Anything But Study - Chapter 38

Charlette was happy. Didn’t this mean she could dress this young lady however she wanted?

Up until now, every noble client who came had firm standards of their own. Of course, since it was the customer’s preference, it was only natural to accommodate them.

But the problem was that very few of them actually had good aesthetic sense.

Even when she put together a beautiful outfit with great care, the customers who tried it on would always point out things they wanted changed.

If those changes truly made it better, then of course she should follow them. But even while complying, Charlette felt her insides slowly rot away.

With her skill, she managed to produce beautiful garments that met the customers’ needs.

Still, opportunities to truly work to her heart’s content, exactly as she wished, were rare.

But now, to be told to just handle everything herself?

She was so happy. This was practically her first time encountering a client like this.

“What is your name?”

“I’m Melia.”

Melia? It wasn’t a name among the noble young ladies Charlette knew.

Still, since Melia hadn’t given her family name, it would be rude for her, as the boutique madame, to ask first.

Charlette asked casually instead, “…You’re also a student at Erpen, right?”

“Yes.”

Ah. Then of course. Charlette winked as if she understood everything.

“You must be the Young Duke’s lover.”

L-lover?

Melia flinched in shock.

“No! That’s not it at all, we’re not!”

A denial without the slightest hesitation burst from Melia’s mouth.

Hailon and her? The words didn’t suit them at all. Melia shook her head vigorously.

“Huh? But….”

The madame trailed off, clearly puzzled.

Wasn’t it rare for someone to go this far if they weren’t lovers?

She’d been shocked enough just receiving the reservation from that Alfred. From Charlette’s standpoint too, he was a client she absolutely couldn’t let go.

She’d never seen a reservation fee like that before.

And on top of that, the condition was that it would replace a reservation from the Russell family among the three seasonal clients.

‘Did the Russell family offend Alfred somehow?’

She felt a little sorry for Count Russell’s daughter, but since Charlette operated on the principle that whoever paid the higher price got priority, that was simply her rule.

She always gave advance notice and obtained consent.

Besides, it was Alfred. Any boutique would prioritize Alfred over anyone else unless it was a commission from the imperial family.

And just look at the result.

‘It was absolutely the right decision to accept this commission.’

Charlette’s eyes were filled with satisfaction as she looked at Melia.

“Well then, shall we go out?”

The dress Charlette ultimately chose was a design layered with thin, translucent silk.

It was simple, but it brought out the wearer’s natural elegance beautifully, making Melia stand out even more.

With her honey-colored hair lightly tied up, her shoulder line was revealed gracefully.

Dressed in the gown, Melia followed Charlette’s guidance out.

In the small room connected to the dressing room, Hailon was waiting.

He hadn’t changed clothes and was still dressed as before.

“Isn’t she beautiful?”

Charlette smiled with satisfaction.

It was a design she rarely showed to other clients, one she’d kept carefully tucked away. She hadn’t wanted to alter it even a little and had hoped it would go to someone who could recognize it as it was.

It seemed this young lady was that person.

“Beautiful, Melia.”

Hailon’s assessment was only a short sentence, but the warmth in his gaze as he looked at Melia was unmistakable.

‘Oh my.’

Not lovers? Watching the Young Duke of Alfred’s reaction, Charlette thought that was nonsense.

That was a look filled with affection, without question.

Were they hiding it for some reason? A secret romance?

‘Then I should go along with it too.’

For now, Charlette decided to pretend she didn’t know anything.

“Thank you, Young Duke. Then shall we proceed with this design?”

“Fine.”

“Yes, understood. Then where should we send the dress?”

At that question, Hailon didn’t answer right away. He wore an expression as if he were weighing something.

‘…The address?’

Watching his reaction, Melia’s gaze naturally dropped. For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to look at him properly.

Because the place this dress would be sent to was about to come from his mouth.

She hated herself for getting her hopes up for no reason. Would this dress really be for her?

