Madame Charlize was an artisan before she was a merchant. The high prices of her dresses were a testament to her immense pride in her work. But in Madame Charlize’s view, the young lady of the Debov family didn’t seem to appreciate that value. Ironically, Lady Valdez understood the worth of Madame Charlize’s dresses far better.

‘If not for her association with the Debov lady, she wouldn’t even have been allowed entry.’

Even among count families, the Debovs and the Valdezes were on entirely different levels. Normally, Lady Valdez wouldn’t have been able to wear a dress from Madame Charlize’s atelier. For these reasons, Saena had always been a somewhat displeasing client to Madame Charlize.

“Well then, shall we start by deciding on the color?”

Putting her judgments aside, Madame Charlize suggested starting with the color.

“I think white will do.”

“White? That’s the most common color. Are you sure?”

Young ladies attending debutante balls usually wore light-colored dresses. White was the standard, with pastel tones being common additions. As a result, nobles who had already debuted avoided such colors when attending debutante balls as a matter of unspoken etiquette. Even so, pure white was rarely chosen, as the dresses provided by the imperial family for the event were also white.

Nevertheless, Saena chose white. Her reason was simple: it suited her best. With her black hair and violet eyes, pure white was far better than any ambiguous color.

“Yes, white. Let’s keep the design simple as well. No ruffles, frills, or ribbons. Show me something without those.”

Madame Charlize was inwardly surprised.

Previously, she had often wondered, ‘She has such striking features when dressed up, so why does she always choose such unflattering outfits?’ The designs Saena was now describing aligned with the ones Madame Charlize had once imagined would suit her.

‘Has she finally realized her charm?’

As someone who ran an atelier, it was always satisfying to see someone whose appearance could truly shine with the right attire. Madame Charlize stood up abruptly and called for her staff.

“Bring the design books. All of the ones in the 10th series.”

Soon, the table in the reception room was piled high with design books. Madame Charlize enthusiastically flipped through the pages, ready to make recommendations. But before she could say anything, Saena pointed out a few designs and began speaking.

“For the bodice, something like this. With the shoulders exposed.”

“Let it fit snugly down to just above the hips, and then flare out from the hips like this.”

“The skirt fabric should be layered… and for the rest…”

Madame Charlize was astonished.

Saena was mixing and matching existing designs, and as Madame Charlize visualized the result, it seemed like it would turn out to be a stunning dress.

‘This… could really work.’

One of Saena’s requests, which wasn’t in the design books, was particularly promising—so much so that it could potentially start a new trend. Madame Charlize hurriedly grabbed a pen and sketched a rough draft in the blank space at the back of the design book.

“Does this look about right?”

“Oh, yes. It’s even prettier than I imagined. You’re amazing, Madame.”

“Excellent. I’ll try to have it made as soon as possible. If a fitting is needed, I’ll contact your estate.”

“Yes. And one more thing.”

Saena didn’t stop there. Most of the dresses currently in her wardrobe were equally unsuitable.

“I need more dresses. Party dresses, casual outing dresses, and indoor dresses as well.”

“…Yes?”

“The designs should have this kind of feel. This one is nice too. Twenty of each type, in designs and tones you think will suit me.”

Madame Charlize was continuously surprised.

The designs Saena pointed out weren’t typical for young ladies of her age, but when Madame Charlize mentally matched them to Saena, they seemed to fit her perfectly.

“It’s urgent, but I understand you’re busy. Send them one by one as they’re completed. For any dresses delivered within a month, I’ll pay ten times the price.”

“Pardon—?”

Madame Charlize’s jaw dropped.

“And I’ll place a standing order for twenty dresses of each type every season. I trust you to know what designs will suit me best.”

Madame Charlize’s jaw dropped even further.

‘Can she really do this?’

It was well-known that the Debov family was wealthy, so there shouldn’t be any issues with payment. Still, this wasn’t something most people could do. Even young ladies from marquis or ducal families often only ordered party dresses here and got their indoor dresses elsewhere due to the cost of Madame Charlize’s work.

