episode_0056

“Madam, I have good news and bad news, which would you like to hear first?”

“Did you have to say that right before bed?”

As usual, right before going to bed, I sat slightly on the edge of the bed and glared at Frederick, who was spouting nonsense, and answered irritably.

Then, Frederick, looking apologetic and smiling bitterly, grabbed my hand and said,

“It’s such an urgent matter.”

“Then tell me the good news first.”

I wasn’t very curious about the bad news.

What else could it be besides William causing trouble?

Rather than feeling bad sooner by hearing something I already knew, it was better to hear the good news first and feel good sooner.

“A letter has arrived from the Imperial Family saying it’s okay to come to the Imperial Capital.”

“Really?”

I was wondering when such news would come, and it arrived at the right time.

If I prepare as quickly as possible, I should be able to go to the Imperial Capital this week.

The corners of my lips rise as if a flower is blooming.

“So, what did William do this time?”

“William? Surprisingly, William has been very well-behaved since the beginning of August, and the Prince Consort is satisfied and pleased.”

“Huh?”

The smile disappears from my face, and my brow furrows.

If William is behaving, why is there bad news?

“Then what’s the bad news?”

“That is…”

I glared at Frederick, piercing him with my eyes.

Frederick, who hesitated and moved his lips, avoided my gaze and continued.

“They allowed you to come after the last week of August.”

“The last…?”

Not right now, but a full two weeks later. I had a feeling ever since they made that joke about calling me before the end of summer, but they really did allow me to come right before autumn starts.

“Ha. Ha. Ha.”

At the truly absurd behavior, I narrowed my eyes and let out a very awkward and stiff laugh.

Then Frederick’s eyes wavered, and I felt a tremor in the hand he was holding.

“That’s really great news, so they really did give permission before the end of summer? I’m so happy that the Imperial Family keeps their promises so, so well, I don’t know what to do.”

“Madam… I, I’m sorry, I’m not good enough…”

“How is it your fault? It’s all because the people above are strange, sigh…”

I had a lot to say, but I sighed deeply and closed my mouth.

“Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

I laid my head on the pillow, vowing to put everything else aside and have an audience as soon as I get to the Imperial Capital.

_

“What a strange person…”

Deep in the night, sitting in a dark room relying on a small magic lamp to organize my thoughts, I recalled William’s appearance when he showed me the painting today, and I chuckled and muttered to myself.

William, with a coldly hardened expression and icy eyes, staring at people one by one while muttering quietly that he didn’t understand the harsh criticism from the people around him, was one of the most pleasing sights I’d seen lately.

The reason being none other than that he was upset that the underwear he designed was described as ‘perverted,’ huh.

I knew from the beginning that he wasn’t an ordinary person.

Anyone who receives the attention of both His Imperial Majesty and His Royal Highness the Prince Consort must have some extraordinary aspects.

But to confidently reveal his tastes in an interview.

To hire employees regardless of race or noble status in order to realize those tastes.

To design perverted clothes and not feel that they are perverted.

And then to treat the people around him who can’t accept it as strange people was something I couldn’t have imagined.

“Hehe…”

I can’t stop laughing when I think about his eccentricities.

He spontaneously bursts out with eccentricities, so thanks to him, I’ve been having a good time without being bored these days.

“Young lady, staying up late is not good for your health.”

“……”

A voice breaking the quiet silence and pleasant reverie.

I was sure everyone had been dismissed from the room, but the appearance of an uninvited guest disturbing me makes me frown.

Suppressing the rising irritation, I turned my head to look to the side, and a woman wearing a familiar black dress and apron was standing there with a cold expression.

“Sarah, what are you doing? Didn’t I tell you to leave?”

“It’s already midnight, didn’t you tell me to come at midnight?”

“I…”

The words I said while dismissing the maids and ladies-in-waiting belatedly came to mind, and I closed my mouth tightly.

And with an expression that had been mixed with annoyance, I muttered softly to Sarah.

“That’s right, sorry, I made a mistake.”

“It’s okay, I got to see something interesting thanks to it.”

“Something interesting?”

“You’ve been smiling to yourself in a very lewd way for a while now, you seemed very happy.”

“……”

Oh no… I was showing such an embarrassing sight.

My face flushes.

