Chapter 43
The mystery of why Gertrude looked so ecstatic puzzled Melchor. However, he didn’t ask her why and assumed that there was no problem with his instructions.
“When will I take your measurement?” Gertrude asked.
“What’s wrong with my current size?” he replied.
“I need you to be measured to make a dress,” Gertruder explained.
Gertrude meant that she needed Melchor’s measurements to make the dress, but Melchor understood that he also needed to know his own measurements to ensure that Roséline’s dress fit him properly.
“I see now,” Melchor thought to himself. “If Gertrude knows my size, it will be easier to ensure that Roséline’s dress fits me well.”
However, Gertrude, being a woman, was hesitant to measure Melchor’s body. So, Melchor wrote down the contact information of the tailor who made his clothes and handed it to Gertrude.
“I’m sure he knows my measurements,” Melchor said. “For your information.”
Gertrude sighed and said, “You just won’t let me measure you.”
Melchor’s reluctance to be measured was understandable. Having Gertrude, a woman’s dress specialist, measure the Duke of Melchor could result in strange rumors.
The Duke of Melchor has many secrets,
Gertrude thought to herself. As a designer, she had learned many people’s secrets over the years.
He was known to deliberately choose dresses with extraordinary designs to provoke others, whether it was about color, decoration, or accessories that signaled his relationship with his lover. However, this situation was different, as the client’s secret needed to be kept.
Gertrude was determined to make a perfect dress for Melchor and his wife, even if it meant working all night. Since the ceremony was still two months away, Melchor was surprised by this and asked if the dress needed special care.
While Roseline’s dress had already been measured, Melchor’s dress was different. Gertrude had limited experience in making men’s clothes, especially a dress for a tall man like Melchor. Designing a dress for a woman’s body was challenging enough, let alone for a man’s body.
Despite the difficulties, Gertrude was determined to make the best dress for Melchor. He nodded without feeling strange when she said,
“On my honor as a designer, I will make you the best dress!”
However, the miscommunication between Melchor and Gertrude persisted. They seemed to be having a conversation, but they were not communicating at all, and the preparations for the wedding continued without anyone realizing the misunderstanding.
*****
“Your Highness, I heard that a dress designer visited earlier,” said Heinz.
“Why are you asking when you already know?” replied Melchor.
unfazed by his superior’s usual coldness. Heinz took a seat, relieved that his boss had decided to leave work early.
“How did you find the dress? Did you like it?” Heinz asked.
“I don’t care about dresses,” Melchor replied honestly. He was more interested in how Roséline would look in the dress and whether it would fit her well.
Heinz continued, “You could have let Roséline choose for herself, but you sent a designer to seek permission. Did you find it difficult to choose, or did you want to hear Roséline’s opinion on the dress?”
Melchor paused in his paperwork. He had never discussed personal matters with her, and she had never mentioned anything about the dress. Melchor wondered, “Why did I send a designer if not to get Roséline’s opinion?” He realized he had left out an important step.
As he pondered this, Melchor set aside his pen.
“I think I’ll have to send her a letter,” Melchor said.
“A letter? Isn’t that a bit excessive?” Heinz asked.
“Do you think so?” Melchor replied. “I believe it’s more appropriate for the occasion.”
Heinz couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion. “But usually, people send cards. They’re cleaner and simpler.”
Melchor considered this for a moment. He knew that letters could be unnecessarily long, but he also felt that they conveyed a more personal touch. However, he also knew that Roseline was a practical person who would appreciate a simple card.
In the end, he decided to compromise and instructed his servant to bring a card instead. As he walked away, Heinz couldn’t help but wonder why Melchor was so insistent on using the truth to write the card himself.
“Can’t you just use your personalized card?” Heinz asked.
Melchor paused for a moment before replying, “I want it to be personal. Roséline is the woman I’ve promised to marry, after all.”
Heinz could see the love and affection in Melchor’s eyes, and it reminded him of when he first fell in love with Benjamin. He used to take her to quiet places and talk in hushed tones, just to make sure that no one else was listening.
Of course, the notion that talking to plants and conversing with them was obviously insane had long been erased from Heinz’s mind.
“Yes, love can save the world, but one person can change it, Your Excellency.”
No one among the other knights of the Black Knights would agree, but Heinz, who continued to pursue his love that the world would not allow, was more romantic than any of them. He returned to his work with a warm smile.
Meanwhile, Melchor, having arrived at the truth, silently gazed at a small, palm-sized card. It contained precisely the words he was looking for.
[ I saw your dress. It was beautiful. I’m looking forward to the wedding.]
Melchor scrunched up his forehead after reading the carefully crafted message. The handwriting was impeccable, but he did not like the content.
Looking forward to the wedding, Melchor was not truly anticipating it at all. He had only admired the dress’s design and had not even seen Roséline wearing it.
In other words, there was no sincerity.
“I cannot lie to Roseline,” thought Melchor.
He grabbed his pen, crossed out the phrase, and took out a new card.
[ I am looking forward to seeing you in the dress. You will look stunning.]
Melchor crumpled the second card and tried again.
Melchor decided to omit the wedding story as it did not interest them. However, Roseline was also dissatisfied with this decision. Melchor had been anticipating seeing Roseline in a wedding dress, but it was not what she had in mind. Roseline’s beauty was not dependent on what she wore, as she always looked stunning, whether in a dress, a dressing gown, or riding clothes. Melchor believed that a person’s beauty should not be judged based on the clothes they wear, and Roseline’s usual appearance was just as beautiful as when she wore a dress.
Melchor crumpled up the card he had written and started afresh. He felt that he should instead write about his honest feelings. Despite the emperor Baltazar’s insistence on a proper wedding ceremony, Melchor did not see the point of a wedding. Roseline already had a marriage certificate, and that was enough to protect her.
Regarding the dresses, Roseline could wear as many as she wanted, and Melchor did not care about the specifics of her wedding dress. He believed that there was no need to fuss over matching the wedding dress when Roseline could wear different dresses and accessories every day.
Melchor expressed his thoughts to Roseline, saying,
“Okay, that’s not what I’m expecting.”
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