It was a clean envelope with nothing written on it, but the texture felt thick and luxurious at the fingertips.
  
Somehow, the texture gave her a strange sense of déjà vu.
  
“Please check it. My sponsor insisted that it be delivered directly to you in person.”
  
Arne opened the card.
  
[Because it seemed like you could never carry all of them with those limping feet.]
  
‘This man really!’
  
Arne held back the urge to crumple the card, amused by its playful content.
  
‘As if teasing me earlier wasn’t enough.’
  
A disbelieving laugh escaped from her.
  
Ella looked at her with unfamiliarity.
  
Ellaroin’s sponsor, Cedric, was someone Ella was grateful for but also found difficult to deal with.
  
As a northerner, it couldn’t be helped.
  
In such a peaceful capital, one wouldn’t know how terrifying the threat of demons starving in the middle of winter is, or how admirable the Renigrad Knights are for holding them back.
  
‘Especially Lord Cedric…….’

Cedric took in Ella, who had lost her parents to demons, and sponsored her to learn tailoring in the capital.

‘Lord Cedric personally asked for her. Moreover, the Grand Duke of Renigrad is interested in this person.’

Ella swallowed nervously. It was rare for her, who had easily dismissed the empire’s noblewomen, to feel tense.

However, when orders came from both the major and minor lords of Renigrad, her shoulders felt heavy.

“There’s one more card.”

Ella, trying not to make a mistake, took a small breath and handed over the card.

“There’s more?”

“Yes. Coincidentally, both gentlemen have sent their regards to the lady with a card and a small token of appreciation.”

‘A small token of appreciation, she said.’

Arne glanced at the line of carriages.

‘At a glance, it seems more than all the clothes I’ve worn in my lifetime combined.’

Arne opened the second card.

[I couldn’t personally respond to your congratulatory message. I wish you a speedy recovery.]

Arne blinked slowly. It was a reply to the congratulatory message from the Grand Duke of Renigrad.

A reply to her congratulatory message and an invitation to see her in these clothes at the banquet.

‘If I send a congratulatory message back, my wardrobe will break.’

Seeing Arne confirm the card, Ella moved and stood in the middle of the road.

“I will guide you. The carriage parked on the right side of the road is a small token from my sponsor, and the carriage parked on the left side of the road is a small token from the Grand Duke of Renigrad.”

As Ella calmly finished explaining, the ducal couple and Bianca excitedly asked back.

“Did you just say the Grand Duke of Renigrad?”

“All this luggage?”

“Are you sure this is all sent to Arne?”

Ella nodded calmly.

“All of it, for sure, to Lady Ronia, ah.”

Ella, catching Bianca’s eye, briefly smiled and corrected herself.

“It’s a small token sent to Lady Raniarne Freya de Ronia.”

After finishing her sentence, Ella bowed to Arne with the formal etiquette just like Knight Commander Lux.

“Ella of Ellaroin, serving Renigrad, it’s an honor to serve you, Lady Raniarne Freya de Ronia.”

The atmosphere turned solemn in an instant. Not believing the situation, Ella blinked and slowly looked around the carriage she was guiding.

Cecil, who had been looking forward to Ellaroin’s dresses more than anyone, was the first to break the silence.

“So, from here to there and from there to here is all… for Arne…”

“Yes, exactly.”

Only Ella stood calmly, waiting for Arne’s command. As Cecil covered her mouth, Bianca asked instead.

“Why Arne? What about her?”

“My sponsor said it would be nice if she had bright clothes, and the Grand Duke of Renigrad mentioned it as a reply to her congratulatory message.”

“Congratulatory message? Reply?”

While Bianca was asking back, Arne was inwardly rejoicing.

It seems that her effort to express allegiance through the proper use of Renigrad’s unique etiquette shone through.

It was clear that this congratulation pleased the Grand Duke of Renigrad.

“If it’s alright, shall we go inside and have a look at the dresses suitable for the lady?”

“Please come in.”

Prompted by the mention of the Grand Duke of Renigrad, Duke Ronia led Ella ahead.

Cecil and Bianca, still in disbelief, followed the disappearing backs of Ella and Arne.

* * *

Duke Ronia greedily lit up his eyes and kept talking to Ella.

To anyone watching, it might seem as if the Duke was the one getting fitted for clothes, not Arne.

“So what congratulations did Arne make? The Grand Duke is so considerate! Has Arne ever met the Grand Duke?”

“Haven’t you heard the news yet?”

“What news?”

Ella glanced at Arne, following behind the Duke.

“The Grand Duke of Renigrad said he would formally contact the Ronia family, so you might receive a call today. I can’t speak out of turn about the Grand Duke’s matters.”

