To conclude, Madame Justine was a decent designer, deserving of his reputation.

Seongjin, who had tried on the tailored outfit after a bit of alteration following the size measurement, was a little surprised. The completed dress looked quite plausible.

With the material scattering rainbow-colored lights, large butterfly patterns, and the embroidered extravagant gemstones, all the strange elements were gathered, but instead of looking like a space shaman as Seongjin had anticipated, the finished product appeared surprisingly elegant, causing him to stand agape.

Madame Justine covered his mouth with a folding fan and chuckled softly.

Ho ho ho. Because your highness has a face that it can fully support such a bold design.

Is the completion of fashion ultimately the face?

While Seongjin was marveling anew, Madame stealthily approached, fumbling with the pins stuck here and there in the dress, and continued speaking.

Perhaps its indeed fortunate that your highness hasnt ordered the party dress yet. It would have had to be entirely recut anyway.

Party dress?

Theres already a bunch of clothes in Morres room, yet another order?

Yes. Youll need at least 5 new outfits for the birthday celebration. Some prestigious household members order over 10. They sweep away all the latest seasonal designs.

10 outfits.

Thats still modest compared to the royal events of other countries. The imperial family usually prefers elegant and neat designs, so theres not much overlap, and they dont order too many.

If one were to wear something similar to the imperial party dress, they would be accused of ignorance and finger-pointed for a long time.

Thats why some places prepare dozens of preliminary designs. In case the reserved dress overlaps with the imperial familys design, all the dresses under production get discarded.

So it is considered virtuous for the imperial family, who are hosts of the party, to decide on their party dresses as soon as possible.

The birthday celebration is less than a month and a half away. Its already quite late, so it would be best to get all the party dresses tailored while youre here.

Thump, thump. Madame Justine forcefully straightened the lapel of the dress, then scanned Seongjin from top to bottom, his nostrils flaring with satisfaction.

Hmm, doesnt the dress look different now that Ive personally tailored it? No matter how well the staff at the Pearl Palace are good at their job, they cant do a satisfactory job like this.

If its so bad, why dont you come to the Pearl Palace?

I cant enter the Imperial Palace, thats why.

?

Before he could ask anything further, Madame Justine placed his hand on Seongjins shoulder and smiled. Now, shall we take a look at the tailoring on the back? Then, he lightly pushed him to turn him towards the mirror.

!

A chill ran through Seongjins body.

Whats this?

Why does it feel so unpleasant?

Its like touching something void, something he shouldnt have touched.

Suddenly stiffening, Seongjins unease was detected by Madame, who immediately withdrew his hand with a shock. His previously ingratiating smile was gone.

Seongjin, too, remained silent, glaring at Madame Justine. He had a strong feeling that something was wrong, but couldnt figure out what.

But looking into the dim eyes of the Madame, he was certain that the man knew why.

A chilling silence.

Dame Claudia, standing at the door, was disturbed by the heavy air and called out to him.

Your Highness?

How long had they been glaring at each other?

Finally, Madame Justine broke the silence with his voice, now weak and somewhat hollow.

Your senses are extremely keen.

Indeed, the imperial bloodline is different in every way He seemed to want to say more but bit his lip, holding back. I will bring the design sketches.

With a cold look, Madame turned his eyes from Seongjin and gave a slight bow. Then he turned and left the special chamber, still with his light gait.

Your Highness? What suddenly happened?

Dame Claudia asked again, confused, but Seongjin was deep in conversation with the Demon King in his mind, leaving no time to answer her.

Hey.

[Huh?]

Didnt you say that guy was peculiar earlier? Whats so peculiar about him, exactly?

At Seongjins question, the Demon King hesitated for a moment, then said,

[Hmm, Im not quite sure how to put it. Uh its hard to pinpoint exactly what it is, but his body seems a bit off somehow? Like its not moving properly. A feeling like it doesnt quite match with his soul? Like its lacking in vitality?]

Whats that supposed to mean?

[I told you its hard to explain. Anyway, he feels very different from the people of this world.]

Different from the people of this world?

[Yeah. I dont know why, but he smells of another world. Like, where is it Ah, thats right!]

The Demon King, who had been mumbling, suddenly exclaimed with a bright expression as if he had realized something.

