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‘It’ll just be a financial loss for him, but on the other hand, the tailor might even end up gaining sympathy.’
Besides, Benjamin was useless in this situation—Grace knew that the only ones capable of acting were herself and Grace.
Fortunately or unfortunately, compared to the original Grace, the current Grace didn’t exactly have a gentle personality.
She was the kind of person who only felt satisfied after paying someone back for what they’d done.
‘So, what should I do?’
Grace began thinking about a way to legally cut off the tailor’s livelihood, all while keeping a kind expression on her face.
The tailor called out to her.
“Madam?”
“Oh, go on, keep talking.”
Of course, Grace wasn’t actually listening to the tailor’s nonsense.
Listening any further would only sour her already foul mood, so she filtered his words out as background noise and focused on scheming.
‘Alright…’
From now on, Grace decided she would nitpick everything the tailor said.
‘I can do this.’
Whether she could or not didn’t matter—she had to do it. Someone whispered, “You can’t,” in her head, but Grace ignored it completely.
She gripped the catalog tightly in both hands, waiting for the tailor to speak to her again.
“So, regarding this design…”
“Tacky.”
“…Pardon?”
Grace snapped the catalog shut and tossed it toward the tailor.
“I said it’s tacky.”
“Ah, ha ha… Madam, you simply don’t understand.”
“What is it I don’t understand?”
“…Sorry?”
“Please explain clearly exactly what it is I don’t understand.”
Grace looked at him with a bored expression.
The tailor, seasoned from dealing with many noblewomen, kept his face smooth and spoke slickly.
“It’s just that Madam has always stayed in the annex and doesn’t know these things. Of course, the design and colors currently in fashion don’t suit Madam’s figure at all, but I’ve devised a new…”
Grace quietly rang the bell beside her, cutting him off mid-sentence.
A maid waiting outside entered the room.
“Sally, you go into town from time to time, don’t you?”
“Yes, Madam.”
“Then would you mind helping me here?”
Sally looked puzzled.
“Well, you see, because I’ve always stayed in the annex, I don’t really know what’s in fashion lately. I must really have no sense. I need your help.”
Grace muttered with a downcast look.
One thing she had learned from staying in the annex was that all the staff there were friendly toward her.
‘Is it because I don’t nitpick their mistakes too much?’
Even if her relationship with Benjamin wasn’t great, Grace was still the duchess, and the staff here were paid far better than in other noble houses.
Even a reclusive duchess was valuable to employees if she paid well.
For that reason alone, Grace believed the staff were on her side, and she put on a pitiful expression in front of Sally.
Sally widened her eyes and turned a cold glare toward the tailor.
“I only wanted to order some comfortable clothes this time, but the tailor keeps trying to push expensive dresses on me. I guess I’m just not very good at expressing myself properly, am I?”
“M–Madam, what’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
“And yet, among those dresses there was one I actually liked, but apparently it doesn’t suit my body. I mean, I agree, but still…”
Sally now looked at the tailor like she was staring at the murderer of her parents. Grace didn’t notice because she kept her eyes downcast, speaking sadly.
“Well, His Grace did recommend this tailor. He must make dresses for the Imperial Palace, so someone like me is probably beneath him…”
“Madam! No! I would never—!!”
The tailor, flustered, interrupted her. Sally immediately snapped at him in an icy voice.
“Madam is speaking. How dare you interrupt?”
“…”
“No, it’s fine… Don’t be angry, Sally. He probably did it because he’s comfortable with me.”
When Grace spoke weakly, the atmosphere around Sally turned grim. From Grace’s behavior, Sally could tell this wasn’t the first time the tailor had acted like this.
Grace slowly lifted her gaze.
“I guess I really don’t suit this kind of position, do I?”
Sally froze, her mouth opening and closing like a fish as she glared again at the tailor.
Grace observed this calmly.
‘Sally’s a maid, a commoner. I hope I’m not putting her in a difficult position.’
