Perhaps that’s why. I had never seen her wearing a dress at an official event.

‘Could she be requesting a uniform?’

Of course, women can wear uniforms too, but since they’re primarily men’s clothing, Black Velvet, which mainly deals with women’s clothing, doesn’t make them.

‘That would be troublesome.’

“I’ll need to ask her to know for sure.”

At my words, Ilina nodded in understanding and asked.

“Should I set up an appointment?”

“Yes, talk to Baroness Dupont and arrange it.”

“Oh, but now that I think about it, Her Highness the Crown Princess made a special request.”

“What kind?”

“She said she really wants to meet the model who was in the finale of the fashion show that time.”

At that moment, my heart dropped. Because I was the model who had graced the finale of the fashion show.

“The Crown Princess…?”

“Yes.”

“Why on earth?”

When I asked in confusion, Ilina showed an awkward smile, expressing her difficulty.

“I don’t know either. She just whispered that request to me.”

It was unusual. Normally when custom clothes are being made, one only meets with designers, so there had never been a case of someone looking for a model.

“Maybe she was impressed by your finale, Miss?”

❀❀❀

“Ersia!”

A scream that felt like it was tearing her ears split through the study. Ersia’s light brown eyes widened and soon filled with tears.

“Are you in your right mind?!”

Her father, Viscount Astel, rarely got angry. He had always been a kind father to her and usually took her side no matter what trouble she caused.

For Ersia, seeing her father this terrifying was a first.

“Why are you… shouting, Father?”

Ersia tried to lighten the mood, but it had the opposite effect.

The Viscount’s expression twisted even more severely.

“Why am I shouting? Is that what you say in this situation?”

“This situation? What’s happened?”

When Ersia asked with wide, innocent eyes, deep wrinkles formed between the Viscount’s brows.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know! After causing such a major incident!”

“What? A major incident?”

When Ersia asked in a surprised voice, the Viscount took a deep breath as if trying to control his boiling anger and said:

“Yes. What did you do to make House Esteban say they’re going to withdraw all their investment funds?”

His voice was calmer than before but still showed he couldn’t control his anger.

Ersia unconsciously opened her eyes wide.

“Withdraw the investment?”

Her father, Viscount Astel, was running a small trading company. Many territory residents had died in the plague that hit the Empire a decade ago.

But as even the surviving residents migrated to cities en masse, the territory’s situation worsened.

To the point where it became difficult for members of the Viscount’s family to maintain their livelihood with just the tenant fees from the territory.

So among the Empire’s nobles, running businesses began to trend.

Especially as shipping developed, many ventured into maritime trade.

Viscount Astel also entered maritime trade a bit later than others, but fortunately, with the help of a good investor, he was maintaining his business quite stably.

But could it be.

“Is Duke Esteban an investor in our trading company…?”

At Ersia’s question, the Viscount’s eyes sharpened.

“You, as the only daughter, didn’t even know that?!”

“No, I just……”

She wanted to retort that children don’t care about their parents’ business as long as they’re not starving, but Ersia soon closed her mouth.

It was obvious the Viscount would get angry, and if Duke Esteban was withdrawing money from Astel’s trading company, it was a very serious matter.

But at the same time, she felt wronged. Why?

While Ersia was lost in such questions, the Viscount spoke with one hand on his brow.

“I could tolerate you bumping into people like a fighting rooster, but did you have to mess with the head of Black Rose because you had no one else to target? I should have stopped you when you said you wanted to be a model.”

“…Wh-what do you mean?”

Ersia felt a chill down her spine. So did the Duke step in all because of the trading company head Rose?

“A letter came from Duke Esteban. He said he’ll permanently withdraw his investment if we don’t properly apologize.”

“……”

“What this means is that our family will end up on the streets. All because of you! Do you understand?”

The excited Viscount Astel’s finger pointed at Ersia. Ersia’s eyes widened. It was terrible. More than the family collapsing, the fact that a mere commoner woman was under Duke Esteban’s protection.

The thought of having to bow her head to a commoner was unbearable.

Ersia asked with narrowed eyes,

“Are you saying I should… apologize to that woman?”

“…You!”

At Ersia’s immature statement, Viscount Astel’s expression contorted as if she still hadn’t come to her senses.

“Father, you’ll understand if you hear me out. That woman isn’t a big shot. She’s just a mistress living off the Duke.”

“……”

“Why should I apologize to her?”

At the continued stream of immature words, the Viscount shook his head.

“…You just don’t get it.”

“What?”

Just as Ersia looked with a puzzled gaze at his resigned tone…

Soon, a loud shout burst from her father’s mouth, making Ersia’s body flinch.

“Wake up!”

“Father…!”

At the sudden shout, tears welled up in Ersia’s eyes. Normally, the Viscount would have helplessly fallen for such tearful tactics from Ersia.

