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CHAPTER 53
“Even if we’re lovers in the public eye… this is a bit much, isn’t it?”
The overly affectionate display made her cringe, but she endured it, aware of Erin watching from behind.
Knowing his mischievous personality and how much he enjoyed teasing her, she worried that if he caught on to her embarrassment, he might make even bolder moves.
After that, he started bringing her all sorts of mysterious health remedies from who-knows-where—it was almost cute.
At first, having someone care for her so attentively was a brand-new experience, and she liked it…
“But isn’t this too much, even if he’s worried about me?!”
Three days in, once she started feeling better, it began to feel stifling.
So they agreed she’d rest for a week and then go out again.
“I did exactly what you said—I stayed in bed and rested for a whole week. And now I’m completely better, aren’t I?”
“You do know that’s when you really need to be careful, right? Also, I don’t know if you heard, but that rule? It’s been updated. It’s ten days now.”
“You can’t just change the rules like that all of a sudden!”
“My house, my rules.”
Idris was completely unreasonable.
A baffled laugh escaped her lips.
“Huh. Was he always this childish?”
But she had no intention of giving in this time.
“Well then, this is my body. So I’ll do what I want.”
“You’re so stubborn.”
“Hmph. Who’s the one being stubborn here?”
As she pushed back with his own logic, she noticed the butler and maids quietly waiting on the side of the dining hall.
Suddenly, the whole argument felt childish and embarrassing.
“If someone just read the conversation, they’d think we were a pair of squabbling kids…”
Realizing this too late, she awkwardly stayed quiet.
And then—
“Heh…”
…Idris laughed?
“You’re just as headstrong as you used to be.”
He muttered that, laughing for a while, and then abruptly stopped again.
With a sigh of surrender, he lifted both hands in mock defeat.
“Fine, you win.”
Wait, did that mean…!
“Go ahead. But if you start feeling even a little unwell, you come back immediately.”
Was it supposed to be this difficult just to go out?
She realized how absurd it was to ask for permission in the first place, but still—she had gotten the answer she wanted.
She smiled, satisfied.
After all the drama, she finally arrived in front of the boutique—and her jaw dropped.
“Oh my gosh…”
In front of the boutique was a long line of carriages, each marked with the crest of a different noble family.
“I knew it was popular from what Wig told me… but this is on another level.”
As she stared at the scene in surprise, she sensed the passengers in nearby carriages looking toward hers.
Of course, the crest of the Del Lua Duchy was displayed proudly on her carriage—no wonder they recognized her.
Noticing this, she turned to Wig seated across from her.
“Tell the coachman to take us around to the back entrance.”
The carriage turned and dropped her off quietly at the boutique’s rear entrance.
She entered discreetly, hoping to avoid attention—but, as always, Wig’s large build drew stares.
“Lady Leticia…!”
Madam Olivia, the boutique’s manager, quickly approached her.
Leticia raised a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture, and the approaching staff fell silent.
Then, with a glance toward the customers inside the boutique, she mouthed the words:
“Treat the customers like royalty.”
That was one of Mariposa’s golden rules.
Ensuring product quality was a basic business principle. But even more important was the emotional experience the customer had when buying.
“They’re not just buying the product.”
People often didn’t realize it, but when they purchased something, they were also buying the feeling of being treated as someone special.
And that memory brought them back again.
When they bought these products, they felt like they deserved that treatment—as people of value.
“Of course, high-ranking nobles are used to being treated well, so it doesn’t mean much to them.”
That’s why Mariposa’s real target wasn’t the nobles—it was the nouveau riche: wealthy but untitled.
“Once we win them over, the nobles will follow naturally.”
After all, nobles couldn’t stand the idea of commoners owning something they themselves didn’t.
And the more nobles started buying, the more those aspiring to nobility would covet what they had.
In the end, it created a loop of envy and competition—driving everyone back to the boutique.
The staff quickly picked up on her intentions and resumed attending to customers.
Inside the boutique, the number of customers was limited at one time, so the space was calm and serene.
“I was worried because of the crowd, but it seems things are running smoothly.”
She could feel customers stealing glances at her, even from a distance.
The staff, too, looked nervous and attentive, fully aware of her presence.
She smiled, pleased with the reaction.
And then—
“What do you mean you don’t have it?! I waited all this time for that exact item! Now you want me to wait again?”
“We’re truly sorry, sir. But how about this similar bag? The other three were already purchased—this is the last one.”
“Are you trying to push leftover stock on me now? I don’t want that. I want the one I came for!”
The man was being completely unreasonable.
“Stop, Ed. I’m fine with something else…”
The woman beside him—presumably his wife—tried to calm him, but it didn’t help.
Leticia approached him with a frosty smile.
“Hello again, Count Rosen. Fancy seeing you here.”
The count’s expression instantly softened.
“Duchess—oh, I mean… Lady Cloel.”
“I couldn’t help overhearing. It seems one of our staff upset you. May I ask what happened?”
This—this was exactly why she had chosen to oversee the boutique personally.
“I said to treat the customers like royalty, but that doesn’t mean they can mistreat my staff.”
When the owner was present, even difficult customers would hesitate to be rude.
“Well, technically, they’re wary of Idris more than me…”
As expected, the count’s bluster vanished. He coughed awkwardly, saying nothing.
Breaking the awkward silence was the countess.
“I’m so sorry, my lady. I think my husband misunderstood the situation.”
“I see.”
“Could we take a look at the bag you mentioned earlier?”
The countess seemed eager to divert attention from her husband’s behavior.
“Of course, madam. I’ll bring it right away. Please wait just a moment.”
The staff member left to retrieve the bag.
At Leticia’s signal, another attendant brought refreshments to the couple.
The count quickly finished his juice and moved on to browse other items with a different staff member.
Just then, the original staffer returned with the handbag.
Leticia was about to finally relax when—
“Um… Lady Leticia.”
She turned to the voice—it was one of the employees, looking flustered.
“What’s the matter?”
“Well… I think you need to step outside for a moment.”
That’s when Leticia noticed it—the faint sound of murmuring and unrest outside.
Curious, she stepped out to the front of the boutique.
And then she saw the reason why.
Because right outside the boutique was—…
