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I shifted my slightly turned foot back into place and lifted my chin, acting as if nothing had happened.
Unfolding my fan just in time to cover half of my face, I shifted my gaze. Through the gap in the boutique's door, I saw a woman with brown hair tied up and a face full of freckles, looking at me with eyes dripping with worry.
Seeing that not a single common bell rang as the door opened, I could roughly tell how poor the environment of this boutique was.
I wondered how a catalog from such a place could have possibly passed through the gates of House Martyr.
'Well, since he insisted that every new boutique or jewelry shop had to go through me, I suppose it makes sense...'
Still, this was too much.
Presenting a catalog from a boutique like this to the only Imperial Princess of the empire was practically the same as putting one's neck on the line.
Especially if that princess was 'Evgenia Martir.'
Yet, for some reason, the freckled woman had an expression that looked almost excited.
With a feeling of doubt, I asked.
"Madame, don't tell me I am the first customer of this boutique?"
"Ah! No, it's absolutely not because my skills are lacking or the quality of our clothes is poor! It's just, well, the promotion didn't go well, so it hasn't become known..."
The woman trailed off and scratched her cheek bashfully.
At the very least, it was certain that this woman had immense confidence in her clothing.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have dared to dream of presenting her clothes to a high-ranking noble.
Nobles were the kind of creatures who would have a fit like soldiers receiving an order the moment something went slightly wrong.
However, no matter how excellent or innovative the woman's clothing was, it had nothing to do with me.
What I needed was an answer as to whether the woman—more accurately, her boutique—had a connection to Yulan.
'It would be a bit awkward to ask openly in front of Anna... I should go inside first.'
Once inside the boutique, I could easily create time to be alone with the Madame.
I gave Anna a silent look, and Anna, understanding my intention perfectly, spoke.
"Madame, lead the way. Since the Young Lady liked your catalog, bring every item featured in it."
"Ah! Yes, of course! I will prepare them as quickly as possible! Please come this way, uh, Young Lady..."
After a light nod to the woman, I stepped through the door Anna opened for me.
The interior of the boutique wasn't much different from the exterior.
The floorboards groaned and creaked with every step, and drafts leaked through various parts of the walls, making it feel even chillier than outside.
At the very least, her effort to keep out the stench from the street was commendable.
Looking at the hangers and tables without a speck of dust, and the neatly displayed dresses, I could tell how sincere the woman was about this boutique.
Furthermore.
"...The fabric looks quite high-end."
"Indeed, Young Lady. In a neighborhood like this, it doesn't seem, um... competitive? It seems she's determined to go bankrupt."
"Or perhaps she has something to rely on."
For example, a certain Prince with money to burn.
As Anna said, these were items far too luxurious to be displayed in a neighborhood like this.
Setting aside whether business was successful or not, it was understandable to worry about whether they would be stolen.
There were no hired guards, nor were there any employees to help in an emergency.
Even a naive five-year-old wouldn't believe that the Madame could run a luxurious boutique here all by herself.
As I slowly retraced my thoughts, I reflected on my momentary doubt based solely on the boutique's location and condition.
'My memory of the original novel isn't wrong. I just couldn't recall it...'
I had already been blindsided by that damn 'Part 1.'
That meant all the information I had known about the original novel until now could become useless in no time.
I knew nothing about Part 2, and to make matters worse, I had no certainty that Part 2 was the end of the original story.
Therefore, I had to utilize the information I currently possessed to gather as much data from the original novel as possible.
'It's a waste of time to have doubts. If not the original novel, there's nothing else to believe in.'
And Yulan was the only channel through which I could obtain information about the original novel.
It wasn't certain if he was the exact trigger.
Still, it was worth trying one more time.
Even if the information from the original novel didn't come back to me, it wouldn't be a problem.
'It's just one more letter of a name that's already gone being erased. I could also use this to try and persuade my father again.'
The problem was whether Yulan would accept my proposal.
The first time, I had a very plausible reason: obtaining experimental data.
But now that everything had been laid bare, I couldn't think of any way to make him nod to my proposal.
The money, land, and status I possessed were things he already had in abundance.
'I'm not even sure Yulan will meet me before I can offer something...'
If I went to find him blindly and he misunderstood, the connection with him might be severed entirely, regardless of any proposal.
Thus, communicating through a middleman like this was the best move.
At least it could show that my intentions were not impure.
"Um, the dress room is ready. I've prepared tea and cookies, but, um, I'm not sure if they'll suit the Young Lady's taste..."
"Of course they won't. But it doesn't matter. I only need to see the dresses."
"Oh, yes, then please come this way!"
After barely climbing the narrow stairs, I reached a place that could be called a 'dress room.'
At this point, my ironclad belief wavered once again.
No matter how much he avoided social circles, I didn't want to believe that the noble Prince hadn't thought of even this much.
Aside from a few dresses that were merely passable, there was truly no commercial value to be found, even if I rubbed my eyes and looked again...
