Louis Boutique is a clothing store founded by Louis Blanc, the most famous designer in the capital and brother of patissier Jean Blanc.
‘What did Genia say? She said that even a pair of socks he made would be sold at an exorbitant price.’
Even though the dress was not for a party but for indoor wear, it was said that the price would be in the hundreds of millions.
Despite the price that even ordinary nobles would not dare to consider, it is said that it sells out as soon as it is released.
I heard that even if you have the money, you can’t get your hands on Louis Blanc’s designs.
‘Those conceited nobles who save up their money to buy dresses here—I’ve said it all.’
However, the reason I chose Louis was not because of his unique designs or price, but because of his fame.
In particular, his logo was so famous that anyone could recognize it.
If I were to give out uniforms with that logo on them, there would be more than a few hunters who would be drooling.
It was the same in my previous life.
There were more than a few hunters who applied to the guild because of the uniform, and I was the same.
‘I eventually had to give up because I didn’t get approval to join.’
I entered the boutique at the urging of Duke Luteous, who told me to go in first.
The noble ladies who had visited the boutique before me covered their mouths with their fans when they saw me.
‘Why are they like that?’
“Welcome, Princess Astel. Please come this way. We have prepared a seat for you after receiving your call in advance. We have prepared black tea, is that okay?”
“Yes.”
I followed the instructions of the politely greeting employee and sat down on the couch.
On the table was a black tea set with a simple dessert.
The teapot was luxurious, the plate was sophisticated, and the dessert was so beautiful it was a shame to eat.
I took a bite of a bite-sized cookie with chocolate powder sprinkled on it.
I almost kicked my feet at that moment. It was so delicious.
‘Where do they get these desserts?’
The skills of the head chef of the Luteous mansion were undoubtedly the best in the empire, but he was somewhat weak when it came to desserts.
The variety was limited and the taste was not as good as the main course. Maybe he lacks a little creativity?
It’s because Duke Luteous doesn’t enjoy desserts.
But after eating this cookie, I couldn’t help but open my eyes wide.
My tongue, which had become accustomed to similar flavors, felt like it was reveling in it.
‘It deserves to be called the best. I’d like to come back again just for the cookies, but?’
I reached for a cookie topped with cheese and jam.
“What’s that lady doing here at the boutique?”
“I feel a little sick. I thought this place only accepts guests.”
“I heard that she was so crazy that she couldn’t even leave the mansion and had to order a dress, but I guess that wasn’t the case?”
“She’s a hunter, you know. She must be different from the crazy princess she used to be.”
‘Huh? Was that my fault? But why are you saying that so openly?’
The ladies did not lower their voices, even though they covered their mouths with their fans.
It was a completely different attitude from the ladies I met at Jean Blanc’s Royal Dessert
“Have you all heard the rumors that she caused a scene at Jean Blanc’s Royal Dessert last time?”
“Who doesn’t know about that? They say the crazy princess lived up to her name. There was a lot of talk about it.”
“I wonder if she’ll do the same here.”
“We should complain to Duke Luteous. Is it okay to accept anyone as long as they have money? Isn’t this lowering the class?”
“I guess it wasn’t easy for him to refuse a hunter, was it?”
“That’s true. He must have been afraid that she would do something crazy, like turning over the patissier Jean’s store.”
The back of my head was tingling.
The way they were talking, as if they wanted me to hear, was clearly meant to provoke me.
If I couldn’t control my anger and exploded, they would use it as an excuse to humiliate me and make sure I never set foot in this place again.
‘If you’re so unhappy, just talk to me openly. You cowards don’t even have the courage to do that, so you just gossip behind my back.’
I put a cheese cookie in my mouth and snickered.
I had already experienced similar situations in my previous life, so I was not going to be hurt by this.
“Oh, was Ryusan here too? Did the musician invite that guy too?”
“Don’t you know that the Yeonju is dating Ryusan? She’s obviously playing with fire, but how can she just leave him out?”
“It’s up to her to invite whoever she wants to her birthday party, but… I wouldn’t have come if I had known in advance. It’s a bit creepy. I can’t relax and have fun.”
“Did you fight with Ryusan? Why do you hate him so much?”
