toward her. "He really said that?" Hildegard nodded. "That's good to hear." she said, although surprised that he agreed so easily, which also aroused her suspicion.
"Please, have a seat so we can begin with your hair, my lady," one of the maids suggested.
Once seated, Edith glanced at the three through the mirror's reflection. "I believe I still don't know your names. That was thoughtless of me."
They exchanged looks, and then their shoulders drooped slightly.
"It was our duty to introduce ourselves, but we failed," said the eldest maid.
Edith gave a small smile and waved her hand. "It doesn't matter now. Just tell me your names."
"I'm Stella," the eldest said.
"I'm Audrey."
"And I'm Brianna."
"You all look like sisters. Am I right?" Edith asked, noting their strikingly similar pale blue eyes and features.
"Yes, my lady. We're each a year apart," Stella replied.
"Would you mind telling me more about yourselves?" Edith asked. She had never had siblings herself but was curious about the bond and what life was like for ordinary people—how different it might be from her own in Novara. She always had friends and people around her. Was a sibling relationship the same as that of friends?
Though hesitant at first, the sisters eventually began sharing their story. Hildegard later joined them, carrying a dress, and before long, they had nearly completed Edith's morning routine—a rhythm they were still growing accustomed to.
A knock on the door brought a momentary pause before Audrey moved to answer it.
"Miss Anne?" she asked, surprised.
"Yes, is the lady in?" Miss Anne responded, trying to peer inside, though the door remained mostly closed.
"She is, but... please wait a moment," Audrey replied, closing the door despite knowing Miss Anne wouldn't be pleased. "My lady…"
"I heard," Edith said, standing. "Who is Miss Anne?"
"She's the head maid, my lady," Hildegard explained.
"Well then, let her in. I'm sure there's a reason for her visit."
With Edith's permission, Audrey opened the door. Miss Anne's gaze immediately sought out Edith, her brows furrowing in faint disapproval.
"It seems I've fallen short of your expectations," Edith remarked, recognizing the look instantly.
"No, I apologize..." Miss Anne started, but Edith cut her off with a slight wave of her hand, her voice calm and measured.
"It's all right. Why are you here, Miss Anne? I doubt it's just for a chat."
"Yes. The royal dressmaker is here and would like to take your measurements, if that's all right with you, my lady," she said, grateful Edith wasn't dwelling on her earlier rudeness.
"I see no problem with that. It's for my own comfort, after all," Edith said, stepping forward. "Shall we?"
Miss Anne was momentarily taken aback by Edith's poise. She had expected someone haughty and arrogant—especially after hearing about her confrontation with Evans. Few women were mages, and even fewer were battle mages or powerful enough to stand up to Evans. But Edith had.
"Yes. This way," Miss Anne said once she recovered.
Without hesitation, Edith followed her down the hall to the drawing room, where Odette waited. The dressmaker's eyes lit up upon seeing her, and she rushed over.
"You must be the lady I've heard so much about. I must say, you are quite—"
"Ahem…" Miss Anne coughed pointedly, cutting her off. Odette gave an awkward smile.
"Forgive my manners, my lady. I'm Odette, the dressmaker. It's an honor to meet you," she said with a bow.
Edith smiled, finding Odette's energy refreshing. "Likewise," she replied. "I hear you're here to take my measurements. Is there anything specific—" She paused as Odette studied her closely. "Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing at all. Actually, I think we might not need the measurements after all," Odette said, pulling out a folded piece of paper. "Look at this, my lady. Last night, when Sir Evans gave me the designs, he also handed me this. Now that I've seen you, I believe it's accurate."
Frowning, Edith took the paper and unfolded it. Her eyes scanned the contents before she looked up at Odette, stunned.
"Evans gave this to you?" she asked, still struggling to believe it.
Odette nodded her head, "Yes, my lady. I even have one of the designs ready for you with the measurements. I was instructed to make it as quickly as possible, or his majesty would… forget that I ever said anything, my lady," she paused, giving an awkward smile when she saw Edith's frown deepened. "Here it is. I hope you like it."
With a snap of her finger, her assistant walked through the door carrying the said dress.
Like Edith, everyone looked surprised to hear that her measurements were already taken and a dress was already made. But what surprised them more was the name of the king coming up amidst all that.
Out of curiosity, Edith accepted the dress. "Give me a moment to try this on."
Odette smiled, happy she would get to see it worn immediately.
It was a bold attire, and not many would go for something like that. But Edith didn't seem to have a problem with it, and neither did the king care that his woman was revealing so much skin. Maybe he could afford to wear whatever she liked because no one would dare covet what was his.
After a few minutes, Edith returned with a bright smile on her face. "This is beautiful, Odette. I love it." She said while everyone else except Hildegard stared at her in shock.
"My lady, are you sure it is alright to wear that…" Stella began but wasn't able to finish while Muss Anne turned to Odette, demanding an explanation.
"What is the meaning of this, Miss Odette? I never had any doubts about your capabilities until now."
Edith frowned, what were they on about?