episode_0107

[Cat, fur possible, mainly black and white, design is left to discretion within the bounds of customs (if ambiguous, I would like an atmosphere similar to that of a maid of honor)…]

“Hmm… Not bad.”

I muttered quietly, reading the paper on which the conditions and the physical dimensions of men and women were written in a square, angular font.

I especially liked the “fur possible” part.

I could make it without fur, but the process is quite annoying.

I didn’t particularly want to take the initiative to get cotton or wool before making the thread, make the fur, and then stick it into the fabric and wrap it around the frame.

If I had a glue gun, maybe, but I don’t have that.

And if I get something made elsewhere, I don’t like the texture.

And decisively, for leather and fur, natural materials made from protein masses have the best feel and fit.

The reason why natural leather is still alive even though many artificial leathers and fibers have been developed in the modern era with greatly improved animal rights and technology is because it is difficult to realize that unique feel and texture.

“Isn’t a simple and neat look a characteristic of the servants’ attire? Since the concept is 맞춰졌 (matched) to that, it is natural to play within that frame, isn’t it?”

“That is absolutely right.”

Besides, I liked that the client was cool and straightforward.

They left it to me autonomously but told me the feeling and boundaries they wanted, so there was less to think about.

“Under these conditions, it seems possible before the masquerade ball, but if time is tight, what should I prioritize making?”

It seems unlikely that time will be tight, but anything can happen.

For example, if the prison usage time is extended, or if I get knocked down by the time I’m about to be released, then time will be tight.

“In that case, could you prioritize the headband and tail? It seems difficult to make them elsewhere…”

“If you could add that to this…”

“Ah, I understand.”

When I subtly handed the paper to the centurion, the centurion bowed his head and wrote a few small words in a corner of the paper.

“That’s it.”

“Thank you.”

Now that there was nothing more to write down, I roughly folded the paper and put it in my pocket.

“I don’t have any more questions, but do you have anything more to say, Centurion?”

“No, and now it’s getting late, so I don’t have much time.”

“Um, I understand.”

I was sad to have to leave the chair that was more comfortable than the prison floor, but I was not in a position to insist, so I pursed my lips slightly and stood up.

“Kyung, wait a moment, there is one thing to do before you leave.”

As my butt left the chair and I stood up awkwardly, the centurion suddenly reached out and stopped me.

I stared blankly at the centurion and subtly stuck my butt back on the chair.

“What’s going on?”

“Would you be okay even if you got a small wound on your body?”

“I’m okay, but… does it hurt?”

“It’s not that painful, but I’m asking because it leaves a mark on the skin, so you might not like it.”

“It’s okay as long as it’s not bigger than my palm.”

“Excuse me for a moment…”

“Yes.”

The centurion, who had risen from his chair, bent over and reached out to me.

“Ouch!”

As soon as the centurion’s fingertips touched my cheek, I felt a stinging sensation and my cheek throbbed weakly.

“Does it hurt badly? It shouldn’t…”

“No… I was just surprised, so what are you doing?”

“I made a bruise on your face.”

“A bruise?”

The centurion, who had taken his hand away and straightened his back, narrowed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s like a custom, you showed the spirit of a noble and said what you wanted without hesitation, and this is a mark showing that we did our best to investigate.”

“Um~ there are quite a few troublesome customs.”

“It can’t be helped, knights and nobles are both jobs where face is important.”

“That’s true.”

Anything that involves saving face is often troublesome.

Because of that, there are many things to take care of, but I don’t want to receive either of them.

“Can I go out like this now?”

“Lastly, glare at me with an angry expression until you return to prison.”

“I understand.”

I narrowed my eyes, twisted my lips slightly, and lightly glared at the centurion.

“Oh… as expected of Duke Hume’s son, your angry expression is perfect.”

“Am I supposed to like that?”

“Nobles should always be smiling or always angry, so there’s nothing bad about it.”

“Heh…”

I slightly twisted the corners of my lips and let out an awkward laugh.

I thought it would be a mental illness to always do that, but he said there’s nothing bad about it, so whatever…

_

“Hmph…”

A night when I couldn’t sleep well.

As I sipped the tea I had asked Sera for and looked out the window, I saw the moon, which had been slightly eaten away on the right and had become an ugly circle, hanging in the eastern sky.

I’m not sure exactly, but it must be past midnight now.

The darkness was thick and it was cool and quiet, but my mind was strangely clear.

I was embarrassed that I couldn’t sleep because of anxiety, of all things.

It was the first time I had ever experienced something like this.

“Sigh…”

My heart started to beat again.

I savored the aroma of the black tea and took a light sip.

“……”

If it’s the mother I’ve seen so far, it’s definitely not genuine.