[Regular World! It feels exactly like a human from Regular World!]

Seongjin was taken aback by the unexpected answer.

Regular World.

A place referred to as a dimension higher than Sigurt-34 or Gehenna, known as the Imaginary World.

Following a giant flow that transcends dimensions, it maintains extreme stability.

According to the Demon King, these regular worlds often show a stereotyped appearance. Its because all the laws of the world are constrained by the same flow.

Thus, these worlds have a narrow range of change, and their stability is incomparable to the imaginary worlds. Its almost impossible to forcibly open a gate and invade from another dimension.

In other words, things belonging to the regular worlds cannot easily appear in the imaginary worlds or the main worlds.

But how can a person from such a dimension be here in Delcross?

Its not like hes entirely a human from the regular world either. Souls from regular worlds are a bit unique and can be recognized at a glance. But that guys soul doesnt differ much from the souls of Delcross.

Thats why the Demon King found it hard to explain.

But his body is different. Like other things from the regular worlds, I feel a single giant flow governing that body. Thats why it doesnt blend well with this world, and I keep feeling a sense of discomfort.

On the surface, there may be no significant difference.

But since the substances that make up the body and the laws governing them are different, some differences are bound to manifest.

For example, the mass might be different.

He might be slightly heavier or lighter than other humans.

Ah, so thats why!

Seongjin finally understood the nature of the discomfort he felt.

The unpleasant feeling he sensed earlier was nothing else but his well-developed senses picking up on an oddly inappropriate load applied to his body with a slight exertion of force.

A human from the main world with a body from the regular world. In that case

Could that guy be undergoing possession like me?

Seongjin, a human from imaginary world, became Morres of a main world.

Although it was a slightly different case, they shared the commonality of being souls who have entered the bodies of people from other worlds.

Could investigating Madame Justine reveal clues about Seongjins current state?

It makes sense to think so, but

But why does he feel so reluctant?

He feels like just covering it up.

[So, what are you going to do now? Want to confront that guy while were at it?]

The Demon King asked, but Seongjin shook his head after some thought.

There were escort knights beside Seongjin now. Its not the time to suddenly apprehend the Madame and question him about other dimensions and whatnot.

Furthermore, it was the twins who first introduced Salon de Merci. Its highly likely they already knew about Madame.

If the twins know, then doesnt the Holy Emperor likely know as well? Is there a need for him to intervene and create confusion?

More than anything, Seongjin was caught in a strange feeling, not wanting to delve too deeply into his current state. Perhaps it was some sort of intuition, an unexplainable sensation.

[Really? If you say so, whatever.]

The Demon King trembled his soul once, like stretching, and then spoke once again.

[But you know, you seem to think a lot more now that youve become the Holy Emperors son. If you had been as usual, you would have just turned everything upside down without pondering.]

Huh?

[You cant resist your curiosity, can you?]

Exactly, thats how it is.

Ah, its uncomfortable. I want to go back to the Pearl Palace and swing around Nutcracker.

Madam Justine, who had left his seat as if to avoid him, returned to the special room a moment later, his face expressionless, carrying an enormous number of design books.

He then spread them out everywhere and passionately began to explain the design concepts, of course, maintaining an appropriate distance from Seongjin.

Now, Your Highness. What do you think of this design? The sharp descending lines blending with the angular traditional patterns, doesnt it look very dignified? I named it Blades Sovereign!'

Look here, Your Highness. This design is Moonlights Glory. Its motivated by the fairy tale of the moon fairy who announced the improvement of the first emperor. The shining silver jewels are beautiful, arent they?

To Seongjin, they were doodles, and he had no idea what to appreciate about them.

With a blank face, he was giving half-hearted responses when, unexpectedly, someone began to engage passionately.

A design with improvement as the theme for hosting foreign guests might be

Ah, here the shade needs to be a bit darker

This is good! The restraint in mise-en-scne radiates dignity

Dame Claudia. Did she like this sort of thing?

Dame Claudia, you say? Finally, someone who understands me! How can there be such a fashionable person among knights?

Hehe! Even though I look like this, I studied Brittanian culture when I planned to study abroad as a child.

Oh, really! That explains it.

Hehe.

After a heated discussion that went perfectly, five banquet outfits were quickly decided. Seongjin had no chance to intervene.

