Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 39: A Sparkling Gem

Chapter 39: A Sparkling Gem

"Good morning! Welcome to Lady Florence’s Boutique!"

As Tillian and Aideen walked into the dress shop, they were immediately greeted by a tall, slender woman in her late thirties.

She was dressed in a rather modest green dress with a tall neck, long sleeves, and pearl buttons lined down to the waistline.

Her straight blonde hair was gathered in a very neat bun on the crown of her head and wrapped with a thin, white ribbon. Her face, long and skinny, boasted a healthy complexion, but the big, round silver frames of her glasses seemed rather out of place as they covered nearly half of her face.

The woman trotted briskly towards the early visitors, offered them a generous bow, and introduced herself in a polite voice,

"My name is Beatrice; I am Lady Florence’s first assistant, and today you are in my care."

Beatrice ushered the couple further into the store and continued,

"As autumn is coming to an end, we have already begun advertising our new winter collection. As you know, all dresses are unique in their design, which means no other lady in the entire Geraldion will have the same dress as you, My Lady."

She paused in front of the dress stand with a dozen mannequins clad in warm winter dresses and fixed her curious, anticipating gaze on Aideen, whose sparkling eyes were running absentmindedly over the space in front of her.

Beatrice arched her thin eyebrows and shifted her eyes to the Duke, who cleared his throat, then gently placed his big hands on top of Aideen’s shoulders and explained,

"Yes, we are aware of the outstanding nature of your designs, Lady Beatrice. Right now, however, our top priority is a dress that is made only once every year and has no rivals in terms of its price."

Duke Valentine concluded with a subtle nod and showed the Golden Shopping Pass one more time, as if to remind the shop assistant that his money barely had rivals as well.

The tall woman adjusted her big round glasses, parting her lips slightly as Tillian’s words were sinking in. She then retrieved a pair of white gloves from a small pouch tied around her waist, put them on, and finally replied,

"You are here to purchase a wedding dress, I see. Well, in that case, please allow me to escort you to the changing room, My Lady."

Tillian lightly pushed Aideen towards Beatrice, who, with a kind smile on her face, carefully took the princess under her arm and guided her in the direction of the changing rooms.

Utterly confused, Aideen turned her head back, her expression betraying her emotions, but the Duke reassured her in a kind voice,

"Do not worry, Your Highness; I will be waiting for you here. Do not think about anything and just try the dress on. Lady Beatrice," he paused, shifting his piercing red eyes to the tall woman, his voice acquiring a more stern and serious tone, "I am certain you will take especially good care of My Lady."

Both Beatrice and the princess nodded in unison. Aideen then followed the assistant’s lead, disappearing behind the long, thick curtain of the spacious changing room.

Standing on a small round podium situated in front of the mirror, the lady took off her coat, which was then accepted by Lady Beatrice, and clasped her hands in front of her stomach, nervously awaiting further instructions.

The shop assistant examined the princess’s body with the look of a seasoned expert and started,

"You have a wonderfully shaped body, My Lady! From what I can already see, the dress will require minimum adjustments. It is as if you were born to wear Lady Florence’s dresses!"

She took a step closer to Aideen and continued,

"Now, we will have to undress you, my dear. Will you allow me to assist you with that?"

The lady was about to answer with an affirmative nod but hesitated and took a small step back, away from the woman. She had no idea what her body looked like, and although Bella never mentioned anything about it when she was helping her dress in Tillian’s castle, the memories of Vira constantly reminding her of the awful scars that carved her entire back, made her feel incredibly ashamed once more.

Struggling to find courage, Aideen wrapped her arms around her shoulders, her chest trembling from the relentless wave of embarrassment swirling inside it.

Beatrice, not used to such timid behavior, arched her eyebrows once again and asked, her voice filled with genuine concern,

"Is something the matter, My Lady? Are you feeling cold? Goodness, perhaps the heating magic here is not enough..."

"No... I am not cold, Lady Beatrice, I am just..."

