LVSFN 79

LVSFN

Posted by Ali, Released on September 2, 2025

Chapter 79

That evening, I headed to Cygnus Castle to meet Zerelach.

“I didn’t think I’d end up wearing this dress now.”

What Ekla had pulled out from the depths of my wardrobe was the very dress Zerelach had given me long ago.

A pale pink satin dress, delicately adorned with lace.

With rare pearl embellishments, it overflowed with charm just by looking at it.

Back then, I had lied, saying it was too small to fit me.

But when I tried it on, hadn’t the waist actually been loose?

And today, when I put it on again, it fit me as though it had been tailored just for me.

“What a relief.”

I couldn’t help but wonder how Zerelach would feel seeing me finally wearing the dress he had gifted me, and what sort of expression he might make.

Now, I was wearing the dress from him—and the necklace he had also given me.

“This feels strange.”

As I waited in a small parlor connected to the first-floor hall, adjusting my hat, my name was called.

Knock, knock.

The butler entered with a composed smile.

“Lady Bernadette, His Grace awaits you in the banquet hall.”

I had expected just a simple meal, but from the look of things, that wasn’t the case.

The maids looked terribly busy, and the servants rushed about as well.

The banquet hall—that was where that long, grand dining table was, wasn’t it?

It seemed I wasn’t the only guest after all.

“Was the reason he hesitated earlier because he already had an appointment?”

I walked down the long corridor until I arrived at the great doors.

“Lady Bernadette will now enter,” announced the butler.

I clasped my gloved hands together and swallowed nervously.

“If I had known it would be like this, I should have just invited him to my house instead.”

No, that wouldn’t have worked either.

If I had invited him home, my mother would have turned the whole house upside down and then fallen ill for days.

And besides, I wouldn’t have been able to tell Zerelach the things I wanted to say.

But even here—if this was a formal banquet—I wouldn’t be able to talk properly with him either.

What I had wanted was a cozy, private meal, not something like this.

As those thoughts drifted away, the great doors slowly opened.

“…”

The moment I saw the elegant, old-fashioned banquet hall, I froze in place.

A table covered in soft, white cloth, decorated with beautiful, ornate flowers and fruit.

“Oh my god.”

As I stepped inside, music suddenly began to play.

“What… what is going on?”

Musicians in tailcoats gracefully raised their bows.

Of course, this wasn’t my first time seeing musicians play chamber music.

The problem was that in this vast room, I appeared to be the only guest!

“Really? I’m the only one? No one else?”

As I glanced around awkwardly, I spotted Zerelach already seated at the head of the table.

“Goodness, how is this a ‘light meal’?”

As I stood there bewildered, the butler, dignified as ever, stepped forward to escort me.

“Lady Bernadette, this way, please.”

“…Yes.”

Following him, I reached the table. Someone pulled out a chair for me, and I quietly sat down.

“Your Grace, we will begin the meal,” said the butler.

Zerelach gave a slight nod, and the maids hurried into motion.

“Surely… is it just the two of us dining tonight?”

I glanced at the plates and napkin before me as I asked Zerelach.

He tilted his head and asked in return,

“Were you expecting someone else?”

“N-no, that’s not it…”

I just hadn’t expected such a formal setting.

“There aren’t any other guests coming, right?”

“Is there someone you wanted to meet?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Still, if anyone were seated at such a huge table with only one other person, wouldn’t they ask the same thing?

“I just thought it would be a light meal, that’s all.”

Even as I spoke, servants dressed much like the butler moved about, carrying in dishes.

“This atmosphere is suffocating.”

I pressed my fingertips against the edge of my thin, fluttering gloves, trying to pull them off. Because of a bit of sweat, they wouldn’t come off easily.

As I struggled under the table, Zerelach spoke again.

“To me, this is already light enough.”

“….”

“There’s only the two of us, it’s quiet, and the food will be served slowly. How could it be any lighter than this?”

Your Grace, I think our ideas of ‘light’ are very different.

“Well, that may be so, but…”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I just didn’t think we’d be dining at such a large table—so large I can hardly even see Your Grace’s face.”

Having said that, I quickly turned my head away.

At this distance, how could we even converse properly?

And the musicians playing in the back… it was far too overwhelming!

Because I turned away, I couldn’t tell what expression Zerelach wore or what he was thinking. (Not that I could have seen clearly even if I looked straight ahead.)

At that moment, I heard the sound of a chair being pushed back.

What—did I anger him?

Nervously, I gripped the gloves I had finally managed to pull off. Footsteps grew closer and my unease mounted.

When I finally lifted my head, right in front of me—

Zerelach was standing there with his chair in hand, expression utterly calm.

“This is much better.”

He set the chair down and sat to my left, gesturing with his hand.

The maids moved quickly, bringing his cutlery and napkin to him.

“At this distance, I should be easy to see, shouldn’t I?”

His words came as he looked at me with a blunt gaze.

His words and his expression didn’t match at all.

“Unless… you’d prefer me even closer?”

“N-no, not at all!”

When I answered, Zerelach nodded once.

“You say that, but it looks like you came prepared.”

Ah, he must mean the dress.

I gave a shy smile and shrugged lightly.

“I received it so long ago… I’m sorry it took me this long to wear it.”

Though it wasn’t all that long ago, it now felt like ages in the past.

I had purposely avoided wearing the dress he gave me, dodging and running from him—but in the end, here I was.

As I got lost in thought, Zerelach lifted his wine glass and spoke.

“Sorry?”

His indifferent tone caught me off guard.

“I mean… I feel bad for leaving your gift unworn for so long.”

This time, Zerelach made a strange expression.

“And that’s something you should apologize to me for?”

“Of course—”

Of course, because it was a dress you gave me… I had been about to say.

I clearly remembered he had gone shopping with his aide to buy it.

“Wait a second.”

Had Zerelach forgotten he had ever given me the dress?

Or… had he never known at all?

It felt as though the things swirling in my head suddenly aligned into place.

Zerelach’s strange attitude toward me, the changed forms of address, the forgotten dress.

“It’s like the fact that I’m his fiancée is the same, but the details have all been altered. Why?”

As far as I knew, the only ones aware that I was inside this book were the astrologer (probably) and Zerelach.

Could it be that in the process of sending letters, Zerelach had accidentally tampered with the book?

No—that wasn’t possible.

He wasn’t the kind of man to act recklessly.

Then… could it be someone else, someone who dragged me into this world, had meddled with things?

Maybe they had slyly rewritten parts of The Tumultuous Renata so that Zerelach’s behavior toward me had shifted.

“This might just be wild imagination, but… could it be some sort of plot to drive me and Zerelach apart?”

Heh, it sounded ridiculous even in my own head.

“Still, too many things don’t add up. If he never gave me this dress, then why is it here? Just like the letters get delivered… maybe objects aren’t affected by the changes?”

While I sat there silently, eyes darting about, Zerelach tilted his head and asked,

“Why apologize to me?”

At this point, I had to make a choice.

Should I tell this Zerelach about my situation, or keep it hidden?

“Not now. The timing is too abrupt.”

In this world, Zerelach wasn’t exactly kind toward me.

And if I suddenly said I came from another book, and that another version of him existed in another world—

“He’d think I was insane.”

Of course, I did have proof, like the letters, but I decided to hold back for now.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just… wanted to thank you for spending this evening with me, and for preparing such a splendid dinner.”

That should smooth things over well enough.

When I glanced at him cautiously, thankfully Zerelach only nodded once and didn’t pry further.