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Chapter 34
“Just as expected of milady!”
“Just as expected of our milady!”
Watching Sona and Sena improvise a little melody and sing milady, our milady, I couldn’t help but smile.
I was a little—no, honestly, quite—drained, but this kind of lively atmosphere wasn’t bad at all.
I even found myself thinking that when I went down to the villa after the engagement was annulled, it might be nice to take Sona and Sena along too.
If they’re this happy just visiting a noble shopping district and a shabby dress shop, they’ll love it even more when they see a villa with a view of the sea.
Imagining that bright future made energy seem to flow back into my body.
After taking the coachman’s hand and stepping down from the carriage, I entered through the door Anna opened.
Jingle, jingle—
Right after the clear sound of the bell rang, a loud thud-thud-bang echoed from the second floor.
Anyone could tell—it was Madam Magnolia, the sole owner and employee of this dress shop, rushing down.
Sona and Sena must have realized it too, because they glanced at each other and giggled.
When Anna firmly cleared her throat with an “Ahem!”, they quickly wiped the smiles off their faces. Judging by how fast they complied, this clearly wasn’t the first time.
“Well done, Anna.”
“It’s my duty.”
If Madam had come down and seen Sona and Sena laughing like that, she might have felt embarrassed.
I would need her help many times in the future, and I couldn’t let such a trivial matter crack our relationship.
By the time Madam Magnolia finally arrived—only after the laughter had completely stopped—her hair was slightly disheveled.
Dark circles under her eyes and bloodshot whites… Looks like she’s been staying up late lately. Is it because of my dress?
I’d told her that Anna’s clothes could be altered slowly, but mine were another matter.
Within a month, it had to be completed at a level perfect enough to stand before the Crown Prince.
And using pearl silk—a material Madam was handling for the first time.
Hmm. My conscience stings a bit again. But this is something she needs too.
Of course, even if Madam had taken on Stella’s dress, she would have gained plenty of attention and success.
After all, that was something already achieved in the original story.
But creating a dress for the Empire’s one and only grand duchess—and finishing it so artistically that it would be talked about for years—would spark a reaction far beyond what “sufficient attention” could ever describe.
If that happens, I’ll be able to get the response Yulan wants much faster.
On the surface, it might look like I was giving Madam an opportunity, but at least Yulan would surely realize that I was helping him.
No one else needs to know—and especially not you, Madam Magnolia.
Considering that Madam employed not a single staff member despite being sponsored by Yulan, she was clearly a woman with immense pride.
If she were to realize that she had become a mere cog in such a grand scheme, it wouldn’t be strange at all for her to declare she was quitting the dress shop altogether.
So I drew the most natural smile I could and extended my hand to her.
“Madam, it’s been a while.”
“Ah, Lady Martuir.”
Whether my intention to show her respect came across or not, the hand that clasped mine held firm strength.
She briefly glanced at Sona and Sena lined up beside me, then withdrew her gaze and asked,
“Did you come to check on the dress?”
“Among other things.”
“Ah…”
At my reply, Madam flicked her eyes toward Anna. She must have remembered that, during our previous meeting, I only brought up Yulan after deliberately sending Anna away.
Before she could say something careless, I spoke first.
“These girls are Sona and Sena. They’re my maid’s younger sisters.”
“Oh—yes, yes.”
“My maid really liked the clothes you gifted her before, Madam, so I thought I might get something for her sisters as well.”
…I hoped she’d realize it was just an excuse.
Fortunately, after a moment, Madam nodded exaggeratedly and replied,
“To be so considerate even of your subordinate’s family—truly, milady, you’re extraordinary. As expected—”
“Right?! Our milady really is different!”
“……Ah, y-yes. Th-that’s right……”
Madam had only offered a polite remark to usher the sisters inside, but Sona immediately seized on it.
If I let this continue, it would just turn into a repeat of what happened in the carriage, so I cut in.
“To think you’d show such warmth even to people you’ve just met today—!”
“Sona, didn’t you say you wanted a pretty hat like Anna’s?”
“Gasp, yes! When I first saw Sister Anna’s hat, I totally fell in love at first sight! The little ribbons were attached so delicately that they almost looked like a pattern—it was so pretty!”
…To think she could spin such a long sentence so quickly from a single word.
Her eyes sparkled more the more she talked—she clearly loved talking.
But that was a talent she should save for future candidates to serve as staff.
And right now, it needed to be displayed in front of Madam, not me.
“Right, right. And the person who made that beautiful hat is Madam Magnolia here.”
“Ooh, so this is the lady…!”
“If you want clothes and hats just as pretty as Anna’s, you should talk with Madam as much as possible and clearly appeal your tastes. Don’t you think so?”
“……You’re absolutely right, milady!”
I apologized to Madam with a glance.
I was truly sorry, but I desperately needed an excuse to buy time.
If I set things up like this, Anna would be too focused on following my orders to properly rein in Sona and Sena.
In the end, the one who would suffer was Madam alone.
I’ll repay you more than enough in money, so please endure just for today.
Fortunately, Madam was talented enough to run a renowned dress shop.
She wasn’t just skilled at making and designing clothes—she also seemed quite adept at naturally drawing in customers.
“Now then, young ladies, let’s head up to the second floor. I’ll entertain the young lady here and then come up, so please take a look at the catalog or the dresses on display first.”
“But—”
“Anna, it’s fine. Take care of Sona and Sena. They look very excited—wouldn’t it be better to make sure they don’t accidentally offend Madam?”
“Yes, milady……”
Normally, she wouldn’t have given in so easily, but it seemed Sona and Sena were children who caused quite a few incidents even on ordinary days.
Unfortunate for Anna as their older sister—but for me, it couldn’t have been better.
The noisy chatter gradually faded beyond the stairs.
When I’d visited before, I’d thought the first floor was rather cramped, but now I noticed a hidden space behind the dresses on display.
“This is where I usually rest when there are no customers. It’s easy to notice if someone comes in, and you can faintly hear the sounds from the second floor as well. So…”
“So you’re saying I can meet comfortably here. Thank you.”
“Ah, n-no. Then I’ll take my leave.”
I gave a slight nod to Madam as she bowed deeply.
After she left, I settled comfortably onto the sofa and casually adjusted the hem of my dress.
Then—
“Wasn’t it a bit early to call me?”
“Compared to my plan, yes. But something urgent came up.”
The hand gripping the back of the sofa moved with a tap, tap, like fingers playing a piano.
He seemed quite intrigued by my urgent matter.
Once he heard about the new request I was about to add, he wouldn’t be able to resist asking about it.
Maybe I should offer that as the payment.
Thinking about how Yulan hadn’t shown the slightest interest in money or titles before, this might actually be a reward that worked.
With a faint smile, I placed my hand over his constantly moving one.
Gently soothing his stiffened fingers, I asked,
“Do you happen to know a young nobleman who goes crazy over money, but also has a weakness that could be used for a bit of blackmail? If possible, I’d prefer he be reasonably good-looking.”
