Chapter 10
Ruelia lowered her chin and opened and closed her mouth in shock.
Wait… wasn’t this supposed to be love at first sight?
Was he being sharp because he felt slighted by a woman he liked? He might be blunt, but he was usually considerate. She had no idea why he was acting like this.
Anyone would be hurt by such aggressive words. Lady Emil’s face stiffened immediately.
At this rate, wouldn’t he get rejected without even confessing?
“I apologize. However, trust built with long-time customers is important to us.”
So much for being hurt.
It didn’t seem like she had any intention of backing down before the duke either.
People said she attended to the duke very well. Apparently, she wasn’t the type to simply flatter others.
That was probably why Kylas liked her even more.
“If you had contacted us in advance, we could have sent our designer to the ducal estate.”
“If I had the luxury of time, I would have done that.”
A clash of equals.
Ruelia was already exhausted just watching. Still, she couldn’t leave things like this.
If this continued, the duke might end up branded as trash. She had to step in.
“Hello, Lady Emil.”
She gently greeted Isla.
“And who might this lady be…?”
Isla turned her calm gaze toward Ruelia.
Her green eyes, which had remained composed even under the duke’s sharp remarks, suddenly wavered.
“I’m Ruelia. I work as an aide at the ducal house.”
The moment she heard the name, Isla’s face lit up with delight.
“What? Really? Are you that Ruelia? The legendary aide of the Bellona Trading Company?”
Using honorifics for a commoner. Ruelia stared at her in disbelief.
In the meantime, Isla’s green eyes sparkled with excitement, like leaves glowing in spring sunlight.
“It’s an honor to meet you!”
“The honor is mine. But… you know me?”
“Of course! The legendary aide of the Bellona Trading Company!”
“Legendary…?”
“Yes! I heard every business you touched turned into a huge success. I’ve always admired you.”
She wasn’t sure how much was true, but it seemed Isla genuinely liked her.
Relieved, Ruelia glanced proudly at Kylas.
Why does he look even angrier?
Cold sweat ran down her back.
If his aide and the woman he loved became close, that should make things easier for him later.
Ah. Jealousy.
When someone starts to give their heart away, anyone near that person can become irritating, regardless of gender.
“Admiration is too much. I’m just an ordinary aide.”
“Ordinary? You’re someone I’d love to work with, Lady Ruelia.”
Ruelia’s eyes widened.
It was probably just polite talk, but the temptation was strong.
Wouldn’t it be better to work with someone whose future was secure, rather than someone who might turn into a villain? No risk of dying together, either.
“I also—”
She almost spoke her true feelings.
If not for the icy voice that cut in from behind.
“How long do you plan to chat idly with my aide?”
Kylas placed his hand on Ruelia’s shoulder.
When he gently pulled her back, the distance between Ruelia and Isla naturally widened.
As if he’d been waiting for this moment, he stepped squarely between them, blocking Ruelia’s view.
“Isn’t your job to make clothes? Not to waste time chatting with my aide?”
Ruelia clicked her tongue without thinking.
What should she even say?
She’d thought he was a scheming, possessive man.
Turns out, he was just a clumsy man hopelessly in love.
“Oh my, is Lady Ruelia going to wear my design? Really?”
“Yes. I heard there will be a banquet at Count Bellona’s estate in fifteen days.”
Ruelia peeked out from beside Kylas’s shoulder as she answered.
“She’s my partner. We plan to have our outfits made together.”
“Oh! So the two of you are attending the banquet together?”
Isla clapped her hands and spoke in an exaggerated tone. Ruelia looked troubled.
At this rate, she might misunderstand the relationship between herself and the duke.
“When Count Bellona sent the invitation, he designated me as Your Grace’s partner. Since it’s a gathering of nobles, I think he assigned the duke as my protector so I wouldn’t be mistreated.”
With her view blocked again, Ruelia stood on tiptoe and desperately explained over his shoulder.
