Chapter 705: Drop-Dead Gorgeous

After the first round of dress trials—something changed in Maria.

The initial awkwardness, the self-conscious fidgeting, the uncertainty—it all melted away, replaced by something new.

Confidence. Enthusiasm. A growing delight in the process that made her eyes sparkle and her smile widen.

One after another, she emerged from the fitting room in a different outfit, each one bringing its own charm.

First came a simple white blouse paired with a flowing skirt in soft pastel tones.

The moment she stepped out, Cassius clapped his hands together and exclaimed with unrestrained delight.

“Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful, Maria! That blouse brings out the radiant youthfulness in you—it makes your skin glow like fresh morning light and your eyes sparkle with such innocent joy!”

“You look like a maiden stepping into her very first spring festival!”

Maria giggled, cheeks flushing with pleasure. The exaggerated praise was ridiculous, over-the-top, and completely sincere, and it made her heart flutter.

Next she tried a crisp blouse and tailored pants that gave her a sharp, professional air. Cassius’s eyes trembled dramatically.

“Magnificent!” Cassius clapped his hands together. “You look like a secretary—no, the head of the entire organization. A woman who could walk into any boardroom and have every man trembling at her feet!”

“I’d hire you in an instant, and then spend all my time finding excuses to be called into your office.”

Maria giggled, twirling slightly to show off the outfit.

Then came a one-piece dress that hugged her figure like it had been painted on. It was simple in design but devastating in effect, outlining every curve, every swell, every dip of her body.

Cassius’s breath caught.

“This one—” He paused, searching for words “—this one is dangerous. It shows off…everything. Every beautiful, glorious curve. It’s too much, Maria. It’s absolutely too much.”

He fanned himself with his hand.

“And I love it!”

The clerks giggled. Maria’s cheeks flushed, but she was smiling.

Each new outfit brought a fresh wave of praise—effusive, poetic, sometimes ridiculous, but always delivered with such genuine enthusiasm that Maria couldn’t help but believe every word.

“You look like you’ve discovered the fountain of youth and taken a long, luxurious swim in it!”

“The world should bow before you, and this dress would make them want to!”

“Are you sure you’re not a fairy princess who wandered out of a storybook?”

She kept trying on more dresses, not because she needed to find the perfect one, but because she wanted to hear him praise her again. And again. And again.

Cassius, for his part, kept up the barrage of compliments until his throat grew dry.

A clerk hurried over with a cup of honeyed tea, which he drank gratefully before launching back into his critiques and praises with renewed vigor.

Meanwhile, the clerks and even Madame Elise watched with growing envy.

They exchanged glances, each thinking the same thing: If only our own men would look at us like that…would praise us so freely and joyfully.

But they knew the truth—most husbands or sweethearts would never step foot inside a dress shop, let alone shower their wives with such lavish, creative adoration.

They would wait outside, offer a grunt of approval, and move on. Only Cassius did this. Only Cassius made a woman feel like the center of the universe.

And Maria, standing there in dress after dress, glowing under his attention, felt those envious glances like a warm sun on her skin.

She felt guilty. She was a sister of the church, a woman dedicated to humility and service. She wasn’t supposed to preen under praise or take pride in making other women jealous.

But she couldn’t help it.

She stood a little taller. Smiled a little brighter. Let herself enjoy the moment.

She was becoming someone she didn’t quite recognize. Someone who cared about how she looked. Someone who wanted to be beautiful.

For him.

But after a while, a small, nagging doubt crept into her mind.

’Was any of this real? Or was Cassius just being kind? Just saying what he thought I want to hear?’

She needed to test him.

Her eyes scanned the store and landed on a rice bag sitting in the corner—a burlap sack filled with grain, probably for a customer’s bulk order.

A mischievous smile curved her lips.

She grabbed the bag, slipped into the fitting room, and emerged moments later wearing it.

She had torn holes for her head and arms, and the rough fabric hung awkwardly on her body, bunching in some places and gaping in others before stepping out.

Seeing this, the clerks stared in horror as they immediately knew what was going on.

But Cassius—his face lit up as though she had emerged in the finest silk.