But all Grace really wanted was rumors.
The annex staff all got along well and loved gossiping together. The moment Sally returned, news of what happened here would spread like wildfire, and everyone would ask her what went on.
Previously, Grace had always sent everyone away during tailoring appointments because she didn’t want her dress sizes to be exposed.
As Sally answered their questions, she’d inevitably end up revealing how rude the tailor had been.
‘She won’t go into detail, of course. Just a general “he was rude to Madam.” That’ll be enough.’
Then, if a few staff members happened to casually mention it in town, it would be over for him.
‘Who would want to pay a fortune to hire someone rude? Nobles are proud—no matter how much they dislike a particular noble, if that noble’s dignity is insulted, they’ll get angry together.’
This was a trick originally used by Aria in the original story.
‘Aria wasn’t despised for her looks like I am, but for her origins. She acted because people mocked her hometown, if I remember right.’
Grace didn’t know if this plan would work perfectly, but it was her best option for now. Truthfully, what she wanted most was to rip that catalog to shreds and throw it at him.
She looked at the tailor, whose face was starting to stiffen, and spoke to Sally.
“I think it’d be best to call for a new tailor. I need different clothes anyway.”
She smiled sweetly and asked Sally to fetch the carriage. Sally bowed and left the room.
“Madam, you can’t do this to me. Do you know how much effort I’ve put into making clothes to fit your figure?”
Grace gave him a pitying look and stood up.
She nudged the catalog on the floor with her foot.
“That’s not my problem.”
“…What?”
“Whether the fashionable designs suit my body or not…”
Grace chuckled.
“Why should I be the one to worry about that? His Grace is paying you quite a sum—you should earn that money, don’t you think?”
The tailor couldn’t hide his surprise at this completely new side of Grace.
“Explain to me why I should be understanding about your lack of ability despite the money you’re being paid.”
“…”
“If you can’t make decent clothes, then at least learn to talk properly. I guess you can’t even do that. Well then, good day.”
With that, Grace left the parlor.
‘Was… was that okay?’
The moment she stepped outside, she came to her senses.
Maybe she’d been a little sharp because she was hungry.
“No, I did the right thing.”
If she’d had more power, she would’ve shut down his entire shop and left him drowning in debt.
That nasty thought crossed her mind, but she shook her head quickly.
‘No.’
That wasn’t something she could actually do.
If she went that far, she’d never be able to live peacefully afterward. It was enough to make him pay for how he’d treated her—that was fair.
She steadied her thoughts.
Grace slapped both her cheeks with her hands. She hit herself so hard that tears welled up in her eyes.
“…Get it together.”
She needed to harden her heart, lose weight, get divorced, and leave this house so she could live a long, peaceful life.
Her dream was modest:
To buy a small building in some provincial territory and live off the rent.
‘Actually… maybe that’s not so modest.’
Strictly speaking, she would be a landlady.
⋆★⋆
A few days later, Benjamin invited Grace to join him for tea.
‘I really don’t want to…’
Grace felt uncomfortable but couldn’t refuse. She was always wary of what might upset him.
She dismissed all the servants who wanted to dress her up and chose a simple, proper outfit—polite but not fancy.
“Madam, you’re here.”
Benjamin, who was already seated, stood up with a bright smile when he saw her.
Looking at him with the expression of a dog greeting its owner, Grace gave a brief greeting.
“Madam, I bought some cakes from a patisserie that’s all the rage among the noble ladies right now. And, since coffee is becoming popular lately, I had some prepared as well. Is that alright?”
“Coffee?”
Grace’s face lit up at the word coffee.
Coffee!
Before her transmigration, her health had deteriorated, and she hadn’t been able to drink coffee for a long time. And after arriving in this world, she’d never seen a single coffee bean—tea was the norm here.
“Madam?”
Snapping out of her daze at Benjamin’s call, she cleared her throat.
“Th–that’s fine.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Benjamin, who’d been nervously worried, smiled brightly at her response.