At the faint hope, her chest swelled.

If he said to send it to her house….

Then Hailon’s lips parted and his answer came.

Thump, thump.

Her heart began to pound hard.

Each second she waited for his answer felt as slow as an eternity.

“There’s no need to send it separately. Please load it directly onto the carriage.”

Madame Charlette bowed. “I’ll prepare it.”

Ah, as expected.

“Let’s go, Melia.”

“…Okay.”

Her reply came out weak.

Even as they got into the carriage and the dress was being loaded, Melia didn’t say a single word. She was upset, and it felt like if she spoke, tears might spill out.

Silence filled the carriage.

“You don’t look good. Why? Is there something you didn’t like?”

“Hm? No. Nothing.”

“Did you not like the dress?”

Melia felt a lump rise in her throat. Why was he asking her that? Shouldn’t he ask the owner instead?

‘Why did I even expect anything?’

To begin with, Melia had never expressed any intention of attending the seasonal party.

Hailon had never asked either.

She felt foolish for getting drunk on an empty dream.

“The dress is pretty. Whoever it’s for, it’ll suit them well.”

“What are you talking about?” Hailon looked completely confused.

“The dress. It’s for your partner, right?”

“That’s right. My partner will wear it.”

Yes, that was right.

But hearing the truth directly from his mouth made it sting even more.

And then.

“You’re not going to back out after getting the dress made, are you?”

Huh? Melia lifted her head.

“The seasonal party. As my partner.”

Wait. For Hailon to say something like this meant….

“You’ll go with me, right?”

Melia was genuinely shocked. As if reflecting her feelings, her heart thudded loudly.

As Hailon’s partner at the seasonal party?

She’d even felt something like jealousy toward the unknown person whose name she didn’t know.

And that person was….

“Are you… talking about me?”

“Of course. Who else is here?”

She was left speechless. To think the partner everyone was talking about was none other than Melia.

She hadn’t even considered the possibility.

So she’d misunderstood everything and only hurt herself.

Thump, thump.

Her heart started pounding again.

No, it felt like every vein in her body was throbbing. Was this a dream? She couldn’t believe it.

“I already had the outfit made, so there’s no helping it, Melia.”

Hailon decided on his own, as if he had no intention of giving her room to refuse. Just as he always did.

“I’ll come pick you up. Be ready on time.”

“…Okay.”

Melia’s head bobbed up and down slightly.

***

Meanwhile, about two hours earlier.

Catherine was causing a scene in front of the Charlette Boutique, her face flushed red.

“There was definitely a reservation!”

At Catherine’s shrill, piercing shout, Charlette frowned.

“And we notified you of the change.”

Even so, Charlette remained firm.

As Madame Charlette said, Catherine had received notice of the change.

But Catherine had been sure there must be some mistake. That was why she’d come to the boutique anyway.

And now this mess had happened.

“It wasn’t canceled. We informed you it was moved to next season.”

The madame held out the reservation consent form to Catherine.

It clearly stated that reservation dates could be changed depending on the boutique’s circumstances, along with Catherine’s signed consent.

“This wasn’t same-day notice either. As written here, the information was delivered in advance, wasn’t it?”

Charlette asserted that there was no way the message hadn’t been sent.

Catherine clenched her lips tightly, her face red as she seethed.

“Oh my, Catherine….”

“So you really did get contacted?”

The two young ladies standing behind Catherine were openly disappointed.

They’d buttered her up and followed along, hoping to get something out of it, only to end up with nothing.

In imperial noble society, it was common for priority to be claimed like this.

It was seen as a measure of wealth and power.

Hadn’t Catherine herself bragged about securing this season’s reservation by pushing out another client using her family’s influence?

But if she’d been pushed aside again by someone else, then maybe House Russell wasn’t all that impressive after all.

The same thought crossed both girls’ minds.

‘How embarrassing!’

Reading their expressions, Catherine raised her voice even more.