or pattern, nor deliberately accentuate her curves. It was a dress that the artists of the time who passionately worshiped the natural beauty of ancient Greece would not hesitate to praise. However, she did not choose the most fashionable white dress, which symbolized the virtue of purity, but instead chose bright goose-yellow. The scarf d□□d over her shoulder only had vibrant red and blue stripes embroidered on the edges, forming a wide triangular shape that hung down her back like a flag. Her bonnet was of the simplest style, casually covering the back of her head and taming some of her unruly curls. Yet the tricoloured cockade on the brim was carefully pinned, showing no signs of wobbling or slipping as the girl moved and jumped freely.
Compared with hers, Andre''s attire was quite fancy. The lace sleeves of his white shirt flared out like morning glory from the cuffs of his outer coat. His snowy-white cravat was tied into a large, dramatic bow tightly fastened at his throat, seeming to make it difficult for him to relax his posture. The rosy coat was paired with a matching vest, cinched tightly at the waist, while the fabric may have been too shiny, which detracted from its solemnity. Combined with his meticulously styled shoulder-length hair, his entire ensemble gave off a playboy impression, conflicting yet cleverly resonating with his upright and serious demeanor.
As the duo stood opposite each other on the porch of the Tuileries Palace, one looking up and the other looking down, talking and laughing, they formed an interesting contrast - perhaps something rare to see in both the past and future eras. If a conformist were to witness this, they would probably shake their head at the inversion of gender hues. Nevertheless, if one were to look at the pair of birds on a nearby tree branch, it would be difficult to deny that these two youngsters were exactly following the ingenious design of nature.①
"Virtually, it was inspired by you."Andre smiled in response to her praise.
"Me?"
"Don''t you remember the words you said to me by the Seine in Rouen, about the boundary between true compassion and hypocrisy?" The young man reminded her.
"I''m afraid my memory is not clear, but it''s surprising that a passing rema