His response didn’t stray far from my expectations.

“……!”

The Duke’s eyes widened, then he immediately snapped in a resolute tone.

“Absolutely not.”

“Why? You’re openly looking at me like this right now. Isn’t this decent enough attire?”

At my words, the Duke’s pale face turned red.

Seeing his reaction gave me a strange sense of satisfaction. Perhaps I was discovering a taste I hadn’t known before…?

The Duke shook his head at my words.

“No, no. I didn’t look.”

After vehemently denying it for a while, as if that wasn’t enough, he eventually turned his back.

“I’ll be going now. I’ll tell the maids to bring new clothes.”

He rushed toward the door, and I thought he would leave just like that.

But right before opening the door, he suddenly turned back and said with emphasis:

“Absolutely do not come out dressed like that.”

“……?”

“I don’t like others seeing you that way.”

“……!”

“Now I’ll take my leave.”

With those words, the Duke opened the door and left the room. Left alone again, my heart inexplicably pounded.

‘What, what was that?’

I had clearly planned to tease the Duke, but instead, my heart started racing uncontrollably at his final remark.

Like I had developed an arrhythmia.

❀❀❀

After changing clothes and finishing dinner, the Duke offered to escort me home.

However, having already imposed on him so much today, I felt uncomfortable accepting any more favors. It was also a minimum boundary.

After all, our relationship was nothing more or less than business.

On the way home in the carriage sent by my family, my mind was somehow complicated.

‘Today was quite a dangerous time.’

Being caught between the father and son made me constantly think about wanting to become part of their happy family.

The thought of putting aside business, the position of family head, and just being happy with those two.

‘If only I had met them five years ago.’

Back then, I was naive and believed in love. I believed in possibilities rather than failures, and relied on intuition rather than experience.

Perhaps if I had been attracted to him, I might have shared a passionate love with the Duke.

But I’m different now.

Through one marriage, I’ve learned that you don’t have to be in love to get married, and also how weak the binding power of love can be.

So tangible benefits that I could see right now were more important than invisible vows.

Things that would protect me and benefit me.

Despite knowing this, I somehow wanted to tear everything down. While not understanding myself, that emotion felt so vivid.

I shook my head.

“Don’t think crazy thoughts, Levedi Ophelia.”

I steadied my heart, repeating this to myself.

Yes, now was the time to maintain my reason.

And fortunately, after whispering this to myself, my unsettled heart seemed to calm down a bit.

As if nothing had happened at all.

❀❀❀

It was exactly one week after our lake outing.

Unlike last time, I headed straight to the trading company after spending just three hours with them.

With the opening of a new Single Mothers’ Center and an upcoming brand launch, I couldn’t afford to neglect work for even a day.

I’m so grateful for Ilina’s existence.

Ilina had a natural talent for business and was also diligent, making her a tremendous help to the trading company.

Black Rose would be unimaginable without Ilina.

Entering the trading company, I spotted a woman giving various instructions amidst the bustling crowd.

Though her commanding presence exuded charisma, her appearance was incredibly youthful.

It was Ilina.

As I approached her, employees noticed my visit and began greeting me one by one.

“Welcome, Rose!”

“Oh, Rose, hello!”

“Rose—”

With such a commotion, she couldn’t miss it.

Not long after, Ilina spotted me and ran over.

“Rose, you’re here?”

Currently, I was hiding my identity as ‘Levedi Ophelia.’

That’s why, whether it was Ilina or Sherry, they called me “Miss” in private but used the alias Rose in public.

The problem was that I couldn’t get used to this name no matter how many times I heard it.

‘Maybe because it was chosen so carelessly.’

Hiding my rising embarrassment, I asked calmly:

“Is everything progressing well?”

At my question, Ilina hesitated briefly before nodding.

“Yes, as you can see. But a problem arose while you were away.”

“What kind…?”

I couldn’t help but catch my breath at the mention of a problem. If Ilina, who usually handled things well on her own, mentioned a problem, it must be quite serious.

“Could we talk inside?”

“I don’t mind.”

“Then, let’s go in.”

❀❀❀

Ilina and I headed to my office.

“Can you tell me now? What problem has occurred?”

I sent Ilina an urging look as we sat facing each other.

In response, Ilina stared into space as if contemplating, then opened her mouth.

“It’s not that serious, it’s about the White Velvet launch fashion show.”

White Velvet was the name of the newly launching brand.

While the existing Black Velvet clothes featured glamorous, antique, and fatal designs, White Velvet had a main theme of lovely designs suitable for young ladies just entering society.

At Ilina’s words, I involuntarily drew in a breath.

“If it’s not a big problem, then what kind of problem—”

We had secured investments from various sources for this White Velvet launch.

