HP: I beat the otome game at Hogwarts

Chapter 175 The gown given to Lyra

Ever since Draco Malfoy discovered that gossip about the school spread faster through girls than through boys, he would occasionally spend a little more time in the Slytherin common room.

“Have you heard?” Daphne said. “That Gryffindor Muggle vase didn’t choose anyone in the end; she decided to go to the ball with the Weasley brothers.”

“That’s ridiculous! How can a girl be a dance partner for two boys at the same time?” asked a brown-haired Slytherin girl. “It’s against etiquette—”

"What manners do Gryffindors talk about?" Pansy, noticing Draco sitting on a nearby sofa, raised her voice even louder in her criticism of the annoying black-haired Gryffindor. "Besides, she's just a Muggle, and I heard she's an orphan who lost both her parents. What kind of upbringing could she possibly have—"

“But the White and Weasley brothers are probably just friends,” Daphne commented fairly objectively. “After all, there were better guys she could have seduced, but she didn’t choose them, did she?”

"Probably trying to play hard to get, how ridiculous!" Pansy was always sarcastic towards girls she disliked. "But she didn't choose Diggory, which let that French Veela get the better deal—"

The girls exchanged glances; they all felt an intense loathing for Veela creatures.

"If you ask me, I'd rather have White and Diggory dancing than that Veela..."

Draco listened to the part he wanted to hear, then left the lounge and went back to his dormitory.

Last night he asked his roommate Blaise, and the answer was that they were still waiting for the woman's reply. But this afternoon he heard about Leila's final decision—

Also good.

Draco disliked the two poor, energetic red monkeys, but they were, after all, Lyra's friends—probably only interested in pranks and bananas.

It's obvious that it hasn't fully evolved yet; it has no interest in romance or girls.

Although Blaise was a good person and trusted his only friend to dance with his girlfriend, the two were both extremely good-looking and looked like a perfect match.

Driven by his possessiveness as a lover, he was unwilling to see other equally outstanding men appear beside his radiant sweetheart.

It's best if the red-haired monkey takes the spot.

Beauty and the Beast is always more pleasing to the eye than handsome man and beautiful woman.

Feeling a bit selfish, Draco decided to be considerate tonight and let his roommate have a taste of the latest candy his mother had just sent.

However, he had something to do before that—to send the two dresses that Lyra had tried on earlier over by owl.

He originally intended to wait until after the ball to give it to the black-haired girl, but now that her dance partners were just two red-haired monkeys, he figured he might as well let her wear the dress that was originally a matching couple's dress to the ball.

Although they couldn't openly attend the ball together with their beloved girl, wearing matching dresses and going to the same ball together was, in a sense, a subtle way of fulfilling their wish.

Draco thought to himself.

When no one was around, he couldn't help but smile.

*

Lyra was looking through mail-order brochures for Diagon Alley shops in her dorm room.

Shops in the magical world can sometimes be quite business-savvy. They will mail out the latest product catalogs to major clients and regular customers for free. With just a click, the catalogs will display dynamic images of the products from various angles and in detail.

Jewelry stores, clothing stores, and beauty stores, which are favorites of witches, are very familiar with this sales and promotional method, while snack and daily necessities stores don't use it much.

Perhaps we could discuss this with Fred and George; Lyra felt that joke products could definitely use this method to open up sales channels for new products.

However, a simple animated booklet is a bit ordinary; perhaps adding some more three-dimensional and impactful innovative presentation would be better...

Just as Lyra was vaguely coming up with a new idea, she suddenly heard Aria excitedly calling her from the bed next door.

“Look, Lyra!” Arya exclaimed, “The dress you ordered has finally arrived—”

Lyra saw a large, black owl carrying a huge package, politely knocking on the window.

“Open it quickly!” Angelina and Arya were both delighted. “You’re taking too long to decide! If you don’t send it soon, the ball will be over!”

Lyra signed for the package and gave the strange owl a few leftover cookies from the table as a thank you.

The whole dorm was as cheerful as Christmas Day. The girls had a strange ability to get everyone else excited if any one of them bought new clothes.

"We have no idea what color you ultimately chose—"

“It’s black—” Lyra smiled as she opened the package, but paused for a moment when she lifted the dress box.

Inside the box lay a pale pink gradient dress, embroidered with countless white gardenias. The flowers were decorated with shimmering butterfly effects, and the flowers and butterflies seemed to dance freely and gracefully on the hem of the dress.

"Merlin—" Lyra heard a girl's amazed gasp.

It is indeed very beautiful.

Leila picked up the card from the beautiful dress.

"...The moment I saw this dress, the image that came to mind was you. So, even without your permission, I couldn't help but buy it...Although it's a pity I can't be your dance partner, I still want to give it to you, because in my heart, only you will not let this beautiful dress down."

The letter was signed, "Your forever loyal friend, Cedric."

"Oh my god!" Arya exclaimed, her eyes brimming with tears. "Lyra, why didn't you accept his invitation to the ball—"

Leila was also somewhat moved. She felt that it was all the fault of those two redheads who were too lazy to find their own dance partners!

“Angelina, you said—” Aria turned around, seeking more validation, but found nothing.

Angelina was walking toward the window when the other two girls quickly realized why—several owls carrying huge packages were flying toward their dorm room window.

The girls had to open all the closed windows to let all the owls swoop in.

"Laila, did you buy so much stuff?" Arya asked.

"Or perhaps someone else also gave you a dress...?" Angelina made a bold guess.

Lyra looked at the two owls in the flock who looked distinctly familiar, and felt a slight pain in her forehead.

Now, besides the dress that Cedric had already opened, there are six boxes that are clearly formal dresses lying quietly on the table, waiting for their owner's favor.