Chapter 8.
Leblem Shopping Street (Part 2)
While pretending to browse dresses, Misha, who had been hovering around Retina, walked past them with a click of her heels.
‘Was she among those reflected in the mirror too?’ Retina wondered, looking at Misha after observing Fongérian, who was flaunting herself even more than Retina and thought
‘Even though she knew I had raised Deneuve on my back, should I at least applaud for her courage to pick a fight every time she saw me?’. With a sigh of relief, her strained eyes turned towards Misha.
Well, it wasn’t as embarrassing as the fact that the child who had ignored her for being of low birth and poor for three years turned out to be a Duke’s daughter and walked around with her head held high. Especially considering she was that Cecilia.
Certainly, there was no way Misha, who had spread false rumors that Retina’s parents had ruined the household and that’s why she had come to the academy as a special case, would back down easily. She never concealed her discomfort whenever she saw Retina, no matter where or when. It seemed like Retina could control her emotions well when she was with her brothers.
“While others have inherited the Duke’s black hair color, it seems you can’t hide your mother’s humble background, can you?” Misha laughed, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. Misha, who was biting her nails and harboring jealousy, followed Retina after the graduation ceremony.
At this point, it was believable that her feelings toward Retina were not discomfort or hatred but rather an obsession.
And Misha had discovered information that could alleviate her jealousy and resentment. Misha’s information was accurate. Just as Misha said, Retina’s mother, Cecilia, was of common birth.
The Duke of Deneuve had lost his wife due to illness. Although their marriage had been arranged, he respected her memory and never took a new wife. It was during this time that he, a nobleman, fell in love with the commoner Cecilia and ended up with Retina.
The Duke of Deneuve had invited Retina’s pregnant mother, Cecilia, to the Duke’s estate, but she wished to live in the small rural village near the estate. She gave Retina the surname Cecilia to ensure that Retina wouldn’t become part of the noble family, and she raised her alone.
Until one day, when she suddenly passed away.
Retina stared at Misha, who had the audacity to meddle not only with her but also with her mother and family. The reason she could confidently live as a nobleman’s youngest despite being a bastard was because of her family’s love. Her father and brothers treated her as the youngest of the Duke’s family without caring about public perception. However, Misha Repaire had insulted them.
Ignoring and insulting her was something Retina could lightly endure, but when her family was dragged into it, she couldn’t bear it.
“Isn’t this pretty?” Misha asked.
“Yes, it’s really lovely. It suits you well, Miss Misha,” Retina replied.
“What wouldn’t suit me?”
Retina observed Misha, who was choosing dresses with a haughty maid, as if there were no issues between them. Fongérian, who had been diligently showing dresses, was now forgotten.
“You know, Lena.”
Translator: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only
“Yes, Miss. Do you have any orders?”
“No, but I want to ask something.”
“Ask anything! I’ll answer to the best of my knowledge!”
Still looking at Misha, Retina inquired. Her eyes gleamed with knowledge of what bothered Misha the most and what she disliked.
“Is this salon famous among the noble elite?”
“It’s very famous! There’s a reason why it’s the first salon on the street. You can consider this place as the trendsetter for dresses nowadays. Since there are so many young ladies who desire the best, the maids here also compete with each other.”
“Is that so?”
Retina gave a meaningful smile. Unlike most students at the Evelante Academy, known for admitting only high-ranking nobles and elites, Retina had been bullied due to her ordinary and quiet nature. She had gained a reputation as a naive and gentle girl, but she wasn’t as kind as people thought.
She simply chose to ignore anything bothersome and used the time to read one more book. Even in school, aside from her family, Retina had been occupied with handling letters and various odds and ends sent by her brothers every day. So, she couldn’t help but face emotional harassment from others.
“Yes! Perhaps you weren’t interested, but… Most of the dress styles seen at parties recently have come from ‘Very Max Fantastic Elegance’ Salon here. Well, in that case, you can say it’s not just famous among the elites but the most famous in the entire social circle.”
Finally, Lena, thrilled that Retina showed interest in dresses, answered smoothly. She had probably seen some of the dresses here at recent parties.
The reputation of the dresses here was indeed significant.
Retina nodded thoughtfully. Thanks to her brother Sat giving her an allowance and having a well-stocked purse for the rare shopping outing, she had a healthy amount of money. When he told her to use it and even said to put the expenses in his name if it wasn’t enough, she thought her brother had finally gone mad. However, considering the wealth of the Duke’s family, it wasn’t such a significant expenditure.
“Excuse me, sir? I’d like to see this dress.”
