“Hey! You can’t just leave in the middle of a consultation!”

A sharply dressed young woman, clearly annoyed, shouted from across the room. But Sharon, the tailor from “Guol & Sharon,” paid her no mind and continued to beam at Astrid.

“Oh… If you already have customers, we can wait.”

“What are you saying? Their order has been declined, so there’s nothing to wait for.”

“Really?”

Astrid couldn’t help but feel uneasy under the sharp glare of the other woman, but Sharon waved her concerns away with a carefree smile.

“Of course! Don’t worry about it. So, what brings you here today?”

“Ah, we’re looking for both clothing and jewelry.”

“Oh, then I’ll need to call Guol as well. Shannon? Could you fetch Guol from the workshop?”

“Yes, Madam.”

“…”

When Sharon suddenly linked arms with her, Astrid flinched and instinctively looked toward Caleb. He merely shrugged, watching the situation unfold with quiet amusement.

“Why don’t you both take a seat? Let’s start with a consultation. We have plenty of catalogs for you to browse.”

“…Ah.”

With seemingly little effort, Sharon swiftly moved several thick catalogs bound in sturdy parchment. She neatly aligned them in a row on the table with a firm thud, thud, thud.

Recognizing them as fashion catalogues often seen in Hestian, Astrid skimmed through them with curious eyes.

“Oh? This is the Eastern Continent style that was in vogue a few years ago. It became a trend after the Empress wore it…”

“My goodness! Who would have thought I’d meet someone in Cliff with such an eye for detail? What an honor, my lady. Shall we begin with introductions? I’m Madam Sharon, a tailor from Bliss.”

“Oh, I’m…”

Caught off guard, Astrid hesitated, deliberating over what to say. Before she could respond, a woman who had been stewing in anger in a corner of the shop stormed over. Without warning, she grabbed one of the catalogs and hurled it onto the floor.

“…!”

It all happened in an instant. Astrid’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit, and before she could react, Caleb pulled her protectively into his arms with swift precision.

“What is the meaning of this outburst?”

Sharon’s voice turned icy as she addressed the woman. Gone was the cheerful, sociable demeanor; she now exuded an air as cold as midwinter, making the room feel as though its temperature had dropped several degrees.

“What is the meaning of this? I’m here on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen. Disrespecting me is tantamount to disrespecting her!”

“I believe I’ve already explained. My shop has principles, and no one—not even you—can bypass them to take my goods.”

“What did you say?”

“Tell her to come in person. Even if someone has a similar physique, no two bodies are identical. I don’t take orders from customers who don’t show up themselves. Not even if it were Her Majesty or Hesta the goddess herself.”

“You—how dare a lowly dressmaker insult Her Majesty the Queen! You insolent wretch!”

“…!”

Enraged, the woman raised her arm and swung it at Sharon with all her strength. However, her attempt was thwarted. Caleb, who was still holding Astrid close, caught her wrist effortlessly.

“Bliss is a neutral nation,” Caleb said, his voice calm but firm. “Even though its citizens reside in Croatan, they are not bound by Croatan law. This is an agreement between Bliss and the kingdoms of the Western Continent.”

“W-what? And who are you to interfere…?”

“I’m merely concerned that any harm done to this Madam might tarnish Her Majesty’s reputation, Lady.”

“…Who are you?”

The young noblewoman scrutinized Caleb from head to toe, her voice shrill. Though dressed plainly, his commanding presence, striking features, and imposing build made it evident that he was no ordinary man.

‘…His wife?’ she thought, glancing at Astrid tucked protectively under his arm. ‘Is he openly flirting while holding his wife? Men, honestly.’

Though he was merely holding her wrist lightly, the warmth of his grip seemed to ignite her cheeks. Her lips involuntarily curled upward, though she quickly suppressed the smile.

‘To think such a gem exists even in a backwater like Cliff.’

Still, how should she deal with that insolent tailor? As her thoughts turned to Sharon, the woman’s steely gaze met hers, and the noblewoman’s face twisted into an angry scowl.

She had come to the shop on orders from her father, a baron, who had instructed her to purchase dresses and jewelry for the Queen. As she had a physique similar to Her Majesty’s, she was deemed a suitable proxy.

Her father had even gone into considerable debt to fulfill this task. The journey to the shop had taken an entire day by carriage, and she had traveled without even a single maid.

Secretly, she also planned to commission several dresses for herself. ‘After all, I’m practically standing in for Her Majesty. How dare a mere tailor treat me this way!’

Her disdain for the shopkeeper’s insolence only grew, and she resolved to teach her a lesson. As the tension between the two women escalated, someone stepped between them.

“Well, well! What’s this, Sharon? How could you be so rude to such a beautiful lady? Allow me to introduce myself—I’m Guol, a jeweler from Bliss. Lady, shall we step over there? I’ve just finished some new designs, and I’d be delighted to show you the latest pieces.”

“…!”

The man who intervened had an air of effortless charm, his dazzling good looks leaving everyone momentarily speechless. If Caleb was the embodiment of masculine allure, Guol was a vision of androgynous beauty, exuding an ethereal and otherworldly elegance.

“…An angel?”

The young noblewoman, caught off guard by her own words, turned crimson.

“Haha!”

Guol laughed heartily, taking her hand and escorting her away. His smooth words and captivating presence quickly enraptured her, leaving her unable to utter a single word of protest as he led her to the opposite side of the shop.

Astrid, still dazed by Guol’s sudden appearance and striking features, watched in stunned silence. Sharon clapped her hands to break the tension and redirect Astrid’s attention.

“Now then, shall we begin our consultation? Don’t mind her—Guol will handle the situation… in his own way.”

Sharon sighed softly, a wry smile on her lips. She had been irked by the young noblewoman’s arrogance from the start and had decided not to take her order. Though she hadn’t expected the confrontation to escalate, she was certain Guol would resolve it—albeit in his usual fashion.

No doubt the young noblewoman would leave the shop penniless after being mesmerized by Guol’s beauty and charm. Sharon could only hope he would show some restraint.

‘I don’t want to get caught up in gossip, not here of all places. I’m tired of closing shops and moving on.’

Sharon had grown quite fond of Cliff. Initially, she was adamantly opposed to moving to such a rural backwater, but no matter where they went, their customers managed to find them.

Clients came not only from Croatan’s capital but also from neighboring countries and even the Eastern Continent. As a result, the siblings’ schedules were never empty.

What Sharon liked most about Cliff was that she didn’t have to engage in nerve-wracking battles with society’s elites. Her decision to settle in Croatan was largely due to this very reason.

‘I didn’t have much choice when I left, but… it wasn’t a bad decision.’

When she and her brother Guol fled Bliss like exiles, she never imagined life would turn out this way. She was grateful Guol had been with her. The siblings had wandered across various countries after leaving the Bliss Duchy.

They traveled wherever their feet or whims led them, staying for months in places that captured their hearts. After some time of aimless wandering, the wellspring of creativity began to flow again, and they decided to open a shop in Cliff.

Living amidst the modest locals and the natural beauty of the area seemed like it might revive her artistic inspiration and heal her weary soul. Sharon hoped to stay in Cliff as long as possible.

‘Someday, I’ll have to return to Bliss to inherit the family business… but for now…’

For now, she wanted to enjoy this final retreat in Cliff as peacefully as possible.

‘And to think I’d meet my muse here!’

Sharon’s eyes sparkled with intensity as she gazed at Astrid. The sheer intensity of her stare left Astrid flustered, unsure where to direct her own eyes.

Astrid cleared her throat awkwardly and turned to Caleb.

“So, Caleb, what should we do?”