Falling To Paradise

“Leave the design to my superior taste, and now we’ll take your measurements, madam. Hey, Marie! Come out and help me..l”

 

With a broad smile on his face, Jean called out towards a door that seemed to lead to the back of the store. A rustling sound followed by a woman’s voice emerged.

 

“Got it, Jin.”

 

The face of ‘Jean,’ who was called ‘Jin,’ flushed red.

 

“It’s Jean, not Jin!”

 

“Jin or Jean, it’s spelled the same.”

 

“But the vibe is totally different! One sounds like just some country boy, the other like a designer with a foreign flair!”

 

Aspiring to the fashion industry of France, he not only mixed French into his daily speech but also used a foreign name instead of his plain one.

 

“Call my name correctly, it’s not ‘Marie’ but ‘Mary.’”

 

Grumbling as she came out, the woman held a measuring tape and had her curly brown hair roughly tied up. With the same hair color and similar features as Jean, it was clear she was his family.

 

“Mary is too common. In my store, it’s ‘Marie,’ Marie.”

 

“Shut up, Jin Penny. A stage name, really? You’re not even an actor, you’re just a country draper.”

 

“I’m going to be a famous designer soon! Seriously, mind your manners with your big brother.”

 

“Big brother? We’re twins.”

 

They looked ready to pull each other’s hair out but, noticing the gazes of their customers, forced a smile.

 

“Haha, as you can see, we get along… very well.”

 

“So, shall we measure you? Could you come behind this curtain?”

 

The woman, called Marie but actually named Mary, firmly took Anje’s arm and led her to the fitting room.

 

Anje, unable to resist, was pulled along, hesitantly asking Mary, who was now measuring her body.

 

“Um, Marie…”

 

“Please ignore my damn brother. It’s Mary.”

 

“Miss Mary?”

 

“Yes, Mrs. Fitzroy.”

 

Calling her Mrs. Fitzroy made Anje’s feet and fingertips tingle. But that wasn’t the main issue now.

 

“My hus… my husband wants to tailor clothes for me, but I really don’t need them…”

 

Maybe if she stopped this crazy shopping spree now, she could get a refund before the fabric was cut.

 

With a peculiar nasal tone and humming chansons as he flitted about the store, Jean seemed less reasonable compared to Mary. Anje decided Mary might be more understanding and sought her help.

 

“I’m sorry, but I think we should cancel the order—”

 

But Mary Penny, though not passionate about fashion, was extremely fond of money. Losing such a big customer was out of the question.

 

 

“Yes, Madam. You don’t know how grateful we are. We thought we were only going to see losses after opening the store, but then we have a customer like you recognizing our skills.”

 

“Huh? Well, um…”

 

“My brother, that bastard, stubbornly insists on becoming a designer instead of taking over the butcher shop, so now I have to find a husband for myself. That’s enough of a headache without considering bankruptcy.”

 

Without giving Anje a chance to speak, Mary continued to ramble on about her family’s situation.

 

“We’ve had so little to eat that I recently had to get leftover whey from our neighbor who makes cheese.”

 

“Really, that bad?”

 

Anje had once tasted leftover whey out of curiosity. It had an indescribably odd flavor.

 

“We can’t even afford to throw out tea leaves after one use, so we steep them ten times. Just yesterday, I scolded my brother for throwing them out after only nine.”

 

“My goodness…”

 

“But thanks to your kind husband and you, we can have a proper meal for the first time in a while!”

 

“Well… that’s good to hear.”

 

Anje’s resolve to cancel the purchase and get a refund began to waver as she listened to Mary’s heart-wrenching story. Though Mary’s tales of poverty and hardship were greatly exaggerated, Anje had no way of knowing that.

 

While Anje hesitated, Mary finished taking her measurements.

 

“All done, Madam. Your skin is so lovely. The clothes we make for you will suit you perfectly.”

 

Anje barely managed to decline Mary’s suggestion to order new chemises and drawers. For someone who usually responded with “Sure, I’ll buy that too” whenever a merchant made a suggestion, this was quite a difficult task.

 

“By the way, where is Sir Aiden?”

 

Anje, mentally exhausted, left the fitting room only to be surprised that the person she expected to be waiting for her was gone.

 

“Your husband stepped out to look for something. Why don’t you have some tea with us while you wait?”

 

Seeing the red roses painted on the teapot Jean held, Anje thought of the Duke of Glasster’s mansion.

 

The mansion, the capital. She needed to get back. The coachmen said they would leave once the market ended.

 

What time is it now? When does the market close? Anje anxiously checked the sun outside.

 

Sir Aiden leaving her alone meant that the opportunity she had been waiting for had arrived.

 

“No, thank you. I actually have some errands to run myself.”

 

“Then let me tell you the name of the shop your husband went to, so you don’t miss each other.”

 

Barely listening to Jean’s directions, Anje carefully gathered her things. It wasn’t much, but she needed the fare for the carriage.

