“It’s been a while, Young Master Kaon.”
“Have you been well?”
Deborah, the renowned seamstress of Briar, respectfully bowed. Her tailoring studio had become famous in recent years, attracting not only the nobles of Ferdinand Duchy but also those from nearby territories.
Thus, Leonidas chose to summon Deborah to the mansion rather than traveling far to have his garments fitted.
“Yes. Thanks to your gracious support, I have been living comfortably. I will do my best to repay the trust you have placed in me.”
“Your skill is well known, so just as before, do your best.”
“Thank you.”
After the formalities were exchanged, Deborah immediately got to work. Swift and precise, she went about measuring and recording diligently, her movements efficient and accurate. Even to his eyes, which had no interest in clothing, her skill was evident.
“Do we have enough time?”
There was a little over a month until the palace banquet. Even though Deborah was an excellent seamstress, making new clothes in such a short time would be challenging.
“If we were starting from scratch, perhaps, but your attire has been prepared since last autumn, so we have plenty of time. We just need to adjust the measurements.”
“Last autumn?”
“Yes. Thanks to Baroness Robert’s foresight, several outfits were prepared in advance.”
Of course, it was Baroness Robert. Understanding this, Kaon nodded without saying anything further.
“Once Miss Alessia’s dress is decided, we can proceed accordingly.”
Her subsequent words struck him strangely.
“If only Miss Alessia’s dress is decided…” implies that her dress hasn’t been decided yet.
If the men’s attire was lacking a month, it would be even more insufficient for women’s dresses. And yet, Alessia’s dress hadn’t been decided yet.
“…Has Alessia not had her dress fitted separately?”
“No. I haven’t heard anything about Miss Alessia’s dress being fitted separately. So, until today, I assumed she would be taking care of it herself.”
Deborah politely answered while diligently recording on paper. Kaon, feeling a sense of foreboding, asked again.
“Until today… then.”
“When we arrived at the estate, Baroness Robert asked if it would be possible to make a new dress for Miss Alessia. Since it was too rushed to accomplish that, she requested alterations to be made to something suitable.”
“…Today, you mean.”
“Yes.”
Kaon was at a loss for words, incredulous. Baroness Robert was well-versed in societal activities. There was no way she didn’t know how long it would take to make a dress.
No, she knew very well. So, she must have instructed him to have his attire fitted in advance last autumn.
“Do I need to stand here for much longer?”
“No, not at all. We’re almost done. If you have urgent matters to attend to, please hurry.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
Kaon’s brief reply was tinged with darkness in his eyes.
***
“I heard you called for me, Young Master.”
As always, Baroness Robert, elegant and graceful, greeted him. The affection in her eyes as she looked at him was familiar.
“Beverly, please, have a seat.”
“Yes, Young Master Kaon.”
Even her voice calling out to him carried a warm affection. Looking back, she had always cared for both his sister and him with unwavering love, sometimes sternly, sometimes warmly.
Even his late mother had relied heavily on Baroness Robert. While she may not have initially favored her modest origins, she had done her best to care for Kaon’s mother out of respect for the duke she revered.
After his parents passed away, it was Baroness Robert who restored order to the chaotic affairs of the mansion. His uncle, who was so eager to take over Ferdinand, couldn’t muster the courage to challenge her.
In summary, in the current Ferdinand lineage, Baroness Robert was more than just family; she was an indispensable figure.
Kaon also held her in deep regard, so he had no intention of rebuking her harshly. He just wanted to ensure such incidents didn’t happen again.
“I heard that Alessia’s attire wasn’t prepared separately.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Baroness Robert affirmed calmly. From the moment she was summoned, she seemed to have foreseen this situation.
“Could you tell me why?”
“Because it’s not my responsibility.”
“Not your responsibility?”
“That’s correct.”
Kaon furrowed his brow slightly. If the practical duties fell outside Baroness Robert’s purview, then who was responsible?
Seeming to understand his frustration, Baroness Robert spoke again.
“It’s Ingelos who should have prepared Alessia’s dress. As someone who serves Ferdinand, it’s not my place to intervene beyond that.”
“But Alessia is staying with Ferdinand. She’s…my fiancée.”
