Lyra nodded her head again, then stood up straight and let Aiden's assistant approach her. She let him start measuring her shoulder length, waistline, and height. Aiden took notes deftly, his eyes assessing with a keen but professional eye, as if composing the design of the dress in his mind.

"Are you uncomfortable with the measurements, Lady?" asked the assistant in a soft and caring voice, her hands pausing for a moment as she looked at Lyra.

"Ah, no," Lyra replied quickly with a small smile. "Just go ahead. I'm fine." Lyra replied calmly although inwardly she still felt a bit awkward being treated so formally and honored, something she had not been accustomed to in her previous life.

Lord Edeviene who had been observing, raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. He looked at Lyra with an expression that was quite proud as he saw his daughter at this moment.

"Hmmm. I think you look calmer now," he muttered quietly with a smile, then he calmly continued, "If you can stand up straight like that in front of strangers, I think you're really starting to change."

The Count did say that in a flat voice, but there was recognition behind it. He felt proud that his daughter, who was previously considered weak, might indeed be worth looking at again.

Aiden only glanced briefly at Count Edeviene then smiled without commenting, then returned to focusing on his notes, while Mai seemed to be silent for a moment, as if holding her breath.

Lyra did not answer Count Edeviene's comment in a word. She only glanced briefly at his face, a glimpse of something appeared on his face, it was like the expression of a father who was proud of his child for successfully doing something, Lyra's eyes rounded for a moment then turned her gaze back.

"Well, that's enough, Lady," the assistant said in a soft voice. "Thank you for your cooperation. We'll start working on the initial pattern right away."

Aiden closed his notebook and stepped forward. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Lyra with a smile, then swiftly clapped his hands together.

"With your permission, Lady Celestia," he said, this time in a quieter, more sincere voice, "I will design a dress that not only enhances your appearance, but also reflects who you are. It will be a piece worth remembering."

Mai who was standing behind Lyra looked radiant with admiration, then whispered, "Miss... this will be a stunning dress."

"Lord Edeviene, we will begin designing the dress," Aiden said in a respectful tone while bowing slightly.

"We'll make sure everything is done on time, even ahead of schedule. This dress will take center stage on Lady Celestia's wedding day-as it should," he continued with a confident smile.

The Count nodded calmly, then rising from his seat, he walked over to Aiden, "Very well, I entrust it to House Maredele completely." He said while extending his hand.

Aiden immediately returned the hand with a steady and confident smile.

"Of course, Lord Edeviene," he said as he grasped the Count's hand politely but firmly, "I assure you that you will never regret trying our product. This gown will be a symbol of the splendor and elegance that only House Meredele can offer."

He bowed slightly in respect, then added in a more casual yet respectful tone, "And I will personally guarantee every stitch."

Count Edeviene gave a small nod, her expression remaining level but there was a hint of satisfaction visible in her eyes this time, "Good, whatever it is I don't care about spending any amount of money for my daughter's satisfaction."

Aiden smiled slightly. "Of course, Lord. Your trust is our honor."

After that, he glanced back at Lyra and gave a small salute. "Lady Celestia, thank you for your time today. I will be back in a few days for the first fitting. Make sure your body is in good health and happy, because a beautiful dress also needs a strong aura from the wearer."

Lyra nodded slowly. "Thank you, Mr. Aiden. I'll look forward to it."

Mai opened the door for Aiden and his assistant who then stepped out, carrying all the notes and fabric samples they had brought earlier. Once the door closed again, the room fell back into silence for a moment.

Count Edeviene stared at Lyra for a moment, then his voice sounded softer than usual, almost like a doubting father.

"Tia, is this really what you want?" he said slowly, his tone seeming to probe his own daughter's heart. "I speak for your comfort, my daughter. Lord Hale... he is known to still not be completely over his ex-fiancé. There are many rumors circulating about how she still harbors his wounds."

He took a deep breath, then continued in a more serious tone.

"They accepted our family's proposal not out of love, but because of an old debt of gratitude between the Hale and Edeviene families. If it wasn't for your own request, I wouldn't have wanted to do this. I didn't want to sending you into a life that you weren't sure you'd be happy with."

He paused for a moment, looking at Lyra with a deep gaze that was hard to read. "So, tell me now, Dear. Do you really want to step into this marriage?"