If it didn’t go well, given Black Rose’s scale, there wouldn’t be immediate issues.

But thinking about the investors’ resentment that would come back to us, having experienced it firsthand, I shuddered just imagining it.

After seemingly choosing her words for a while, Ilina finally spoke.

“You don’t need to worry too much. There’s just been some trouble between the Black Velvet head designer and a model. The model is refusing to walk in the fashion show.”

“Which model are you talking about?”

“Ersia, I think? That pretty lady from the viscount’s family.”

At Ilina’s words, I quietly nodded.

But only for a moment. Soon, I had to burst out in shock.

“Wait, then this is indeed a big deal, isn’t it?”

Ersia Artel. Ersia, the lady of the Artel viscounty, was one of our Black Velvet exclusive models.

She also possessed a superior body ratio and an innocent face that highlighted clothes well.

But it’s not like she was our only model, and the absence of just one person could be manageable.

The problem lay elsewhere.

“That lady, she’s in charge of the main outfit for this fashion show, isn’t she?”

As it happened, Ersia was responsible for the main outfit in this fashion show.

“…It does seem like a big problem.”

Ilina responded to my words in a subdued voice.

“Do you know how they ended up fighting?”

“Well, as you know, that lady is quite… picky. So she kept complaining, and the problem is that Madame Dupont also has quite a temper.”

“That’s right.”

Baroness Dupont was Black Velvet’s head designer.

Having given birth to and raised three children on her own, she had a tough, bulldozer-like personality.

Because of this, she often clashed with Ersia, a frivolous noble lady.

“Don’t they usually reconcile well enough?”

“Well, this time she seems to have made an extremely unreasonable demand, like completely redoing the dress.”

“Redoing it?”

I couldn’t help but burst out in shock. After all, the main outfit for this collection was an empire dress with a goddess-like elegant feel. What was there to redo?

“She was saying something about her chest being her strength, and wanted that part altered.”

“…Huh.”

It was a situation that naturally evoked a bitter laugh.

“So Madame Dupont is also very angry and adamant about not backing down this time… and Ersia doesn’t seem likely to request reconciliation first.”

“Right.”

This was always the problem when using noble ladies as models to maintain the brand’s prestige.

They think they’re the only nobles and mistreat the designers. At times like this, I felt the urge to reveal that I was Lady Ophelia. Of course, reality wasn’t so accommodating, so such thoughts remained mere fantasies.

“What about other models? Have you looked?”

“Well, it’s awkward to find another model because the main dress was prepared to fit that model’s body perfectly.”

“What about making a new one?”

“We considered that option too… but the dress itself requires a lot of intricate work. According to the Madame, with the time constraints, it would be difficult to preserve all the details, so she suggested maybe just displaying the dress without a model.”

“That’s not bad either… but clothes are best worn by people.”

“Yes, that’s right. I think so too.”

Ilina agreed with an understanding expression.

But we didn’t have time to waste just complaining back and forth.

I rose from my seat.

“Make sure to remove that lady’s name from the next collection. It’s not a contract termination, but we just won’t provide clothes.”

“…That seems necessary.”

“And Ilina, follow me.”

I spoke while searching for and putting on a mask to cover my eyes from the drawer.

Ilina gave me a puzzled look at my words.

“Where are you going?”

After putting on a wide-brimmed feathered hat with a veil that semi-transparently covered my face, I answered:

“We need to go persuade that lady.”

❀❀❀

“Is this the dessert cafe that lady frequently visits?”

“Yes, they say she appears every day at 3 PM.”

“She must have a lot of free time.”

Normally, I would have just accepted this information, but after being inconvenienced, I couldn’t see it in a good light.

With only two weeks left until the fashion show, causing problems with her diva behavior. No matter how I thought about it, it wasn’t reasonable.

Suppressing my rising anger, I said:

“Let’s get out.”

“Already? It’s only 2:30.”

Ilina pointed to the clock in the square visible through the window.

“That’s why we should go now to be on time. We’ll pretend to be customers.”

“Ah, so we’re going undercover.”

“It’s not that grand, but something like that.”

So Ilina and I got out of the carriage and entered the dessert shop.

The dessert shop with ‘Muerte’ written prominently was impressive with its splendid exterior.

Its sensible interior was exactly what young women would like.

‘When I create a salon later, I should make it feel like this.’

Perhaps due to occupational habit, whenever I saw such things, rather than thinking they were pretty, I first thought about how to use them in business.

Realizing I had just unconsciously thought that way again, I felt somewhat disgusted with myself.

‘This d*mn occupational habit.’

Grumbling to myself, I entered the cafe and found a seat in the corner with Ilina.

Simultaneously, a waiter approached us as if he had been waiting.

