Catalina is going crazy with her new clothes.
In the fitting room, she held the octopus-like steel bust with her fingers. Wearing this thing was like going to jail. Even the dragoon armor, which is famous for being bulky, is probably much more flexible than this paper-thick silk dress.
Compared with the exaggerated huge skirt and those shiny, cumbersome and useless decorations, what is even more terrible is that the corset on the body is repeatedly tightened to compress the ribs to achieve the visual effect of "wasp waist".
Finally, wrap a knitted vest and mink leather breast protector outside the corset to make the lines on the chest look fuller and softer.
This is one of the compulsory courses for ladies. Many aristocratic families will require their daughters to wear corsets from an early age so that their body development can adapt to the tight girdle of support.
Fortunately, due to crystalline malignancy, Catalina escaped such torture during a critical period of physical development.
"Can you loosen the corset a little? I can't breathe," she begged.
"You're just not used to it yet. Try breathing with the upper part of your chest. After your lungs get used to it, we'll tighten it again and reduce the waistline to fifty centimeters." said the maid who was changing her clothes.
Fifty centimeters... Her original waistline was already considered too small for a woman of the same height, and now she had to find a way to shorten it by another ten centimeters.
After the maid decorated Catalina with feathers and flowers, she gently arranged the lace ribbon on her elbow:
"Okay, you can try walking. Remember the small round steps taught by the etiquette teacher."
Small round step... There is no such stupid step in the world.
Catalina knows the cross step, rudder step, pirate step, snake step, and trace step... These steps are either to match the rhythm of offense or defense, or to interfere with the opponent's judgment, or to adapt. Various special terrains.
But this little circular step was completely unnecessary: she had to swing her feet out as she went, moving forward in a semicircle, keeping the fabric of the dress flat.
After reluctantly walking a few steps, Catalina came to the bay window and gently opened the curtains with both hands. The glass window was covered with blurry and beautiful raindrops.
The view here is very wide, like a castle tower.
She closed her eyes and took a forced breath. Imagine yourself as an exhausted knight, standing on the tower looking at the enemy forces surrounding the city from all directions, they are retreating like a tide.
This fantasy made Catalina feel slightly better. She feels more happy being a "knight" than being a "lady".
"Lisa, this dress is too bulky. If I wear this dress to attend the dinner, how will I get down on one knee and swear the oath of knighthood?"
"Mr. Lawn has warned that the canonization ceremony is not the main part of the banquet. You can change your clothes after the main part is over, and then let Sir Reed canonize you."
The maid Lisa gently held Catalina's wrist and pulled her out of her small tower:
"Look, this dress matches you so well. It's the perfect dress in every girl's dream."
"Then do you want to try it on?" Catalina asked casually.
"Miss, you..."
Lisa's face suddenly turned livid. After confirming that Catalina's eyes were not malicious, she glanced in the direction of the door in a panic:
"You must never say such things, I will be kicked out if others hear it."
Katarina also realized the seriousness of this joke. Although she didn't mind letting the maid try on the dress, in the eyes of others, this was a serious transgression after all.
"Sorry, I just...forget it, let's not mention this. Let's continue. What should we do next?"
"Please sit down for a while while I polish your nails a little bit."
The maid quickly returned to her original smile, took Catalina's wrist, and pulled her back to the stool.
"Oh my God, your hands..." After looking at Catalina's hands carefully, Lisa covered her lips and let out an exclamation.
Although there is no need to do farm work and housework, a knight's hands are destined not to be as elegant and perfect as a princess. After all, the hands and wrists have always been one of the main targets during sword fighting.
The hands are the body part closest to the midline of attack and the most vulnerable to injury. Once a swordsman's hands and wrists are injured, it is equivalent to losing the ability to hold the sword, and there is almost no possibility of turning defeat into victory.
Although Catalina is careful to wear protective gear every time she trains, injuries cannot be completely avoided. Bruises and scratches on the joints are common, and there are no redundant nails left at all.
"It doesn't matter. If it doesn't work, I can wear gloves to attend." Catalina said helplessly.
But Lisa re-maintained her nails as much as possible: soaked them in warm water for three minutes, wiped them with lemon peel, then carefully polished and repaired them with a nail file, and finally polished them with a leather belt like a sword.
"You'd better pay more attention in the past two days and don't go to places where men go. People say that 'hands are the windows to the soul.' A lady's hands must be soft, white, and free of stains and scars."
"I know, I'll try my best." Catalina said absently.
Lisa held Catalina's right hand in the palm of her hands and rubbed it repeatedly to spread the hand cream evenly:
"It's not that you try your best, but you must pay attention. Otherwise, His Highness Edward will be very unhappy if he sees it."
"What, which Edward? That Prince Edward?!"
Katarina jerked her hand back as if she was electrocuted.
Edward Horien was the grandson of His Majesty Richard II and the only remaining direct heir.
The Holian royal family is in decline, not because of any problems with blood or fertility: the Nirvana Order has been assassinating all members of the royal Holian family in various ways.
Even Henry Holland, the former crown prince and the eldest grandson of His Majesty Richard II, died of poisonous ulcers after just accepting a wreath and kiss from an elf girl at the parade.
Since then, the safety of royal family members has become a top priority. Most members do not appear in public, and every trip must be accompanied by a large number of security personnel.
But even so, in the past twenty years, seven people in His Majesty Richard's direct bloodline have died in assassinations. Therefore, his grandson Henry had to return from Flores, the "Kingdom of Flowers" on the other side, and changed his surname to Horian.
The crown prince who has lived in the palace for a long time actually traveled thousands of miles to attend a birthday party in Silvermist City... Even Catalina could guess that this matter must not be that simple.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"The itinerary of the royal family must be kept secret. I only heard a little bit of news yesterday. You were kept in the dark just because you didn't care about the birthday party." Lisa whispered.
"I know," Catalina sighed glumly, "That's all for trying on the clothes for today."
