the Villainess they took for granted

Chapter 164: Chapter 164: wedding dress

The invitations could finally be left to their secretaries.

Marian closed the folder and set it aside.

Then she opened her wedding notebook again.

The next heading was waiting for her.

Wedding Dress.

Her expression immediately brightened.

Cassian noticed.

He smiled.

"You’ve been waiting for this."

Marian looked at him innocently.

"I have not."

"You have."

"I simply think the dress is important."

"Of course."

She picked up her pen.

"Very important."

"I agree."

Marian looked at him.

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"How important?"

Cassian considered the question.

"The most important part of the wedding?"

She laughed.

"No."

"The most expensive?"

"Definitely not."

"The most elaborate?"

"That sounds more like you."

He smiled.

"Then perhaps I understand perfectly."

Marian shook her head.

"You don’t understand anything."

"Probably not."

She laughed again.

"Men."

Cassian raised an eyebrow.

"I am sitting right here."

"I know."

She turned the page.

"All right. First, we need the dressmakers."

"I’ve already arranged appointments."

Marian’s eyes widened.

"You did?"

"Three."

Her entire expression changed.

"Three?"

"The best in the capital."

She leaned forward immediately.

"Who?"

Cassian gave her the names.

Marian knew every one.

Her excitement grew with each name.

"You’re serious."

"I am."

"They’re all excellent."

"I thought you’d like them."

"I do."

She looked down at her notes.

"When are the appointments?"

"Tomorrow morning and afternoon. The third is the following morning."

Marian smiled.

"Perfect."

Cassian watched her.

She was already turning pages.

"What are you looking for?"

"Everything."

"Everything?"

"Of course."

She began counting on her fingers.

"Fabric first. Then the silhouette. Then the neckline. Sleeves. Embroidery. Beading. The train. The veil."

She paused.

"The veil is important."

"I’ll remember."

"And the shoes."

"Of course."

"And the jewelry."

"Yes."

"And I need to see their embroidery samples."

"Naturally."

"And their lace."

"Yes."

"And the different kinds of silk."

Cassian nodded solemnly.

"All of them."

She stopped.

"You have no idea what you’re agreeing to."

"Not remotely."

Marian laughed.

"At least you’re honest."

He leaned back.

"What I do know is that whatever you choose, I want it to be the best."

She looked at him.

"I know."

"No compromises."

"That sounds expensive."

"It probably will be."

She smiled.

"You’re not worried?"

"I’ll worry about the accounts."

"And I should just choose?"

"Yes."

Marian looked at him suspiciously.

"You really mean that?"

"Completely."

"Even if I choose something extravagant?"

"Yes."

"Very extravagant?"

"Yes."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Absurdly extravagant?"

Cassian’s mouth curved.

"Especially then."

Marian laughed.

"What if I want a train six meters long?"

"Make it eight."

She stared at him.

"You don’t even know how long six meters is."

"No."

"Exactly."

"But if you want six, you can have six."

She laughed.

"And diamonds?"

"Yes."

"Pearls?"

"Yes."

"Hand embroidery?"

"Of course."

"Thousands of tiny crystals?"

"Certainly."

"Cassian."

"What?"

"You’re just saying yes to everything."

"Because I don’t know enough about dresses to argue with you."

Marian burst out laughing.

"At least you admit it."

"I know what I like."

"What?"

He looked at her.

"You."

She rolled her eyes.

"That’s not helpful."

"It wasn’t intended to be."

She smiled despite herself.

Then she returned to the page.

"I want to see what each dressmaker can do before I decide anything."

"Good."

"I don’t want to choose from a catalog."

"Then don’t."

"I want them to show me different fabrics in the light."

"All right."

"I want to see how the embroidery looks when it’s actually moving."

"Of course."

"I want to try different silhouettes."

"Yes."

She looked at him.

"And I want to see the trains."

Cassian nodded.

"All of them."

Marian’s eyes sparkled.

"Especially the trains."

He smiled.

"I suspected as much."

She began making another list.

A-line.

Ball gown.

