Chapter 32
“Miss, something about this seems off.”
“Hey! Who are you to butt in?! How can you say something’s off when you don’t even know anything?!”
Daisy snapped at Sophia, misunderstanding her comment.
“Yikes!” Startled by the shout, Sophia instinctively took a step back.
“Really? What’s wrong with it?”
Serena asked, her bright pink eyes sparkling as if daring her to speak up.
Encouraged by Serena’s gaze, Sophia gained the courage she had been lacking under Daisy’s fierce presence.
Quick-witted, she immediately realized what Serena wanted her to do.
“The price tag. To think that such an expensive, exquisite dress still has a price tag attached… If you remove it, the sleeves will surely be damaged.”
“Huh…?”
Considering the possibility, Daisy immediately lifted the sleeve to check.
The thread holding it was delicate, but removing it would definitely leave a small hole.
“No need to worry. As you saw when you tried it on earlier, it won’t show at all.”
A staff member, who had been assisting Daisy with the dress, smiled gently as she explained.
It seemed Sophia had earned a bit of trust because Daisy’s expression softened.
“See? Hey! Who are you to make a fuss? I’m fine! I don’t care one bit!”
Daisy snapped at Sophia again.
Glancing sideways, Sophia noticed Serena nodding with an intrigued expression, silently urging her to continue.
Sophia spoke again.
“Miss, you could add designs or decorations, so why is the price already set?”
“You’re asking the obvious. Adding more will naturally increase the price.”
The staff replied, one corner of her mouth slightly upturned, her sharp eyes scanning Sophia’s outfit.
“Oh? Can I really add more?”
“Yes, of course. You can add as much as you like.”
Daisy’s excitement was met with a bright, cheerful response from the staff, as if nothing had happened.
Sophia asked once more.
“Then, if the decorations are removed, does the price decrease?”
“There’s no need to remove decorations from a completed dress, but even if you do, the price will not go down.”
“So, even if you don’t like the decorations, you’re just supposed to wear it?”
“If you don’t like it, you can simply buy another dress. It’s that simple.”
“What if none of the other dresses appeal to me?”
“In that case, there’s nothing to be done. You’d have to go elsewhere.”
“Do other people behave this way too?”
“Do you expect a different outcome? You can’t create a dress that doesn’t exist. You seem to have a lot of complaints.”
The staff laughed at Daisy, as if she were bothersome, implying that if she didn’t like the dresses, she should leave.
Worried she might miss the chance to buy a dress, Daisy quickly defended herself.
“I do like this! I’m buying it! Who are you to keep interfering? Mind your own business!”
Smack! Daisy shoved Sophia in the waist.
Luckily, Serena, standing nearby, grabbed her arm, preventing her from falling.
‘She’s a little intense from the start,’ Serena thought, concerned Sophia might cry.
Fortunately, Sophia wore a determined expression, just as Serena remembered her.
“Then, may I confirm it?”
“…Ugh.”
The staff, visibly exasperated, let out a sigh.
“Hey! Are you seriously not stopping?!”
Daisy was about to lunge, seemingly ready to tear her hair out, but Serena blocked her way.
“Ah, seriously! Just buy it! I said I’d buy it!”
Daisy stomped her feet, probably unable to hit Serena since she was the one buying the dress.
Unable to watch any longer, Lianna intervened.
“Enough! What is all this noise?! Serena, where on earth did you find such a strange girl? I will never allow her in our home. Fire her immediately!”
Having come to the boutique to enjoy a proper aristocratic outing, Lianna shuddered at the chaotic scene, more reminiscent of a market than a high-end boutique.
“Just one last thing! If I’m mistaken and caused a commotion, I will apologize and leave immediately.”
Sophia bowed deeply.
Since she offered to leave voluntarily, Lianna, folding her arms, silently watched her as if daring her to proceed.
“Say what you need to quickly!”
“What is it? Please, tell me.”
Daisy and the staff pressed her for an answer.
Even if she were wrong, Serena, who had no intention of firing anyone, waited expectantly for Sophia’s words.
“Excuse me for the trouble, but may we move to another location? To the indoor garden, please.”
“Indoor garden?”
Serena tilted her head, puzzled by the sudden suggestion.
However, the staff’s previously calm expression cracked slightly.
“Yes, there’s an indoor garden where guests can enjoy refreshments while interacting. I’d like to gather opinions from others there.”
“Wait! Do we really need to go there? We can check everything right here.”
The staff hurriedly interjected.
Serena’s eyes narrowed. Seeing the staff so insistent made her feel that going there was necessary.
“Is there a reason we can’t go? Do we need permission?”
“Not that I know of. One of our previous patrons loved this garden and often visited with guests, many of whom were strangers. Typically, most people don’t buy dresses in such a private space.”
The explanation continued: except for one occasion for a wedding dress, patrons usually exchanged information with others while choosing new dresses.
“If there’s such a wonderful space, why weren’t we told about it?”
“Oh… we thought it would be more comfortable for you to freely browse multiple dresses. It’s difficult to show various dresses in the indoor garden because other guests are present.”
“I see. Now that we know, let’s go. I need to confirm whether Sophia was really mistaken. Where do we go?”
The staff, who had been chatty before, now fell silent.
Sophia took the lead, as if waiting for this moment.
“I’ll guide you.”
As Serena followed Sophia, an angry Lianna and Daisy stormed after them.
Familiar with the boutique as if it were her own home, Sophia led them down the hall, stopping in front of a large entrance filled with the scent of flowers.
“This is it, Miss.”
Giggles of soft, delicate laughter came from inside.
The staff at the entrance acknowledged Serena, Lianna, and Daisy, then politely bowed.
Over the deeply bowed staff, Sophia spoke.
“There are three of them.”
“I’ll guide you immediately.”
No questions or objections were raised. The staff led them to a table surrounded by colorful, beautiful flowers, treating it as a space freely accessible to boutique guests.
“What is this place? It’s so beautiful!”
Since the garden was designed purely for visual enjoyment, Daisy wandered around in awe.
Lianna, no longer angry, also wandered her eyes across the scene in wonder.
“Mom! Look at this! The same flowers, but in so many colors! Red, pink, yellow, purple…! They’re so pretty!”
Daisy’s loud voice drew the attention of the women enjoying their conversation in the garden.
Though anyone could access it, surprisingly, there were only three people present.
The youngest-looking girl among them stared intently at Serena’s dress.
Her interest was too intense to simply overlook.
From the moment she entered the garden to when they reached the table, the girl never blinked, continuously gazing at Serena.
‘What’s with her?’
As Serena moved to sit on the sofa, the girl suddenly pointed at her dress and asked,
“That! Where did you get it?!”
The girl, extremely excited, jumped up from her seat.
“Here?! When? I didn’t know there was a dress like this here! I’ve never seen this design before…!”