Misha, who had been admiring the dresses from end to end, called Fongérian, who had been with Retina. Retina, seeing Fongérian about to go to Misha, held him back.
“Mr. Fongérian, don’t sell the dress that you showed earlier and this one.”
“Really?”
“Why not? It’s been a while since I’ve been to the capital, and my wardrobe is quite empty. Your designs are exceptional, so I plan to get a few more dresses besides the ones you’ve shown.”
Retina picked the dress that Misha had pointed out. Fongérian, who had been torn between the two, apologized to Misha and brought the dress over to Retina. Considering his extensive experience in salons, it seemed that being attached to Retina was the right choice as it appeared to be a more prestigious position.
“Hmph, hmph! Did you think dresses were the only thing here? Well, then, I’ll choose this one. I was hesitating about that one because it looked a bit old-fashioned.”
“Don’t buy that one either.”
“You think there are only a few dresses like this in my collection? If you choose something else, that’s enough.”
Translator: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only
“Don’t buy that one either.”
“This one.”
“Ah, I think I should just buy all the dresses and shoes displayed from here to there. There are still many parties to attend in the capital. I need to make a statement, you know.”
Retina, with a determined fist, pointed to all the displayed dresses. From here to there, everything included, from dresses to shoes and even fabrics.
“Very Max Fantastic Elegance” Salons boasted exorbitant prices, sometimes equivalent to a month’s living expenses for a family of four. But Retina, who was determined, didn’t seem to be bothered by the price tags.
That statement, which applied to Lena, who had been working for the Deneuve family since she was very young, didn’t stop Retina’s overspending but rather made her clap in approval. From Lena’s perspective, Retina’s spending was at a level that was barely even commoner can spend, compared to the people of the Duke Deneuve’s household. So, every time she looked at Retina’s dressing room, Lena couldn’t help but sigh.
Worried that Retina might change her mind about the order, Lena quickly grabbed the pouch filled with coins from Retina and handed it over to the salon’s owner and presented a paper card with the Duke Deneuve’s seal in the center. There were spaces on the card for Sat’s signature and the price. This card indicated that Sat would sign and pay for the goods after the price was filled in.
“Miss, Miss! Did you know that there are dress shops on Leblem Street other than this one? There are many places you can buy from besides here!”
“That’s right. It’s my first time here, and there are indeed many salons. Lena, it seems that Sat & Father is really interested in business lately. Should we ask him if he can buy all the salons on this street? Since all the young ladies come here to get fitted for dresses, it doesn’t seem like a losing business. It’s so famous that even if he doesn’t accept all, it should still be profitable.”
“What?! You…!!”
“That’s right, people should act within their means. Don’t be excessive.”
Retina, looking straight at the protesting Misha, returned the words that Misha often used with her.
Why would Retina, who was born with everything, care about what’s lacking and bother with what others think? A single word from her could make everything she desired fall into her hands. The reason Retina didn’t bother to deal with them one by one was simply because it was too bothersome. If she started dealing with each of them, she’d waste her life worrying about trivial matters.
“Hmph! Let’s go, Becky! There’s nothing here that I like.”
Misha, who had been in a draw with Retina, turned her head sharply and left the salon. She knew her actions were childish, but this was the most effective way to deal with Misha.
Despite knowing that they couldn’t have a proper fight if they confronted each other, why was she so bothered by Misha’s provocations?
Retina sighed and pressed her temples as she watched Misha’s retreating figure. She had responded to Misha’s provocations out of anger, even though her brothers had told her not to, but was it really the right thing to do?
This was precisely why she hadn’t revealed that she was from the Deneuve family. If she attended the next party, she could already imagine the kind of gossip that would circulate behind her back.
“Um, then what about the dresses…?”
Having witnessed the young ladies’ rivalry in the front-row seats, Fongérian approached Retina with clasped hands. His gaze fixed on Retina was even more dazzling than the sequins adorning her eyes.
“You said you wanted to buy everything, didn’t you?”
“Yes, yes! That’s right, wasn’t it? Oh my, you have a good memory despite your age”.
“I’ll make sure to tailor the items you ordered today according to your measurements. Should I go to the Deneuve estate soon to review the designs for the fabrics?”
Fongérian’s hand movements on the invoice quickened. His employees swiftly moved around, carrying dresses that didn’t need alterations and packaging them. Meanwhile, the gazes of those choosing dresses at the salon were all fixed on Retina.
“Take your time and enjoy. I’ll buy everything except what the young ladies are picking.”
As Retina left the salon, the young ladies who had set aside their dresses when she made her statement quickly resumed their selection, choosing dresses for the upcoming party.