“Ah, I see.”

Ella pretended to deal with the Duke while closely observing Arne.

Though she received orders from the masters of Renigrad, Arne was an interesting subject to watch.

Arne’s reputation in society was terrible.

Lacking in manners, grace, and discernment in choosing clothes, she was rumored to be a mad villainess.

But seeing her directly made it hard to believe.

‘Who said she lacks grace?’

Ironically, among everyone present, Arne seemed to exude the most ladylike grace in Ella’s eyes, who only dealt with noblewomen.

Just by looking at her straight posture and walk, one could tell.

What was interesting was that Arne unconsciously used Renigrad’s etiquette.

‘Why would a lady, born and raised in the capital and who has never visited Renigrad once, use Renigrad’s etiquette? Even that of the Grand Duchess.’

The more she saw, the more intriguing it became. It seemed like she understood why the Grand Duke was interested in Arne.

Even she was drawn to such a presence; surely the discerning Grand Duke must know.

Ella was gradually getting tired of dealing with the Duke.

After all, the reason she came here was to serve Arne; this should suffice as a saving face.

“Duke, if it’s alright with you, may I assist in fulfilling the Grand Duke’s command?”

Ella elegantly asked the Duke if he could now kindly shut his mouth.

Despite claiming not to care about the nobles’ opinions, the Duke found himself involuntarily closing his mouth at Ella’s unyielding gaze.

“Let’s do that.”

“Thank you.”

Ella immediately turned her body as if she had been waiting and looked at Arne.

“If it’s alright with you, I would recommend something that matches your usual style.”

Arne nodded. Then, Ella smiled brightly.

“Thank you. May I have your permission to see your dressing room?”

“……”

Arne couldn’t readily answer. Because there was no dressing room.

Bianca had two dressing rooms, but Arne had none.

The sound of Bianca snickering came from behind.

“This Arne is……”

“Penny, lead Ella to my room.”

Arne cut off Bianca’s words and commanded Penny, who had become her dedicated maid.

‘The fact that the Duke and Duchess neglect me is true. It’s not something that I can hide.’

In that case, it was better to be dignified.

Arne walked past the Duke, lifting her chin and straightening her back, moving with grace.

Upon reaching Arne’s room, Ella chose her words as if catching her breath.

Is it alright to ask if this is indeed the lady’s room?

Asking if such a humble place was the lady’s room would be a breach of etiquette, and not recognizing it as the lady’s room because it was too humble would also be a breach of etiquette.

This was the greatest challenge in Ella’s life as a perfect designer dealing with noblewomen and high nobility.

What saved Ella was Penny, who was cheerful at the thought of dressing up Arne.

“Here it is! This is the lady’s room!”

“Thi…s place.”

Ella barely managed her expression. But the crisis quickly returned.

“Is this perhaps the lady’s clothes……”

“This is the lady’s wardrobe!”

“Wardrobe, I see.”

Ella saw a black wardrobe as plain and dark as the black dress Arne was wearing.

The wardrobe, supposedly belonging to a lady, seemed quite old and even smelled musty.

Moreover, she almost wanted to faint when the wardrobe opened.

‘This is an insult to beauty!’

Inside the wardrobe were about seven black dresses that looked exactly like the one the lady was currently wearing.

‘Is she changing them daily? Is it a good thing that she can at least change? Or does she really like black that much?’

Ella quietly looked back at Cecil. And she also looked at Bianca standing next to her.

“……”

When Ella said nothing, Cecil’s face gradually turned red.

It was the lady of the house’s job to look after the clothes of a young daughter who hadn’t yet debuted in society.

If Bianca’s dresses were flamboyant compared to Arne’s pitiful wardrobe, it was Cecil’s fault.

‘The discrimination is severe.’

Ella almost blurted out if it was okay to throw them all away.

In high society, the competition among noble ladies over their status through fashion is fierce.

They often had dresses made for trivial reasons like being slightly out of fashion, slightly worn, or just because they were bored of them.

Moreover, for high nobility, clothes were more than just adornment; they represented the status of their house.

Or their taste.

‘Perhaps in high society, Lady Arne is……’

Ella bit her lip gently.

‘Is the problem about Lady Arne’s taste, is it about Madame Cecil’s discrimination, or perhaps about the Duke who turns a blind eye to all this?’

Ella’s eyes sparkled as she discovered more and more discrepancies from the rumors.

The Grand Duke sending her meant he was curious about the truth behind the surface-level rumors in high society.

‘Let’s take a closer look at each one.’

Ella carefully closed the wardrobe.

“Shall we start by looking at the dresses I’ve brought first?”

At Ella’s words, Cecil’s face turned red as if about to burst.