‘At least there are no reporters.’
Fortunately, the front of the store was quiet. I got out of the carriage but didn’t let my guard down, looking around the surroundings. After confirming that no one was staring at my store, I opened the door.
‘Ah, this is good.’
It had only been two days since I was last here, but it felt like a month. It was time to start preparing for the reopening. First, I had to call back the employees who were on vacation or had resigned. If they had found a new job, I would have to hire new people.
I wrote a letter to Emily, the sub-designer, to inform her that the store had reopened. I also wrote letters to the assistants, explaining the situation and asking if they could come back. I felt a wave of regret for sending my employees on vacation so early, thinking that Lena’s dress was in its final stage and I could handle the work myself.
‘I’m really a bad employer.’
For the time being, I’ll run the shop and do the production all by myself. Oh, right. Something important came to mind, and I instinctively clapped my hands. I had to meet the broker, Murden, right away. I had put the shop up for sale because I was planning to expand after a year of rest. Fortunately, no one had come to see it yet, so it would be easy to take it off the market.
I headed straight to his brokerage. Thanks to the diligent Murden, who had come to work early, the sale was canceled. I went back to the shop and entered the production room.
‘Let’s do this!’
I puffed out my chest, filled with motivation. Then I took out all the materials that I had sorted to be thrown away or sold and organized them again.
‘To think I was going to get rid of all of this just because I was so desperate for a day off. I must have been out of my mind.’
The tulip lace was woven so tightly that it was hard to believe it was made by human hands. There was also Mikado fabric from the Kingdom of Miradi that I had received as a gift six months ago. There were even flower-shaped objects that the employees and I had stayed up all night to make, and A-grade beads that could be hung on the bottom of a dress. As I touched the dress materials again, my heart began to beat fast.
‘Ah… I guess this is what I’m meant to do.’
A pleasant excitement rushed to my head as I thought about getting closer to dresses again. While I was busy re-sorting everything, I heard a ding. It was the sound of the bell I had hung at the entrance of the shop. I just dusted off my skirt and came out of the production room.
‘I have a lot of noble clients who want me to make dresses for them… but who could it be?’
I put on my most friendly smile and opened the curtain. A familiar person was standing there, smiling with one hand raised.
It was Sophia Edclomen, a colleague I had collaborated with for a long time.
“Lady Daphne, I saw that your shop was open, so I thought I’d stop by.”
“Oh my! Lady Sophia, haven’t we seen each other in a month?”
The Edclomen family had a firm grip on the flower industry of the empire for generations. Unlike other families, they gave women autonomy, so Sophia jumped into the flower industry as soon as she made her debut. As a result, she is now the most successful florist in the empire. She not only decorated wedding venues but also supervised the maintenance of the Imperial Palace gardens.
I hid my suspicious thoughts and led her to a table inside.
‘She came on purpose. Why would she be here by chance at this time?’
She liked to read the morning newspapers carefully and keep up with the latest news. Since something so absurd had happened to me, who she had known in the industry for a long time, it was obvious that she had come to add a few words and make some jokes.
“Oh, what a coincidence! I happen to have some tea leaves smoked with flowers I imported from the Principality of Lephinin. I would love to share them with you, ho ho.”
See? Her intentions are so obvious. Why would a person who just happened to drop by have newly made tea leaves in her hand? I forced a smile to maintain my usual image and boiled some water. Since she even brought a gift, there was no need to overthink it.
The tea leaves she had smoked had a wonderful and excellent aroma. I thought it would be a good idea to cold-brew it and serve it as a welcome tea to guests at a spring wedding. I poured her a cup of tea first. Since I didn’t have any employees, I was in charge of boiling and pouring the tea myself. I also prepared my own cup and took a sip.
“It’s a good tea. You must have worked hard to make it.”
“What do you think? Do you think it’s good enough to be commercialized?”
“Yes, it’s excellent. I was just thinking that it would be great as a welcome tea.”