 

“Please visit our home next time, Madam.”

 

“You’re from the capital, right? I’d love to hear about the dress shops there.”

 

Jean and Mary, eager to make her a regular customer, actively invited her to their home as she was about to leave.

 

It wasn’t just for economic reasons; they were also curious about who she was and how she ended up marrying Aiden Fitzroy.

 

‘Aunt Meg and Father said the couple has a special bond.’

 

In the village, rumors about Sir Aiden Fitzroy living with a woman had been circulating for some time.

 

Initially, most people believed it wasn’t a normal marriage, thinking it was a forced union and predicting that the wife would soon run away.

 

However, testimonies from those who had actually seen Lady Fitzroy or heard related stories contradicted these rumors.

 

‘They’re so close that it makes me feel young again.’

 

‘He even returned the money, saying he couldn’t sell the pigs his wife cherished. I didn’t expect that; he must be soft-hearted when it comes to her.’

 

Young and curious, Jean and Mary wanted to ask Anje, who seemed more approachable than Aiden, about these things they’d been wondering about.

 

Anje hesitated and then responded with a weak smile.

 

“Yes, if I get the chance… Thank you for the invitation.”

 

In the past, she would have scoffed at such an invitation from ‘low-class’ people and ignored it.

 

However, thanks to Aunt Meg, she had learned that it was possible to befriend people regardless of their social status.

 

The siblings saw her off to the door, waving.

 

“Take care, madam, and we’ll see you when the clothes are ready.”

 

“This is a gift from us. Please convey my apologies to Sir Aiden for my earlier rudeness.”

 

Jean insisted on giving her a pair of braces, used to hold up men’s trousers.

 

Made of calfskin, they were quite valuable, but considering the money they earned today, it was a worthwhile investment.

 

“It would be better if Mr. Pierre gave this to him directly…”

 

“He’ll be happier to receive it from you.”

 

She couldn’t say, ‘I’m planning to escape to the capital today, so I can’t give it to him.’ Unable to refuse their kindness any longer, Anje held onto the gift.

 

“Goodbye then.”

 

The jingling sound of the closing door echoed sadly in her ears.

 

‘So… what should I do now?’

 

She sighed and adjusted her hat. The unexpected events had left her exhausted.

 

‘Why is Sir Aiden being so nice all of a sudden!’

 

The money he spent on her clothes today… she didn’t know exactly how much, but it must have been a significant amount.

 

‘He teased me so many times about caring about fashion.’

 

Why buy clothes for her instead of himself? She couldn’t understand his actions at all.

 

‘Could it be that he suspects I’m planning to run away and is being nice to me? Is he trying to make me feel guilty so I won’t leave?’

 

It was similar to a story she had heard from her nanny when she was young. The sun and the wind competed to make a passing traveler take off his coat, and in the end, the warm sunshine succeeded……

 

Holding her throbbing head, she pondered for a long time before letting out another deep sigh.

 

‘Ah, I don’t care. I told him not to buy them, for sure.’

 

It’s not my fault. It’s because Sir Aiden stubbornly insisted. He can send me the bill later when I return to the capital.

 

She muttered to herself repeatedly, even though no one was there to listen, and then took heavy steps. If she didn’t run away now, who knew when she’d come back to town again…

 

‘Or maybe not? From what Sir Aiden said, it seems like we’ll come to town more often in the future.’

 

At least once to pick up the clothes. In that case, she could receive the clothes Jean-Pierre designed for her and then escape the next time…

 

TL/N: GURL…THE AUDACITY:)

 

No, that might be Sir Aiden’s strategy to make her lower her guard…

 

Confused about what to do, Anje stared at the gift Jean had given her.

 

‘It would suit Sir Aiden well.’

 

The braces he often wore were likely inherited from his grandfather and were very old. The leather was peeling off like fish scales.

 

She absentmindedly touched her shoulder, the part he had wrapped around her protectively earlier.

 

‘He called me his wife.’

 

He had likely only said that to protect her from Jean’s advances, but still, his words and actions… made her a bit happy. He felt like a ‘real’ husband who cared deeply for her

 

Seeing her reflection in the window, she quickly erased the faint smile from her lips.

 

‘I’ll just give him this at least and then find an opportunity to catch a carriage to the capital.’

 

Judging by the bustling scene, it seemed there was still time before the market closed. She postponed her escape plan for now.

 

‘I’ll try to talk him into canceling the clothes order too.’

 

With her mind made up about what to do, her previously cluttered thoughts felt much clearer. Grasping the braces firmly, she headed toward the shop Aiden had gone to earlier.

 

‘Was it……a jewelry store? I think it was something like that.’

 

Aiden and a jewelry store seemed like an unlikely combination. She thought the only minerals he cared about were iron and copper for making pots and shovels.

 

Scratching her chin, she couldn’t fathom why he would go to a jewelry store.

 

* * * *

 

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