But for some reason, today was different.

“Until now, I’ve quietly overlooked whatever trouble you caused. Because I believed you would grow up someday.”

The Viscount’s voice seemed firmly honed.

Reflecting such a mindset, his gaze toward Ersia was resolute to the point of coldness.

“But now I see that I’ve raised my daughter too indulgently. Not just bad manners, but you have no sense of reality.”

“……”

“Ersia!”

Suddenly, the Viscount called Ersia as if shouting, and Ersia, who had been looking down, was startled.

Meeting the eyes of his daughter who had raised her head abruptly, the Viscount made his final admonition.

“It doesn’t matter if the person is the Duke’s mistress or servant. What matters is that you’ve upset him. And that our family might go bankrupt because of it!”

“……”

At the Viscount’s words, Ersia unconsciously bit her lip.

She hated the idea of bowing her head to such a vulgar woman. But she hated the family going bankrupt even more.

Her heart leaned toward the less distasteful option, but she was equally reluctant about this choice too.

But the fierce gaze of the Viscount looking at her.

Ersia finally had to open her reluctant mouth.

“…I understand.”

❀❀❀

“My goodness, the Crown Princess placed an order? And even the imperial princess?”

Baroness Dupont, who had been worn out preparing for the fashion show, rarely showed such bright eyes.

That made sense because for a designer, making clothes for the imperial family is considered the highest honor.

When Ilina and I delivered the news, she blinked her eyelids repeatedly in disbelief, then began to smile.

“I never thought I’d see such a day.”

I joked,

“Aren’t you too excited? I hope you won’t run off to the imperial palace if the Crown Princess calls you.”

“Oh, my lady. You shouldn’t say that. Do you know how many reservations we have backed up?”

Ilina chimed in beside me.

“Well, maybe not completely, but I might consider it.”

“Your expression is too serious…?!”

“I felt it too, Baroness?”

“……Hehehe.”

For a while, laughter didn’t cease among the three women. Design team employees gradually approached one by one, forming a circle around the Baroness.

Perhaps this teamwork among employees was why Black Rose could grow so quickly in such a short time.

When there’s joy or sorrow, we always sincerely congratulate or comfort each other regardless of rank or status.

It was difficult in a class-based society, but things were different at Black Rose.

That’s because Black Rose was established with the intention of creating jobs for single mothers or women who had difficulty finding work.

Perhaps that’s why. The bond between employees was incomparable to other trading companies.

But sharing the joy together was brief. It was time to return to work.

“By the way, this isn’t the time for everyone to be chatting. Can’t you see all these backed-up reservations?!”

At my cold water, the bustling atmosphere instantly became solemn.

Except for one person, Baroness Dupont.

“I’m excited just thinking about making the clothes.”

She was a workaholic through and through.

“Did you hear what she just said?”

“Oh my, Baroness, you’re such a workaholic.”

“How scary!”

“But really, at this rate, we’ll have to work overtime, let’s go back to work……”

Astonishment spread around at Baroness Dupont’s sincere words. At the same time, everyone went back to their places, and finally, with just the two of us left, I opened my mouth.

“So, Baroness, are you planning to invite the imperial princesses together?”

No matter how imperial they were, Black Velvet was enjoying the highest popularity in the capital. The right to unilaterally notify dates belonged to Black Velvet.

And choosing those dates was entirely up to Baroness Dupont.

At my words, Baroness Dupont thought for a moment and then nodded.

“I’ll clear the schedule for that day.”

“When would that be?”

“If I take measurements for other buyers all this week… based on my experience, a day should be free around next Friday.”

Chapter 5. Crown Princess Estelia.

The busier the designers got, the busier Ilina and I, who were in charge of accounting, became.

It was only possible with just Ilina and me because Black Rose didn’t accept many customers; otherwise, we would have had to form a team.

‘I guess that’s fortunate.’

But fortunate or not, my body was already half-soaked in fatigue. Well, that’s not all I do anyway.

Although Black Rose is widely known as a fashion brand, in reality, Black Rose is a concept of an upper organization encompassing various businesses.

Under it were Black Velvet and White Velvet, and quite a lot of money had been poured into several other businesses as well.

For example, the wedding planning business.

In the end, it was still related to fashion, but the revenue generated from there was too significant to ignore.

Especially this time, since the bride wasn’t a noble but the daughter of a man known as the head of the merchant guild in the south.

Since she was a valuable guest, taking special care not to offend her, time flew by like an arrow.

To the point where my sense of dates became vague.

When I finally came to my senses, the day to meet Crown Princess Estelia and her younger sister, Imperial Princess Penelope, had approached.

❀❀❀

Shouldn’t I at least look like a proper person when meeting the imperial princesses?

With that mindset, I slept soundly at my family home last night and was unusually clear-headed.

