CH 7.12

In the carriage through the Duke’s front gates, Lila watched the street through the window.

The streets were lined lush with green tress now that summer was upon them. The carriage, moving briskly under the blinding sun, bounced around the circle of streets and then turned.

At a distance, she could see colorful rooftops clustered around the bell tower.

It was her first glimpse of the city center, and Lila clung to the window, unable to take her eyes off it.

A proud Michael chattered beside her.

“I heard there’s a commoner’s district over there. The one we’re going to is the noble district, where only nobles go. If you want to go to the commoner’s district, let’s come back later.”

“Yes, definitely.”

An excited Lila replied in a cheerful tone.

Hearing the coachman’s voice outside, Michael stepped out of the carriage first and offered his hand to Lila.

Lila couldn’t hold back her laughter when she saw Michael, who had strained his shoulder to escort her because he was also a man.

The dressing room was the one Michael had mentioned. Lila didn’t want to go into the store, but he seemed to have prepared it for her, so she followed him in.

The bell jingled as she opened the door.

“Welcome.”

A familiar-looking woman stepped out from the back. Lila recognized her as the assistant who had come with Doreen.

“Huh?”

The woman’s eyes widened at the sight of Lila, and she rolled her eyes in confusion.

“Get all your clothes out of here.”

That’s when Michael spoke up in a commanding voice.

“Ah, that… wait a minute!”

The flustered woman quickly disappeared down the hall. In the meantime, Lila looked around the store, examining the dresses on display.

She picked out one in particular, the style is similar to the one she’d worn at the coming of age ceremony. She examined the sides carefully.

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t help but be suspicious, but the sides of the dress were fine. Lila narrowed her eyes as she checked the stitches to see if the seamstress was skilled.

‘No matter how I look at it, it looks like she did it on purpose, didn’t she?’

She glanced at Doreen, who brushed the dress out of her hands in disgust and stormed out.

“What brings you here, young master?”

Doreen smirked, ignoring Lila in favor of Michael.

“The young master came to visit our store… If you called me, I would have run right away. I don’t know what to do with your precious steps. I don’t know if you liked the clothes you matched last time.”

Michael demanded, interrupting Doreen, who was speaking with a salesman’s smile on her face.

“I’m not here to be fitted for my clothes today, I’m here to accompany my aunt and have her fitted for clothes. Let’s look at the designs for everyday wear first.”

Doreen’s gaze finally landed on Lila. Doreen’s eyes widened for a moment at the strange change in her, but she smiled a salesman’s smile and led the way.

“Then please make yourself comfortable on the couch for a while. It’ll be ready in a moment.”

The two walked into the back of the store and into a room hidden by a partition. It was cozy and quaintly decorated, with a couch and a table.

Lila followed Michael’s lead and sat down, noticing the child with a strange expression on his face.

She couldn’t help but laugh at the child’s expression, which was no different than any other child his age.

Soon, Doreen brought in some of the dresses she had on display. She studied Lila’s figure intently.

She’d taken out the fluff, but the dresses were still oversized and didn’t reveal much of her figure.

“Hmm… but I’m not sure it will fit you, would you like to see the designs first?”

Michael’s eyes turned wild at the nuance of her still seeming to ignore her.

“Ah, did you have a good coming-of-age ceremony?”

Doreen asked, clapping her hands as if she’d just remembered, her expression full of anticipation. Lila was convinced by her expression.

The bursting of the dress was intentional.

She paused for a moment, wondering how to respond, and then Michael spoke up as if he had discovered something.

“Is that what you brought me here to see?”

Seeing where his short fingers pointed, her cobalt eyes widened. The entire dress that Doreen’s assistants had brought with them had burst open like the side of a steamed rice bowl.

With an expression stained with embarrassment, Doreen only opened her mouth like a crucian carp.

“Are you trying to make fun of me and my aunt?”

Michael snapped.

“To belittle me and my aunt is to disrespect the Duke of Montefeltra.”

Lila’s mouth dropped open in surprise at Michael’s low tone. It was amazing how different he was from when he called her ugly and taunted her.

“I, I apologize. I’ll be right back with another dress.”

Doreen replied with a quick bow, then gestured to her assistants. As they scurried away, Lila turned to look at Doreen.

Doreen’s expression was not that of someone who had just apologized, but rather that of someone who was holding back some kind of anger, someone who was trying to get over her humiliation.

Lila’s mouth twisted at the look on her face. It was because the expression she had seems to say, ‘Why are these idiots coming to our store to tell the truth?’

“Hmm… I’m beginning to wonder if this really is the best dress shop in the North. Come to think of it, the dress I wore at the coming of age was no different.”

“What?”

Michael’s eyes widened as if he was hearing this for the first time, then he turned to Doreen.

“That’s the kind of thing you’d wear to a coming-of-age banquet with the Emperor himself. No matter how much I think about it, I can’t help but feel that she had disrespected our family.”

He jumped up from the couch.

“They say you know heat when you see it, and a shop with such unfinished and defective work, and a boss who can’t even manage their facial expressions, I seriously doubt this is a shop that caters to the nobility. The reputation is all just a rumor.”

Lila marveled, realizing that an adult, not a child, could not have spoken so stiffly.

Michael held out a small hand to Lila.

“Auntie, I’m sorry, I should have known better and not brought you here.”

Lila’s heart melted at hearing the word ‘aunt’ for the first time. She realized that she and Michael had become a real family.

“No, I should have told you. I mean, the store couldn’t even make a coming of age dress… I should have told you.”

Michael’s eyes widened at her words, and she could see the golden ripples settling into his pink pupils.

Lila grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.

“Young master Michael, we have to go.”

Not wanting anyone to see the look in Michael’s eyes, Lila hurried on. When they reached the entrance to the store, Doreen, who had been frozen in shock for a moment, hurriedly followed and excused herself.

“It’s a conspiracy. It must have been that bitch Kate, because her store isn’t doing well, and she’s being bossy!”

At that, Lila turned away, furious.

“Can you take responsibility for those words?”

“…Yes?”

“I was going to let this one slide, but I can’t let it slide how you’re so quick to sell out someone in your own industry for reasons you have no proof of. I know your rudeness was intentional, and I’m going to file a claim for the dress at the coming of age ceremony. You’re going to be held accountable for it, because you made a huge mistake at a banquet that even the Emperor himself was attending!”

Doreen was speechless at the low tone of her voice. When she remembered the amount of money she had received from the duke, her temper flared.

“I’ll find the proof! I’m not guilty! So please give me a chance, please, Duchess.”

Lila’s mouth watered as she watched Doreen bow deeper than 90 degrees. Seeing her call her ‘Duchess’ for the first time since entering the shop made it all the more offensive.

“That’s not for me to decide. I’m not the only one who’s been to the coming-of-age banquet.”

Leaving Doreen’s shoulders slumped at her words, Lila took Michael’s hand in hers and strode out of the shop.