Chapter 37
It wasn’t long before the interior of the tailor’s shop, packed full of men’s apparel, came into view. The rows stretched on endlessly. There were so many varied garments that I couldn’t even begin to count them.
‘Oh wow, this is…!’
Far from feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of outfits, my eyes sparkled as if I’d stepped into a treasure trove.
I quickened my pace, scanning the clothes with my eyes. The madame approached my side and carefully added her comment.
“The garment you’re looking at right now, my lady, is a new design we’ve just released at our shop.”
“A new design…?”
“Yes. Moreover, it’s part of a couple’s set, so there’s a matching women’s version. Would it be alright if I brought it out for you to see?”
“Show it to me right away.”
The combination of couple’s wear and a new release was simply irresistible.
‘Couple’s outfits!’
I was a bit worried about how Axel would react to receiving something like that, but I quickly shook my head.
I could just hide the fact that it’s a couple’s set when I give it to him, right? And if we end up wearing matching clothes by chance one day, I can just insist it’s fate!
As I scanned through more outfits again, I fell into a light dilemma.
‘Hmm, Axel would look great in this one, and that one would suit him too!’
I couldn’t bear to give up on any of them.
In that moment, my eyes widened as if I’d had a revelation.
That’s right—if I can’t give any up, I can just buy them all, can’t I?
“Give me everything from here to there.”
I continued enjoying my shopping spree for quite a while after that, when one of the staff members came rushing over to the madame. Her face was ashen with alarm.
‘What’s going on?’
That’s when it happened. The massive doors of the tailor’s shop burst open, flooding the space with bright midday sunlight.
Seeing this, the madame’s face hardened immediately, and she turned to the approaching staff member with a cold tone. It was a quiet voice, but loud enough for me to hear.
“Didn’t I instruct you not to let anyone into the shop? What is the meaning of this?”
“W-well, you see…”
The staff member, looking utterly flustered and at a loss for words, tried to continue, but the madame turned away as if there was no need to hear more and promptly offered me a polite apology.
“…I’m sorry, my lady. I clearly told the staff not to admit anyone else into the shop, but it seems the training didn’t stick for some reason. This is entirely my fault for not overseeing it properly to the end. I’m ashamed to have repeated the same mistake. I sincerely apologize to you, my lady. I’ll send someone right away to have them leave.”
I wondered why she was so tense—it seemed another customer had arrived.
If it had been the original Judith, maybe, but for me now, it didn’t matter at all. After all, the order not to let anyone in was something Judith had caused in the first place.
In fact, I’d been feeling a bit burdened, so I thought this was actually a good thing. I was about to casually tell her it was fine.
“It’s okay. No need for that…”
The doors swung wide open, and someone stepped in amid the brilliant sunlight.
The moment our eyes met, I couldn’t help but furrow my brow. I could feel everyone who saw him freeze in an instant.
The person who entered through the open doors was none other than…
“Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince?”
The Crown Prince, that’s who.
With hair that looked like molten gold, he smiled brightly and pointed to himself as he asked.
“Am I not supposed to come in here?”
He really is handsome… No, that’s not it—why on earth is the Crown Prince showing up here…!
The madame, looking just as shocked as I was, glanced back and forth between us, gauging the situation. Unsure how to react, I decided to greet him first. Since our eyes had met, I couldn’t just ignore him.
“…I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince, the great second sun of the empire.”
“Ah, it’s been a while, Lady Melberine. If it’s alright with you, may I stay here for a bit?”
“Of course. You don’t even need to ask me. There’s no place Your Highness couldn’t set foot in.”
At my composed response, the Crown Prince stared at me for a moment before bursting into a hearty laugh.
“Thank you for saying that.”
His refreshing smile, like something out of an energy drink ad, stole my gaze for a brief second, but I shook my head to snap out of it. It was as if a halo shone behind him.
‘Whoa, I almost got enchanted!’
This wasn’t the time to leisurely admire the Crown Prince’s face. I needed to get out of here as soon as possible.
It was best to avoid getting involved with the Crown Prince if at all possible. The more people who saw us together, the more unpredictable rumors might spread.
‘After all the effort I’ve put in so far!’
I couldn’t risk reigniting the suspicions I’d finally managed to quell in Axel.
And the Crown Prince… He was the number one person I needed to be wary of.
Unlike Axel, whose likes and dislikes were clear from his expressions, the novel often described the Crown Prince as someone whose thoughts were utterly inscrutable.
In romance fantasy novels, it was a rule to keep your distance from characters whose inner thoughts you couldn’t read.
Especially from those who approached with such a smiling face!
And since I wasn’t the original Judith anymore, I didn’t want to create any situation that might arouse unnecessary suspicion in him.
In other words, getting on the Crown Prince’s bad side wouldn’t do me any good.
…Except for the fact that it was pleasing to the eyes.
‘I need to get away quickly!’
Eager to leave the spot, I bowed my head politely toward him.
“…I’ve just finished my shopping, and I wouldn’t want to disturb Your Highness, so I’ll take my leave first. I hope you enjoy browsing comfortably.”
Having wrapped up my words quickly, I hurried to slip out of the tailor’s shop, but suddenly the Crown Prince caught hold of me.
“…Are you leaving because I’m making you uncomfortable, by any chance?”
He looked at me with drooping eyes, like a puppy caught in the rain.
Ugh…
The charm of a handsome man’s aegyo is this toxic…! It’s been so long that I’d forgotten.
I forced my frowning brow to smooth out and quickly replied.
“Uncomfortable? O-of course not, Your Highness.”
“I’m saying this because it feels like I’m chasing you away, and it doesn’t sit right with me. It seems I’ve put you in a difficult spot. …Maybe I should just leave instead…”
Seeing him about to turn and head out the door any second, this time I was the one who grabbed him instead. I had no intention of becoming the first person to chase the Crown Prince out of a tailor’s shop.
“Not at all, absolutely not because Your Highness is uncomfortable. P-please believe me.”
I plastered on a forced smile and laughed awkwardly.
“Are you really not uncomfortable with me? Really?”
“Yes, yes! Of course. Absolutely.”
At my answer, the Crown Prince suddenly flashed a sly smile, his golden eyes glinting mischievously. I had a gut feeling I was about to get dragged into something troublesome.
“In that case, would you mind picking out some outfits for me? I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I have no eye for this sort of thing.”
And my intuition hit the mark perfectly.
Hesitating because I couldn’t immediately say yes, he opened his mouth again in a dejected tone.
“I knew it, I am making you uncomf—”
“I’m thrilled to have the honor of selecting outfits for Your Highness.”
Swallowing back the rising tears, I replied to him. At my answer, he smiled as if he were genuinely delighted.
The madame, who had been quietly watching us, timed her intervention perfectly into the conversation.
At least we wouldn’t be left alone—that was some consolation to myself…
“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to serve both Your Highness the Crown Prince and my lady at the same time. In that case, may I begin introducing outfits to the two of you now?”
“That sounds fine. It seems Lady Melberine is already quite familiar with the place.”
With that, the Crown Prince glanced at the men’s apparel sprawled expansively across the shop.
An ominous premonition prickled up sharply.