If it’s the Hume couple I’ve seen so far, they would definitely not genuinely oppose His Majesty.

My mother, and the Hume family, would never make a choice that would divide the country.

The same goes for my father.

They are more rational than anyone else, and they are the people who carried out purges that were so cruel for the sake of the empire’s well-being, so they would never do such stupid things and ruin the empire that they had normalized by getting their hands bloody.

There must have been some kind of deal between the two, and they are taking advantage of the surrounding situation.

So, it is natural that William, who is currently in prison, will come out without any problems.

“Haa…”

Still, I was anxious.

The anxiety that the word ‘what if’ brings clings to me like a leech and doesn’t fall off easily.

“Hi?”

“Eek!”

A finger poking my cheek, which was lost in thought.

I was startled by the secrecy with which she had approached right behind me without me noticing, and when I turned my head back, my sister was standing there with a sly smile.

“Haa… Sister, could you please knock before you come in?”

“I can’t do that. Thanks to that, I was able to see my younger sister looking so cute, wasn’t I?”

I calmed my surprised heart and lightly scolded my sister in a trembling voice, but my sister shrugged her shoulders as if it were no big deal and sat across from me at the tea table.

“Seriously…”

I appreciated her trying to be friendly, but I refused her approaching me in this way.

I liked a commotion, but I didn’t like unexpected situations.

I didn’t mind people acting strangely, but this kind of anomaly was just unpleasant.

“How’s the Imperial Palace after 12 years? What are your thoughts after spending a few days here?”

“What thoughts would I have? The furniture is just a little better, but the mansion I lived in before wasn’t bad either.”

“That’s a relief then.”

My sister put a smile of relief on her face, rested her arm on the armrest, and propped up her chin.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at my sister, who was in a somewhat frivolous pose, and pointed at her right hand with my finger.

“Sister, when are you going to hand over that letter you’re holding?”

“Tsk… It’s the first time we’re meeting today, so can’t we get to the point slowly? I had a hard time coming here secretly without being noticed by others?”

“You could have sent it by letter, or you could have asked an imperial knight.”

“Isn’t it better to deliver something like this in person? It’s something your younger sister asked her sister for.”

“……”

I narrowed my eyes and stared at my sister.

One person was about to die of frustration, but my sister was just being generous, so I felt like I was going to die of irritation.

“Heeing…”

When I just stared at her without much reaction, my sister made a cute nasal sound, put on a sulky expression, and lowered her head slightly.

And she pouted her lips and obediently handed me the letter she was holding.

“Is a man more important than the sister who worked hard for her younger sister…? This sister is so sad that she’s about to cry…”

“Thank you so much for fulfilling my request, my sister is also a precious person, but I can’t ignore the importance of the situation, can I?”

“Hmph- I don’t need such clumsy excuses.”

My sister snorted and turned her head slightly towards the window.

I let out an awkward laugh and looked at my sister like that.

It’s not that I’m ignoring my sister’s hard work, but it’s impossible to compare her to someone who’s imprisoned, no matter how you look at it.

What’s more, didn’t they say it’s a prison managed by the Knights?

The evilness of that place is so famous that everyone, young and old, knows about it, so it’s only natural that I’m more worried about William.

“Ugh… what’s so good about that guy? Other than his handsome face, he’s awkward and frail, and he’s like a gigolo without any gravitas.”

I ignored my sister, who was expressing that she was sulking with her whole body, and carefully tore open the beeswax sealing the letter, and my sister, who had turned her gaze back to me, grumbled and rattled off insults about William.

There were some points that I agreed with to some extent, but there were also many points that I disagreed with because it was difficult to know his charm after seeing him once or twice.

“Um~ if you watch him from the sidelines, your thoughts might change?”

If she had seen him showing off his deranged nonsense with a calm expression, or the expression he showed after having a private audience with the late Duke of Devonshire, my sister would have definitely praised him highly.

“And he’s cuter than you think, he’s kind of like a puppy.”

No, maybe most people would hate him because he’s like an innocent puppy?

I didn’t care either way.

Rather, the gap between when he’s like a puppy and when he’s like a wolf made my heart flutter, so I liked it.

“Hehe…”

“I can’t understand…”

I was smiling as I recalled William’s contrasting eyes, and my sister, who was watching this, frowned and shook her head.

It’s a reaction that she saw something she couldn’t understand, but I liked it even more.

It means that William is a safe human being to my sister.

“Hmph…”

I took my gaze away from my sister, who was staring at me, and looked at the letter.

And I carefully took out the paper that was neatly folded in the envelope and unfolded it.

A long report written in an angular and easily visible font.

“Hoo…”

I took a deep breath as I looked at it.

I wondered how William was doing…

I slowly read the first sentence with the hope that he wasn’t having too much trouble.