“I think that should be all. I’ll be counting on you, Madame.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll be in touch.”

Most young ladies spent hours scrutinizing every detail when ordering even a single dress. Yet Saena had ordered dozens of dresses, discussed only the essentials, and left in less than thirty minutes. Madame Charlize’s eyes wavered as she watched Saena leave but quickly regained focus.

‘If this young lady is serious about entering society, this could be a huge opportunity.’

The Debov family’s wealth and reputation were such that they could easily overshadow most marquis families. And while Saena herself might not realize it, her beauty was remarkable. If she truly began to dress up and participate in social activities…

‘Who knows? She might even become a marchioness or duchess.’

That would only enhance the reputation of Madame Charlize’s boutique. Even if not, Saena was now a highly valuable client with a standing seasonal order.

Madame Charlize stood up, her mind already racing with design ideas to highlight Saena’s charm.

“Everyone! This is an emergency. Bring me the current reservation list!”

Ten times the price for dresses completed within a month. Though the atelier’s schedule was fully booked, Madame Charlize resolved to work through the nights to ensure at least two dresses in each category were completed and delivered promptly.

* * *

The Founding Festival approached quickly.

During this time, Saena focused on recalling and organizing the timeline of events from her past life. Though it was painful to remember, as her past life was filled with misery, she knew those memories were now necessary. Letting time pass idly and arriving at the same tragic end would be even worse.

So she forced herself to remember—the reasons and turning points that had led to her marriage in her previous life. And she came to a realization.

‘Wow, I was really inexperienced…’

Her narrow social circle was one thing, but she had been utterly clueless about the ways of the world. Though she wasn’t much better now, she resolved to improve. Compared to her peers, she might have slightly more experience, so perhaps she could show a better version of herself.

‘This time, I’ll actively try to meet different people.’

For Saena, ‘actively’ didn’t mean the same as it did for naturally extroverted people, but even forming meaningful connections with two or three good individuals would be a significant achievement.

‘This time, I should try talking to more men.’

In Saena’s world, the existence of <Arles-Promesa> and Yuri alone had been so complete that she had no interest in anyone else. But now, she understood that this mindset had been wrong.

‘Still, I won’t get married.’

Deep within Saena, the equation [Marriage equals Misery] was already firmly established. And every time she saw the sprouting shoot of Yuri’s tree—whether it would grow into a full tree or not—one thought resurfaced in her mind.

‘Let’s be happy.’

At the very least, let’s not be unhappy.

Yuri would have wanted that. Surely, he would have.

Happiness. Let’s achieve it.

* * *

“My lady, a delivery has arrived from Madame Charlize’s boutique.”

“Oh? Again already?”

Madame Charlize was truly remarkable. Although Saena had offered ten times the price, she hadn’t expected much since it was the peak season for ateliers. Yet not only had the debutante ball dress been completed and delivered, but two casual outing dresses had also been finished and sent. What’s more, despite the short time frame, the quality had not diminished at all. Madame Charlize seemed far more capable than Saena had initially thought—or perhaps just very greedy for money.

Since Saena didn’t think she could enhance Madame Charlize’s reputation through her own name, she naturally leaned toward the latter assumption.

“Oh my—this is so beautiful! My goodness!”

“As expected of Madame Charlize!”

The maids gasped as they carefully unwrapped the fabric covering the dresses inside the wooden delivery box. The box not only contained the dresses but also matching hats, shoes, and accessories. Whether these were included in the price or charged separately was unclear, but Madame Charlize’s intuition in knowing that the Debov family would pay without hesitation was impressive.

Saena smiled and addressed her nanny.

“Nanny, I told her I’d pay ten times the price if she delivered within a month because I needed the dresses urgently. So, tell the head butler not to be shocked by the invoice and to settle it.”

“Yes, you did well.”

The nanny was well aware of the Debov family’s wealth. This amount wouldn’t even cause Count Debov to blink. What was more touching was that the young lady, who usually showed no interest in such matters, had spent money on dresses at all.

“By the way, these dresses she sent… did you choose them yourself, my lady?”