Chapter 18

Lia felt a mix of embarrassment and discomfort under the blatant gaze of Madame Evelyn, who was judging which dress and accessories would suit her best.  

She couldn’t help but worry about how shabby she might appear to someone knowledgeable about clothing.  

“…Oh my! I’ve committed a discourtesy toward you, Madame.”  

Madame Evelyn, lost in thought while deciding what clothes to present, paused upon noticing Lia’s stiff expression.  

Having dealt exclusively with high-ranking nobles, Madame Evelyn quickly realized that the woman before her was none other than the biological mother of the recently recognized Blumhart young lady.  

‘The way the young lady interacts with this woman, and those emerald-green eyes that sparkle the same way as the young lady’s.’  

She had thought the rumors about the Duke bringing the young lady’s biological mother into the Duke’s residence were exaggerated.  

‘To personally bring her here and buy clothes for her.’  

If the Duke treated the young lady’s biological mother specially, Madame Evelyn believed she and her salon should do the same.  

With such thoughts in mind, she had inadvertently stared too intensely at this esteemed guest, committing a rudeness.  

“Madame, I was thinking about what clothes would suit you best, and I caused you discomfort. Please forgive me….”  

Madame Evelyn stood up from the sofa, placed her hand on her chest, and bowed sincerely to Lia in apology.  

“…No, it’s fine.”  

Feeling burdened by such a formal apology, Lia waved her hand dismissively.  

The attitude was starkly different from that of the previous shopkeeper. It was undoubtedly due to the man’s presence.  

“If you are a guest of the Blumhart family, you are also a valued guest of our salon.”  

A valued guest?  

‘In the previous shop, I was chased out for not having money.’  

Was the treatment this different just because she was with this man?  

“Making a guest uncomfortable is something that should never happen in our salon, and I assure you it won’t happen again.”  

Though Lia felt awkward about Madame Evelyn’s overly polite demeanor, Johann seemed unaffected.  

‘…Perhaps such treatment is just too natural for a high-ranking noble.’  

Madame Evelyn, having finished her apology, returned to her seat on the sofa.  

“What style of dress would you need, Madame? Our salon has everything you could possibly want.”  

Madame Evelyn began listing various types of fabrics and explaining the latest trends in noblewomen’s dresses.  

Lia wanted to say she was only looking for ready-made clothes.  

She looked for opportunities to interrupt but ended up listening to Madame Evelyn’s enthusiastic explanations until the end, unable to cut her off.  

“…I’m sorry, but I think just three or four ready-made outfits for spring would be enough.”  

“Pardon? Ready-made clothes?”  

Madame Evelyn glanced briefly at Johann.  

He gave her a look, signaling her to give Lia what she wanted.  

Madame Evelyn understood immediately.  

“I see. But how often will you be going out in spring? Three or four outfits won’t be nearly enough.”  

“No, I…”  

“You’ll need at least seven outfits to truly enjoy spring!”  

She didn’t want to buy too many spring outfits that she wouldn’t wear after next year.  

Moreover, even if she bought ready-made clothes, this place was a high-end salon, and the prices were bound to be steep.  

Even if her wealthy husband was paying, she felt burdened.  

“You’ll need a few pairs of shoes as well.”  

Johann, who had apparently been observing her feet, addressed Madame Evelyn.  

“The Duke is right. You’ll definitely need to purchase some shoes as well!”  

Lia instinctively moved her feet backward, feeling self-conscious under the gaze of the two people staring at her worn leather shoes.  

“…These shoes are quite sturdy, though.”  

“But they won’t match the dresses I’m about to bring you. You should take this opportunity to get new shoes as well.”  

Madame Evelyn smiled gently, trying to persuade her.  

‘What kind of clothes are these that my leather shoes wouldn’t match them?’  

She was already feeling burdened by the clothes she hadn’t even seen yet.  

“Oh, and you’ll surely need hats for spring outings as well.”  

“That’s true.”  

Madame Evelyn alternated her gaze between Lia and Johann as she asked, and Johann answered.  

Madame Evelyn called for her staff and instructed them to bring various items.  

“Um, Duke?”  

At her soft whisper, Johann turned his head.  

“You don’t have to go this far. I don’t even go out much.”  

“While you’re at the Duke’s residence, you’re there as Rafaella’s biological mother. Whether you go out or not, you should wear clothes befitting that status, shouldn’t you?”  

Johann couldn’t understand why he felt the need to buy her more clothes than necessary.  

Was it because he had grown closer to his suddenly acquired daughter Rafaella after spending the day with her?  

Or was it because Lia had looked somewhat pitiful when she left the previous clothing shop?  

‘…Or maybe it’s because something feels uncomfortable every time I see her?’  

Not knowing the reason himself, he chose to brush it off.  

“You’re right. I understand.”  

Lia thought about how she might have been treated poorly by the Duke’s residence staff because of the less-than-ideal clothes she had been wearing.  

‘…Though I know that’s not the whole reason.’  

Sometimes appearances mattered.  

