The date for Wifey’s Enthronement Ceremony was finalized.
The official name was so ridiculously long that it slipped right out of my head. Regardless, she was finally assuming the throne as Empress. This meant she would technically be staying in the Imperial Capital from now on, but…
‐Hmm? My home is right here,‐ she stated.
It seemed Wifey considered the apartment we’d bought previously and the Kamishiro Main House Estate to be her primary residences. An apartment felt a bit below the dignity of an Empress, but since it was her private property, she apparently wasn’t allowed to sell it. (I didn’t really get the logic.) She insisted she would conduct her official duties from there.
Was that really allowed?
She told me it was fine. Apparently, there was a precedent—a previous Emperor nicknamed Maro—who never set foot outside the Inner Palace and skipped all his duties. Compared to him, anything she did was an improvement.
As for me, I was currently being fitted for my outfit. Apparently, a standard military dress uniform wasn’t good enough. I needed both an Inner Palace Maro Costume and a tuxedo.
‐Oh my, Lord Duke! You have such a marvelous physique—it looks wonderful on you!‐
The person measuring me was a muscular ‘big sister’—or rather, a handsome man in a standard suit who spoke like one. He was a tailor for the true upper crust, the kind of professional whose existence a commoner, or even a low-ranking Marquis House, would never even know about.
They didn’t win awards or appear in fashion shows like the big luxury brands, but every major power player in the galaxy wore their clothes. To top it off, the garments were supposedly discarded after a single use. I couldn't even process that level of waste.
Wifey’s custom-made dress was also a one-time affair. I felt like I might drop dead from sheer outrage just thinking about the extravagance, so I decided to stop. My measurements would be shared with the traditional clothing workshop serving the Imperial Family. For the traditional gear, I didn't even get to choose the design. At the very least, those outfits were sent to the Imperial Museum after being worn once, which felt slightly more justifiable.
The preparations alone were taking an absurd amount of time. If I hadn’t ended up in this position, I would have gone my whole life without ever knowing this world existed. Then again, I probably would’ve ended up as crab bait, so I suppose I’d come a long way.
As I stood there reflecting, Tatiana walked in wearing a kimono.
‐Why do I have to be part of this too?!‐ she grumbled. Her hair was up in a bun. It actually suited her quite well. Maybe it was because she was a bit flat-chested?
‐My whole squad is participating,‐ I told her. ‐You aren't there for security; you're being treated as Wifey’s retainers.‐
‐Is Tatiana here, de-arimasu?!‐
Next came One-oh-one, dressed in a gown. It looked great on her, too.
‐Oh, how cute.‐
‐Thank you, de-arimasu! Ehehehe!‐ She spun around happily. Good grief, she was an angel.
‐Hey! You two!‐
Then Claire-san appeared. The Japanese-style clothes looked stunning on her.
‐One-ko-chan, go try on the traditional robes.‐
‐Yes, nanoda! Tatiana, come on, de-arimasu!‐
‐Ah, wait! I don’t want to participate—whoa, don’t pull me!‐
Claire-san lingered behind. ‐Um… well… you look very handsome.‐
‐A-Ah, thank you.‐ It was a little embarrassing.
‐Oh? I’m going to tell Veronica-chan on you,‐ Melissa teased, sauntering in wearing a dress. Holy crap! She looked like a professional model.
‐It looks perfect on you, Big Sister. You could definitely pass for a model.‐
‐Ahahaha! Praise me more! Keep it coming!‐
Guhahaha! Be jealous, you other guys! What you lost for the sake of a momentary joke was the trust of women!
While she was gloating, the tailor ‘big sister’ approached.
‐My, my. Now then, Lord Duke, why don’t you head over to the ladies’ side and give them plenty of compliments?‐
This person was truly considerate. I didn't think I could ever match that level of social grace. I’d only been thinking about myself. I decided to revere them as my spiritual mentor in the art of being popular.
‐Right, I’ll leave things here to you.‐
‐Certainly! All right everyone, let's take a little break!‐
When I moved to the other room, I found Wifey in her traditional robes. She looked perfectly at home in them.