After waking up in the morning and washing, I headed to the dressing room to choose clothes.

And the first outfit I saw upon entering the dressing room was the one Baroness Dupont had made for me.

It was a dress she had forcibly gifted me, saying she made it for me.

I had postponed wearing it at her insistence to try it on the spot, saying I would wear it on an important day, and today was that day.

‘I thought she was joking, but I didn’t know she was so serious.’

Well, Baroness Dupont isn’t the type to say things she doesn’t mean.

But why was she so desperate to make clothes for me?

One thing for sure is that all these changes happened after the fashion show.

Perhaps I looked pretty from a distance during the fashion show?

Considering the Duke said something similar, it seems likely?

‘Could I be meant for the stage?’

Just as I was having these silly thoughts. Soon, with the help of maids, I put on the dress and stood in front of the mirror, unable to hold back my admiration.

‘It really is pretty.’

As the representative of Black Rose, I had many opportunities to try on clothes when they came out.

I had encountered various clothes, but this was the first time I had seen such a beautiful one.

“Wow, Miss, it’s really pretty! It’s like someone painted a picture on the dress with oil paints.”

I nodded.

Oil paint—an appropriate expression.

The purple and yellow flowers adorning the light purple frilled dress were indescribably vibrant, as if embroidered with oil paints.

Moreover, the V-shaped neckline created a mature atmosphere, while the increasingly voluminous frills of the skirt toward the bottom were incredibly lovely.

“This dress suits spring so well.”

“I agree. It’s really pretty, where did you buy it?”

Since all the maids had left by then, I whispered to Sherry,

“Baroness Dupont gave it to me as a gift.”

“Oh my, really? I thought she might do that.”

“……?”

I tilted my head at Sherry’s words, which seemed to have anticipated such a situation.

Sherry hesitated as if checking my reaction, then answered in a lowered voice as if revealing a major secret,

“Well, her eyes… they had that look.”

“Eyes?”

“When she looks at you, it’s like a longing gaze? Like an unquenchable thirst……”

Sherry’s words gave me goosebumps. Come to think of it, wasn’t the Baroness’s gaze after the fashion show exactly like that?

I thought the fashion show might have been just a pretext, but I stopped my thoughts there.

“That’s enough.”

“……Oh, why?”

“It’s just, a bit……”

Scary.

I should have realized it when she stayed up for three days straight and forced me to do the same, saying ‘People don’t die easily, Lady Rose.’

“I should head to the trading company now. The Crown Princess is scheduled to visit today.”

“Oh my, really? Can I come and see too?”

At the mention of the Crown Princess, Sherry’s eyes widened, and I smiled and said,

“Then come along.”

❀❀❀

After riding in a carriage for about 30 minutes and arriving at the trading company, I saw a splendid carriage parked.

I could easily guess the owner of the lavish carriage, painted white and decorated with gold.

Especially the Red Dragon motif decorated in gold symbolized the Ricardo Imperial Family.

‘She arrived early.’

I hurriedly got out of the carriage wearing my mask.

It’s impolite to arrive later than a customer. Although the Crown Princess had arrived before the appointed time.

I quickly walked toward the VIP reception room of the trading company without even having time to check my appearance.

And just before entering the reception room, I took off the mask I was wearing.

❀❀❀

In the reception room I arrived at, Baroness Dupont and two look-alike women sitting across from her were present.

‘Crown Princess Estelia and Imperial Princess Penelope.’

The blonde-haired, golden-eyed sisters of the Ricardo Imperial Family looked alike, but their auras were completely different.

Estelia had a refreshing and hearty feel, like a spreading zelkova tree, while in contrast, her younger sister Penelope had a bright, dandelion-like feel.

Thinking that both were not just pretty but rarely charming people, I bowed my head.

At the same time, a question flew straight at me.

“Are you Rose?”

“Yes, I am. I greet Your Highnesses. Please feel free to call me Rose.”

There was a reason why I, who normally extremely avoid voice exposure to nobles, answered the Crown Princess.

She had only returned about three years ago after a long period of studying abroad, so she would have no information about me.

“Wow! It’s like a dream to see the veiled trading company head.”

Imperial Princess Penelope, currently 18 years old, also had absolutely no connection with me.

Before marriage, when I was actively participating in social circles, it was six years ago from now.

The typical age for a social debut is 16, but at that time, the Imperial Princess was 12 years old.

Also, since both are from the imperial family, they can occupy high positions in social circles without passing information to anyone.

After all, it’s said that imperial family members consider discretion their highest virtue.

Nevertheless, feeling a bit uneasy, I carefully added,

“You two are the first customers I’ve formally spoken with like this.”

“……Oh my, really?”

At my words, Penelope widened her eyes in surprise, and Estelia also showed a surprised expression.

“Is there a reason you revealed your face to us?”