The evening gown was delivered to Thea Shaw's room.
Her return was sudden, so the gown had to be bought off the rack, not custom-made.
Each piece was from a luxury brand, beautiful as if from a dream. Thea, who previously only saw such dresses on TV, found little allure in them now after wearing countless exquisite and even more luxurious garments in the palace.
But when she emerged in the gown, Zia Sutton paused nonetheless.
The Suttons are good-looking; Mrs. Sutton was exceptionally beautiful in her youth.
Zia and Thea both inherited her good looks.
Previously, Thea had been in an ordinary family and lacked the cultivated elegance of a lady of noble birth.
Yet when she stepped out in the light blue fairy-like gown, Zia's eyes welled up with surprise.
Her features were beautiful, striking since childhood, and the gown's upper body was snug and fitted while the lower part naturally draped down. The outer layer of mesh overlapped in curves; this was actually a very common fairy gown, which looks good on anyone with a decent figure and face.
But with Thea wearing it, Zia still felt as if in a daze, as though Thea was truly about to ascend to heaven.
Her long hair cascaded down without any adornments, exuding an ethereal aura from inside out, needing no words, her gaze calm, with a thin veil of compassion that seemed to settle others into tranquility.
If she were to ascend instantly, Zia would believe it.
Clearly, yesterday Zia didn't have this feeling.
This gown has long sleeves, but its snugness felt a bit odd.
Luckily, in the Women's Respect Country, constraints on women weren't stringent, and she hadn't worn a skirt that exposed her legs for a long time...
Thea moved her arms and legs, contemplating seriously whether to add a layer of pants underneath the gown?
—She hadn't seen pantyhose for years and couldn't recall them.
Noticing her discomfort, Zia paused for a moment before saying, "It's beautiful."
Extraordinarily beautiful.
It seemed like only with her wearing the gown could its true elegance be shown.
A fairy gown, truly a fairy.
Aurora Sutton can't compare.
And Aurora Sutton was already celebrated as a prestigious socialite of her generation in Aethelgard.
Suddenly, Zia felt, indeed her sister is truly her sister; if not for being away for twenty years, she would have been the dream of many men in Aethelgard — even now, she would become so.
With this appearance, once she shows up at the Ford Family's evening banquet tonight, the Suttons are sure to have many visitors tomorrow.
At the age of twenty, it's already appropriate to get engaged.
The Sutton Family's social standing is good, and although Thea has just returned, her upbringing and worldliness can't match other noble ladies, but with her looks, countless gentleman heirs will take notice.
When it comes to marriage alliances, they may as well choose someone extraordinarily beautiful to keep at home.
Zia suddenly felt a vague reluctance.
Voices were heard from downstairs; Zia and Thea turned to see Mr. and Mrs. Sutton returning to take Thea and Zia to the Ford Family.
The formally dressed man and woman seemed unsure of how to face this daughter, worrying on their way back.
But upon seeing Thea dressed in the gown upstairs, they froze together.
"Thea?"
It was Mr. Sutton who spoke first, his voice somewhat hoarse.
Before yesterday, he'd only remembered a face similar to his wife's, a face with a faint ridicule towards the Sutton Family.
But now, he was looking at a person as beautiful as someone out of a painting.
Speechless.
And Mrs. Sutton, her eyes widened.