‐Yo, Lord Groom. What brings you here?‐
‐I came to praise everyone. Wifey, you’re looking super cute!‐
‐Keep it coming! After all…‐
‐You’re the best woman in the universe!‐
We shared a high five.
Ren and Kevin were also in dresses.
‐Ren, you look adorable!‐
‐Thank you very much!‐
I simply patted Kevin on the shoulder. ‐Should I tell you that you look cute, or should I offer my condolences? Which do you prefer?‐
‐Don't do either! I don’t even know how to feel about this myself!‐
‐Fair enough.‐
To be blunt, it suited him incredibly well, but whether or not I should actually voice that was a separate matter.
Next, Nina-san and Kyoko-chan arrived in their dresses.
‐Nina-san, you’re looking wonderful as always.‐
‐Oh, thank you!‐ That overwhelming maternal aura was incredible. It made me want to curl up and cry like a baby.
Kyoko-chan, however, looked a little dissatisfied. ‐What’s wrong?‐ I asked.
‐I’m just plain. I don't think this suits me.‐
I had a feeling she’d look better in a kimono, but…
‐Won't makeup change that? Hey, why don't you try showing her to the tailor?‐
For some reason, everyone stared at me in silence. What? Melissa eventually asked with a dead-serious expression.
‐Is that a Jester’s intuition?‐
‐I don’t know if it’s specifically Jester-related, but it’s definitely a hunch… Why are you all looking at me like that?‐
They continued to stare. Seriously, what was it?
‐Oh my, Lord Duke, is something the matter?‐
‐Could you do this girl’s makeup?‐ I asked the tailor.
‐Goodness! Lord Duke! Calling me ‘ma'am’?! Oh, I’m going to give this my absolute all!‐
Kyoko-chan was led away by the muscular, bearded ‘ma’am’ in the sharp suit. My hunch turned out to be correct. The tailor brought her back looking beautiful, but in a way that didn't feel artificial. Just like with Melissa, I’d long suspected she had a face that would really shine with the right makeup.
The other girls began staring at me as if they were trying to bore holes through my head. A deliberation was clearly in progress.
…Is it possible that Master is…?
‐The Captain certainly observes people closely, but I didn't think he was this perceptive.‐
‐It was the same with Melissa-chan, wasn’t it?‐
Even Kevin naturally joined in the discussion.
‐I have thought this for a while. The rumors about my Lord Groom… specifically the ones claiming he has a preference for exotic women.‐
Are we talking ‘exotic’ like ‘exotic animals’? You guys really don't have to put yourselves down that much. And besides, Wifey, you're a classic beauty.
‐Ah, that thing people have been saying lately…‐
‐It’s quite mean, isn’t it?‐
Wait, why was Kevin blending into the girls’ conversation so seamlessly?
‐Exactly! Master is… well… his daily life is a constant battle, so he likely prefers the type of person who provides comfort…‐
‐No, I suspect that is also incorrect,‐ Wifey mused. ‐Our Lord Groom may be seeing future possibilities—uncertainties of that nature. The proof is that he made the request of the tailor without any prior information.‐
‐In other words… we all have the potential to become beauties…?‐
‐Indeed.‐
The way they were looking at me was getting a little frightening. Their eyes were glinting. Ren’s eyes, in particular, looked exactly like a predator staring at a piece of meat.
‐Ah, you. I want you to serve as our makeup consultant as well.‐ Wifey’s eyes were glinting more than usual.
‐Oh, is that all right?‐ the tailor asked with a broad smile. They seemed quite interested in the role.
‐Yes, I insist. Um…‐
‐I am Adam Gibson, Your Imperial Majesty.‐
‐Oh, of Viscount House Gibson.‐
‐The third son, actually. My younger brother is quite indebted to the Lord Duke. My little brother has grown enough to plan a recapture operation on his own recently. It makes his big sister so happy.‐
As it turned out, this bearded ‘big sister’ was a family member of one of my subordinates. I guess good things really do happen when you live an honest life!
With that, the ceremony was finally right around the corner.