Chapter 42
Lia was digging through piles of fabric, skillfully singling out only the velvet ones as if she had a sixth sense for it.
“Lia, let’s put that down.”
“No, Erina! Look, wouldn’t clothes made from fabric like this be so pretty?”
Dragging a piece of velvet longer than herself across the floor, Lia brought it over to Erina. Each time the velvet swept the floor, the nerves of the atelier staff frayed a little more.
When Erina touched the fabric Lia had brought, she was secretly horrified.
In the warm climate of the Sylvian Empire, wearing clothes made of velvet fabric would surely leave someone drenched in sweat in less than ten minutes.
Erina fiddled with the velvet, trying to maintain a composed expression.
“Lia, this feels a bit too heavy. How about you try the fabric I brought?”
“Mm, maybe, but this one is so shiny and pretty!”
Lia shook her head vigorously.
Sweat began to bead on Lia’s forehead as she wrapped the velvet around herself.
With a small laugh, Erina gently wiped Lia’s sweat away.
“Lia, aren’t you hot?”
“Mm, a little sweaty.”
“The one you picked is definitely shiny and beautiful, but if we make clothes out of it, you’ll be sweating nonstop.”
“Well, then you can just wipe my sweat, Erina!”
Lia whined, rubbing her head against Erina’s palm.
“Of course, wiping Lia’s sweat is no problem for me. But you know what?”
“What?”
“If you’re sweating, it’ll be really inconvenient when you want to see the insects or flowers you love. Your clothes will get soaked and heavy, and you might miss catching a butterfly.”
“What?! Heavy clothes?!”
Lia’s face turned pale at the thought of missing out on butterflies.
“Here, look at this one instead. It’s much lighter and cooler, so you won’t sweat at all. Plus, it’s not restrictive, so you can run and catch butterflies to your heart’s content.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Want to compare them?”
Lia held the fabric Erina brought and tested its weight.
Sure enough, it was much lighter and cooler than the velvet.
“See? When you shine it under the light, it sparkles even more beautifully.”
“Oh! You’re right! It’s so shiny and pretty!”
Erina bent to Lia’s eye level and moved the satin under the chandelier.
The white satin with gold threads shimmered beautifully with Erina’s gestures.
Lia, enchanted by the sparkle, abandoned the velvet she had been holding and draped the satin over her shoulder.
With Lia convinced without much trouble, all that was left was Poi.
“Poi.”
Erina said, sitting next to Poi, who was quietly perched on the edge of the sofa.
“Erina, you promised to wear the same clothes as me.”
“Mm, that’s true…”
“Then I have to wear something fluttery like you!”
Poi always used ‘fluttery’ to describe Erina’s skirts.
Erina chuckled at Poi’s cute phrasing before diving into the conversation.
“I’d love to wear the same thing as Poi.”
“Then let’s wear it together!”
“But what about dancing with Poi? What should I do?”
“D-Dance?!”
Erina hesitated, wearing a slightly troubled expression.
“Yes, if I wear the same fluttery outfit as Poi, it might be too hard to dance.”
“Why?!”
“Ball gowns are too wide. If we both wear them, we won’t even be able to hold hands or stand face to face.”
A dark cloud shadowed Poi’s face.
Erina, finding Poi too adorable, struggled to suppress a smile as she held Poi’s hand tightly.
“Then should I wear pants instead?”
“No!! Erina looks pretty in fluttery outfits!”
“Then what do you think would work best?”
“I-I’ll wear pants!”
Poi gripped Erina’s hands firmly and stomped his feet.
The thought of losing the chance to dance with Erina was unbearable.
“So this time, Poi will make the compromise?”
“Mm!”
“Thank you, Poi. The party will be so much more fun because of you!”
“Heehee…”
Poi beamed, his earlier gloom vanishing instantly.
Erina smiled with him, her heart melting at the sight of Poi’s bright face.
From the sidelines, the atelier staff, who had witnessed Erina handling the children from start to finish, gave her silent thumbs-ups. Her skill with the kids was remarkable.
***
The story of the party outfit fitting spread throughout the mansion in less than half a day.