'What on earth is he thinking, Yulan? Does he think it's fine for one boutique to go bankrupt?'
A building in a location like this would be an amount of money that wouldn't even equal a single tear to him.
I wondered if the cost of fabric, thread, or jewels was a burden.
'But this is a level that a fallen noble or a Baron could easily afford without burden.'
Considering that this would still be a quite high price for commoners, it was truly an ambiguous boutique.
Unlike the refreshments and teacups, which were of quite disappointing quality, the tea table and sofa they were placed on were not bad.
The only flaw was that the fabric was slightly faded, perhaps because they were old.
Sitting on the sofa, I gestured toward Anna, who had a dissatisfied expression.
"Anna, go out and buy some cookies and cake from De Erike."
"What? Young Lady, but..."
Glancing at the Madame, Anna leaned close to my ear and whispered in a very low voice.
"How can I leave you alone in a place like this? What if something happens!"
"It's alright, Anna. Do you remember what Father gave me as a birthday present last year?"
The reason I could wander the back alleys alone, which I hadn't told Yulan.
It was the pistol I received as a birthday gift.
Since it was small enough to be hidden under a skirt, I usually kept it hidden inside my dress like this.
In the original novel, she had used this secretly during a hunting competition, and a bear that was grazed by the shot had almost pounced on Stella.
'In the Atrux Empire, this is an item that even the head of a house finds hard to obtain unless they belong to a prominent family, so the thugs in the back alleys couldn't even imagine it.'
This was likely a setting to increase 'Evgenia's' toxicity and influence, but for now, I was very grateful for it.
Anyway, perhaps because Anna couldn't be unaware of this item's existence, she quickly calmed down.
"You remember how Father bragged about how well-trained I was, right, Anna?"
"...Of course. He even threw a small party, so I can't forget it."
"Replacing these terrible refreshments is more important than the time it takes for nothing to happen while you're gone. Look at those cookies. Just looking at them makes my mouth feel dry."
Anna, who hesitated until the end, finally surrendered after checking the cookies.
"I'll be back very quickly, so please wait just a bit, Young Lady! You mustn't leave this place!"
"Of course, of course. Hurry along."
After pushing the lingering Anna out the door, I spoke to the Madame, who was standing there awkwardly.
"Madame, who is the owner of this place?"
"...Pardon? Uh, me...?"
At her completely oblivious answer, I stared straight into her eyes and asked again.
"I'm not asking who the owner operating this place is, but who the owner who 'owns' this place is."
Unfolding my fan just in time to cover half of my face, I shifted my gaze. Through the gap in the boutique's door, I saw a woman with brown hair tied up and a face full of freckles, looking at me with eyes dripping with worry.
Seeing that not a single common bell rang as the door opened, I could roughly tell how poor the environment of this boutique was.
I wondered how a catalog from such a place could have possibly passed through the gates of House Martyr.
'Well, since he insisted that every new boutique or jewelry shop had to go through me, I suppose it makes sense...'
Still, this was too much.
Presenting a catalog from a boutique like this to the only Imperial Princess of the empire was practically the same as putting one's neck on the line.
Especially if that princess was 'Evgenia Martir.'
Yet, for some reason, the freckled woman had an expression that looked almost excited.
With a feeling of doubt, I asked.
"Madame, don't tell me I am the first customer of this boutique?"
"Ah! No, it's absolutely not because my skills are lacking or the quality of our clothes is poor! It's just, well, the promotion didn't go well, so it hasn't become known..."
The woman trailed off and scratched her cheek bashfully.
At the very least, it was certain that this woman had immense confidence in her clothing.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have dared to dream of presenting her clothes to a high-ranking noble.
Nobles were the kind of creatures who would have a fit like soldiers receiving an order the moment something went slightly wrong.
However, no matter how excellent or innovative the woman's clothing was, it had nothing to do with me.
What I needed was an answer as to whether the woman—more accurately, her boutique—had a connection to Yulan.
'It would be a bit awkward to ask openly in front of Anna... I should go inside first.'
Once inside the boutique, I could easily create time to be alone with the Madame.
I gave Anna a silent look, and Anna, understanding my intention perfectly, spoke.
"Madame, lead the way. Since the Young Lady liked your catalog, bring every item featured in it."
"Ah! Yes, of course! I will prepare them as quickly as possible! Please come this way, uh, Young Lady..."
After a light nod to the woman, I stepped through the door Anna opened for me.
The interior of the boutique wasn't much different from the exterior.
The floorboards groaned and creaked with every step, and drafts leaked through various parts of the walls, making it feel even chillier than outside.
At the very least, her effort to keep out the stench from the street was commendable.
Looking at the hangers and tables without a speck of dust, and the neatly displayed dresses, I could tell how sincere the woman was about this boutique.
Furthermore.
"...The fabric looks quite high-end."
