Chapter 38
“I really did lose my fortune because of that incident, and it’s true that I was basically ruined… but it’s hard to endure people openly pointing fingers and saying I’ve failed. And if word spreads that the future Grand Duchess bought something here, this shop—where even flies don’t come anymore—might somehow survive…”
“Ahem…”
Mio cleared her throat and deliberately glanced around the store. Come to think of it, quite some time had passed since they’d entered, yet the bell on the door hadn’t rung even once.
So it really does have no customers.
At this rate, she wondered if the shop could even afford to pay that employee from earlier. Remembering how lifeless the clerk had sounded, Mio made up her mind.
Fine. The only person I could trust with this was the Count anyway… and a mutually beneficial deal is still a good deal.
And if she could also get her hands on Tararia—practically a direct express train in the process—so much the better. Mio shifted her cheeks slightly before speaking.
“Count, are you interested in interior decorating?”
“Interior decorating…?”
“Yes. Actually, I’ve been put in charge of furnishing the Moro estate. With that budget, I think we could cover things nicely.”
“Y-Yes! I’m very interested in interior decorating!”
The Count clasped his hands together, his eyes sparkling. It almost looked like several tails were wagging behind him.
“Good. From today on, you’re the general manager in charge of furnishing the Moro estate. As for what we buy, I want them to be rare items whenever possible. Things with plenty of rumors attached—items people would say they’d enter a haunted house just to see.”
“Yes, rumors…! Haunted houses…!”
Count Duon furiously scribbled down Mio’s words in a notebook he pulled from his pocket.
“Let’s count Tararia as part of that purchasing process. I’ll go back now and send the butler over. Of course, I’ll make sure to leave a generous fee for the general manager’s hard work.”
“Lady Mio…”
The Count looked at her with eyes full of emotion, but Mio deliberately avoided his gaze. She couldn’t help wondering how he could look at her like that, knowing that she had been the very reason his smuggling business had been exposed.
Either way, this settles the debt for ruining his business.
Just as Mio stood up, satisfied, she turned back again. Aleteia’s mind-reading suddenly came to mind.
“By the way, you remember the warning I gave you last time, right?”
“A warning…?”
“I told you not to run into the Grand Duke.”
“Ah—yes. Of course I remember.”
“That wasn’t a joke. And if he finds out we’ve been working together behind the scenes, it might not end with prison this time.”
“I-I’ll keep that in mind!”
Count Duon answered in a voice trembling with fear. That should be enough of a deterrent. Mio turned away without hesitation.
* * *
Back at the Moro estate, checking the dress made Mio fully appreciate Count Duon’s sharp eye.
He added adjustable laces to the tricky parts.
Once she tied off the woven cords, it looked like a perfectly tailored dress. The Count had hurriedly stopped her to take measurements before she left—just in case—but it seemed unnecessary after all.
“Ahh! P-Please don’t move, Master! I haven’t finished tying it yet…!”
Rosa, completely absorbed in the task, scolded Mio as she tried to look at herself in the mirror.
“Okay. Sorry.”
So that was the one flaw—you absolutely couldn’t put it on by yourself. It was a good thing she’d brought Rosa along. Otherwise, she would’ve had to rely on Jamie. Mio crouched slightly to make it easier for Rosa to tie the laces and studied her reflection.
Maybe it feels awkward because it’s such a different style from what I usually wear.
Caleb always favored extravagant dresses, so this was her first time wearing something so restrained—stripped of excessive decorations and lace. If anything, it felt a little more refined than usual.
Still, the Count hadn’t been lying when he claimed it was top quality. Even an untrained eye could tell—this white dress radiated overwhelming luxury rather than flashy brilliance. It was probably because of the incredibly soft fabric. That, especially, won her over.
Mio fiddled with the hem and muttered,
“I didn’t realize Count Duon’s taste leaned this way. I thought he only liked flashy styles.”
“I-I’m almost done…!”
Rosa reflexively shouted, fully focused on tying the knot. Mio quickly closed her mouth, then added softly,
“Take your time. There’s no rush.”
If she hurried, it might end up loosely tied. But Rosa was so concentrated she didn’t even respond. After some time—
“It’s done…!”
Rosa exclaimed in a triumphant voice, sweat beading on her forehead. Mio jumped to her feet.
“That’s amazing, Rosa. I never could’ve worn this dress without you.”
“What should we do next?!”
Rosa asked, looking around eagerly. The room Mio used as her dressing room was the one Aleteia had filled to the brim with gifts last time, so the items were scattered about somewhat haphazardly—all unwrapped. Rosa darted around energetically.
“W-Which things would go well with the dress? When I saw the maids working at the Kelt Ducal House, they did stuff like this all the time…”
“Rosa. It’s okay. We don’t need anything else.”
“Really…?”
Yeah. Everything here was basically labeled as wedding gifts, and that made her uncomfortable. Hiding her thoughts, Mio simply smiled. Rosa gloomily set down the small handbag she’d been holding.
“O-Okay, then…”
But seeing Rosa so disappointed, Mio quickly changed her mind.
Honestly. If the owner of the estate never touches or uses the things in it, can they really be called the owner? These aren’t bridal gifts—they’re just part of the estate.
“Oh, actually—Rosa, that bag you’re holding looks nice. Bring it here.”
“This one?! Yes! Here you go, Master!”
* * *
“Is Caleb still angry? I told you the shipboard party involves business matters, so it’s not something we can change on a whim.”
“……”
“Then you can choose the venue for the next banquet. Even if you say you want it at the Imperial Palace, I’ll make sure it happens.”
No matter what he suggested, Caleb simply sat there with his head lowered. Wyden kept trying to draw his attention.
“More importantly, let’s decide what to do for my birthday next month.”
“……Birthday……”
Caleb murmured quietly.
“Is there anything you want to do? We might be able to spend this birthday quietly, just the two of us. The Grand Duke of Moro is in the capital, and the wedding’s coming up soon. It’s unfortunate, but we’ll probably have to yield this birthday to the Grand Duke.”
Wyden joked about the sorrow of sharing a birthday.
“Let’s take a trip while we’re at it. Just this once, Mother and Father won’t complain—even if it’s far away. How about the Carnian Forest? You said you wanted to visit the ancient ruins there again, remember? You wanted to see how they’ve changed.”
“……”
“Caleb. Please, say something. What do I have to do to make you forgive me?”
As the silence continued, Wyden began to plead, saying he’d do anything. At that, Caleb slowly turned his head to face him.
“…You really will do anything for me?”
Wyden nodded without hesitation.
* * *
“What is this? Mio Northam isn’t wearing a dress that matches Lady Caleb’s!”
The hottest topic at the opening of today’s party was Mio’s outfit.
Some said it was the bride-to-be’s belated attempt at image management. Others claimed Mio had finally stopped her childish harassment of Caleb.
“So the infamous love triangle ends like this.”
“It was about time. Unless the young duke had wavered even a little, there was never any chance. It’s better for everyone.”
“More importantly, which atelier made that dress?”
Regardless of what people were saying about her, Mio busily scanned the room, searching for Caleb. From her experience at the last banquet, she knew the best course of action was to settle her business quickly and leave.
Even if I was short on excuses, I never should’ve asked him to be my partner there of all places.
Honestly, she hadn’t expected someone who’d supposedly been sick for an entire week to agree so easily to attend a banquet together.
