Chapter 18

"Lady Laila, as your future mistress, there is something I would like to ask of you."

One day, while Laila was reading a book in her room, Vernelle came to her.

Helka was away from the mansion today, working at the magic research institute. She was supposed to return by night, but Laila was spending her time quietly in her room, as it wasn't good to go for a walk or make sweets while Helka was away.

(Huh? Didn't Vernelle say she was going to organize the summer clothes?)

It was about to get cold, so the summer clothes needed to be put away and the winter clothes prepared. Vernelle should have been busy with that.

Laila was startled by the term "future mistress," and Vernelle, standing by the door, seemed somewhat pleased.

"Is something the matter?"

"Yes, something is. Something very much so."

Vernelle looked delighted.

Laila had been living in the mansion for about a month and was gradually getting to understand Vernelle's emotional fluctuations.

"While I was putting away the summer clothes and getting out the winter ones... there was a pleasant surprise."

"A pleasant surprise?"

"...I just measured Master Julius's size, and it seems that his clothes from last year might be too tight."

It took Laila a few seconds to understand the implications of Vernelle's words, and then she stood up in surprise.

"So, Master Julius's body has changed?"

"Yes. Until now, we had to tailor his trousers very tightly, especially around the waist and chest... but now! The winter clothes from last year might be too tight!"

"What a situation!"

Vernelle was overjoyed, and Laila, too, clapped her hands in excitement.

To put it simply, Julius had gained weight. This meant that he, who had been so thin he was called a "ghost," was now approaching a healthy weight.

"Until now, you seemed to weigh more than Lady Laila, but at this rate, he should eventually reach a more standard physique!"

"Isn't that a bit rude?"

Indeed, Laila wasn't a slim beauty and had some meat on her bones, which made Vernelle's comment somewhat frustrating.

"I was merely stating the truth. ...In any case, I will be making new winter clothes for Master Julius, and since Lady Laila is here, I would like you to practice being the mistress by helping with this."

Laila, who had been sulking, calmed down at Vernelle's words.

The Baltzsek family was not nobility but a renowned magic family, and this mansion, though a smaller residence, would make Laila the mistress once she married Julius. While her duties wouldn't drastically increase, she would need to act as a wife and support her husband.

One of those duties was to oversee the making of her husband's clothes. In the past, wives would sew their husbands' clothes by hand, but now it was more practical to have a tailor do it.

However, in the Kingdom of Rendia, it was the mistress's responsibility to discuss with the tailor and order the clothes. While maids could also handle this, it was also a way to show one's talent in choosing suitable clothes for one's husband.

(To be honest, I'm not very knowledgeable about fashion...)

"...Alright. I'll do it."

"That is an honor. I have already arranged for the tailor to come this afternoon, so I would like you to join the meeting."

This meant Helka wouldn't be around.

(But since it's about Master Julius, Vernelle probably won't say anything unnecessary and will cooperate...)

"Alright. Thank you, Vernelle."

"...I look forward to seeing your fashion sense, Lady Laila."

Laila returned a mischievous smile to Vernelle's chuckle.

---

Upon re-evaluating, Laila realized that the clothes Julius had been wearing were incredibly slim. They were so slim that Laila's thighs wouldn't fit into his trousers.

The tailor who arrived in the parlor in the afternoon had been taking care of Julius since his teenage years and was familiar with his physique. When Vernelle informed him of Julius's new measurements, he was surprised.

"Goodness... You've gained quite a bit of weight. Until now, we had to tailor your clothes very tightly, but now, a slightly slimmer fit should suffice."

"I'm relieved to hear that."

When Laila, introducing herself as Julius's fiancée, smiled gracefully, the tailor adjusted his round glasses and smiled at her.

"I've been making Master Julius's clothes for about eight years... I suppose your engagement is the reason for this change."

The tailor didn't know why Julius had been so frail, but his guess was quite accurate, and Laila nodded.

"Yes. Recently, Master Julius has been eating well and getting enough sleep. His skin has also improved, and I'm very happy about that."

"Of course, of course. They say love makes one strong, and it's true."

(Well, it's a bit different, but... I guess it's fine.)

