‘What? I wasn’t trying to make excuses!’
When I fell silent, Duke Luteous flicked his fingers, calling over the designer, Louis Blanc.
“Here.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
Louis approached, nervously swallowing hard.
“Y-You called for me?”
“My daughter says this boutique is the most famous in the capital.”
“……Th-That’s too kind.”
“Is it not?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked if my daughter was mistaken.”
“No, no! She’s absolutely correct! No one can rival my designs! I’m the best, not just in the capital but in the entire empire!”
Louis’s shaky voice echoed through the boutique.
He might actually believe he’s the best, but right now, he wasn’t bragging.
It was just a desperate response to avoid trouble under the Duke’s intense gaze.
I stifled a laugh.
‘This must feel like a thunderbolt. Who would’ve guessed Duke Luteous would go shopping with his daughter?’
He must’ve heard the rumors that the Duke was cold to his daughter, making this even more unexpected.
He’s probably cursing whoever started those ridiculous rumors.
I glanced around and noticed the other young ladies looked surprised too.
In a few days, rumors about how much Duke Luteous adores me will start spreading.
That will support the rumors about him planning to spend a fortune to establish a guild for me.
Naturally, this will attract the attention of hunters.
Then I won’t even need to recruit members; they’ll come to me.
I sipped my tea, acting nonchalant.
“But why are the customers so low-quality?”
“I-I’m sorry! I really tried to stop them… wait, low quality?”
“Clothes are only as good as the person wearing them. Even the most beautiful design is wasted on someone unworthy. Don’t you agree?”
“Y-Yes, absolutely.”
“And knowing that, you did nothing?”
“No, of course not! I just… wasn’t sure what Your Grace wanted…”
“Have them leave immediately. And from now on, don’t accept any other customers when my daughter visits.”
The boutique fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
I noticed the young ladies, who had looked scared, now growing indignant.
One young lady in a red dress calmly spoke up.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace, but isn’t this overstepping in a public business?”
“Fair point. Then I’ll just have to make sure they leave.”
Duke Luteous responded coolly.
“I’ll buy everything in this boutique.”
“But that’s…”
“Is it not allowed?”
Duke Luteous cut her off and turned to Louis.
Louis glanced at the young ladies, then gave a polite smile.
“Of course not. Whoever buys it first owns it.”
“There you have it.”
Duke Luteous turned around, and the young lady bit her brightly colored lips nervously.
“So, what’s your name?”
“…I’m Camilla Hector, the second daughter of the Hector family. It’s an honor to meet you, Duke Luteous.”
“Ah, so you’re the one. I heard there’s a girl from the Hector family who’s obsessed with luxury goods. That’s you, isn’t it?”
Everyone, including me, turned to look at Camilla. Her face flushed a deep red.
“Did your father really borrow money from me just to pay for your shopping? That’s quite a petty reason. I suppose I’ll have to get it back,” he added, his tone indifferent.
“…!”
“…!”
Camilla’s face went pale, as though all the blood had drained from it.
Among the nobles, there wasn’t a single one who hadn’t borrowed money from Duke Luteous. Not just her father, but even the other families present were in the same situation.
The reason was simple: the duke offered loans with incredibly low interest rates and never chased anyone for repayment. He was so generous that people joked he was running a lending business just to get rid of his wealth.
“Y-Your Grace…”
But Duke Luteous cut her off without hesitation.
“Tell your father I want to see him. And bring the other three of you along as well.”
Camilla and the other young ladies went pale at his words.
The haughty, condescending expressions they had while fanning themselves earlier were completely gone.
To see these once-proud noble ladies so intimidated—it was almost unbelievable.
It confirmed what I’d always thought: authority is far more effective than brute force.
“What are you standing around for? Are you not leaving?”
It wasn’t even a glare, just a calm look, but it was enough to make her flinch.
In the end, she gripped her fan tightly, trying to hold back tears, and stormed out of the boutique with the other ladies in tow.
As the boutique emptied, a sudden hush fell over the room.
Louis wiped the sweat from his brow and asked cautiously,
“Your Grace, what should we do with all the items? Taking everything with you might be a bit difficult. There are so many, and the dresses are quite bulky.”
“What do others usually do?”
“This hasn’t happened before… But maybe you could select the items you want, and we’ll send the rest, beautifully packed, to your mansion.”
“That sounds fine. In the meantime, bring out more desserts. Something my daughter might enjoy.”
“Right away.”
With a simple gesture, Duke Luteous silenced the chaos in the room. His every move carried the elegance of true nobility.
“Astel, pick out whatever you like.”
“Hmm… I guess power really is stronger than brute force. They seem more scared of you than of me.”
“It’s not me they’re afraid of—it’s the money.”
“Either way, thank you. Thanks to you, I’ll be able to talk with Louis in peace.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Then, turning to Louis, I gestured for him to come over.
“Louis, why don’t you sit here?”
Louis glanced nervously at Duke Luteous before cautiously sitting down on the edge of the sofa.
Louis glanced at Duke Luteous before carefully sitting on the edge of the sofa.
Should I help you with your dress fitting?”
“We can do that later.”
“Then… is there something else you’d like to talk about?”
“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but I’m planning to establish a guild. It’ll be a guild exclusively for hunters.”
“Oh, I didn’t know. I’m sorry…”
“It’s fine. I’ve been considering different ideas, and one of them is a uniform. I plan to provide one to all guild members.”
“For free?”
“Yes. But I’m not very knowledgeable in this area, so I wanted to hear an expert’s opinion. What do you think?”
“Louis’s eyes brightened.
That’s a great idea. Nothing strengthens a sense of belonging more than a uniform.”
“Then, what do you think is most important when making a uniform?”
“You said it’s for hunters, right? Then practicality would definitely be the key factor.”
“Could you elaborate?”
“You’ll need fabric that’s durable and resistant to stains. If possible, adding magic enhancements would be a good idea too.”
“Functionality is essential, but I think it should also have a beautiful and recognizable design. That’s why I came to you.”
“Me… you mean me?”
“Louis Blanc, I want you to design the guild uniforms.”
“If I design the uniforms, they’ll lack practicality. Plus, the cost will be incredibly high.”
“……That’s not something to worry about. I’m Astel Luthierus.”
“Ah!”
“Louis let out a gasp and then looked regretful.
It’s an amazing offer, but… I’ll have to decline.”
“Why?”
“This is my first time working in this field. I’d need to plan and test extensively, but I don’t have the time for that.”
“Are you really that busy?”
“I’m fully booked until the year after next. I really don’t have any free time.”
“I nodded. I hadn’t done enough homework on this.
I already knew fromGenia that Louis was busy.
And I knew money wasn’t what Louis needed.
The empire didn’t value artists.
While painters and musicians were seen as artists, designers were dismissed as mere craftsmen.
This was the point I intended to target.
Do you really need to keep running your boutique?”
“Excuse me?”
“I told you I’d invest. If you want to make dresses, make them for me. Same for jewelry—I’ll buy everything you create.”
“Why would you go that far for me?”
“……Artists create their best work when they’re free from restrictions. I want to give you that freedom.”
“When I casually called him an artist, Louis’s cheeks turned red.
Do you… really think of me as an artist?”
“Of course. What else would you call yourself?”
When I asked back, a wave of emotion crossed Louis’s face.
I was sure of it.
‘What Louis needed was recognition as an artist.’