Fitted bodice.

Off-the-shoulder.

Long sleeves.

Short sleeves.

Different necklines.

Different fabrics.

Different embroidery.

Cassian watched the list grow.

"You’ve thought about this."

"Of course."

"How long?"

"Since I was a girl."

That made him pause.

Marian looked at the page, smiling.

"I used to imagine what my wedding dress would look like."

"And?"

"And it changed every few years."

She laughed softly.

"What was it when you were ten?"

"White."

Cassian smiled.

"And now?"

"Still white."

He nodded.

"Good."

Marian gave him a look.

"It’s not that simple."

"It isn’t?"

"Of course not."

She began counting on her fingers.

"Ivory. Pearl white. Soft white. Winter white. There are dozens of shades."

Cassian stared at her.

"There are?"

"Yes."

"I thought white was white."

Marian looked genuinely offended.

"Clearly, you have never chosen a wedding dress."

"Clearly."

She smiled and returned to her notes.

"We’ll have to look at them properly. The color will depend on the fabric, the embroidery, and how it looks against my skin."

Cassian nodded solemnly.

"Then we’ll look at every shade."

Marian smiled.

"Exactly."

He leaned back.

"I’m learning already."

"Barely."

"I’ll improve."

"You’d better."

"I have an excellent teacher."

Marian glanced at him.

"Who?"

His smile deepened.

"You."

She smiled, unable to hide how pleased she was by the answer.

Then she looked back down at the page.

"Well, then you had better pay attention."

"I am."

"Good."

She tapped the pen lightly against the paper.

"I want to see what each dressmaker can actually create. I don’t want to decide from drawings alone."

"That makes sense."

"I want to see how the fabrics fall when they’re made into a gown. Something can look perfect on paper and completely different when it’s worn."

Cassian nodded.

"Then you should try them."

"That’s what I’m planning to do."

She turned another page.

"I know what I like in theory."

"In theory?"

Marian smiled.

"I’ve never actually worn a wedding dress."

"That seems like an important distinction."

"It is."

She glanced at him.

"I might think I want one thing and discover that I prefer something completely different once I put it on."

"Then try everything."

"That’s the plan."

Cassian watched her for a moment.

"You’re enjoying this."

"Very much."

"I can tell."

Marian laughed softly.

"I’ve been imagining this since I was young. Not this wedding, obviously."

She looked down at the page.

"But the dress. The feeling of choosing it."

Cassian’s expression softened.

"Then don’t rush it."

"We don’t have much time."

"We have enough."

"You’re very confident."

"I am."

She smiled.

"And if I can’t decide?"

"We come back."

"Again?"

"As many times as necessary."

Marian looked at him.

"You really won’t get tired of this?"

"I might get tired of sitting."

She laughed.

"But not of watching you?"

"Never."

Her cheeks warmed.

She looked back at her notebook before he could see too much.

"I think I want something timeless."

"Timeless?"

"Yes."

She considered her words.

"Something that will still look beautiful years from now. Not something chosen simply because it’s fashionable this season."

Cassian nodded.

"That sounds like you."

She looked up.

"What does that mean?"

"You don’t seem like someone who would want to look back and think you chose something because everyone else was wearing it."

Marian smiled.

"You’ve been paying attention."

"I told you."

He glanced at the notebook.

"I’m learning."

She laughed.

"Barely."

"But I’m trying."

"I know."

Marian closed the notebook for a moment and rested her hand over it.

"I think tomorrow will help."

"With what?"

"With knowing what I actually want."

Cassian reached across the table and took her hand.

"Then tomorrow, you choose."

"And you?"

"I’ll be there."

"To help?"

"To admire."

She laughed.

"That may be the only useful thing you can do."

"I’ll take it."

Marian smiled.

Then she opened the notebook again.

There were still so many decisions ahead.

But for the first time, the thought didn’t overwhelm her.

It excited her.

Tomorrow, she would walk into a dressmaker’s atelier and begin turning something she’d imagined for years into something real.

And Cassian would be there to see it happen.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!