‘How long has it been since he smiled as he used to, wouldn’t it be awkward to smile that way?’
I let out a sigh. It wasn’t me who was going to marry Baron Stephen. I tried to replace the bride the other day, but it failed, d*mn.
I felt really bad for Gloria who had to live with such a husband for a while. Especially since I also knew that Claude was in her heart.
While looking into the camera lens, I spoke to Baron.
“Your Lord, will you say what I ask you? Say cheese!”
Then, Baron followed me awkwardly.
“Cheese.”
When he raised his lips naturally, it made him look better. I adjusted the focus of the camera when I thought I could shoot now. That was when I saw Gloria’s face through the lens and my hand stopped from moving. She was staring at me.
‘How strange? Gloria should have been getting a bit used to the camera by now, shouldn’t she?’
Back when she still stayed with us at my house, I took some photos of her and Claude. I took a photo of Claude alone and gave it to Gloria per her request.
I meant, the time for Gloria to appear awkward in front of the camera should have been over by now.
‘She was obviously upset with me.’
She looked at me very coldly. If I look at her stern demeanor in the conversation before the Baron came and her appearance now, any fool could tell. Gloria had come to despise me now. Why so sudden?
I hid my uncomfortable feelings and told them.
“Alright, I’ll be taking the picture now. Ms. Gloria, please show your smile. Please look at the round lens. One, two, three. Cheese!”
The images taken at this moment came out so well that I was impressed that they were that good to be published in the newspaper. Of course, the results were developed in a dark tent and could be checked immediately. The disadvantages and advantages of wet plate photography are that the development and deposition process must be completed within 10 to 15 minutes, and thanks to this, the results are immediately visible.
The result was so good that Baron Stephen, who examined the photo, gave me a few gold coins as a tip and said, “Good job.”
“In that case, there will be an article on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper about your marriage. I will include the date and location as well. Are you fine with that?”
“Yes, yes. Please take good care of me.”
Baron Stephen patted Gloria’s shoulder and played the friendly couple in front of me. They just looked like grandson and grandfather. I had a lot to say to Gloria for choosing to marry an old baron.
‘Such a stupid young girl. Whether this lake collapses or not, I’ll run you out of the country if you want me to do so.’
I wanted to talk to her longer as a friend.
“Excuse me, Gloria. If you have time, can you talk to me for a while?”
“Sorry. I’m a little busy.”
She stared at me with coldness apparent in her eyes, then turned quickly to walk out the living room.
The butler made excuses for my embarrassment.
“Madame have to go to measure her wedding dress. The designer is waiting for her at the moment.”
Yes. The newlyweds who were about to get married were busy. I was also busy with the first newspaper that would be published tomorrow. I set my regrets aside and hurriedly left the mansion.
* * *
‘I’m tired first time in the morning.’
Gloria came to visit the baron quite earlier than she was supposed to, and the butler acted as if he knew she would come today. Once she arrived at the baron’s house, she was pulled into the hands of the servants and dressed up. Afterward, Haley waited in the living room. After forcing herself to take a photo with Baron Stephen who pretended to be friendly, she was placed in a large room called ‘Julie’s Room.’
According to the butler, Gloria could stay in this room from today. The room was huge and beautiful that a loud exclamation unconsciously slipped off Gloria’s mouth. Before heading to the bedroom, she had to pass through the beautifully decorated living room. There was also a very large dressing room located beside the bedroom. It was so huge that one bedroom here must be a lot bigger than the house she lived in before.
“I’ve never seen a room that has a terrace.”
As Gloria approached the spacious terrace, she caught a glimpse of the beautiful garden. Yellow lilies were blooming beautifully in the garden. Come to think of it, yellow lilies were also decorated throughout the living room and bedroom.
“Oh, I don’t like yellow.”
Gloria preferred to decorate it with red. Oh, but the color red reminded her of her friend out of nowhere, Haley. Gloria shook her head quickly and pushed away the thought about her friend and decided to change her flower preference to something else.
Gloria thought by the time when she officially became a baroness after getting married to the baron, she should gradually change the flowers in the garden and the interior. Her heart fluttered at the imaginary sight of the beautiful scenery and the beautifully decorated room. It wasn’t because she was excited about getting married.
‘Do I really have to live with the old baron from now on?’
Thinking about this made Gloria feel moody and heavy. Gloria was leaning back on the sofa in the living room. And she intended to close her eyes and rest.
“Madam, please excuse me for a moment.”
The moment someone spoke, new people rushed into Julie’s room.
People who came in with full suitcases in their hands greeted Gloria, who was lying half of her body politely. The middle-aged man with silver hair, who had the most colorful clothes among everyone came forward with his shining blue eyes.
“Good morning, Ms. My name is Ferronel, a costume designer. It is an honor to be in charge of your dress.”
