𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟕
And so, Amane’s Operation Mabel’s Downfall began.
The day after the completely uneasy meeting, Mabel went downstairs to do the morning cleaning when suddenly the front door opened.
Before Mabel could even think about what was happening, boxes of clothes were being carried into the reception room one after another.
Among the group was Cero, who weakly raised his hand when he spotted Mabel.
“Good morning, Mabel. . .”
“Cero! What’s going on? What are all these packages?”
“Well, you see…”
Before the exhausted Cero could continue speaking, a cheerful voice from behind interrupted.
“Mabel, perfect timing! Come over here.”
Mabel was half forcibly taken to the reception room, and what she saw in front of her made her dizzy. The room was filled with piles of dresses that far exceeded ten or twenty in number.
There were pale yellow afternoon dresses adorned with delicate white lace, and deep navy evening dresses designed to expose the shoulders.
There were dresses with mermaid lines that traced gentle curves, with pearls sewn in a way that resembled waves. And there were also kimonos made of layers of brightly colored silk threads, woven together with shining silver threads, which seemed to be Kytha’s traditional clothing.
The sight of Amane’s attendants lining up one after another, displaying magnificent fabrics, was like magic and would captivate any young woman.
But Mabel suddenly snapped out of it as if she had just woken up.
“W-What is all this?!”
“Oh, it’s just a little gift.”
Mabel, with her mouth wide open, couldn’t find words, and Amane casually replied. Meanwhile, the beautiful dresses continued to multiply, filling up the reception room with great force.
“You can wear as many as you like.”
“But…”
“As for me, I think this light blue organza evening dress or the deep crimson dress with black tulle lace would suit you.”
As Amane said that, the dress he held in his hand was made of an extremely soft silk fabric that shimmered as if it were transparent. It was a masterpiece that Mabel had never seen in Eakes.
Indeed, being a commercial powerhouse, there were many fabrics and textiles that had not yet circulated on this continent.
Caught up in the novelty, Mabel instinctively reached out for the dress, but then quickly shook her head.
“I can’t accept something so expensive.”
“Why not? You’re going to be my fiancée, so it’s only natural.”
“I said I can’t! Besides, I can’t do the cleaning or cooking in such a dress.”
“You can leave that to the servants, can’t you?”
What’s the problem? Amane seemed to say with his expression, and Mabel murmured in her mind that it was indeed a typical reaction for a member of the royal family. In the first place, it was rare for someone like Mabel, who did all the housework without any maids, to exist.
“I want to do it myself. Also, can you please clean up this room for me?”
“But―.”
Amane, who was still trying to persuade her, suddenly jumped at the sound of the door being forcefully opened.
Furthermore, Amane suddenly floated up as if weightless and was carried towards the open door.
“W-What is this?”
Ignoring the surprised Mabel, Amane’s attendants also floated one after another and flew in a line, following him. Cero was the last one floating.
The dresses that were spread all over the place also rushed into the boxes, one after another, and the lids closed in order from the ones that were filled up. The locks clicked neatly, and as soon as the preparations were complete, they swiftly passed through the room, chasing after Amane and the others.
Mabel was speechless at this overwhelming sight.
Then, the culprit behind all of this―Eugene, appeared from the other side of the door. He was wearing a mask, but Mabel could sense deep vertical wrinkles between his eyebrows.
“What’s going on? Why is this guy here since morning?”
“T-Thank you.”
Mabel, with a dry laugh, gazed absentmindedly at the clear sky spreading high above through the window of the reception room.
But Amane was not likely to give up so easily.
The day after the forced repatriation, while cleaning the windows on the second-floor corridor, Mabel turned her attention to the commotion downstairs. She saw a large number of flowers being brought into the hall on the first floor.
She hurriedly ran down the stairs and called out to the servants who were piling up the flowers diligently.
“Um, what is all this?”
“Oh, Mabel, it’s been a while.”
As expected, Amane appeared from the end of the line, followed by Cero, who seemed even more exhausted than yesterday.
Relieved that there were no injuries, Mabel shifted her focus and asked Amane about the scattered cut flowers at her feet.
“There are so many flowers. What are you going to do with them?”
“Women all love flowers, don’t they? As an overflowing expression of my feelings, I thought you could accept them.”
Amane, with a cheerful smile, held out a particularly eye-catching deep red flower to Mabel’s nose.
Frowning at the splendid flower that seemed to reflect his passionate heart, Mabel spoke up.
“I do like flowers. But this, it just seems so pitiful…”
“Pitiful? The flowers?”
“If they weren’t picked, they could have lived a little longer. Yet…”
Cut flowers could only be beautiful for so long.
If only they had taken just the necessary amount, they could have brought joy to more people’s eyes. Mabel knelt down on the floor and began picking up the stems that had been cut short, one by one.
Amane was slightly taken aback by her actions.
“Flowers don’t have emotions. I just thought you would be happy.”
“I do like flowers, and I would be happy to receive them. But I dislike this method.”
Amane swallowed his words.
Mabel thought he might get angry and leave, but contrary to her expectations, Amane squatted down on the spot. After hesitating for a while, he followed Mabel’s lead and started scooping up the flowers, bending his waist.
Mabel was slightly surprised by his attitude.
‘I guess he understands some things after all.’
At that moment, the entrance door opened with a loud noise.
Before she could react, just like yesterday, Amane and his entourage were all thrown out. It seemed they were being taken much farther today, perhaps to the royal palace.
Mabel, no longer surprised, looked up at the landing of the staircase.
There stood Eugene, with a displeased expression on his face as he faced the sudden appearance of a flower garden in his own castle.
“So persistent. And what is all this?”
Coming down the stairs briskly, Eugene casually picked up the flowers that Mabel had been picking up.
They were much smaller and less noticeable than what Amane had brought, plain white flowers. Eugene rolled them between his fingertips as if he were examining something rare.
“Amane-san brought them. But if left like this, they will wither soon.”
“That’s how flowers are.”
“But the flowers are not at fault.”
Seeing Mabel looking downhearted, Eugene let out a deep sigh. He raised his right hand lightly, and the flowers on the floor rustled and stirred in response to his movement.
“They may not last forever, but with my magic, they should endure for a while. I’ll have them taken to the icehouse outside, so you can pick them up whenever you like.”
True to Eugene’s words, the vividly colored flowers, such as red, yellow, and orange, swam through the air for a moment before being guided out of the window and into the castle grounds.
Mabel surveyed the now restored hall, her face beaming like flowers in bloom, and turned back to Eugene.
She rushed over and tightly held both of his hands.
This time, it was Eugene’s turn to blush.
“Thank you! I didn’t know what to do.”
“Hmph, I can always do something like this.”
‘He definitely thinks it’s cute…’
Cero, who had been left behind for some reason today, quietly watched the scene.
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