Aideen felt embarrassed even to say it, but the heavy silence that filled the changing room was becoming overwhelming. With a deep inhale, she finally attempted to explain,

"Well, you see, my body is not––"

The princess was unable to finish her sentence as Lady Beatrice stood in front of her again, gently unwrapped her arms, and slowly moved them away from her chest. In a warm and encouraging voice, she said,

"I apologize, My Lady, but the condition of your body is not all that important to me. Please, do not be concerned. I have spent over a decade working in this boutique, and the number of bodies of all sizes and shapes I have seen only proved to me one thing – our bodies are our only true, precious homes. Just like the houses we build, they are susceptible to weather and our surroundings. Just because your home happened to be in a harsh and unforgiving environment, does it mean you have to be ashamed of it or, heavens forbid, give up on it? No, you repair what can be repaired and decorate the rest. And thankfully, Lady Florence’s dresses are the best decoration one’s home could hope for."

With a kind smile playing on her thin lips, the tall woman softly wiped two lonely tears that formed at the corners of Aideen’s glowing eyes and concluded,

"I will not force you to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, My Lady. However, I do insist on introducing the masterpiece of a wedding dress crafted by Lady Florence herself. If you still feel that even this dress cannot convince you to feel more confident about your precious body, then you are free to walk out of this store with any other dress of your choice, free of charge. Now, does not sound like a bad deal, right?"

Although Beatrice’s kind words filled Aideen with a myriad of heartwarming emotions that were desperate to make her cry, the princess still could not resist smiling.

When she walked inside this store, she was prepared to be mocked and judged. After all, even if Duke Valentine insisted that she deserved to be treated like a real princess, what kind of social standing did she have to be treated with even an ounce of respect?

However, time and again, she was proved wrong.

The moment Tillian entered her miserable life, everything began to change as if he opened the door to the life she never had but undeniably deserved; the very same door others have been trying so hard to lock for good.

And now that door was impossible to close because there were others who made sure that Aideen could finally become the person she was born to be.

"Well, the wide smile on your beautiful face makes me believe that it is time for me to introduce you to the dress."

Still smiling like a happy, excited child, Aideen nodded enthusiastically. Beatrice responded with a light chuckle and placed a tall wooden mannequin in front of the princess, inviting her to examine the dress it was presenting.

"Do not be shy, My Lady. Feel free to touch it. I assure you, this is the most exquisite dress in the entire Kingdom!"

The princess took another deep breath, as if what she was about to do required additional courage. She then took a small step forward and carefully placed her hands on top of the dress, wincing lightly as her skin made contact with the incredibly soft fabric.

While Aideen’s fingers timidly traced every detail of the wedding dress, Lady Beatrice decided to help her with a verbal description.

"This dress was made of the finest white silk and lace with the most detailed ornaments. The skirt has three silk layers, making it light on the body while still preserving its volume. The fourth layer of the skirt is made entirely of lace with beautiful flowery ornaments all over its hem.

The corset is sturdy but adjustable, which means that you will not feel trapped in it, and neither your movements nor your breathing will be affected. It is decorated with tiny lace flowers and pearls.

The sleeves are long, flowing, and made entirely of lace; they are attached to the corset itself, exposing your beautiful shoulders. Lady Florence made sure that they can be adjusted however you like, which means you can cover your shoulders if you feel cold.

The entire dress is sprinkled with pearl powder enhanced with magic, making the dress reflect any kind of light and turning you into the most astonishing sparkling gem, My Lady."

Beatrice concluded the description and observed Aideen’s reaction. The princess continued to examine the dress with her tender touch, then stopped as well, and closed her eyes, pressing her lips somewhat tightly, as if to prevent even a single sound from escaping her mouth.

Perplexed, the shop assistant offered Aideen a questioning look and asked,

"Do you not like the dress, My Lady?"

Aideen opened her eyes, allowing a few teardrops to make their way over the smooth surface of her cheeks, and finally said in a trembling voice,

"No, Lady Beatrice. The dress is perfect."