With that, Estella finished removing the bracelet. As she laid it down on the cloth, Diego narrowed his eyes. He looked down at the precious metals on the tabletop and set his jaw in a way that suggested he didn’t like what he saw. Diego gestured from the left end of the table to the right end, and said out loud.

“I’ll buy everything from here to here.”

Everyone in the room stiffened. After half a beat, the clerk, more accustomed to this sort of thing, asked.

“Will you wear the ones you tried on just now?”

“No, wait!”

Estella, who had just come to her senses, held out her hand as if to intercede. Estella turned to face Diego, her face serious.

“No, Little Duke, did you eat something wrong?”

“No, there’s no sign of an upset stomach yet.”

“Then do you have any other ghostly women to give these to?”

“No. Just so there is no misunderstanding, these are for you to wear.”

She didn’t know what face to make. She wasn’t sure what to say.

It felt burdensome to accept it nonchalantly, and her own desires were overflowing to the brink, making it difficult to refuse. Estella managed to barely vomit it out.

“If I wear everything here, I’ll be featured in the newspaper as a clown…?”

“I have no intention of turning Miss Magaret into a clown. You’ll only wear one set per day.”

“No, we made a promise for the ball only.”

“Would the teacher who instructs my siblings save my face? Since you reluctantly agreed to this forced request, I’ll just accept it.”

Estella fiddled with the necklace she hadn’t yet taken off, unable to get rid of the look on her face. Then she spoke up, sounding incredulous.

“Did you know? It’s my first time receiving something like this from a man.”

“It seems like you have many first-time experiences with me, Teacher. Including rejection.”

Diego replied deeply, then added coyly.

“I hope that when you’re with other men, you’ll please fix that commitment issue.”

He was referring to the slight shudder he’d felt when reaching for the necklace earlier. He still had a habit of taking all the good with his mouth. Estella glared at him, and then spoke up.

“If you could just be a little less unpleasant with your words, I would be much more grateful.”

“I have no intention of hearing words of gratitude from you yet. It seems like you’ve already forgotten, but today we came to buy clothes.”

Diego gestured with a chin motion, indicating the door on the right. Right on cue, Madame Laura came in, pushing a long and wide rack. It was adorned with all sorts of dresses. Even though Laura had brought a considerable amount, the array of clothes seemed endless. Estella belatedly realized the meaning of ‘matching styles.’ The appearance of a mountain-like pile of dresses made Estella’s face turn pale.

* * *

“I’m so bad at being a heroine…….”

Estella said and grabbed the partition. She was on her limit. Her arms, which had been stretched out, trembled, and her legs were starting to ache. The only fortunate thing was that she wasn’t standing in heels all this time. Madame Laura allowed Estella to remain barefoot, saying that it was more important to see the clothing designs. At first, when she heard those words, she thought it was just the norm. But now, looking back, it felt like a tear-inducing act of consideration.

“Miss, you need to stand up straight so that I can fasten the straps securely.”

As Estella was about to collapse onto the partition, the nearby attendant shook with concern. The staff member had followed in to assist with trying on the dresses. Estella asked in a weakened voice,

“How many outfits are left?”

“There are still more than what you’ve tried on so far.”

The clerk delivered the hellish news in a gentle voice. Estella stiffened her back again and stood up straight. The first one or two times she’d tried them on, it had been exciting, but after countless repetitions, it had become a chore.

To summarize Estella’s ordeal in a nutshell. With the help of the attendants, she puts on the dress and stands in front of Madame Laura. At Madame Laura’s command, the dress is categorized as good or bad, and after the moment of decision, Estella is sent back to the dressing room. And she repeats the process an infinite number of times.

As it turns out, she never actually gets to show any of the dresses to Diego. After all, the whole point of attending the royal ball in the first place was for him, so it would be important to fit him, but she hadn’t had a chance to ask for his opinion.

“It’s done, my lady.”

The dress was now finished. Estella stared wistfully at her employee’s reddened knuckles. It was hard enough for her, but she was more worried about their hands, which had to endlessly tie and untie the laces.

Estella headed out the door, her pace a little slower than before. Madame Laura, who was waiting for her, stared at her for a long time. They were never very talkative, but this time the silence was unusually long. Madame Laura tilted her head to the right and turned to her assistant behind her.

“How tall was the dress made to be?”

“It was inspired by Princess Fernanda’s visit to the country, so it’s probably around 175 cm¹5’ 5”.”