Ferronel Fletcher. He was currently the owner of the capital’s most in-demand P&P boutique. If someone wanted to order dress from her, it was said that even the royals have to order and wait at least another year for it. It was such a famous boutique that even ordinary people know about it. The owner and designer of the boutique were even paid visit by the baron himself. That was such an incredible honor.
Gloria didn’t want to be rude to the famous designer again, so she got up from the sofa.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been lying down because I’m tired of meeting someone I’m not supposed to meet earlier in the morning. What should I do today?”
Mr. Ferronel grinned.
“You can take the measurements today and choose accessories to match your dress.”
Ferronel began measuring Gloria’s shoulders and waistline with a tape measure. And he put different colors of fabric next to Gloria’s face to find the right color that matched her.
“His Lord’s fiancée is very beautiful. You suit together so well in appearance!”
Gloria smiled awkwardly at Mr. Ferronel’s obvious compliment. Perhaps, Baron Douglas Stephen spent a lot of money to call in the designer like him. However, to think that a designer with such a great reputation had also fallen for the Baron’s money. Gloria tilted her head, wondering if it was a temperament that shone through more than it appeared. As if he realized her thoughts, Ferronel spoke lightly.
“Actually, I heard the Baron’s sad love story from someone I know. I offered to make the wedding dress because I was curious about the great lady that everyone are talking about.”
That is to say, it was just out of curiosity. Ferronel, who was at the center of all the rumors in the community, was also very curious about her reputation. To the point that he threw away other schedules and ran straight to the baron.
“There’s a wedding dress that the baron had chosen, so I’ll focus on customizing it today. Is there a wedding dress design you want?”
Ferronel Fletcher blinked his eyes rapidly while staring straight at her with great agitation. Mr. Ferronel acted as if he was just waiting for an answer to come out of Gloria’s mouth. However, having little knowledge of the clothes worn by the royals, she was unable to find the answer the man wanted.
“No, I’ll try it if it’s His Lord’s choice.”
The designer’s shoulders drooped slightly at Gloria’s answer. Ferronel tried to hide his disappointed expression by handing over the wedding dress to the Baron’s servants. The servants helped Gloria change into her wedding dress. The dress was quite large, but it was made of high-quality fabric and was heavy with lots of sparkling beads.
Gloria tilted her head as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror.
“Is this… the wedding dress?”
The wedding dress was a bustle dress that accentuated the buttocks by making them look exaggerated. This was the design that Baron Stephen would have been popular back when he was young. If she wore this wedding dress that had a voluminous back skirt, you will definitely be laughed at by the guests and being told that the dress is tacky.
Even in Gloria’s eyes, who didn’t know much about clothes, she could see that the items and dresses brought by Mrs. Ferronel were now outdated. Of course, even though they were outdated, they were very expensive.
‘Is he trying to disregard me because I’m a commoner? Is that why you brought these outdated items?’
Gloria was angry. She wondered if it was true that this the man, who was also a commoner was ignoring her who was going to become a baroness. She looked at the designer with disinterested gaze.
“Excuse me, Mr. Isn’t this wedding dress a design from my grandmother’s generation? Even though I’m a commoner who doesn’t know much about trends. This is too much. Don’t you know that if you sell this outdated design to me, there will be bad rumors for you later?”
No matter how popular Ferronel was in the capital, he had gone too far at this point. Gloria had been in a bad mood since this morning and vented her anger on Ferronel because she thought it was the right time to do so. Then, he fidgeted while trying to make excuses.
“Please don’t be angry, Ms. Actually, I’ve already told the baron. However, the baron is very stubborn. I can’t do anything about it since it’s the Baron who pays for the dress. If you don’t mind, could you tell the baron that you would like to choose a wedding dress with a different design?”
He was confident that she would make a wedding dress with a strict design but it has to be new because there was only about a month left before the wedding. The designer didn’t seem to want to put out a trendy-designed dress on his behalf.
Gloria sighed and signaled at her maid.
“Can you call the butler for me?”
What did the Baron mean by making Gloria wear an outdated dress that wasn’t even suitable for a bride? When Gloria couldn’t hide her disappointment with her wedding dress, Mr. Ferronel tried to speak up.
“The Baron asked for the rest of the clothes, except for the wedding dress and pajamas to be customized according to his wife’s wishes. May I show you the pattern of the most fashionable dress at the moment?”
After all, she couldn’t change her wedding dress now. Gloria decided to choose the dress and accessories she wore on a daily basis first. Mr. Ferronel was delighted and recommended designs and colors that matched Gloria’s silver hair and violet eyes among the currently popular dresses and accessories. While he was writing the order without hesitation, the butler came and knocked on the door.
“This is Henrick, Ms. May I come in for a moment?”
The butler entered the baroness’s private parlor and glanced at the pile of orders. He seemed concerned about the baroness’s excessive spending. Gloria ignored the butler’s sharp gaze and asked him.
“I would like to ask His Lord regarding something. Where is he now?”
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