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Chapter 21
I have absolutely no intention of threatening the Madame, and I’m not at all curious about the identity of the “investor.” All I need to do is deliver a simple letter to him… But how should I convey this straightforward message?
At this point, even if I were to explain that I had no intention of threatening him, there was a high chance that she would interpret it as another threat.
I was only trying to hide the fact that I knew the ‘investor’—meaning that I knew Yulran—out of fear that my father’s influence might reach him.
“Was it a problem that I revealed I was the Duke’s daughter? Or that I’m from the Martyr family? Or is the problem simply the fact that I’ve reincarnated as this despicable villainess?”
Though I tried to shed the persona of a villain, it was possible that my unconscious actions were betraying me.
Looking at how things were turning out, I realized that it wasn’t just a “maybe,” but rather “yes”—my fears were justified.
A sigh escaped me, and the Madame, whose shoulders were tightly stiffened, flinched.
“Ah, really. I can’t even sigh in peace.”
Yevgenia, who was adjusting her slightly raised eyes, spoke up.
“Madame, did I ask you to poison the investor’s tea or stab him in the back?”
“What? Pardon?”
“I clearly said I had something to deliver to him, and all you had to do was pass the message…” I tried to clear up the misunderstanding as gently as I could, but for some strange reason, the Madame’s face only grew stiffer.
It almost seemed like she thought I was going to drag Yulran to the guards or something.
I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should say more, but then I closed my mouth again.
It seemed that every time I added something, the situation got worse, so I figured it would be best to end it here.
I withdrew my gaze from the Madame and took the letter from my pocket, placing it gently on the table.
The Madame’s eyes quickly shifted between Yevgenia and the letter on the table.
The tense atmosphere that had filled the small room was soon shattered by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.
“…It seems Anna is back.”
I muttered softly, glancing at the Madame.
She snapped out of her daze and hurriedly picked up the letter from the table.
I gave a satisfied smile in response before casually adjusting the hat on display.
Then, with a natural gesture, I placed it on Anna’s head as she walked into the room.
“Mm, it suits you.”
“Uh, yes? Miss, what is this…?”
“I was just waiting around, so I picked a hat that would look good on you. Seems like it’s found its rightful owner.”
The expensive lace was only attached as much as necessary, and the rest of the hat was decorated with an abundance of frills, giving it a very luxurious look.
From the thin, almost insubstantial design, it was clear how incredible the Madame’s skills were.
I couldn’t help but wonder how much more she could bloom with the right kind of patron.
“Yulran would definitely be a perfect patron for her, far beyond just a good one…”
So why was the Madame still here?
In the original story, Yevgenia, who hadn’t been able to witness the growing relationship between Stella and Raymond, caused an uproar, and as a result, Stella ended up searching for a dress for the imperial prince’s birth celebration by chance in the Madame’s shop.
Thanks to that, Stella became the center of attention at the celebration and, in turn, the Madame’s shop gained popularity.
“…Ah! So that’s how it was.”
With Yulran’s abilities, he could easily place the Madame’s shop at a prime location on the noble shopping street.
Without having to design complicated outfits, he could let her use all the expensive materials she wanted.
Given the Madame’s talent, she could certainly create even more expensive and exquisite dresses to capture the hearts of nobles.
Yet despite all this, the Madame was here, tucked away in a narrow alley.
Why had Yulran pushed her into this position?
He had likely chosen this location for a reason. Before the shop became famous, he wanted to drive consumption from the common people, and once it was famous, he could improve the street’s security.
With the Madame’s talent, she would likely gain a reputation within five years.
Yulran had used Stella as a “hanger” to hasten that process.
It was a flimsy yet perfect plan.
“…Considering the Madame’s skills, I can’t say it’s flimsy at all. She wouldn’t have been part of such a plan if she didn’t have this level of ability.”
Despite shivering at Yulran’s grand scheme, I felt it was a good thing I had come here.
Though I felt a bit guilty towards the Madame, Yevgenia saw her as the perfect excuse to use.
“I can use the excuse of needing a dress to go out, and I’ll easily be able to get in touch with Yulran. It’s perfect.”
If I wanted to make the most of this, today’s first visit was crucial.
I had to make sure to express just how much I liked this shop.
Yevgenia, having taken off the hat from Anna’s head, turned around gently.
“Madame, where can I find a dress that matches this hat?”
“What? Ah, the dress is this way…”
“Looks good. Anna, what do you think?”
Anna’s eyes widened in surprise when she found the dress.
It wasn’t quite as grand as the usual dresses Yevgenia wore, but for a commoner like Anna, it looked far too expensive.
Her voice, full of excitement, rose in pitch.
“This is such a beautiful dress! It feels too precious to be sold here!”
Although she wasn’t wrong, her statement might have come across as rude to the Madame.
Yevgenia waved her hand dismissively and said:
“Anna’s taste is exceptional since she’s always by my side. You wouldn’t hear praise like that in an ordinary dress shop.”
The Madame slowly nodded, agreeing.
“From just looking at the young lady’s dress, I can tell. I’m very grateful.”
Only then did Anna realize her mistake, and her face turned bright red.
Yevgenia, with her back turned towards Anna, gestured grandly at the other dresses displayed near the one Anna had praised.
“From here to here, I’ll take all of them.”
The Madame, who had been staring at her in disbelief, suddenly looked delighted.
While the Madame’s shop didn’t have much income, she wasn’t in financial trouble thanks to her generous patron, but still, it wasn’t easy for her to make money on her own.
But now, the infamous Duke’s daughter was turning everything upside down.
Though it was for her maid, no ordinary maid of a Duke’s family would even glance at such dresses.
This was more than enough…
“Oh, and I’d like to have a dress made for a banquet. I’m sure you have a design ready?”
“…Pardon? A…banquet dress?”
“Yes. Seeing what you’ve done with such humble materials, I believe you could make a dress with Sekka Island’s pearl silk that would satisfy me.”
Sekka Island was known for producing high-quality pearls, but because the island was small, the pearls were rare and only available to noble families above a Marquis level.
It was so rare that it could hardly be used for accessories, and applying it to silk was an extreme luxury.
Even the royal outfitters at the royal palace couldn’t get their hands on this pearl silk, and the Madame looked almost faint at the thought.
“For a banquet, I should bring the design, right?”
Yevgenia no longer planned to interfere with Raymond and Stella.
Thus, Stella’s banquet dress would proceed smoothly, unlike in the original.
I would be the one to untangle the Madame’s complicated life.
“Even though the person wearing it is different, the Madame’s dresses are genuine, so they’ll surely get the attention they deserve.”
At the same time, I could help Yulran with his debts, so it worked out for everyone, didn’t it?
