"Princess Aseria’s long hair gleams even in this dim room. Ah~ I wish mine were like hers too." Rinako sighed wistfully, twirling a lock of her own hair while standing aside.

  "What nonsense are you spouting? Of course, Princess Aseria’s hair gleams—even in the darkest night under the moonlight." Misaki retorted, shooting her a look of exasperation as she combed my hair.

  “As always, Your Highness looks refined and beautiful, even without makeup and ornaments." Yukari added as she carefully prepared an earpiece to place on me.

  "Moo~ not even you too, Yukari. Enough with the flattery!” I pouted, sitting in front of the mirror as they continued to adorn me. My reflection revealed the faint blush appearing on my face.

  "I’m only speaking the truth, Your Highness. I’m sure Her Majesty agrees with us as well."

  Through the mirror, I glanced at mom, who was seated at the tea table playing with her fan, quietly observing us. Upon hearing Yukari’s words, she met my gaze through my reflection, a gentle smile gracing her lips before she blinked an eye at me playfully.

  "Yup, Aseria is my beloved daughter. That much is a given."

  "Not you too, mom!"

  The royal maids let out a soft laughter.

  Suddenly, the door burst open.

  "Big sister! Big sister! Good morning~"

  Without knocking, a small figure in formal royal attire ran into the room, her small arms wide open as she rushed toward me.

  "Princess Elysia, you shouldn’t just barge in like that! You—you need to knock before entering." Misaya, her royal maid, said breathlessly as she followed behind—clearly exhausted from chasing after her.

  Misaya, as the fourth and final member among the maids granted the ‘Royal’ title—and the younger sister of Misaki—she may have the lowest stamina among them, but her magical prowess is so formidable that she can rival Aldric, the empire’s general, standing just below royalty in magic power.

  "It’s fine, Misaya. I don’t mind if it’s my little Elysia." I reassured her with a smile, tilting my head slightly to avoid disturbing Misaki as she placed the single earpiece on one side of my ears.

  "See, Sister Misaya? Even my big sister says so!" Elysia turned toward Misaya, sticking out her tongue teasingly.

  Ahhh~ whenever she runs to me like this, I can’t help but give in to her cuteness. Her small frame, her bright expression—how could I resist?

  "Nnnnghh~what am I supposed to do when you always come jumping into my arms with that sweetness~" I cooed, embracing her even as the royal maids continued attending to me. I tried to keep my movement small though.

  Settling herself onto my lap, Elysia pulled away slightly, revealing a gold-plated rose hairpin in her tiny hands.

  "Look what I brought for you today!" she announced proudly.

  The hairpin was beautifully crafted, featuring detailed leaves, shimmering pearls, and delicately sculpted roses. The golden design radiated an elegant and regal charm.

  I gazed at it, touched by the gesture. "Where did you get this hairpin from? Is it for me?" I asked gently.

  "Yuppy, I made it myself!" she chirped, her voice filled with excitement. "You know, it was super-duper hard, but Sister Yukari and a royal artisan helped me!"

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  My heart melted upon hearing that.

  "Ooooh~ no wonder you didn’t come to play with me recently. You really spent a lot of time on this, huh? Nnnnghh~ My Elysia is too sweet!" I hugged her tighter, then lifted her slightly from my lap.

  "Hehehe, that tickles, Big Sister!" she giggled, squirming in my embrace.

  Letting her settle back down, I turned to Yukari who was about to place a veil on my hair, with gratitude in my voice. "Thank you, Yukari, for helping her. I really appreciate it. Can you help me put it on along with the veil on my hair?"

  Still holding the veil carefully, Yukari received the hairpin from me. "It was my pleasure, Your Highness. Think nothing of it."

  Even at moments like this—Yukari never changed.

  After a few more moments, Elysia hopped down from my lap, bouncing toward the door.

  "Big sister, I’m going back to Papa’s side! I bet he’s already shedding tears after I left him alone with all those nobles."

  She waved before dashing off toward the door.

  "Haaa—Princess Elysia, please stop running everywhere…!" Misaya sighed in defeat, chasing after her once again.

  Watching them disappear through the doorway, I let out a soft chuckle. One of the maids outside the chamber closed the left opened door.

  Not long after, the royal maids finished adorning me with ornaments and accessories.

  Standing up, together with royal maids, I walked over to the full-length mirror. A thought crossed my mind as I walked.

  Despite being a grand ceremonial regalia with stylish designs, this outfit was designed for movement. Unlike some of my more restrictive formal attire, I could walk easily—no, even run—without feeling restricted.

  It was crafted not only for beauty, elegance and formality but also with practicality in mind. The lower half of the regalia barely grazed the floor, its length perfectly measured to complement my heels.

  Taking in my reflection,

  the regalia features a flowing white evening gown with a single-shoulder design. Its delicate golden embroidery weaving regal patterns across the bodice before trailing down the layered skirt in perfect symmetry. The lower half gently parts at the sides, unveiling a deep crimson underlayer.

  I shifted slightly to the side, adjusting my stance. At that moment, I felt a sudden chill running down my back.

  Catching a glimpse of Rinako’s mischievous expression, I immediately knew where her gaze had wandered and fixed on as I glanced at the mirror—my fully exposed left leg in my shifted posture.

  Suppressing a silent sigh, I smirked at her, my eyes narrowing with awkward amusement.

  Noticing my change in expression and quickly catching on, Misaki stealthily pinched Rinako’s thigh. The sudden pain jolted her back to reality, nearly making her yelp.

  “Is something wrong?” Mom at the side asked, glancing at them with a questioning look.

  “No, nothing at all. We just… find ourselves caught in breathless admiration of Her Highness’s beauty.” Misaki replied smoothly after releasing her grip on Rinako’s thigh quickly.

  “I feel the same. It looks like all the effort her dad and I put into this has paid off.” mom said with a satisfied nod.

  Yukari remained silent, standing perfectly still in her poised maid stance.

  Turning back to the mirror, I focused on my reflection again.

  An asymmetrical slit on the left side elegantly exposes my entire left leg—especially in motion as I was turning slightly—enhancing both mobility and allure. The design not only added a striking touch but also drew attention to the ornate golden ornament draping gracefully over my left thigh.

  The gold-plated rose hairpin that Elysia gave me, rested behind my long, silken platinum blonde hair, accompanied by a short, sheer veil that flowed. The fitted bodice, structured yet feminine, accentuates my poised stature, while a golden choker and arm accessories complete the regal ensemble.

  I silently thanked the royal artisans in my heart. I should reward them soon as a token of my appreciation.

  What should I reward them, I wondered.

  “You look great, Aseria.”

  “Mhm…” for an instant, I was not sure what I should respond to that simple yet unexpected compliment coming from mom.

  Then, I realized that something was missing.

  Is there no tiara for this ceremonial regalia set? But there was no way Yukari and mom would not notice something that obvious.

  After a brief silence,

  “Should we get going, My Empress.” Misaki broke the silence, with a light bow beside mom.

  “Sure. Her dad and Elysia should be at the great hall now.” Mom gave a light nod to Misaki.

  “ —Ah, yeah. Let’s move on,” I replied, snapping back to reality when I noticed Misaki’s questioning expression—one that seemed to ask, " Is there something wrong? If not, we should get going.”

  I wondered how Dad would react when he saw me in this new regalia set.