The large back naturally blocked the hands of the two people reaching out to shake hands. The friendly handshake was thus interrupted. Reynard asked Shane in a voice even more gruff than how he addressed Madame.

“What’s the matter?”

Judging by his furrowed brow, he seemed quite irritated, but as if trying not to show it, he turned his back completely on Valentin, widening the distance. Shane, seemingly accustomed to his superior’s attitude, didn’t mind at all and bent down to whisper something in Reynard’s ear as he sat on the sofa. And Reynard’s expression completely crumpled upon hearing those words.

“I’m sorry, but would it be alright if I step out for a moment?”

“Did something happen?”

“It’s not a big issue, but I need to go and handle it personally.”

“Ah, I see…”

It was a relief that it wasn’t a major problem.

“These things happen when you come out while on duty.”

His expression was one of embarrassment. Seeing his crumpled face trying to show apology, Valentin responded casually. He wanted to put Reynard’s mind at ease.

“Yes, please go. It will take quite a while to try on the fitted clothes and choose the details anyway.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“Will it take long?”

He could probably finish in about an hour. Having a clear sense of aesthetics, he had never spent a long time dithering when making these kinds of choices. Valentin wondered if it would take longer for Reynard to return from his errand than for him to make his selections. He looked back and forth between Reynard and Shane, waiting for an answer.

“I estimate it will take about an hour.”

“I’ll try to return as quickly as possible.”

Reynard added, kissing Valentin’s cheek after his aide’s response.

“Alright. Take care.”

And so, the large navy men, who seemed out of place in Madame’s dress shop, left the room.

Madame, who had been watching their departing figures, clapped her hands loudly as if trying to change the atmosphere. Then she spoke to Valentin in a cheerful voice.

“Well then, shall we try on the fitted clothes and choose the rest of the decorations?”

At those words, Madame’s assistants moved in unison, bringing torso mannequins and rolls of fabric.

Valentin also rose from his languid pose as the alpha departed. Even though the afternoon was supposed to be a holiday, it was clear that they were busy enough for the aide to come all the way to the dress shop. It was time for him to move quickly too, to meet the wedding date that Reynard wanted.

‘Alright. Let’s do this!’

*

After choosing the cufflinks for the shirt, the shape of the buttons to be wrapped in silk, embroidery samples, and even the lining, Valentin stood on the platform.

“Your measurements haven’t changed.”

Valentin secretly let out a sigh of relief at these words after being measured here and there with a tape measure. It wasn’t just his feeling that his belly hadn’t grown yet in the early stages. He couldn’t have been more grateful to hear that he was unchanged from before the pregnancy.

Madame put away the tape measure and brought several veils.

“This wedding veil goes best with the outfit you’ve chosen now. Look. Here, the lace details are identical, right? I made them thinking they were a pair from the start. Of course, if you choose a different veil, we can change the lace on the outfit too.”

Madame continued her explanation without pause as she laid out various types of veils. She explained for a while about what goes well with what. Valentin asked, looking at the lace that Madame most recommended.

“Isn’t this rose pattern too much? Even for an omega, on a gentleman’s suit…”

“Oh my, what are you saying! For the most beautiful person in high society, regardless of gender, to say such a thing! If the young ladies of society heard you say that, there wouldn’t be a dry handkerchief left!”

As if to prove Madame’s dramatic words, the other assistants nodded their heads.

“Besides, there’s a rose in the Wiche family crest! Now that you’re getting married, your surname will change. (* Omegas take the alpha’s surname.) So you’ll use the crest following the Marquis from now on, wouldn’t it be nice to use the symbol of the Count’s family for the last time?”

Madame said, showing an intricate rose-shaped corsage. It was indeed persuasive, worthy of a designer who had dominated Elden for over a decade. It’s clear she didn’t survive on design alone. Valentin was impressed by Madame’s eloquent persuasion and way with words.

“Then, I’ll go with this…”

All the laces Madame had presented as suitable matched well with the clothes and were excellent. It was clear that whichever was chosen would blend well. Valentin finalized his choice that way.

“Try it on.”

Valentin quietly waited for the white veil for the omega groom to settle on his head over the fitted outfit.

Finally, the white cloud and flowers symbolizing marriage settled on his brilliant hair.

“Oh my, oh my! It’s perfect!”

The veil for the wedding mass was short in the front, but the back extended long enough to trail on the floor beyond the heel of the shoe. Madame kept exclaiming in admiration.