I pressed my cheeks with my palms to cool my flushed cheeks.

And to change the subject, I rolled my eyes back and forth, urgently searching for something to talk about.

“… But where did you get that outfit? It’s a familiar even though it’s the first time I’ve seen it.”

I started by pointing to the black dress and apron that had caught my eye from the beginning.

Ladies-in-waiting should dress more modestly than the people they serve, but they are still nobles, so they wouldn’t wear plain dresses that commoners would wear.

“I tried to imitate the clothes worn by the servants of the Young Master Hume, does it suit me well? ”

“It suited that maid because she was calm and intellectual, but it doesn’t suit you.”

“Young lady, I’m a graduate of the academy? I’m second to none when it comes to intellectual aspects.”

The muscles on my face contorted at the bizarre sound coming from Sarah’s mouth, and my expression soured.

I’ve never seen her intellectual side before, but she’s second to none, her intellectual side must have fallen behind and disappeared.

“Isn’t it shameful to brag about an academy that anyone can graduate from?”

“Young lady, I graduated from the academy at the top of my class, number one out of 324 people, but how did you graduate?”

“Crack…!”

The sound of my teeth grinding echoed in the room as my jaw tightened for a moment.

I had a lot of grievances regarding this part, so I glared at Sarah with my teeth clenched.

“I graduated as the runner-up, got a problem with that?”

“No, how could I? I just wanted to let you know about my intellectual and cultured side.”

Sarah shook her head with an annoyingly smug expression.

That wicked girl is always thinking of ways to make fun of her employer…

I wanted to fire her right away, but I had no choice but to reluctantly hire her because I couldn’t see anyone as talented as Sarah.

“Okay… So how do you feel about wearing those clothes?”

“It’s not bad, it’s so nice to move around comfortably without wearing a corset or a petticoat with boning.”

“I guess so, commoners’ clothes prioritize activity.”

“I don’t know who made it, but it seems like they paid close attention to the details.”

“I guess so.”

William made that outfit.

Was it called a maid uniform at the Hume estate?

He said he made it because he wanted the maids to look calm and professional, and it certainly made that Sarah look like a calm person.

“……”

Suddenly, absurdity rose up.

The person who made those calm and neat clothes is the same person who made those perverted stockings.

“Ha.”

Really, the more I know, the more bizarre he is.

It seems like he’s still hiding a lot of things, but what will he bring out in the future?

It was certain that he was by no means ordinary.

_

“Hmm…”

A mid-term check of the clothes that Princess Fani and Duke Herbert are designing.

Unlike a few days ago when the drawing felt empty, the details have increased a lot in a short period of time.

In particular, the biggest change was that the location of the seams and the embroidery were clearly determined.

“Not bad.”

I liked it because I could clearly see the traces of a lot of referencing and a lot of worrying.

And the design itself was also plain.

Smiling, I looked at the princess and the duke and tapped the paper with my finger and asked.

“Did you reference corsets a lot for the seams?”

“Yes, we tried to imitate them because the shape and role are similar.”

“That’s a good method too, but since the material of the fabric you’re using is different, it would be good to think more about the location and number of seams.”

“Yes.”

“And… you embroidered flowers and leaves on the clothes, what’s the reason for that?”

“Don’t you use embroidery to hide the seams? Vines and flowers go well with these vertical seams, so I tried it that way.”

“Good.”

The basis was clear, so I liked it.

Besides, they strictly followed what I said to think together, and the way they took turns answering was subtly cute.

“But are you still thinking about the material?”

“I want to discuss that part with Lord William, is that okay?”

“Yeah, tell me.”

“Thank you.”

When I nodded, Princess Fani smiled and took out a basket from under the table and raised it.

The basket contained balls of yarn of various materials.

“What’s all this?”

“I couldn’t get a feel for what would be good because they’re all materials I’ve never seen before.”

“So I brought all the materials that could be made into cloth.”

“Oh~”

I let out an exclamation from the depths of my heart and examined the basket.

I was going to ask what kind of materials there were anyway, but they took the trouble to bring them all by type.

I was so pleased that they only did things I liked.

“You all did really well.”

“Th, thank you…?”

I smiled broadly and patted their shoulders.

They looked at me awkwardly and nodded without knowing why.