Lastly, waving his hands in a manner that meant they should do as they like, Seongjin left it to them.

Clothes are clothes; whats there to choose?

Thanks to Dame Claudia, time is saved, so lets hurry back and train.

Thinking this, Seongjin got up from his seat without delay.

Your Highness.

Madam Justine, who had followed him to the entrance of Salon de Merci to see him off, cautiously approached and spoke, It is difficult to explain in detail here, but I can assure you of this. Lowering himself slightly, Madam Justine whispered softly into Seongjins ear, Your Highness, I have been working for His Majesty for a long time. You can at least trust me on that.

Seongjin stared at Madam Justine.

[His heartbeat is steady? It doesnt seem like hes lying.]

The Demon King quietly hinted at his side. True to his words, to Seongjins eyes, Madam Justines more serious than usual demeanor appeared sincere.

However

Do you take it that my fathers wish is the reason you cannot enter the Imperial Palace?

Yes. Ill at least believe that you are in my fathers hands.

Crack. A crack appeared on Madam Justines robust smile that had been covering his face.

After briefly staring at the mans stern face, Seongjin snorted inwardly and climbed into the carriage.

Right. It wasnt as simple as believing just because he acted obediently.

Seongjins intuition, which had been alert since he first saw Madam Justine, was still sounding a warning against him.

***

Claudia Bowling was thrilled to bits.

Indeed, it had been a long time since she had left the palace and come into the city. With the recent increase in training and strengthening of the palaces defenses, she had been busy even on her days off.

Moreover, the high-quality designs she saw at Salon de Merci perfectly satisfied her lustful desires that she had been ignoring.

Dresses reflecting her tastes for the banquet. How splendid it would be if Prince Mores wore them!

Maria, a knight by her side, subtly signaled her, but Claudia couldnt help but let out a frivolous laugh now and then.

Hehehe.

Had other seniors knights heard it, they might have been shocked, but Claudia, who had not been a resident knight for long, did not dislike the third prince she was serving.

Regardless of previous rumors, the prince she saw was a rare genius in swordsmanship and diligent to boot. He lost weight in no time and became as handsome as a prince from a fairy tale.

Sometimes he exudes an odd atmosphere not matching his age.

The young prince, unaware of her thoughts, merely stared out of the window with his usual plump expression.

Meanwhile, the carriage seemed to make no progress, stopping and starting repeatedly. The crowds on the street had increased because it was late in the afternoon.

It seems it will take quite some time to reach Pearl Palace. It looks like it will only get a little quieter after dinner, said Maria, looking outside worriedly.

Then the prince unexpectedly suggested, Then, since well be late anyway, shall we just eat and then go home?

Eh?

If we have our meal first and go back after it gets quieter, well save a lot of time. What do you two want to eat?

Images of famous restaurants flashed in Claudias mind, even high-end ones she couldnt normally afford on a lower knights salary.

Will expensive ones be alright, Your Highness?

The prince nodded obediently, Go anywhere you want to eat. Ill pay for anything.

Wow! The prince is the best!

But Claudias excitement didnt last long.

The problem was a group of people from Brittany who came into the restaurant where they were sitting. They began to speak loudly in Brittania, uttering very unpleasant words.

Imperial family piglets fools

shame Delcross ridiculous

Claudia, who had once prepared to study in Brittany, understood some of it. They were clearly slandering Prince Morres, known as the fool!

Claudia glanced nervously, but the prince seemed undisturbed, just nibbling on a small piece of grilled meat.

Well, His Highness wouldnt know the Brittania language anyway.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Claudia was uncomfortably nibbling her meal alone when it happened.

woman lowly origin

vulgar low-class

prostitute

Those scoundrels were now targeting even Princess Amelia!

Claudias face turned pale with these outrageous slanders when

Swoosh.

Suddenly, Prince Morres pushed back his chair and stood up. Looking up at his face in astonishment, Claudia was taken aback.

The prince was smiling with his teeth bared, his face more ferocious than ever!

Then, striding over to the group of Briattanian citizens, Prince Morres said, in fluent Brittania,

Come on. Bark your nonsense again, you bastards.

Go Morres! Beat them to a pulp. How dare they badmouth our sister Amelia like that!!?