He hesitated for a moment, but Kaon eventually voiced his concern. Alessia was his fiancée, so why hadn’t she been taken care of?
“You know that she didn’t bring many things with her.”
“That would be Lady Alessia’s own situation to take care of.”
“Beverly!” Kaon’s voice raised, his patience finally wearing out.
It wasn’t a particularly loud voice, but it was the first time he had directed such anger at Baroness Robert. She too, seemed slightly shaken at first, but she quickly regained her composure.
“Young Master, Ingelos has never sent separate dowry funds for Miss Alessia.”
“But Alessia and I aren’t married yet. Dowry is brought at the time of marriage, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Normally, dowry is sent after the marriage. But in the case of an engagement where one’s body is entrusted…”
A hint of disdain flickered in Baroness Robert’s dark turquoise eyes.
“As you mentioned, Miss Alessia arrived at Ferdinand in a state where she could be considered to have only brought her body. There was barely even one carriage; not even a baggage cart followed.”
“…”
Kaon remained silent, unable to refute a single word she said. Indeed, Alessia’s less than favorable reception upon arriving at Ferdinand was partly due to this very reason.
Sending the lady bare-handed, without even a customary gift for normal social exchanges, let alone a dowry, was seen as a disrespectful act towards Ferdinand.
“If Ingelos truly respected Ferdinand, would they have done so? If they truly took your engagement seriously, wouldn’t they have acted differently? Those who disregard proper conduct are not me but Ingelos.”
Her words were so undeniably correct that he couldn’t argue against them. Knowing how sincerely she revered Ferdinand only reinforced this.
“Young Master, I will never do anything that harms Ferdinand. I haven’t in the past, and I won’t in the future.”
Her resolute determination even broke his resolve to say another word. In the end, Kaon had no choice but to let her go as she was.
***
It was the day to set a new route for the inspections. Kaon glanced around the conference room before fixing his gaze on an empty seat. He hadn’t seen Alessia participating in the meeting for a while.
“Where is Alessia?”
“A maid came and escorted her away. She said a seamstress brought a dress for alterations and asked for her understanding due to the lack of time.”
“Oh, a dress,” Maurice chimed in, “It seems the lady intends to attend the court banquet as well. I’m willing to escort her with all my might, even if it means sacrificing myself.”
“That’s not your place, Maurice.” Niels interjected, making Kaon thank him internally for not forcing him to speak up.
‘She’s choosing a dress.’
There wasn’t much time left until their departure, so it was only natural, but it still made him uneasy.
Although he didn’t particularly fancy it, the court banquet was a grand event that every noble in the kingdom dreamed of attending. It was said that the spring banquet was especially renowned for its splendid decorations, eagerly awaited by young ladies. He had heard that they prepared meticulously to stand out once they attended. This came from his cousin Gideon, who enjoyed the banquets with his lively nature, so it was undoubtedly true.
Most likely, any respectable family would have hired a renowned seamstress long ago to follow the latest trends and even set new ones. Yet Alessia found herself in a position where she would only be attending with a dress that needed alterations.
While Baroness Robert’s words were right, it still bothered him needlessly. Did Ingelos really need to go to such lengths for Ferdinand?
“Oh, how beautiful Lady Alessia will be. Young Master, take care not to fall for her charms.”
“Why should I?”
“Why, indeed! Wouldn’t you be blinded by her beauty?”
This was nonsense. Kaon shot Maurice a look full of disgust. Of course, Maurice didn’t flinch. Having received such looks so often, he seemed immune by now.
“Oh! The one who holds luck in his hands doesn’t realize it! If a man who admires Lady Alessia will challenge you for her hand, only then will you regret it.”
A duel over such a trivial matter. Who on earth would be foolish enough to do that? And even if such a thing were to happen, when did he say he would intervene? It was laughable.
“Do as you please.”
Kaon chuckled. If it were his former self who had feelings for Alessia, maybe, but not now. If some madman fell for Alessia, he’d laugh it off. They’d just end up making a fool of themselves.
And so, until the meeting began, Kaon repeated his preparation for something that hadn’t happened yet.
🍉🍉🍉