“Ah… I see.”
Isla smiled gently at the barely visible Ruelia, then went to the table and picked up the catalog.
“Do you have a style you like?”
The catalog, bound in leather and thick parchment, was very heavy. Isla’s arm trembled slightly under its weight.
Ruelia didn’t miss the moment. She urgently poked the duke’s side.
“It looks heavy. Please help her.”
At her whispered request, Kylas frowned.
Still, he didn’t refuse. He took the catalog from Isla and placed it on the table.
“Ruelia, didn’t you say earlier that you liked this dress?”
Without hesitation, he opened the catalog to a specific page and pointed.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Let’s go with this one. Add a subtle touch of the ducal house’s colors and emblem.”
At his request, Isla looked startled.
“What? This one? But—”
“What’s the problem?”
“I drew the design myself, so the texture isn’t fully conveyed here. But the patterns on this dress aren’t dyed fabric. Each one is individually embroidered.”
“So?”
“There’s no way it can be finished within fifteen days.”
Of all things to choose…
Ruelia looked at the catalog with a troubled expression.
She’d always worn ready-made clothes, so she hadn’t realized.
But of course. If nobles couldn’t flaunt jewels on their clothes, they showed off through craftsmanship instead.
Naturally, the price would skyrocket.
“I’ll choose something else.”
“No. This one.”
At that moment, Kylas’s gaze sharpened.
“It’s far more elegant than clothes covered in pointless jewels.”
Did he not hear that it was impossible?
Or was he trying to play the villain who bullies the woman he likes?
“But, Your Grace…”
Isla called out to him with a troubled look.
He showed no intention of listening, lifting only one corner of his mouth unpleasantly.
“Can’t you solve it by hiring more embroiderers?”
Commanding and confrontational.
It wasn’t behavior suited to making a good impression.
“That’s… technically true.”
“Then gather every skilled artisan you can. I’ll pay whatever it costs.”
“The price will be astronomical.”
“I don’t care. I’m the kind of man who knows how to be generous to an aide who dedicates herself to me.”
Or maybe…
Maybe this was his way of showing off his appeal.
In the most childish way possible.
Ruelia felt her face fall as she could already see how this unrequited love would end.
***
Kylas remained alone in the reception room while the two women went to the fitting room to take measurements.
“That woman is irritating.”
He replayed the earlier scene in his mind.
Especially the way she’d looked at him with clear wariness.
She was a lady the Crown Prince—his friend and political partner—secretly wanted as his future consort.
—She seems ambitious, like she wants to become another Count Bellona. That’s probably why she wouldn’t want to be Crown Princess…—
Even when he’d seen her at the Emil estate, she’d shown interest in Ruelia.
This time, she had openly revealed her desire to recruit her.
And Ruelia didn’t seem entirely opposed.
When speaking to him, she always sounded stiff like the knights. Yet with that woman, she’d spoken gently and politely.
“So even serving me was part of some scheme.”
Then suddenly, the resignation letter he had ordered burned and destroyed came to mind.
And the fact that Ruelia herself had suggested this place.
Could it be that she’d come here today because she was planning to change jobs?
Maybe she had chosen this tailor shop to see what kind of person her potential new employer was.
Come to think of it, he’d heard that Ruelia had asked about Lady Emil.
“Billein.”
“Yes, my lord.”
At his call, Billein, who had been accompanying him as a guard, stepped forward immediately.
Kylas leaned closer and spoke in a low voice.
“Investigate everything about Count Emil’s daughter, the owner of this place. Her connections, her businesses, her hiring plans—everything.”
“Yes, understood.”
Even after Billein left, Kylas’s gaze remained sharp.
Why was it taking so long just to measure sizes? Were they doing something else inside?
For example… negotiating a contract.
Staring at the silent fitting room, he suddenly stood up.
Leaving the two of them alone didn’t feel like a good idea after all.