“What would you like to order?”

Ilina quickly glanced at the menu and said naturally:

“Two cups of black tea and a strawberry pop cream cake, please.”

“Yes. Two cups of black tea and a strawberry pop cream cake. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“How strange. Usually, strawberry pop cream cake is popular among young ladies.”

“I guess that means our taste is just as cute?”

At Ilina’s bold retort, my mouth fell open, and the waiter laughed and replied:

“Of course! Please wait a moment.”

After the waiter left, I glared at Ilina.

“Why did you order as you pleased?”

“I thought you would want that anyway.”

Ilina replied calmly.

“……”

Caught off guard, I couldn’t say anything. It was true that I liked strawberries.

“You look like someone who would order a chocolate gateau, but your actual preference is strawberry pop cream cake, right?”

“…You know me too well.”

Just as I felt like saying, “You’re k*lling me,” the door chimed.

The bell installed at the shop door rang throughout the hall. I reflexively turned my head, and there she was.

“She really came.”

Ersia was entering with unfamiliar ladies.

“Since we’re both wearing different masks than usual, she won’t recognize us, right?”

I quietly nodded at Ilina’s words and whispered:

“Let’s observe the situation, and if that lady is left alone, try to engage in conversation.”

“Sounds good.”

And conveniently, Ersia and her group took a table not far from ours.

Ersia, seated among four ladies, appeared incredibly domineering.

It was clear that Ersia had significant influence in that group.

Though it’s an embarrassing past, I used to hang out in groups like that at her age too.

For a while, trivial conversations flowed between Ersia and the four ladies.

So we decided to focus on eating our cake for a moment. After all, we hadn’t come to eavesdrop.

However, I had to put down my fork at the words I soon heard.

“My lady, I’m so envious. You’re Black Velvet’s muse.”

“Oh please, muse? Even so, I can’t even decide on a single bust decoration as I wish.”

“What do you mean?”

When one lady looked at her with a puzzled expression, Ersia replied with a bored expression:

“Well, you see. I prefer clothes that emphasize my bust line, but they keep making me wear clothes that would have been fashionable 20 years ago. Is it so difficult to ask for a bit of cleavage?”

“Oh my, really? Isn’t that power harassment?”

That’s right. That’s power harassment!

I felt somewhat relieved when the lady next to her said exactly what I wanted to say.

But then…

“Forcing a model to wear unfashionable clothes, that’s definitely power harassment. Wow, I didn’t see Black Velvet that way, I’m disappointed.”

From the additional comments of another lady, I realized.

The mention of power harassment wasn’t directed at Ersia, but at us.

“Huh.”

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at the absurdity.

Ilina sighed looking at the group.

“Oh my, those girls, really.”

She seemed familiar with this kind of situation.

“Does this happen often?”

At my question, Ilina thought for a moment and then nodded.

“Well, yes. Most models are young ladies who don’t understand the world, so whenever something happens, they ask, ‘Isn’t this exploitation? Isn’t this power harassment?’ I’ve just gotten used to it.”

Just as Ilina whispered softly in my ear—

“Why don’t you just terminate the contract with Black Velvet?”

At the sudden voice, I felt my composure completely disappear.

One of the group had spoken.

But what was even more absurd came next.

“I was thinking of doing just that. Actually, La Fleur, a competing brand, also offered me a modeling position.”

“Gasp, my lady, just leave them. They’ll only realize your value when you’re gone.”

“That’s right. I think the same.”

“…Sigh, should I? I wanted to continue out of loyalty.”

I couldn’t bear to listen anymore.

“What are they even saying…?”

Ilina tried to calm me down.

“Miss, please calm down. They’re just immature.”

“No, this goes beyond immaturity.”

“That’s true, but…”

Ilina trailed off, seemingly agreeing with me.

After a brief deliberation, I stood up from my seat.

“Let’s go back.”

“What? But Miss…”

“From now on, we need to be selective about our models. Some people think they’re doing us a favor.”

I quickly walked toward the entrance, and Ilina followed behind me.

“Miss, wait for me!”

❀❀❀

About a week passed after our visit to the cafe.

The situation remained stagnant with no progress.

I was reluctant to persuade Ersia, but sending the main outfit on a mannequin was absurd.

Trying to find another model was difficult because the dress itself was so small in size, making it hard to find a model with the right build.

But the pre-launch schedule was so harsh that even such worries were forgotten.

In the midst of all this, meeting with the Duke to discuss marriage matters meant I was stretched beyond capacity.

I realized for the first time that not only was sleeping an average of three hours a day out of the question, but even when I lay down to sleep, my eyelids trembled so much that I couldn’t fall asleep.

“Levedi, your face has become much thinner. Are you unwell?”