While she was lost in thought, the staff from Evelyn’s Fashion Salon brought in portable racks filled with ready-made clothes.  

“Our salon rarely produces ready-made clothes, so I hope you’ll pardon the limited selection.”  

Limited selection, yet there was so much.  

The dresses, in cheerful spring tones, lacked extravagant patterns or lace but seemed to be made from excellent fabrics.  

Though not suited for noblewomen, they appeared to be the kind of dresses worn by women living comfortably in the middle class.  

Under Madame Evelyn’s direction, the staff displayed the dresses.  

“Spring weather can be unpredictable, so we’ve prepared fabrics ranging from light to slightly thicker materials.”  

After finishing her explanation, Madame Evelyn led Lia behind a partition.  

With the help of Madame Evelyn and a female staff member, Lia tried on and took off several dresses.  

The outfit Rafaella clapped her hands for the most was a dress that seemed to embody the greenery of spring.  

Like the others, it was so comfortable and well-made that it didn’t feel like ready-made clothing.  

The texture against her skin was incredibly soft, and the skirt fell elegantly as if tailored for her.  

‘Is it okay for me to wear something this nice…?’  

Though she hesitated, she decided to wear the dress Rafaella liked best, thanks to Johann and Madame Evelyn’s encouragement.  

“Mommy! You look just like a forest fairy!”  

Rafaella’s sparkling eyes lit up as she repeated the words Lia had said to her that morning.  

Lia patted Rafaella, who had nestled into her skirt.  

“Madame, I think it would be wise to prepare about ten outfits, considering some might get dirty or become unwearable. What do you think?”  

Anyone raising a child knew that clothes tended to get dirty.  

Madame Evelyn assumed that the young lady’s biological mother would personally care for her and made the suggestion.  

“Pardon? That’s a bit…”  

“Then ten outfits it is.”  

“But we only have nine ready-made outfits that fit Madame in our store….”  

“Then one will be custom-made.”  

Wasn’t a custom-made dress too much, even if she wanted to be a mother Rafaella wouldn’t be ashamed of?  

Madame Evelyn measured Lia’s size and led her behind the partition again.  

Lia hesitated before stepping behind the partition, unsure if this was the right thing to do.  

“You might need something special for certain occasions, so don’t feel too burdened.”  

“Well, still, a custom-made dress is…”  

“It’s just one dress, isn’t it?”  

Just one dress?  

For commoners, a custom-made dress was something they might wear once in their lifetime.  

‘Fine, if he’s offering, I might as well wear a custom-made dress before I die.’  

Feeling it was pointless to refuse further, she decided to accept his kindness.  

The custom-made dress was decided to be crafted from fabric with a subtle ivory sheen, as recommended by Madame Evelyn.  

“Your Grace, I assure you I will do my utmost to ensure you don’t regret entrusting me with this.”  

Madame Evelyn spoke with shining eyes.  

Afterward, Lia tried on several pairs of flats brought by the staff.  

Johann decided to purchase all the pairs she found comfortable, surprising Lia once again.  

‘Is it really so easy for the Blumhart family to buy this much?’  

Since he was buying things so effortlessly, she wondered if her reactions were overly dramatic.  

‘Should I just accept what’s given without overthinking?’  

Finally, Johann purchased three hats that matched the outfits Lia had chosen.  

While Lia changed into soft leather flats that matched her light green dress, Johann instructed the staff to send the remaining clothes and shoes to the Duke’s residence and stamped the invoice with the Blumhart family crest.  

Lia found herself marveling at the signet ring on his right pinky finger.  

‘That tiny ring settles the payment so easily.’  

Wearing a bonnet that matched her dress, Lia finally left Evelyn’s Fashion Salon with Johann and Rafaella.  

The salon staff came out to bid them farewell with utmost courtesy.  

“Your Grace, please summon us to your residence next time. We’ll bring the finest fabrics on the continent and visit at your convenience.”  

Madame Evelyn didn’t forget to pitch her business to Johann at the last moment.  

Since Carolina had changed her clothing supplier, taking the big spender elsewhere, Johann’s visit today was an important opportunity for Evelyn to resume business with the Blumhart family.  

“I’ll consider it.”  

By the time they left the salon, it was already early evening.  

‘To think we spent so much time choosing clothes that it’s already dark.’  

Johann decided to take them to a quiet nearby restaurant for dinner.  

After a simple meal, they took a short walk to reach the carriage.  

While walking, Rafaella suddenly stopped.  

Seeing the child halt, Johann and Lia looked at her curiously before following her gaze.  

A small theater stage had been set up in the central square.  

Judging by the crowd gathering nearby, it seemed a play was about to begin.  

“Rafaella, do you want to watch the play?”  

“Yes! Mommy, can we watch it before we go?”  

Rafaella nodded enthusiastically at Lia.  

“…Can we stay and watch it?”  

Then she turned to Johann, looking at him with earnest eyes.  

Faced with his daughter’s pleading gaze, Johann flinched.  

“If you’re not too tired…”