“Gorgeous!” He proclaimed without hesitation. “Absolutely gorgeous, Maria! There’s such a rustic, earthy beauty to this look—it brings out your primal essence in the most enchanting way.”

“The simplicity speaks volumes: humility, strength, and a quiet grace that no expensive fabric could ever match. It stirs so many emotions in me…I feel like I’m looking at the very soul of beauty itself.”

The clerks stared in dismay, as if this was too much even for them. Maria shared their thoughts and thought that Cassius was exaggerating everything which made her feel slightly sad.

But then Maria looked into his eyes.

And there it was—the same enthusiasm, the same brightness, the same genuine admiration she had seen with every other dress.

He wasn’t joking. He wasn’t mocking her.

He meant it.

Even wearing a literal rice bag, he looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Her face flushed. Her heart raced.

She couldn’t take any more.

She fled back into the fitting room, clutching the ridiculous burlap sack to her chest, and stood there for a long moment, breathing heavily.

She knew she wouldn’t be able to test him with any more ridiculous outfits after realizing something like that.

So finally, she knew she had to come to a decision about which dress to actually purchase.

But she couldn’t decide on her own.

So she peeked out of the fitting room door and softly called saying,

“Cassius? Could you come here for a moment? I can’t decide which one to wear. Do you have any preference at all?”

He turned eagerly—only for his mouth to fall open in shock.

In her haste to ask quickly, Maria had simply grabbed the nearest piece of fabric to cover naked body chest and poked her head and shoulders out.

Even though most of her upper body was theoretically covered, her breasts were simply too large!

The cloth she was using couldn’t cover them fully.

Because of that, Cassius could see the very bottom curves of her breasts—and her nipples.

Pink. Beautiful. A shade even more vibrant than her hair.

And her areolas—wide and full, the kind that spoke of motherhood, of nourishment, of life-giving warmth.

The clerks noticed instantly. A few gasped silently, eyes wide, but they clamped their mouths shut.

Offending the Young Master while he was clearly enjoying the sight, or embarrassing Lady Maria, was the last thing they wanted.

They stayed perfectly quiet, pretending not to see.

Maria, oblivious, asked again. “What’s wrong? I asked if you had a preference…”

This finally snapped him out of his daze.

He quickly composed himself and said with a strained smile,

“You shouldn’t ask me such questions, Maria.” His voice was hoarse. “When it comes to praising you, I can talk for hours. I can find beauty in anything you wear. But when it comes to actually choosing…” He shook his head “…I’m useless. Completely, utterly useless.”

He looked at her apologetically.

“So I have to ask you to choose the one you find yourself most beautiful in.”

Maria felt a small pang of disappointment, but she nodded anyway. “All right…I’ll try.”

She closed the curtain and turned to the mirror, studying her reflection—plump, soft, and curvy in every dress she had tried.

Strangely, none of them made her feel particularly different on their own.

It was only when Cassius praised her, when she saw that bright, hungry, adoring look in his eyes, that she truly felt alive and radiant.

The realization settled over her with a quiet shame that quickly melted into acceptance: she didn’t care all that much about how she saw herself.

What she cared about was how Cassius saw her.

She wanted to please him. She wanted to be the woman who made his heart race. The thought felt intimate and vulnerable, but she didn’t deny it. Not anymore.

She scanned the dresses again, searching for the one he had seemed to love most.

His praise had been equally enthusiastic for all of them, so it was difficult—until her eyes landed on one particular drees.

A soft, knowing smile curved her lips. She picked it up.

—

Outside, Cassius was still lost in his memories of pink nipples and wide areolas, his mind wandering down paths it probably shouldn’t have been wandering down, when the fitting room curtain opened.

Maria stepped out.

Cassius turned, ready with another compliment—

And stopped.

His mouth opened.

No words came out.

Maria stood there blushing furiously, looking shy yet radiant in a simple white one-piece dress.

It was innocent at first glance: soft fabric with faint, delicate floral patterns, airy and light.

But on her it became devastating.

The neckline plunged low, revealing a generous, breathtaking expanse of cleavage that made the clerks’ own chests feel suddenly inadequate.

