Chapter 41

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Fitting
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“Croire.”

I heard Diello’s troubled voice.

I deliberately shot a cold glare at the tailor’s assistants.

“Ah…”

As they began to steal glances at me, Diello spoke.

“For you to do this yourself, it’s a bit…”

He said it as if trying to stop me.

It was exactly in line with the temperament Diello was known to have.

And it was also exactly what we had agreed upon before they arrived.

I knew he had a good memory, but was he really repeating what I’d told him without missing a single syllable?

Diello, nice!

“Are you suggesting you’d let another woman’s hands touch you?”

When I asked sharply, Diello raised both hands as if to say, *of course not*.

“Never. Not in front of you, my bride.”

He then took the measuring tape from the assistant’s hand and placed it in mine.

He smiled faintly.

“Alright, Croire.”

The way he blushed made it hard to tell if this was an act or real.

“Croire, please, do as you wish.”

With that, he guided my hand to the buttons of his coat.

I flinched for a moment at the sudden warmth that reached me.

This line wasn’t in the script.

…In any case, things were proceeding just as we had planned.

There was no way a tailor’s assistant would dare to intervene in this situation.

Anyone with a heart that bold wouldn’t be wasting their talent as a tailor’s assistant, hmm hmm.

Just as I expected, the assistants and the tailor all averted their eyes.

“Alright.”

I straightened up.

I saw Diello take off his outer coat.

* * *

The tailor’s assistants, who had taken Diello’s coat, exchanged troubled glances.

Three of them had come, but only two were exchanging looks while one stood there with a conflicted expression.

…Does that mean the three of them aren’t from the same family?

Considering the gathering was an event created to foster harmony among the three families, this was nothing short of encouraging.

Even at this early hour, the three families were gathered together, exchanging furtive glances.

The goal of achieving harmony among the three families: accomplished!

…Like hell. Whoever created this gathering would surely rise from their grave if they saw this mess.

“First, this way…”

The tailor’s assistant seemed to want to get as close as possible to inspect Diello’s body, but I responded with a look of displeasure.

After all, we were a lovey-dovey newlywed couple, and Croire was a villainess brimming with possessiveness, so the assistant who received my glare had no choice but to shrink back.

“P-please measure the shoulder line first.”

He managed to get the words out, at least.

As he said, I moved behind Diello and placed my hands on his shoulders.

As I pulled the measuring tape straight across to the right, I was struck once again by how broad Diello’s back was.

I could see the distinctly masculine lines of his form.

The moment I stood on my toes to see the number due to our height difference, Diello flinched.

“Stay still.”

I whispered, pressing down on his shoulders. I could feel his slightly ragged breath.

“Next is the arm length…”

This time, I stretched the tape from his shoulder down to where his hand, hot, as befitting an Argenta, touched mine.

Following the assistant’s instructions, I measured several places. Then, the assistant finally revealed his true intentions.

“Lastly, we need to measure the chest circumference, but your shirt is a bit thick, so, um.”

In short, he wanted him to take it off.

It wasn’t even that thick of a shirt. But if I refused now, they would surely find another way to get him to remove it, so it was better to do it now.

“Pardon the intrusion, but would you mind opening it for a moment?”

The assistant asked Diello.

Diello looked from him to me.

As if asking for permission.

Aha.

Staying true to my role as a possessive villainess, I shot a dissatisfied glare at the assistant before speaking.

“I suppose it can’t be helped.”

My grumbling voice came out perfectly. Diello, who had been about to unbutton his shirt, stopped and leaned toward me.

“?”

The moment I blinked, a brief shadow fell over me.

—*Smooch*.

His lips touched my forehead and pulled away.

I froze at the unexpected kiss.

“Just bear with it for a moment, Croire.”

—*Pop, pop*.

He whispered as he undid the buttons on his shirt.

“No matter where I am, what I show, or what I do.”

—*Pop*.

“I am yours, Croire.”

This wasn’t in our agreed-upon script, either.

But it was more than enough to create the sweet atmosphere of a newlywed couple.

“Ahem.”

Even the tailor with 47 years of experience had apparently never seen a couple like this, letting out a dry cough.

And the tailor’s assistant even took a tentative half-step back.

N-nice!

—*Pop*.

In that short time, Diello had completely unbuttoned his shirt.

And between the folds of his shirt, the lilies were revealed.

“…!”

The assistants’ eyes seemed to flash.

Of course, they could only see two lilies.

I had covered one with makeup.

“Now, please measure the chest circumference.”

The assistant said.

Tape measure in hand, I moved closer to Diello.

“…”

I don’t think I’d even held him this close at night.

I couldn’t tell if my face was flushing or if his heat was making me dizzy.

Wrapping my arms around him as if in an embrace, I pulled the tape measure from behind and measured his chest.

It was then that Diello spoke in a low voice.

“Loosen it a little, please.”

“Ah.”

Was it too tight?

I relaxed my grip slightly.

Even when measuring chest circumference, you normally do it over clothes, so it wouldn’t do to make it too tight.

It’s not like we were making a form-fitting outfit.

“This much?”

As I loosened the tape measure a bit in his arms, Diello let out a short breath.

“No, a little more.”

He sounded slightly out of breath.

The man who was so good at ad-libbing was now nervous.

“Relax.”

I whispered softly, and Diello just stared down at me.

“…”

The brief eye contact felt as if he was blaming me for something.

…Am I pulling it too tight?

“?”

As I loosened the tape even more, Diello gave a troubled smile. Then he leaned his head toward me again.

—*Smooch*.

That sweet sound again.

“Ahem! Hmph!”

The 47-year veteran tailor started overreacting again.

And this time, my mind was in an uproar too.

This kind of natural kiss is great!

It’s great…! And since the rival families’ spies are here, it’s perfectly natural, but…!

Just then, as my mind was reeling, Diello dropped a bombshell.

“You’re too close, Croire.”

His whisper was audible to everyone in the quiet room.

“It’s hard to hold back.”

My face burned.

“L-let’s begin the work.”

The 47-year veteran tailor, who seemed to take decorum more seriously than a clergyman, quickly interjected.

He was, of course, quick to look away.

Almost at the same time, a small commotion started outside.

I unintentionally turned my gaze toward the door while still holding Diello.

“From the manor, the—”

The Argenta from the fourth floor, who had knocked and entered immediately with an urgent report, froze with a dumbfounded expression upon seeing us.

He quickly composed himself and said.

“…The tailor has arrived, they say.”

A tailor? Besides the 47-year veteran master?

When I glanced back at our current tailor, he also had a troubled look on his face.

*Am I being replaced?*

His expression seemed to say.

Right?

As I turned back with a bewildered look, Diello spoke.

“Just in case, I told them to bring the manor’s tailor as quickly as possible.”

If this 47-year veteran tailor hadn’t been available, he would have been the one to come.

Preparing a backup plan was an excellent attitude. I commend you.

“Th-then, I…”

The problem was the poor 47-year veteran tailor, who was about to leave having seen nothing but our romantic display.

Just then, Diello suddenly spoke up.

“My bride.”

I looked at him, and he tilted his head slightly, placing a hand on my head.

The fact that it felt like heat rather than warmth, was it because he was too close?

As I was thinking that, he continued.

“Do you have a new formal outfit?”

“Pardon?”

Isn’t it customary for only the head of the family to get new clothes?

“Fortunately, the manor’s dedicated tailor is quick with his hands.”

Diello smiled brightly.

“I was hoping we could have our formal wear fitted together.”

What? Right now?

With only a few hours left until the final banquet?

This plan was definitely not in the script.