Chapter 36
The madam led me to the reception room set up in the dressing room.
“Of course, my lady. However, it may take some time until all the men’s clothing is prepared. Would you mind waiting here for a moment?”
At my response, I could see the madam’s face, which had been frozen with tension, relax just a little.
“I sincerely thank you for your consideration, as vast as the ocean. We will prepare everything with the finest fabrics and designs to meet your expectations.”
With an impeccably perfect demeanor, she bowed her head in greeting to me and was about to leave to make the preparations.
That was the moment I let out an urgent sound and stopped her.
“Wait a second.”
Could she have made a mistake in that brief interval? Her expression began to stiffen in that instant.
I handed her the design sketches that Mary had passed to me.
I nearly forgot the most important thing.
Her eyes darted back and forth as she took the sketches from me with a rigid face.
“T-this is….”
“I’d like you to produce the outfits according to those designs. Is that possible? The sooner, the better. Money is no object, no matter the cost.”
The madam, flipping through the sketches I’d created with quick movements, swallowed hard once and then asked me. A subtle tension, different from before, rose on her face.
“……If I may be so bold, my lady. Did you design all of these yourself?”
“Yes. I did.”
Upon hearing my words, the madam opened her eyes wide in shock, unable to continue speaking.
……Is there some problem? Her reaction, in turn, made me feel anxious.
I’d anticipated that people here would find it unfamiliar, since it’s a design they’ve never seen before.
Judging by her response, it seemed I’d made an overly demanding request after all. Well, the number of outfits is quite large, and it was so sudden, so I could understand.
I was thinking I’d have to look for another dressing room, and with a sense of regret, I was just about to withdraw the commission and speak up.
“You don’t have to force yourself to accept it. If it’s impossible, I’ll take them back….”
“Ah, no!”
The madam shook her head vigorously and cried out urgently toward me. Startled by the loud voice I’d never heard from her before, I lifted my head to look at her, and she approached me closely, her eyes sparkling.
“It’s possible! Even if it weren’t, I’d make it possible somehow. My lady. So please, entrust these designs to our dressing room. No—we truly want to handle them!”
I blinked in bewilderment at her intense fervor, which bordered on madness.
“Uh, um…. Could you really do that?”
“Yes! We’ll do everything in our power not to disappoint you. Just leave it to us!”
“Then, I entrust it to you.”
“Thank you, my lady!”
The madam, who had been uncomfortably close to me, sprang to her feet the moment permission was granted and hurriedly continued her conversation with the staff waiting nearby.
Words like “immediately,” “halt,” and “proceed” drifted sporadically from their exchange. It felt as if strange sparks were flying.
I scratched my cheek while watching them with a dazed gaze.
I didn’t know the reason, but it seemed to have worked out well in the end. From my perspective, that was fortunate. It saved me the hassle of searching for another dressing room.
As I sat quietly waiting like that, the madam, having finished her discussion, approached me again.
With a face flushed with excitement, she spoke in a tone higher than before. Now, there was no sign of her earlier tension.
“By any chance, my lady, have you studied clothing design separately? If so, might you tell me where you learned it?”
“Ah, well, no, I haven’t….”
I replied, averting her glittering gaze.
“Goodness…. You haven’t studied it at all. This is unbelievable. You must possess an extraordinary talent. In all my years in clothing design, I’ve never seen anything like this! It’s as if they’ve come from some unknown realm—designs from an entirely different perspective, with innovative ideas I could never have imagined. They shatter every existing convention and framework. It was a tremendous shock. How on earth did you come up with these?”
The questions poured out in a rapid torrent, without a moment’s pause. It was astonishing how she’d held back until now.
The madam seemed far more passionate about clothing design than I’d imagined, but unfortunately, I couldn’t provide any answers to her queries.
‘How could I possibly say that I just copied designs from another world…!’
Seeing her eyes shine as if I were some remarkable figure made my conscience prick sharply.
With her unyielding determination not to back down until I responded, I bit my lips firmly. There was only one way to escape this situation.
I squeezed my eyes shut, lifted my chin high, and exclaimed.
“O-of course it’s thanks to my innate talent, isn’t it? For someone from the Melberine family, this much is basic.”
Even though I’d shamelessly thrown myself at Axel time and again, I wasn’t the type who felt no shame at all.
Even after uttering those words, an overwhelming wave of embarrassment washed over me. I strained with all my might to smooth out my face, which threatened to twist strangely.
I wondered if such a line would actually work, but the madam nodded with a serious expression.
“……As I thought. Truly an astonishing talent.”
It actually worked.
“Naturally.”
I concealed my surprised look and turned my head away haughtily. I hoped she’d leave me alone now, but the madam showed no intention of moving elsewhere.
Instead, she drew closer to me once more.
“Today, I couldn’t help but be utterly amazed by the boundless possibilities and potential you possess, my lady.”
Her words filled me with an uneasy feeling.
“And so, my lady. Would you perhaps grant us the honor of being the first to sell these designs at our Artzen dressing room?”
Was she asking me to sell her the designs right now?
Up until this point, I’d only thought about making the clothes to dress Axel in them—I hadn’t considered selling them at all.
I fell into thought for a moment.
If the outfits I’d designed were to become a trend in the capital, then they might no longer be just for personal collection, and I could end up seeing Axel wearing those clothes out in public as well.
Of course, I had no idea what the chances were. But it was worth a shot—nothing to lose. There didn’t seem to be any drawbacks for me.
‘……This isn’t a bad idea at all.’
Having concluded my thoughts, I parted my lips.
“Alright. I’ll leave it in your hands. However, I’d like to decide the date for revealing the designs. Is that possible?”
I wanted to dress Axel in them first and savor the sight of him thoroughly before making them public.
The madam, her face blooming with color, affirmed without hiding her delight.
“Of course. It’s absolutely possible, my lady!”
“Then, I entrust it to you.”
She grasped the hand I extended with both of hers.
As if fearing that a slight whim might make me change my mind, the madam dashed out of the reception room and returned with the contract in hand.
The agreement proceeded in a flash.
Finally, once my signature was etched onto the contract, the madam swiftly snatched it away and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle toward me.
“We will ensure that your choice to entrust this to our Artzen dressing room brings no regrets, delivering the utmost quality and designs faithful to your sketches without a single deviation.”
A flicker of madness gleamed in her blazing eyes. I felt certain that she would recreate the outfits I’d commissioned to perfection.
“Yes, please do.”
“Ah, my lady. The men’s clothing has all been prepared. Thank you for waiting so patiently. May I guide you now?”
I nodded and followed the madam as she led the way.