Lyra paused for a moment, not answering immediately. In her heart, a voice that did not belong to Celestia echoed quietly but surely.

"If she says that, then this marriage is Celestia's real wish..." she thought, looking at the middle-aged man before her with a mixture of awkwardness and confusion.

"Actually, I just want to refuse it. After all, why should I do that? I'm not him. I don't even know Keith Hale apart from the writing in the novel... But if I refuse, then I can't return to my original life. And also... as Mai explained-if this marriage is canceled, then Edeviene's family will suffer great social and political punishment. They could lose the support of other nobles, and even the Countn's status might be questioned for insulting the Hale family."

Her mind felt increasingly claustrophobic, as if she was walking between branching paths with none of them leading to freedom.

Lyra took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She looked at her father's hand that was now stretched out in front of her, waiting for an answer. There was no freedom in this situation, and it haunted every step she would take.

"What should I do?" thought Lyra, her confusion deepening. This shouldn't be her personal business, but for some reason, she felt the burden coming on so heavily.

Lyra's head felt heavy for a moment, as if someone's memories were forcing their way into hers. A faint image began to form in her mind, a man with well-organized jet-black hair gave a warm smile to a woman with golden-blonde hair, they chuckled when the man touched the woman's cheek.

Lyra knew these two people very well, they were Keith and Isabelle, the important characters in the novel she was reading. In the distance, behind a sizable tree a girl with milkmaid-like hair stood behind her, she looked at the two happy people.

Lyra also recognized the girl, Celestia.

She looked at Keith and Isabelle with envy, because she wanted to stand by Keith's side like Isabelle. But on the other hand she realized, she couldn't do that. Then a faint smile was etched on her face as if she was happy enough if that man felt happy even if not with her.

Lyra looked down for a moment, she held her head as if trying to hold back such a heavy burden, which suddenly just appeared in her mind. She felt lost in that emptiness, not even noticing the call coming from outside.

“Tia!” The voice of her father, Count Edeviene, sounded distant yet full of worry. His large hand was already on her shoulder, shaking her body slowly.

“Miss....!” Mai also called out, her voice sounding softer, yet clearly full of anxiety.

However, Lyra seemed to be trapped in her own world, Count Edeviene held both her shoulders while Mai just looked at her Miss with a worried expression.

Lyra bit her lip, trying to calm her raging thoughts. Inwardly, she began to understand more about Celestia's decision.

“Now I understand why Celestia went through with the marriage, because she liked it,” she thought, with a slight but understanding bitterness.

“Very well, I will complete this task to return to my world, and Celestia will get the love she has been longing for, there is no harm in this.”

The voice of her father, Count Edeviene, was heard again, full of worry, "Tia.... My daughter.... Are you alright, child?"

Lyra slowly raised her face, eyes that were still a little blank began to focus on Count Edeviene's caring face. In a low voice, she nodded slightly, “I'm fine Dad, my head just hurts a little.”

"You asked me earlier if I really wanted this marriage, didn't you?" Lyra said suddenly, her voice sounding more determined than ever. She looked straight at Count Edeviene, then added softly but firmly, "The answer is yes, Father. I will do it."

Then with a playful tone and a faint smile on her lips, she added, "If I suddenly refused after coming this far, wouldn't I embarrass you?"

Lord Edeviene paused for a moment, his eyes staring intently at his daughter's face - as if watching the little girl he once carried slowly disappear, replaced by the young woman now standing before him. He chuckled with a sigh of relief, then gently rubbed Lyra's head.

"Gosh, when did my Tia become this mature..." he said with a smile. There was a note of emotion that she could not hide from his voice.

Lord Edeviene was still looking at Lyra with a worried look, but after seeing the faint smile forced on his daughter's face, he slowly nodded. His rough hand patted Lyra's shoulder gently, as if to encourage her without words.

"Then, you should rest after this," she said softly. "The wedding preparations will not be easy, you should take care of yourself."

Lyra only replied with a small nod. Mai who was beside her looked relieved, but the look in her eyes was still wary, as if she was afraid Lyra might fall at any moment.

"I'll prepare some hot tea for Miss," Mai said quickly, trying to calm the atmosphere.