"Indeed, Young Lady. In a neighborhood like this, it doesn't seem, um... competitive? It seems she's determined to go bankrupt."
"Or perhaps she has something to rely on."
For example, a certain Prince with money to burn.
As Anna said, these were items far too luxurious to be displayed in a neighborhood like this.
Setting aside whether business was successful or not, it was understandable to worry about whether they would be stolen.
There were no hired guards, nor were there any employees to help in an emergency.
Even a naive five-year-old wouldn't believe that the Madame could run a luxurious boutique here all by herself.
As I slowly retraced my thoughts, I reflected on my momentary doubt based solely on the boutique's location and condition.
'My memory of the original novel isn't wrong. I just couldn't recall it...'
I had already been blindsided by that damn 'Part 1.'
That meant all the information I had known about the original novel until now could become useless in no time.
I knew nothing about Part 2, and to make matters worse, I had no certainty that Part 2 was the end of the original story.
Therefore, I had to utilize the information I currently possessed to gather as much data from the original novel as possible.
'It's a waste of time to have doubts. If not the original novel, there's nothing else to believe in.'
And Yulan was the only channel through which I could obtain information about the original novel.
It wasn't certain if he was the exact trigger.
Still, it was worth trying one more time.
Even if the information from the original novel didn't come back to me, it wouldn't be a problem.
'It's just one more letter of a name that's already gone being erased. I could also use this to try and persuade my father again.'
The problem was whether Yulan would accept my proposal.
The first time, I had a very plausible reason: obtaining experimental data.
But now that everything had been laid bare, I couldn't think of any way to make him nod to my proposal.
The money, land, and status I possessed were things he already had in abundance.
'I'm not even sure Yulan will meet me before I can offer something...'
If I went to find him blindly and he misunderstood, the connection with him might be severed entirely, regardless of any proposal.
Thus, communicating through a middleman like this was the best move.
At least it could show that my intentions were not impure.
"Um, the dress room is ready. I've prepared tea and cookies, but, um, I'm not sure if they'll suit the Young Lady's taste..."
"Of course they won't. But it doesn't matter. I only need to see the dresses."
"Oh, yes, then please come this way!"
After barely climbing the narrow stairs, I reached a place that could be called a 'dress room.'
At this point, my ironclad belief wavered once again.
No matter how much he avoided social circles, I didn't want to believe that the noble Prince hadn't thought of even this much.
Aside from a few dresses that were merely passable, there was truly no commercial value to be found, even if I rubbed my eyes and looked again...
'What on earth is he thinking, Yulan? Does he think it's fine for one boutique to go bankrupt?'
A building in a location like this would be an amount of money that wouldn't even equal a single tear to him.
I wondered if the cost of fabric, thread, or jewels was a burden.
'But this is a level that a fallen noble or a Baron could easily afford without burden.'
Considering that this would still be a quite high price for commoners, it was truly an ambiguous boutique.
Unlike the refreshments and teacups, which were of quite disappointing quality, the tea table and sofa they were placed on were not bad.
The only flaw was that the fabric was slightly faded, perhaps because they were old.
Sitting on the sofa, I gestured toward Anna, who had a dissatisfied expression.
"Anna, go out and buy some cookies and cake from De Erike."
"What? Young Lady, but..."
Glancing at the Madame, Anna leaned close to my ear and whispered in a very low voice.
"How can I leave you alone in a place like this? What if something happens!"
"It's alright, Anna. Do you remember what Father gave me as a birthday present last year?"
The reason I could wander the back alleys alone, which I hadn't told Yulan.
It was the pistol I received as a birthday gift.
Since it was small enough to be hidden under a skirt, I usually kept it hidden inside my dress like this.
In the original novel, she had used this secretly during a hunting competition, and a bear that was grazed by the shot had almost pounced on Stella.
'In the Atrux Empire, this is an item that even the head of a house finds hard to obtain unless they belong to a prominent family, so the thugs in the back alleys couldn't even imagine it.'
This was likely a setting to increase 'Evgenia's' toxicity and influence, but for now, I was very grateful for it.
Anyway, perhaps because Anna couldn't be unaware of this item's existence, she quickly calmed down.
"You remember how Father bragged about how well-trained I was, right, Anna?"
"...Of course. He even threw a small party, so I can't forget it."
"Replacing these terrible refreshments is more important than the time it takes for nothing to happen while you're gone. Look at those cookies. Just looking at them makes my mouth feel dry."
Anna, who hesitated until the end, finally surrendered after checking the cookies.
"I'll be back very quickly, so please wait just a bit, Young Lady! You mustn't leave this place!"
"Of course, of course. Hurry along."
After pushing the lingering Anna out the door, I spoke to the Madame, who was standing there awkwardly.
"Madame, who is the owner of this place?"
"...Pardon? Uh, me...?"
At her completely oblivious answer, I stared straight into her eyes and asked again.
"I'm not asking who the owner operating this place is, but who the owner who 'owns' this place is."
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