10.

Of course, Serenity had heard of Brayden’s store before.

The spelling of ‘B’ in Brayden was embossed in gold leaf, decorating one corner of the dress.

Serenity had tried on a few dresses. She had secretly taken the ones Yulia had outgrown and kept them hidden in the corner of her room. They were all faded and worn, but they were the only dresses she had for herself.

Serenity remembered what Adele had said. It bothered her that she hadn’t brought her along.

‘I’ll have to bring her along next time.’

She saw the fabrics hanging inside the shop through the glass.

And there was a partially completed yellow dress hanging on a wooden hanger.

‘…A dress just for me.’

Cordelia took Serenity’s hand.

“Let’s go inside.”

Serenity felt her heart pounding so hard between her clenched fingers that she couldn’t help but swallow.

Ding-ding. The cheerful chime of the paper on the door rang out.

As Serenity and Cordelia entered, a short, silver-haired woman approached them. Her cat-like eyes and lips, more red than not, drew attention. It suited her.

The woman extended her fist and greeted Cordelia.

“Cordelia, you’ve finally brought your beloved little sister to see us.”

“Pleased to meet you, Brayden.”

Brayden. She was the owner and designer of this store.

Cordelia replied with a somewhat gruff expression. Serenity was surprised that Cordelia’s stoic face suited her better than expected.

She thought Cordelia had a reserved personality, but it might not be true.

But the brief moment of surprise was interrupted by the somewhat uncomfortable feeling of the gazes on the side.

Brayden clapped her hands.

With a cheerful smile, she seemed relaxed.

“You’re such a lovely lady. Nice to meet you. I’m Brayden, the designer who runs this place.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Serenity Zeros… I mean.”

Her name felt awkward coming out of her mouth. Nervous, her voice came out stiff.

Brayden didn’t mind.

“We’ll see each other often in the future, so remember me. I’m quite famous as a designer. I’m sure you’ll place many orders in the future…”

“Brayden.”

“Oh, okay. Cordelia. Let’s get to the point. Shall we go see our dresses?”

Brayden naturally led Serenity inside.

It was quite spacious. The row of doors was for private consultations.

Holding the keys and humming a tune, Brayden stopped in front of the room at the end of the corridor. Brayden suddenly turned her head and stared at Serenity.

“Now, Serenity. I’ve collected some dresses for you from Zeros all this time.”

A smile played on her lips. But Serenity couldn’t understand her words.

“…Collected dresses?”

Creak. The door opened.

For a moment, Serenity was dazed, and then she looked ahead, seemingly entranced.

A new world unfolded before her.

It felt like a dream.

She felt like she had come to a different world.

Until she came to Zeros, she never had anything that she could call “mine” in Liv. The orphanage was a community. She couldn’t ask for such a thing from the busy director running the orphanage.

Serenity had no idea that there were so many dresses in the world.

Each dress had its own theme.

From simple cotton dresses suitable for hot summer days to extravagant dresses adorned with lace and frills.

Every dress she had ever imagined seemed to be gathered here.

Tears of admiration welled up as if to express her heart.

“Wow…”

Her heart was overwhelmed. Just the thought of choosing among so many dresses made her happy. Serenity stood there, covering her open mouth, unsure of what to do, while Cordelia and Brayden smiled proudly.

“How many should we pick?”

Brayden piped up from beside Serenity, who was deep in thought.

“Cordelia’s laughing! This is impossible!”

Ignoring Brayden’s lighthearted comment, Cordelia affectionately patted Serenity on the head. She was her sister, and she found her utterly endearing.

“Do you like them?”

“Yes, really. I love them.”

Brayden interjected from the side.

“No need for that. All these dresses here are for Serenity.”

“…Huh?”

Serenity’s eyes widened. There were an overwhelming number of dresses. Roughly a hundred, it seemed.

“Fashion follows trends, which change every few months, sometimes even within a day. Each time, Marquis Zeros ordered dresses for his daughter here.”

“…”

“You held onto hope. And that hope has finally come here.”

Dresses with a rounded neckline that was trendy last year. The year before that, V-neckline dresses. Every dress had different details.

