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Chapter 5
Her greetings finished, Jasmine scurried off into the distance to prepare the remaining garments. The faint sound of a teacup being placed back on the table echoed gently through the room. As Lauren relaxed her shoulders from the fading tension, a soft breath brushed against her ear.
“For a beloved wife for whom I committed a secret marriage, I suppose I ought to try things I wouldn’t normally do.”
The low voice seeped directly into Lauren’s ear. Startled out of her skin, she nearly jumped right from her seat, covering her ear as she scrambled backward. Her wide, lavender eyes met his deep, sunken green ones. Crossing his arms, Aster let out a low chuckle.
“D-Do not startle me like that!”
Her heart thundered against her ribs. Attempting to act completely unbothered, Lauren lifted the teacup before her, hiding her flushed face behind it. Desperate to calm her racing pulse, she took a slow sip. My heart is only pounding because he surprised me so suddenly—that’s all.
“Pardon my intrusion during your conversation, Your Grace, My Lady. Everything is prepared. May we begin?”
Jasmine approached and inquired in a polite tone. Aster offered a brief nod and leaned back into his chair. Guided by Jasmine, Lauren rose from her seat and followed her steps. In an adjoining room right beside them, a private space draped with curtains had been prepared. First, her measurements were taken behind a partition set up on one side—though Jasmine used the vintage term “taking one’s proportions.”
Even the attire worn by the staff of Aloria Boutique was vividly colorful and grand, looking as though they were sample showpieces meant to impress clients—resembling a flutter of colorful flowers and butterflies. Before such people, her own clothing felt far too worn out and faded, looking pitiful amidst the brilliant hues. Though the tips of her ears burned with shame, Lauren forcibly lifted her chin.
Who cares? I have nothing to be ashamed of. I am the Duchess.
Clad only in drawers and a camisole, she was escorted deeper into the curtained space. As the cool air touched the nape of her neck, a sudden chill made her hunch her shoulders slightly.
Yet before she could process the cold, she had to inspect the pile of garments brought in by the staff. There were blouses, skirts, jackets, and even a handful of dresses. Just the thought of trying on every single one gave her a headache.
The Sears baronage had never been particularly affluent, so she rarely had opportunities for such luxuries. One shouldn’t indulge in unfamiliar habits. While other young ladies might find this thrilling, Lauren was already growing exhausted.
“His Grace mentioned that time was of the essence, so we prepared a wide variety of ready-to-wear garments. Please try them on and speak your mind without reservation. Any necessary alterations will be handled immediately on our end.”
Surely she doesn’t expect me to try on every single one of those… Seeing Lauren’s appalled face, Jasmine let out a quiet chuckle. Yet her hands remained swift as she assisted with the fitting. The high-collared blouse felt wonderful against her skin, and the wide skirt felt surprisingly lightweight despite the generous amount of fabric used. Lauren narrowed her eyes slightly.
“I would prefer everyday and outing skirts to be comfortable enough to move around in. Also, please remove all lace and frills from the sleeves.”
Contrary to Lauren’s expectations, Jasmine nodded without a word of protest. Since Jasmine was someone who crafted garments for high nobility, Lauren had worried she might take offense to her requests, but that did not seem to be the case.
Noblewomen loved to emphasize their status as individuals who commanded others. Since they had no need to labor, excessively wide skirts and extravagant lace or frills on sleeves naturally became the prevailing trend. For undergarments, finely lustrous silks and lace were lavished without restraint.
What Lauren desired was the exact opposite. Thanks to her excessively upright father, luxury items were rarely permitted. From her experience helping her father with administrative work, she knew frills and lace only got in the way of labor. When prohibitively expensive lace caught on the tip of a pen and tore, it had brought actual tears to her eyes—not to mention the ink stains on pretty sleeve frills that proved nearly impossible to wash out.
Furthermore, having refrained from stepping into high society following an incident in her childhood, she rarely had occasion to wear grand dresses, save for visiting relatives or attending the occasional territory event. Lauren dug her heels in just a little.
“However, you must display the dignity fitting for the Duchess of Liliwood.”
Ah, right. Lauren was no longer a young lady of a baronial house. She was the Duchess. Like it or not, she had to step into high society. Though one might expect her to frown, the delicate smile on Jasmine’s face remained unchanged.
“I shall handle the everyday wear as you requested. For outing attire, it would be difficult to forgo decorations entirely, but for any newly tailored garments, we will accommodate Your Ladyship’s tastes as much as possible.”
“…Yes. Please do.”
With the elderly head of a prestigious boutique going this far, she couldn’t stubbornly insist any further. Still, it was a relief that her wishes were granted for her everyday wear. Jasmine summoned a worker to fetch different samples. Lauren caught a subtle furrow on the worker’s brow, yet the worker withdrew without uttering a single word.
The newly brought garments were slightly inferior in quality compared to the ones she had just tried on, but they were undeniably much closer to her taste. She was deeply pleased with the skirts that allowed unhindered movement, the blouses with wide cuffs, and the neatly tailored jackets. Checking her reflection in the mirror, Lauren nodded in satisfaction.
“This is how I’d like the everyday wear to be. Thank you, Jasmine.”
“I am merely grateful that Your Ladyship is pleased.”
Jasmine bowed deeply. Feeling somewhat awkward at having an elderly lady bow so respectfully to her, Lauren let out a dry laugh.