“He’s an orphan. His home address is listed as an orphanage, and his guardian is the director of the orphanage. Didn’t you know?”
“Wow, really? For real?”
“That’s why I’m worried. How do we know he won’t touch someone’s belongings while we’re not looking?”
“Does Yeonju know about this?”
“Would she have invited him if she knew?”
“I’ll have to tell Yeonju later. Tell her to check if anything is missing from her house after the party.”
It happened when I was in middle school.
There was a time when things went missing from the class, and everyone suspected me.
The homeroom teacher didn’t even try to find the culprit.
From the beginning, he picked on me and scolded me for stealing other people’s things.
No matter how much I pleaded that I didn’t do it, it didn’t work.
It was later revealed to be the work of another child, but not a single person apologized to me.
At that time, I felt so wronged that I thought I was going to go crazy.
I couldn’t understand why I was the only one who had to go through this.
I resented the world that looked at me with colored glasses because I was an orphan, and I resented my parents who abandoned me.
If I hadn’t learned to control my mind through exercise, I probably would have led a very twisted life.
So, that kind of backbiting was nothing but ridiculous to me.
‘Have you ever had your bag searched in front of the whole class?’
When I think back to that day, this kind of thing doesn’t even deserve to be called humiliation.
I looked down at the four cookies left.
‘Can I eat them all and ask for more?’
If that’s difficult, I guess I can just buy them.
As I was thinking that, I put the third cookie, which was filled with whipped cream, in my mouth.
Duke Luteous’s icy voice rang through the room.
“What are you doing?”
“……Huh?”
My pronunciation was not clear because my mouth was full of cookies.
When I looked up with my eyes wide open, Duke Luteous’s eyebrows twitched.
Then he sat down across from me, elegantly crossed his legs, and put one hand on his knee.
It was a perfect pose, like a suit ad, but he didn’t look happy.
‘Why is he making that face? Did something bad happen outside?’
I chewed the cookie that was melting softly in my mouth.
Duke Luteous sighed in disbelief at the sight.
“The dessert seems to be going down well.”
“……It’s going down very well. It’s delicious, isn’t it?”
“They’re talking about you right next to you, and you can still taste it?”
“Isn’t it stranger to start caring about it now? It’s not a day or two. They’ll talk eventually.”
Then I noticed that the ladies who had been talking loudly were now quiet.
When I glanced over, I saw their faces pale like a blank sheet of paper.
They had been talking fearlessly in front of me, but they were clearly terrified when Duke Luteous appeared.
It seems that they were more afraid of Duke Luteous than the crazy princess who became a hunter.
“It’s nice to come out with you, Duke. It’s quiet. Oh, can I eat all the cookies?”
“……Sigh, eat them all.”
Duke Luteous remained silent, trying to hold back his anger.
He waited until I had finished eating the rest of the cookies before he spoke.
“Did you hear that kind of talk at the dessert cafe too?”
“It must have been similar?”
“I heard that you got angry and made a scene there. Why are you so quiet now?”
I wasn’t angry then either.
I just couldn’t let it go because I was so upset for Genia.
She is in a position where she cannot say a word to the ladies no matter how angry she is.
However, I didn’t want to say that I got angry on purpose for someone else.
‘That’s a bit…….’
Just thinking about it makes my face flush with embarrassment.
I pretended to be nonchalant and fanned myself with my hand.
Duke Luteous, who completely misunderstood, suddenly hardened his face.
“Is it because of me?”
“……What?”
“I’m asking if you’re holding back because of what I said last time.”
“Yes? No, that’s not it…….”
“Then did you hold back because they are the daughters of high-ranking nobles?”
“I’m meeting them for the first time today. How would I know if they’re high-ranking nobles? I had no idea.”
‘Somehow, they don’t seem to be intimidated at all, unlike the kids I met at the dessert shop…….’
Only now did I understand their confident attitude. They must be the ladies of the powerful noble families.
“Astel, there is no lady here with a higher status than you. You must understand that every lady, no matter what family she is from, must bow her head before you. Why are you looking at other people’s faces when you are the direct descendant of Luteous?”
“Wait a minute. When did I ever look at someone’s face…….”
“That’s enough, no excuses.”
Duke Luteous raised his hand as if he didn’t want to hear it.
