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Anna, who had been chatting away, was suddenly left with her mouth agape, her gaze completely stolen by the dress.
Even Yevgenia, who had mentally prepared herself to some extent, was no exception.
The silence that stretched on for a long time was finally broken by Yevgenia’s voice as she managed to regain her composure.
“It is… a truly beautiful dress.”
The pearl silk of the Seka Archipelago was famous for being beautiful even as a raw fabric.
Rumors circulated that a certain nouveau riche, who had spent his entire fortune to acquire a single bolt of pearl silk, had spent the rest of his life simply staring at it hanging on his wall until the day he died.
Whether that story was truth or fiction, as it passed from mouth to mouth, the value of pearl silk only increased; however, all who had seen the actual material agreed that it was well-deserved.
Because of this, the primary goal of the madams who crafted clothes from pearl silk was to "surpass the inherent beauty of the fabric itself."
Of course, Yevgenia trusted the skill of the madam—someone whose talent was great enough for Yulan to employ her in the original story.
However, she had not expected Madame Magnolia to succeed in a single stroke at a challenge that even the madam of the Zenus Atelier, which handled the clothing of the Imperial Family, had found daunting.
“Madam, I will be honest. I would have considered you quite impressive even if you had simply avoided ruining the beauty of the pearl silk. In fact, that would have been a fair assessment. But this…”
Rising from her seat and approaching the dress, Yevgenia brushed her hand over the fabric with a cautious touch.
The texture of the fabric was so smooth it was almost sigh-inducing, tickling her fingertips.
“To think of dyeing pearl silk. How audacious… and how pleasing.”
The pearl silk wrapped around Yevgenia’s fingers was not the white color it had been when she first sent it to the madam, but was instead glowing with a mysterious, alluring purple hue.
In truth, she had chosen pearl silk to increase her visibility on the grand stage of the Imperial Crown Prince’s birthday banquet, but since her hair was a vivid red, she had assumed it wouldn't be a perfect match.
The design the madam had shown her seemed quite modest, so she had thought it would be acceptable and told her to showcase her talent to her heart's content after the first check. She had never imagined such a result.
Seeing that Yevgenia’s reaction was far more favorable than expected, the madam, who had been trembling inwardly, began to explain cautiously.
“Your hair shines more beautifully than a rose in midsummer. I thought that if I made the dress while maintaining the original color of the pearl silk, the strengths of both you and the silk would not fully shine. If one were to ask who should shine more between you and the pearl silk, naturally—”
“Naturally, you thought it should be me, so you suppressed the strengths of the pearl silk?”
“Pearl silk is indeed a precious fabric. But it cannot possibly be as precious as you, my lady.”
Bold.
That single word could explain everything about Madame Magnolia’s train of thought and actions.
Had Yevgenia reacted by saying, “How dare you dye the precious pearl silk I gave you in such a manner?” and threatened to have her head, the madam would have had no excuse.
“Haha.”
Yevgenia burst into loud laughter.
In reality, this dress had merely been a primer to elevate Madame Magnolia.
It was entirely the madam's own ability that turned that primer into a waterfall.
Since she had managed to surprise Yevgenia—who could be said to have mastered all the beauty existing in this world—she would certainly be more than enough to draw everyone's attention at the Imperial Crown Prince's birthday banquet.
Taking a step, then another toward the madam, Yevgenia placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Madam, I believe deciding to trust you is one of the top five best decisions of my life.”
“…! Thank you, my lady!”
Yevgenia looked into the madam's eyes once, then subtly shifted her gaze toward where Anna was standing.
That alone reminded the madam of the request her patron had made.
‘How on earth am I supposed to get rid of that loyal maid and send the lady in secretly? Ugh, this is too difficult!’
Noticing the madam's expression, which had stiffened slightly from tension, Yevgenia spoke suggestively.
“I feel as though a single day would not be enough just to discuss this dress…”
“…If you wish, my lady, I shall close the atelier for the day and attend only to you.”
“Hmm, not bad.”
Yevgenia signaled her gratitude with a glance to the madam, who had responded promptly, and then turned to look at Anna.
“Anna, I wish to speak with the madam, so you…”
“Ah, Miss Anna, I would ask you to wait outside for a moment. It is not that I distrust Miss Anna, but I am somewhat reluctant to let too many people into the workshop…”
Once again, the madam helped Yevgenia at the perfect timing.
Yevgenia had wondered if it would be better to stay separated on the second floor to keep the meeting secret, but the madam—or whoever was behind her—seemed to have other ideas.
“…So it seems. Is the madam's workshop on the first floor?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Then Anna, wait here for a moment. It would be good for you to examine the dress and check for any points of caution for when you assist me with my clothing.”
It was a comment thrown out without much thought, but unexpectedly, Anna’s eyes sparkled with delight.
“Oh, you're right! Since you will be wearing such a beautiful dress, there must not be a single tiny flaw!”
“Right, exactly. Yes. I trust you with it, so please check everything meticulously, down to the smallest piece of lace.”
Yevgenia replied somewhat awkwardly to Anna's intense reaction and signaled the madam.
With a slight nod, the madam walked ahead to guide Yevgenia.
“This way, my lady.”
“Please go! I will check the dress perfectly, even if my eyes fall out!”
“Yes, work hard…”
* * *
It was only after descending more than halfway down the stairs that the madam spoke in a very low voice.
“That person mentioned that it would be better to meet in the lower room rather than in the atelier… If it is too inconvenient, I shall contact them again…”
“No, it's fine. Even I think it's a bit precarious to have such a conversation within the same building.”
If it were a brief exchange of necessities as before, it would have been fine.
But today, she would have to converse for a considerable amount of time with that person—namely, Yulan.
‘Even if I try to keep it short, I’ll make her drag it out. I must see her apologize profusely with that arrogant mouth of hers!’
And then, instead of accepting the apology with generosity, she would subtly suggest continuing the experiment of erasing names.
Just imagining the plan made the corners of Yevgenia’s lips curl upward.
However, given that Anna could come down at any moment, conducting such a conversation in the same building was indeed risky.
‘Anna would support me even if she found out everything, but there's no need to burden her with worries she doesn't need to have. Who knows when my father might pressure her…’
Though she believed that even Duke Martir would not easily get answers, if Anna didn't know in the first place, she wouldn't have to face such a situation.
“So, should I go down now?”
“Yes, my lady. I believe that person has already arrived.”
“Thank you, madam.”
Following the madam's guidance, they arrived at the underground passage where Yevgenia had been led by Yulan previously.
Before entering the passage, Yevgenia, who had been hesitating, spoke softly.
“Madam, the praise I gave after seeing the dress has nothing to do with helping us with our business. I was genuinely surprised and shocked in a good way. I hope you know that.”
“…I didn't misunderstand at all, my lady. But receiving praise like this again makes me feel a bit, um, ticklish…!”
Seeing the madam's cheeks flush red, Yevgenia let out a small laugh.
She had worried it might sound too meddlesome, but seeing the madam's reaction, she felt glad she had said it.
With that, Yevgenia was able to move forward with a much lighter heart.
Her resolve almost wavered due to the awkward ladder and the passage that smelled faintly of moss, but each time, the signposts—whose installer was obvious—brought a small smile to her face.
← Eight steps (based on a short height), then right
…Well, if it weren't for the utterly useless parentheses, she might have smiled even more.
Grumbling and laughing, Yevgenia finally arrived before the familiar door.
‘I can do this, Yevgenia. First, let's put on a stern face and go in.’
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