“It will take a short while before the dresses for your fitting are ready. Might I suggest enjoying a cup of tea while you wait?”
“That sounds wonderful.”
She was feeling quite fatigued anyway. Though it was astonishing that this endless parade of clothes was not yet over, Lauren did her best not to let it show. Right, I still have to fit the dresses. Since Aster mentioned the Emperor might summon them at any moment, it was an absolute necessity to prepare them, whether Lauren wished to or not.
Stepping out to return to Aster’s side, Lauren noticed the door to the fitting preparation room was slightly ajar. Realizing those workers had worked hard as well, she wondered if she should offer a word of praise. Just as Lauren took a step toward the open door, high-pitched voices of young women echoed from inside.
“That’s absurd!” “I’m telling you, it’s true!” “Why on earth would someone who is the Duchess want to wear clothes meant for a governess?” “But the clothes I brought in were definitely like that! Isn’t it possible she’s actually just someone of that meager level? You know how governesses often become mistresses to noble lords.”
Lauren’s footsteps came to a sudden halt. The faint smile lingering on her face instantly vanished. Furrowing her brow, Jasmine took a step forward, but Lauren held up a hand to stop her. She wanted to hear what else they had to say.
“Her own clothes were utterly shabby—didn’t she probably throw her body at him to turn her life around? Why else would anyone marry a bloodthirsty monster? If a figure like the Duke were to marry, they would have held a grand ceremony, yet no such news has ever been heard. Right? Has anyone heard of an order coming in for a wedding banquet dress? No one, right? See? Isn’t it obvious that even the monster felt too embarrassed to present her before others?”
“Oh, come on, even so…”
“Well, seeing him earlier, he really was handsome. Great physique, too. It’s hard to believe a man like that is a monster. Hm, maybe I should throw my body at his feet too? I’m younger and prettier than that crow, aren’t I? Who knows? Maybe I could become the Duchess?”
The corner of Lauren’s mouth twisted upward into a cold smirk. Dreaming was free, but blabbering like that was quite unwise—especially badmouthing a noble while working inside their estate.
Lauren stepped through the open doorway. Meeting her eyes as she stood facing the door, the face of the ‘butterfly’ drained of all color. Several workers in the room bowed their heads in panic toward Lauren. However, the one butterfly engrossed in touching up her makeup in the mirror failed to stop her tongue.
“I am so sick and tired of catering to noblewomen’s moods and sewing all day. There’s no guarantee I’ll ever open my own shop even if I keep doing this. And even if I do open a shop, I’d just spend my whole life flattering people… What? What’s wrong with you all?”
Finding it strange that her colleagues weren’t responding, the makeup-touching butterfly turned around. The moment she spotted Lauren and Jasmine standing behind her, she froze completely. Lauren deliberately put on a gentle smile. A crow, huh? It seemed people who wanted to mock her dark hair truly lacked original insults.
Honestly, this is precisely why I detest places where crowds gather.
Yet, as the Duchess, she could not simply overlook someone insulting her. Furthermore, that woman had uttered things that should never be said about the Duke of Liliwood either.
“…W-What is this?! Eavesdropping on other people’s conversation!”
Ah, so she chose to get angry instead. Lauren’s smile deepened. Had the girl apologized immediately, Lauren might have overlooked it as a foolish mistake of youth, but now, there was no need for such leniency.
“Jasmine.”
Lauren deliberately called out to Jasmine in a soft, gentle voice. With her face deeply grimaced, Jasmine answered in a low tone.
“It seems necessary to strengthen employee discipline.”
“I shall do as you command, My Lady.”
That person would be dealt with by Jasmine—whether through termination or a lawsuit for damages caused by offending the Duchess. That was none of Lauren’s concern. However, there was one thing she needed to settle herself.
“Did you say I was trying to wear clothes fitting for a governess?”
Lauren asked the girl. The smile lingering on her lips and the tone of her voice were perfectly sweet. Yet, her softly curved, light lavender eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. In her line of sight, she saw the girl’s tightly clenched hands trembling violently.
“I did not marry His Grace to be a pretty doll, but to oversee the territory alongside him and live as his partner. And…”
Pausing mid-sentence, Lauren swept her gaze up and down the girl. A wide-flaring skirt, a dress overflowing with lace and ribbons—though she had dressed up with utmost extravagance, the rough skin at her fingertips betrayed the hand of a seamstress. Lauren narrowed her eyes. What was so wrong with a woman working? She couldn’t understand why someone who worked for a living would belittle others who worked just as hard. Did she truly believe putting others down raised her own worth?
“Aster dislikes the smell of cosmetics.”
Offering a bright smile toward the heavy perfume, white powder, and brightly painted red lips, Lauren turned on her heel and casually strolled out of the room. Behind her, Jasmine’s stern voice echoed, ordering the girl to wait in the carriage, alongside the girl’s frantic, raised voice shouting for her boss. Leaning against the wall a short distance from the door, Lauren let out a quiet sigh.
She was used to being insulted; normally, she would have simply brushed it off. But she couldn’t do that anymore—not when she was now the Duchess. Perhaps because she had done something so out of character, her head throbbed dully. Why was she so angry? Maybe it was because she was hungry. She needed to go get that cup of tea. Lauren dragged her feet back toward where Aster was waiting.