Thin straps rested delicately on her shoulders, so fragile that a single tug might send the entire dress slipping down.

The dress was loose and airy, but it clung to her in all the right places, accentuating her wide hips, the curve of her butt, the subtle sway of her body as she walked.

Her legs were bare from mid-thigh down, the hem of the dress dancing just above her knees.

With every step, with every breeze, the fabric lifted slightly, teasing at more skin, more flesh, more of her.

The clerks stared.

Their mouths were dry. Their throats tightened. Several of them reached for water, feeling suddenly, inexplicably parched.

Even Madame Elise felt a wave of heat. She had thought the garter belt she saw earlier was tempting, but this…this was fatal.

Every curve, every soft movement, radiated pure, refreshing beauty like a maiden running through a sunlit field of flowers—yet it carried an undercurrent of irresistible sensuality.

This was different.

This was dangerous.

This was the kind of dress that started wars.

And Maria—sweet, innocent Maria had no idea of the destruction she was capable of.

She walked toward Cassius, the skirt fluttering around her legs, her hips swaying with each step.

“What do you think, Cassius?” She twirled, and the dress flared out, showing off even more of her long, elegant legs. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

Cassius absolutely nodded his head, almost mechanically.

“Yes. Yes, it does.” He said, his voice slightly hoarse. “You look so beautiful in it.”

There was enthusiasm in his voice, yes. But something else too. Something deeper. Something that made Maria’s heart flutter.

She stepped closer, close enough that her chest nearly brushed against his, and rose on her toes to whisper in his ear.

“You know.” She murmured. “I noticed something.”

He swallowed hard. “W-What’s that?”

“When I wore the other dresses, you praised them. But when I wore this one…” She pulled back slightly, looking into his eyes. “You looked at me differently. Your heart stopped. Just for a moment.”

Cassius’s breath caught. She pulled back just enough to give him a teasing, sly little smile.

“Are you happy, Cassius? Are you also happy with the outfit I chose?”

He swallowed hard. “Yes…I most definitely am.”

Then a flicker of concern crossed his face as he looked her up and down.

“But…don’t you think this is a little too revealing? I mean, it’s not that bad, but for a sister like you—who’s used to covering every inch of herself don’t you feel embarrassed wearing something like this?”

Maria blushed deeply and nodded, suddenly shy.

“I am embarrassed. This is the first time I’ve ever worn anything so racy.”

She looked up at him with demure, earnest eyes.

“But I don’t mind, Cassius. Today I want to make you happy as much as you’ve made me happy this morning. So if this is your favorite dress…I don’t mind facing a little embarrassment for your sake.”

The words hit him like a love-struck arrow straight to the heart. Cassius clutched his chest, heart pounding so hard he could barely breathe.

Maria’s eyes widened in alarm. “What’s wrong, Cassius? What happened? Is everything all right?”

He waved her off weakly. “It’s all right, Maria…it’s nothing wrong. Really.”

But she was still concerned. She bent down to look at him more closely and because of that—her cleavage spilling forward even more dramatically, the white expanse of her breasts on full display.

Another wave of overwhelming affection crashed over him. He staggered, knees buckling, and dropped to the ground.

“Cassius!” Maria cried, crouching down beside him in panic.

But the motion caused the short hem of the dress to ride up, revealing the soft underside of her thighs and the faintest curve of her butt.

And seeing this, he couldn’t handle it anymore and collapsed completely, lying flat on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

“Someone help!” Maria cried, looking around frantically.

“Something’s wrong with Cassius! Please, someone—”

But no one moved.

The clerks stood frozen, watching with expressions that were somewhere between amusement and knowing, as they realised this was what they meant when one says ’Drop-dead Gorgeous.’

“It won’t be long now.” One of the clerks said. “We’ll be seeing the Lady of Compassion every day, I think.”

The other nodded, watching as Maria helped Cassius to his feet, her dress fluttering, her cheeks pink, her eyes full of something that looked very much like love.

“Another one joins the Holyfield family…”

“…But who would’ve thought it would be the Saint of Compassion.”

Madame Elise murmured, and raised her teacup in a silent toast to the ever-growing family.

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