Valentin blushed slightly in front of the large mirror that filled one wall, feeling somewhat newfound emotions.

‘I’m really getting married.’

More than when he sent the reply to the proposal, and even more than when the formal proposal documents were exchanged between the families, it was now that he began to feel the reality of the impending marriage. Valentin lowered his eyes as he traced the rose pattern at the edge of the white lace veil covering his face.

Although he had never used such elaborate corsages and embroidered lace before, it didn’t seem bad for his first wedding ceremony with him. As Madame said, from now on, he would follow Reynard’s family crest on letters, seals, and even more trivially on teacups and tableware.

So he wanted to commemorate the last time.

“It’s beautiful.”

He lightly touched the white rose, making the veil flutter as if he were a butterfly.

Just as his heart was about to be steeped in sentiment, an unwanted voice poured cold water on the moment.

“Valentin Wiche.”

A voice sharp enough to cut the air.

The voice alone was enough to guess who it was. Valentin let out a short sigh and turned around.

Evener was leaning crookedly at the entrance, standing there without even taking off his hat.

“Evener Luwin.”

They mimicked greetings by calling each other’s names, but neither of them even thought to nod their heads, not even out of courtesy.

Although the toile room of the dress shop was connected by an open arched entrance, it wasn’t a space where others could freely enter. It was somewhat of a private space. While they couldn’t prevent uninvited guests from peeking through the thin chiffon curtains, barging in was an entirely different matter.

As if to prove this, Madame Delacroix, the owner of the dress shop, was fidgeting uncomfortably.

The air circling between the two became sharp enough to cut.

“Did you two have an appointment by any chance?”

Madame carefully asked, looking back and forth between Valentin and Evener.

She hadn’t heard anything about it, but she was asking to avoid any possible rudeness. Valentin frowned and shook his head. There was no way he would have personally invited someone he never wanted to see again.

Before Valentin could firmly shake his head, Evener raised his voice and said,

“I couldn’t help but come when I heard a dear old friend was here. Madame, would you mind stepping out for a moment?”

At this polite but all too natural command, Madame and all the other assistants stopped what they were doing and looked at Evener’s face.

‘Dear friend.’ It was nonsense. Valentin was simply dumbfounded, unable to understand what Evener wanted to say by personally visiting on his way. Although Evener’s words towards Madame seemed kind at first glance, they actually contained pressure to leave immediately.

“Ah…”

And it was natural that Madame had no choice but to follow the request-like order after hearing those words. No matter how indispensable she was as a famous figure in high society, she was not a noble and was a foreigner. She was merely of the wealthy gentry class. So how could she refuse the order of a member of a founding family and a renowned noble Englishman whose name appeared in daily newspapers at least once every two weeks as the lover of the third prince? Madame had no choice but to comply.

Valentin nodded to prevent Madame from becoming more uncomfortable as she looked around, unsure of what to do. It meant she could leave.

“I’ll talk for a moment.”

“Then… I understand.”

Madame quietly left.

As silence once again filled the space where Madame had left and the air froze again, Evener slowly opened his mouth.

“So the rumors about you getting married are true.”

Evener slowly took steps towards Valentin.

It was a leisurely gaze.

He seemed to have noticed that the clothes Valentin was wearing were for the groom at a wedding ceremony. The gaze that swept from head to toe was as cold as a snake. Especially when looking at the omega groom’s veil, that sharpness intensified.

“When I first heard that rumor, I could hardly believe it. You, who was so averse to engagement and ran away from it, getting married…”

“The partner is different.”

Valentin coldly responded to Evener’s sarcastic words.

After perfectly breaking off the engagement, what he realized when encountering Clifton at the charity concert was one thing. That he should no longer give these people any leeway, that was it.

Firmness was essential.

He couldn’t hide behind his fear anymore, paralyzed by the trauma that threatened his life. Swallowing his words and just enduring was no longer helpful. It was time to properly convey his intentions.

Valentin grabbed the veil on his head and pulled it down.

All the fluffy feelings were crumpled because of one uninvited guest. He didn’t want to stand ridiculously wearing a veil symbolizing purity in front of someone who seemed to be mocking the marriage. Valentin carefully draped the veil over the nearby torso, careful not to damage Madame’s precious veil.

Evener, looking more displeased at Valentin’s response, provoked him.

“Didn’t you once say that the place right next to Prince Clifton was your place? Now you’ve changed your target to Marquis of Valkyries? The one with the name of Dennox, second only to royalty?”