Servants who had once dealt with the stubbornness of Resen, Lia, or Poi marveled at Erina’s ability to win them over.
However, some others harbored suspicions, wondering if Erina had intimidated the children into obeying her.
Naturally, Dylan, who had been on the receiving end of the kids’ antics many times, only grew more convinced he’d made the right decision in bringing Erina on board.
He made sure to express his gratitude to her often.
Even now, meeting Erina in the greenhouse, with her magical hair shimmering in the sunlight, Dylan couldn’t help but feel thankful.
Dylan had used magic to make all the flowers in the greenhouse bloom and had even prepared a gift for Erina.
“This is a perfume I made myself by extracting the scent of blue roses. I hope you like it, Miss Erina.”
He said, handing her an intricately crafted crystal bottle with a shy expression. Inside, the bottle held a translucent, azure liquid.
Erina carefully held the bottle, which was delicately carved as though it might shatter with the slightest pressure.
Dylan’s eyes gleamed with anticipation, silently urging her to open it and take a whiff.
Responding to his unspoken request, Erina, her fingers trembling slightly, removed the stopper.
The sweet scent of roses mingled with a refreshing aroma as it wafted up to her nose.
“Oh.”
Though it was her first time encountering this perfume Dylan had personally crafted, it captured her heart immediately.
Seeing the blush of satisfaction bloom on Erina’s face, Dylan’s eyes softened with a smile.
“The scent is… amazing. It’s not just roses, though. There’s something else—maybe lemon blossoms or sweet peas?”
“Miss Erina, your sense of smell is truly exceptional. I didn’t expect you to pinpoint it so precisely…”
Not only had Erina identified the rose base, but she also accurately guessed several of the other ingredients.
Dylan stared at her, wide-eyed with surprise. While there were other subtle components blended in, the primary notes were exactly as Erina had said.
Even after the stopper was replugged, the lingering fragrance seemed to weave itself between them.
Erina smiled softly as the stronger notes faded, leaving behind a delicate trail.
“My work involves gathering things, you know. Besides mushrooms, I often pick herbs, flowers, and fruits, so I guess I’ve grown sensitive to scents. Still, I never imagined I’d own perfume. Thank you so much for such a wonderful gift.”
“Your professionalism is truly remarkable, Miss Erina.”
“That’s… a bit much.”
Erina stammered, blushing again at Dylan’s earnest compliment.
Dylan shook his head at her modesty.
“I’m only saying this because of what I’ve heard. Just today, I heard that the children caused quite the scene while getting their outfits fitted. But it was you, Miss Erina, who calmly resolved it.”
“They’re still young children. It wasn’t anything too difficult,” she replied.
Of course, Erina had no idea that these very children had driven the entire household staff to their wit’s end for weeks.
Dylan still found himself reflexively checking his calves from time to time, a habit formed after his nephews and niece had clung to his legs at every opportunity.
That, however, was all in the past. Now that Erina was looking after them, Dylan’s quality of life had improved drastically.
“Thank you for thinking that way. Still, I can’t help but feel guilty for leaving my mischievous nephews and niece entirely in your care. That’s why I wanted to score some points with you through this gift. Please, feel free to use it often without any hesitation.”
With those words, Dylan gently took a lock of Erina’s shimmering hair and lightly kissed the end before smiling.
Startled by the gesture, Erina stared at her glowing hair with fascination.
“It should be fine for about a week now.”
Dylan said as he let go of her hair.
As he had said, the brilliant glow quickly faded, and her hair returned to its usual brown color.
Erina fiddled with her fingers, glancing at the perfume, her hair, and the blooming flowers around her. Her hesitation seemed to imply she wanted to say something.
“Miss Erina? Do you have something you’d like to say?”
Dylan asked, tilting his head.
“Um…”
Her answer was vague—neither a denial nor an affirmation.
Caught in the middle, Dylan could only give her a similarly uncertain look, unsure of what she was getting at.
Erina noticed Dylan’s confusion and hesitated, wondering if it was appropriate to ask what was on her mind.
But since things had already come this far, she decided to address the question that had been lingering in her thoughts.