He interpreted it positively, so Laila nodded without adding unnecessary details. The discussion about Julius's winter clothes began immediately.

"Master Julius prefers black and gray. I want to follow his preferences, but I think it would be good to have some other colors in his formal wear."

"Indeed..."

Laila had seen the closet beforehand, and it was entirely in black, white, and gray. The few white items were formal wear, and the casual clothes were all dark.

(Most of the robes at the magic research institute are also in subdued colors, and Master Julius doesn't seem to like bright colors...)

While picturing Julius's usual posture in her mind, Laila flipped through the color sample cards the tailor showed her.

"Please make the basic design the same as last year's winter clothes, but in a different size. However, I'd like to have one in a different color."

"Yes... If Master Julius starts attending social events, it would be good to have formal wear in colors other than black and white."

Laila nodded and spread out a few color sample cards.

"Master Julius's hair is a light wheat color, so red tones would suit him. What about these colors?"

As she said this, she heard a small groan from Vernelle behind her.

(This groan... isn't negative, I think.)

Since Vernelle didn't say anything, Laila's choice must have been satisfactory to him.

The tailor also examined the color samples Laila had spread out and nodded.

" Wine red, then. Master Julius has a rather calm demeanor, so a slightly darker shade would be appropriate."

"Yes. But it might be too dark, so I'd like to add some accent colors."

Laila's fashion sense was average, but she had naturally picked up on which colors went well together and what kind of furniture suited a room while helping at the trading company.

(This time it's formal wear, not furniture, but I'll try to apply it...)

"How about a white or gray cravat, gold buttons, and a slightly darker red vest... Vernelle, what do you think?"

Vernelle, who had been silent, glanced at the cards in Laila's hand and then looked at her face intently.

(...What?)

"...Most of what you suggested is fine. Additionally, adding embroidery with slightly lighter thread on the jacket hem would make it stand out in bright places."

"I see..."

"Also... How about adding a touch of purple somewhere?"

"Purple?"

Laila asked, puzzled. Indeed, wine red and purple were both in the red family, so they wouldn't clash too much.

The tailor across from her seemed to notice something and smiled, but Laila was still unsure about Vernelle's intention and hesitated as she flipped through the color sample cards.

"Purple, purple... this one?"

"No, this one would be better."

Vernelle chose a lighter shade of purple, closer to the color of a lapis lazuli, rather than the grape color Laila had expected.

(Hmm... It's a bit too light for wine red, but if Vernelle says so, it should be fine.)

"Alright. Then this... How about a clasp for the cravat? And since Master Julius has long hair, we could use the same color for a ribbon."

"Yes, that's a good idea. ...Understood."

The tailor incorporated Laila and Vernelle's suggestions and sketched a rough design of the formal wear with colored pencils. It was already quite good, but after adding a few more suggestions like "narrowing the waist a bit more to highlight the figure" and "having fewer buttons on the vest," they all agreed on a satisfactory design.

"I will have this made. Including the other items you ordered, it will take about a month."

"Yes, thank you."

The tailor would be seen off by Vernelle, so Laila said goodbye and left the room.

Back in her room, she closed the door and let out a big sigh.

(Phew, that went well...!)

She had put on a show of knowledge and suggested designs and color samples, but she had been quite nervous.

(But the tailor and Vernelle seemed satisfied... that's good.)

She imagined Julius wearing the final design the tailor had sketched.

Indeed, he seemed to have gained weight recently. He was still slim and tall, so the sleek wine red formal wear would highlight his charm.

(I wonder if I'll have a chance to go somewhere with Master Julius wearing that...)

The clothes would be ready in a month, and by then, Julius might be attending various evening parties. He had recently accepted an invitation from a noble.

(Oh no, he's going to look so handsome!)

While Laila saw Julius every day and didn't fully grasp the change, Helka had said that proper meals and sleep were bringing out his inherent beauty.

If she had a chance to stand by his side, Laila would need to be prepared.

---

Laila, lost in thought, didn't know.

The tailor was taking his time leaving, and Julius, who had quietly come down from the third floor, had entered the parlor.