As Serenity scrutinized the dresses, which seemed endless like a street, she closed her eyes for a moment.

She didn’t want her eyes to well up with tears.

Not here.

‘All for one person.’

She didn’t know that having something just for herself could be so blissful.

“I think this one would suit me.”

The dress was adorned with bright blue, with white lace and frills. The fabric, dyed in a way that was impossible to discern, shone like the night sky, softly captivating anyone who looked at it.

The slightly puffed sleeves and the round neckline seemed to encourage her to go to the reception hall at this very moment.

“Wanna try it on?”

She couldn’t refuse. Serenity nodded, and with her head held high, she entered the fitting room with the dress.

Brayden helped her put on the dress. She didn’t think it would fit her this well until she put her arms through the sleeves.

Serenity had been lying down all this time.

Wearing the dress, Serenity scrutinized her reflection in the mirror.

The pink hair, contrasting with the blue dress, immediately caught her eye. Her pale face revealed her dazed state.

Brayden, who saw Serenity in the mirror, complimented her.

“It suits you well.”

The dress fit Serenity perfectly.

The gift prepared for her daughter, who had not awakened, was more heartfelt than any gift Julie had received in her lifetime.

Serenity thought, “I’m being loved like this, just for being alive. I can be loved like this.”

Tears welled up in her eyes, and Serenity wiped them away.

Brayden didn’t mention her tears and patted her shoulder.

“Would you like to try on more?”

Serenity was a little greedy. She nodded her head, and Brayden brought her a pink frilly dress.

“Today, the entire store is reserved for Zeros.”

* * *

It felt like she had worn all the dresses she hadn’t been able to wear until today.

Each time Serenity changed into a different dress and came out, Cordelia enthusiastically complimented her. To be honest, her compliments didn’t help much. All Cordelia repeated was how beautiful Serenity looked in everything she wore.

Of course, Cordelia was sincere.

Serenity was also getting used to the warm-hearted Cordelia.

Inside the carriage on the way back after their happy time, Serenity gazed out of the window at the sunset. She still felt like she was dreaming.

“Serenity.”

Cordelia called her, and Serenity turned her head.

“I heard you told the servants to do whatever they want.”

She seemed to be talking about the party. Serenity nodded her head.

“It seems like I still have a lot to learn. The people who have worked in this mansion for a long time know more than I do, so…”

“This is your place. It doesn’t matter. You can do whatever you want.”

Cordelia tilted her head. She appreciated her words, but Serenity couldn’t accept it.

“It might not suit me, or… It might be considered improper by others.”

“There’s no way what you do could be improper.”

She was scared of making mistakes, of revealing herself, and of being disliked.

“You might not be used to expressing your opinions yet, but I wish you’d speak up more. Otherwise, people won’t know what kind of person you are.”

“What do I want?”

“Yes, just like today.”

“But…”

She was afraid she might make a mistake. She didn’t like making mistakes.

As if reading Serenity’s feelings, Cordelia immediately continued.

“It’s okay to make mistakes.”

“…”

“If you make a mistake, I’ll be here. I’ll help you rectify it, prevent you from repeating the same mistakes. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.”

Cordelia’s voice was resolute.

“This will be a chance for you to get to know yourself.”

Her question was not only addressed to Serenity but also to herself.

A question she had never asked her whole life. A question she hadn’t thought about. It had a profound impact on her.

“What kind of person am I?”

Julie.

Serenity.

She couldn’t answer.

* * *

The day of the party arrived. Serenity had been waiting for Adele to enter the room.

The maids, including Adele, were supposed to help with her makeup and preparations from this morning.

A knock on the door resounded. Serenity told her to come in.

Adele entered the room panting. Sweat glistened on her face.

“Se-Serenity, my lady…”

“Why did you rush here like that?”

Had something happened? Adele laughed brightly at Serenity’s question.

“I want to tell you some great news!”

Seeing Adele’s delighted expression, Serenity became curious.

“What is it?”

“Prince Craytan is coming to the party to celebrate your recovery!”

Prince Wyatt Craytan. It was a name she hadn’t heard in a long time.