“It looks good even if you’re not that tall. We can shorten the length and sell it.”

Laura approached Estella while saying that. It was a bright expression that had not been seen before.

“The silhouette is really beautiful. Since it’s a design to be worn without a patty coat, posture is important. Do you have any separate exercises for that?”

Running around with children is a workout. Being around young children definitely gives me a lot of exercise compared to the average toddler.

Instead of saying that her muscles were developed through childcare, Estella just laughed awkwardly. Madame Laura smiled approvingly as she pulled out the wrinkles.

“Well, this should do the trick. Leila, please escort the young lady to the vanity.”

“Makeup?”

Estella asked with a bewildered expression, not expecting those words. There was nowhere else to go, but it seemed too formal. Estella continued with a hesitant tone.

“It’s not necessary to that extent.”

“Are you going to the ball without any makeup? The atmosphere is quite different when you try wearing it without makeup.”

“Umm…”

She had nothing to say in response. And she had no reason to say no. Come to think of it, I had to sit down to get my makeup done, and it would give my feet, which were in excruciating pain, a proper rest.

Estella obeyed and sat down where she was told. Madame Laura followed her. Laura opened the drawer containing the cosmetics and began to rummage through them. Apparently, she was going to do her makeup. I can’t believe I’m asking someone who’s supposed to be the head of this dress shop to do this for me. Estella was flustered again.

“You’re going to do it yourself?”

“I made the dress, so I get to choose the make up.”

Laura said in a pleasant tone, then winked.

“I don’t usually do it myself, this is a special service.”

With that, she began dabbing the powder over Estella’s face. She was silent, so Estella didn’t have a chance to respond. She could smell the fragrant powder at the tip of her nose.

Estella closed her eyes and tried to estimate how long it had been since she’d last worn makeup. By her best guess, it had been over a month. Cecilia was always touching Estella’s cheeks or lips, and after a few smudges of color, she stopped doing it altogether. It was easier that way.

“I don’t think there’s anyone in the manor who can help with the makeup, is that correct?”

The talents of individual maids were beyond Estella’s knowledge. But usually the maids who help with the make up are attached to the mistress. Perhaps the most dexterous servants of the manor were under Anna’s guidance. It seemed a bit odd to entrust someone who had been the Duchess’s handmaiden to do the make up.

Estella considered for a moment, then nodded. Laura spoke as if she had known it would happen.

“I’ll be there with the dress myself on the day. I’ll do your makeup like I do now, and I’ll take another look at your jewelry.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“Well, you’re an honored guest.”

Estella was now used to being treated like an honored guest. After all, she was attending as Diego’s partner, and it would be rude not to show a little smugness.

When she was finished, Laura began to paint her eyebrows. The vanity was lined with shades that matched the color of the dress she was wearing. Estella blinked, and only then did she realize something was wrong. Estella asked in a puzzled voice.

“But if I need to see the dress with makeup on, why didn’t you suggest it from the beginning instead of now?”

As she said this, Estella glanced up at Laura, and it was only then that she noticed the playfulness that tugged at the corners of Laura’s mouth. Laura’s hand stopped moving over her brow, and she pulled up a nearby chair and sat down. In a reminiscent voice, she asked.

“Do you realize how eventful creatures men are?”

Estella narrowed her eyes, not sure what she meant. When Estella gave her an unintelligible look, Laura turned her head to look in the mirror, where a woman in a fine dress sat awkwardly. She hadn’t gotten very far yet, but she certainly looked more organized than she had earlier. Laura spoke excitedly.

“Imagine if the woman who walked in the door came out looking completely different.”

Estella subconsciously pictured herself walking out the door. Just in time, Laura stretched out her hand and made a snapping sound, then added in a dreamy voice.

“When you make eye contact, that’s when the magic happens.”

There was something quite cute about Laura being a relationship coach. If Diego and Estella really were a couple on the verge of hooking up, there was a real chance that Laura was right. The problem is, they’re far from that. Estella replied with a troubled look.

“Madame Laura, the little Duke and I are not like that.”

Laura’s eyes widened at Estella’s denial. Estella explained in a low tone.

“I’m just working as a teacher for the Duke of Berta. I’ve never been in social circles, so Diego was doing me a favor by asking me to attend a ball.”

But instead of being convinced, Laura gave Estella a knowing look. Without removing her polite mischievous expression, Laura said.

“You’re being naive. No man does favors for women he’s not interested in.”

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