The Engagement of the Baron of Flowers and the Withered Tree Lady.

Chapter 7: The Withered Tree Lady and the Rose Dress

While sipping on her last juice, Julia glanced towards the courtyard and spoke with delight.

“This place is absolutely lovely. The food is fresh and delicious, and the courtyard is adorned with romantic and charming flowers. It feels like a world straight out of a storybook.”

“Do you like it?” asked Romand.

“Yes, very much. I would love to come here again,” Julia replied sincerely.

Upon hearing her honest response, Romand’s eyes sparkled with joy.

“I’m glad you liked it. Please feel free to come whenever you want. Eventually, this place will be yours,” said Romand.

“Excuse me?” Julia tilted her head in confusion, not understanding the meaning behind Romand’s words.

“Do you know the name of this shop?” asked Romand.

“No, I’m sorry,” Julia replied.

“No need to apologize. The name of this shop is ‘Julia’s Garden,’ created by the Plant Baron family, envisioning you,” Romand explained.

“!!!!”

“Well, I hope you didn’t think we built it after deciding on you. It seems like a relatively new shop, and it has been standing for a few years. Perhaps it was renovated or underwent a name change…”

“While you say it’s based on me, this stylish and lovely shop doesn’t really match the image of the withered-tree-like me… It’s quite the opposite,” Julia’s thoughts were still in disarray.

Before Julia could gather her thoughts, Romand continued speaking.

“I actually wanted you to relax and take your time here. However, I have another place I’d like to go today, so shall we be on our way?” Romand asked.

“Oh, yes,” Julia replied.

Julia quickly stood up.

However, as Romand and Julia left the cafe, they headed towards the adjacent western clothing store.

“Welcome, Baron Plant, and Miss. We’ve been expecting you,” a sophisticated and beautiful woman in her forties greeted them.

“Madam, this is Julia Woodcliff, my fiancée and the daughter of Count Woodcliff. Julia, this is Flora Keller, the owner of this establishment. We have a friendly relationship as neighbors.”

“Well, it is I who have been greatly indebted to Baron-sama in many ways. Miss, I look forward to a pleasant relationship with you both, both personally and professionally.”

“Nice to meet you. Please call me Julia, not ‘Madam’.”

“Please call me Flora, Julia-sama.”

“Understood, Flora-sama.”

“It’s not necessary to use ‘sama.’ Just Flora is fine. I am a commoner.”

“I can’t address someone of higher status so casually. Is it acceptable to address you as Flora-san?”

As Julia expressed her concern, Flora spoke with a gentle and kind expression.

“Sure. Then, for now, please address me as ‘san.’ But I will do my best to earn the honorific title in the future.”

“?”

“May I see the clothes I requested?”

When Romand asked Madame, she nodded and presented them with a few dresses hanging nearby. Among them was a pale pink midi-length dress with three-quarter sleeves and a lovely, slightly flared design below the waist. What caught their attention was the exquisite embroidery of deep pink roses adorning the neckline, resembling real flowers and adding to its beauty.

“What do you think of this?”

“It’s such an adorable design. The colors are vibrant and cheerful. What do you think, Julia? Ideally, I would have loved to take our time and find something that you truly love, but we don’t want to sacrifice too much time for our main objective of visiting the botanical garden, right? That’s why I mentioned your preferences to Madame in advance, and she has selected a few options for you. Of course, if you don’t like them, we can look for alternatives. It seems she has prepared a few more options for you to consider.”

“Um… Is this dress for me?”

“Of course, it’s your dress.”

“Well, is there something wrong with the dress I’m currently wearing? Will it embarrass you, Baron, if I continue wearing this outfit?”

Julia turned pale.

Just a moment ago, inside the café, Robert said to Lufie,

“Just remember, Julia, you need to pay more attention to your surroundings. What’s currently trendy, what young people and young ladies like…”

As Robert said those words, Julia realized they were indirectly directed at her.

Noticing Julia’s change in complexion, Madame gently explained,

“Your current dress, Julia-sama, is absolutely lovely. It’s made of luxurious silk from our neighboring country.

However, that dress is more suitable for indoor occasions and not ideal for outings.

Considering the vastness of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Baron-sama must have thought it would be better to wear a dress that allows for easy movement.”

She truly is a professional in customer service.

Romand had already investigated and knew that Julia only had formal dresses in her possession. Moreover, she had been rotating among three dresses. He was also aware that when she went out into town, she had to wear what was provided to her. That’s why he had intended to gift her casual attire for her everyday outings.

However, Romand hadn’t thought of a proper justification for why he was giving her clothes as a gift. While internally relieved by Madam’s intervention, he concealed his unease and spoke.

“I apologize, Julia. I realize that I didn’t communicate clearly enough.

Last night, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t consulted with you regarding your attire, and I made an unreasonable request to Madam.”

“Oh, I see. Thank you for considering it and being mindful of me.

I’m still not fully familiar with the etiquette and dress codes of aristocratic society.

I’m sorry, Baron…”

“You don’t have to worry about it. After all, you haven’t made your social debut yet.

I will provide you with guidance from now on, so please don’t fret.”

“Yes, thank you very much.

But even though this dress is lovely, I can’t decide on it without my father’s approval. He’s not here, so I can’t make such decisions on my own.”

Julia began searching for a way to avoid buying the dress, as she didn’t expect her stepmother to offer financial assistance. Just as she was considering suggesting that they leave due to feeling unwell, Romand’s face filled with sadness.

“I apologize. Did you not like it?

Then, could you please show us another one, Madame?”

“W-Wait a moment. That pink dress is absolutely beautiful. The design and the rose embroidery are exquisite. However, the payment…”

“This dress is a gift from me to you. A commemoration of our engagement.

Originally, it was meant to be custom-made, but we can do that at a later date.”

“Our engagement is official?!”

“Yes. Your father’s documents arrived yesterday, and I immediately submitted them to the authorities.

So, we are now formally engaged. We won’t let anyone interfere.”

As Romand said this with genuine happiness, Julia couldn’t help but feel elated as well. She finally believed that he truly desired her, without any falsehood, and seeing his face confirmed it.

“Therefore, please do accept it.”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

Julia finally nodded in agreement.

As Julia changed into the pink mid-length dress recommended by Madame Flora, she looked as delicate and charming as a blooming pink rosebud with its embroidery.

In addition to that, as she shyly fidgeted, Romand couldn’t help himself and embraced her, completely losing himself in the moment.

In this country, engagements are treated as formal contracts, just like marriages, so we prepare official documents and submit them to the authorities!

Following proper procedures is necessary, as the system is designed to make it difficult to dissolve the engagement easily…