Chapter 56

He ran a secret revolutionary organization, yes, but he was still an aristocrat. Judging by that grand estate of his, his wealth was no joke.

‘Damn that Therese. I’ll kill him…’

Daisy gritted her teeth, as she pictured her boss’s insufferably smug face.

“How does it look, Your Highness?”

Anna asked timidly, watching Daisy’s face.

“I like it. It’s lovely.”

“It’s not the dress that makes Your Highness shine. The dress shines because of you.”

She was just stating the obvious in pleasant words, but it wasn’t displeasing to hear.

Compliments about her beauty never lost their sweetness, no matter when they came.

“I like it, but perhaps we should hear what the others think?”

For such an expensive purchase, it was wise to gather other opinions. After all, she would only be buying two dresses, so she wanted to choose carefully.

With a faint flutter of anticipation, Daisy stepped out of the fitting room to stand before the others.

“Young Madam, you look absolutely radiant. Just like one of those statues in the royal palace’s gallery.”

Mary Gold pressed her hands together, gazing at her with a face dreamy with awe.

“Thank you, Mel.”

“I-I should probably stop staring… I think I might get a nosebleed if I go on.”

“All right, don’t strain yourself.”

Her honest admiration was touching. She truly was worthy of being her head maid.

Daisy smiled warmly.

“Expensive things really are better, Young Madam. This one’s worth every coin.”

Rose forced herself to say, her lips tugging upward against her will. The jealousy must be gnawing at her inside, though she dared not show it.

“It’s lovely. Not too ostentatious. It would suit the opera nicely and would pair well with fur, too. Quite practical in many ways.”

Even the former Grand Duchess offered no shortage of praise, and her judgment was always practical, which made her opinion all the more useful.

Now, all that was left was the purse-holder’s decision.

“…Um, Max? What do you think of this dress?”

Daisy asked cautiously, and at once, all eyes in the boutique turned to Maxim, the one footing the bill.

“Beautiful.”

The word left him at once, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Daisy in the dress.

He was completely bewitched. Well, it’s not like he could help it. She was stunning enough to leave anyone speechless.

Daisy could forgive Maxim for not finding the right words to say.

“Then I’ll take this one—”

“Next.”

Maxim snapped his fingers at the staff, signaling them to bring out the next dress.

‘Why is he in such a hurry? Was it not enough to settle on this one?’

The staff bowed and quickly followed his commands.

“Next.”

Another dress.

“Next.”

And another.

“Next.”

Even a dress of completely different design.

Each time, he muttered only “Beautiful,” then immediately demanded another. It was the worst.

‘Oh, for goodness sake, I can’t take this…!’

As she kept changing one dress after another, Daisy’s face grew more ashen.

Eventually, Maxim just stopped talking altogether. He merely nodded his head to signal “next.”

‘Damn it. If they’re beautiful, why is he being so impossibly picky?’

It was as if he intended to make her try on every single dress in the boutique.

‘What am I, his doll to play dress up with?’

It was easy for him. A mere flick of the hand and she’d appear in a new dress. But for her, the endless changing was sheer torture.

At first, it had been fun to try on all the different dresses, but now, all she wanted was to pick one and go home.

“…”

And just as she feared, she was made to try on every single gown in the boutique before finally escaping the grueling labor.

‘And we still haven’t chosen a thing…’

She felt she had suffered for nothing. It felt like he was deliberately punishing her, and she was about to lose it.

By then, Daisy no longer cared what Maxim picked.

She was utterly exhausted. She just wanted to point at two dresses, call it a day, and collapse onto a couch.

“Um, Max, can we decide already? Please, just pick something…”

Daisy’s begging plea made Maxim arch an eyebrow and smirk.

Then, with his usual calm demeanor, he turned to the staff and gave a shocking order.

“We’ll take them all. Everything she tried on. I’ll settle it with a check.”

Heaven help her. All of them?

No one could believe it. Every eye in the boutique, Daisy’s included, went wide with astonishment.