“Actually, the unit cost isn’t that high. I think it would be a good idea to sell it in small packets…”
It was a good thing I started with the tea conversation. Her face turned red when she heard my praise, and she enthusiastically explained the tea. In any case, her story was so tiring that my eyes would naturally close if I listened to it for too long. So I won’t explain it.
In the middle of her passionate explanation about the tea, Sophia cut herself off as if something important had just come to mind. I had to be ready. It was time for her to get to the point.
“I saw the article! What in the world happened?”
“Lady Lena Protard ran away… and I met with the Grand Duke of Richevard and agreed to correct the misinformation. And as it was reported in the article today, we’ve clarified that it was a misunderstanding.”
“Is that all of your summary? I want to hear more details!”
Her round eyes widened, and she looked at me pitifully, making me feel like I had to confess everything. But most of what happened with Edin were things I couldn’t say out loud. I lowered my eyebrows and answered as if I was concerned. It was important to leave out the important parts.
“The Grand Duke of Richevard said it was difficult for him to find a marriage partner, so I promised to help him a little, but I don’t know if I can be of much help.”
“You made such a promise? I can’t believe it. Oh my, oh my!”
The corners of her mouth began to curl up. It was the expression she made when she found something interesting. She bit her lip and then lowered her voice, leaning toward me to ask,
“My dear colleague Daphne, can I help you? Of course, I won’t tell anyone about this.”
“In that case, how can you help me?”
“I’m scheduled to meet with Lady Salvia this Saturday. I’ll arrange for you to go in my place to our private tea time.”
“…Really?”
She nodded. If she did what she said, I would be very grateful. Lady Salvia was the best matchmaker in the empire. She was a person who meticulously compared both families and devised tricks to connect them. I was acquainted with her, but…
‘I haven’t seen her in a while because it was too much when she would ask me when I was going to get married.’
She would pressure me every time we met, saying that she had some good candidates. I felt guilty for keeping my distance because it was a burden, so I hadn’t been able to visit her for a while. Besides, Lady Salvia was a very busy person. You could only see her if you made an appointment three or four months in advance.
“But wasn’t that an appointment you worked hard to get, Lady Sophia? Can you really just give me this opportunity?”
“Of course. I don’t have anything urgent to do. I was just going because I was invited.”
Thanks to Sophia, who was meticulous about her connections, I was benefiting from her. If I could meet Lady Salvia because of her, I thought I might be able to find a marriage candidate for Edin more quickly than expected. I rejoiced inwardly and thanked her many times. Since she had come forward to help me like this, she must also have something she wanted to ask of me. I suppressed my excitement and stared at her intently. It was a look that told her to just get to the point.
“And… I was wondering if you could go to Lady Rose’s birthday party in my place.”
“…Lady Rose?”
“Oh, it’s also Rudin’s birthday that day.”
She covered her mouth and looked embarrassed. She was currently in a forbidden relationship with a commoner named Rudin. I completely understood her desire to avoid a stranger’s birthday party, which would take up the afternoon of her lover’s birthday.
‘I wouldn’t want to go either.’
But I couldn’t just accept it easily. Rose Hampton was a lady I was openly uncomfortable with, and she also knew this, which was why she hadn’t sent me an invitation.
“Can I really go? She’ll be uncomfortable with me.”
“Hmm, when I met her before, Lady Rose said that she actually wanted to invite you. But she thought you would be uncomfortable… Lady Rose seemed to want to reconcile. I’ll make sure to put in a good word for you.”
“I’m just curious if I can really go since I wasn’t the one who was invited…”
“Don’t worry. Lady Rose isn’t a lady who’s uncomfortable with giving her invitation to someone else. On the contrary, she’s happy when even one more person shows up.”
It was strange that such a person would want to reconcile. I felt uneasy but nodded anyway. I was filled with a moment of melancholy as I saw her bright face.
Ding.
The bell rang again.
‘Another customer?’
I quickly got up professionally and greeted the person at the door.
“Hello. Welcome to ‘Algerf’s Garden.'”
“So you are open. It’s been a while.”
My eyes widened the moment I saw the people with purple hair who had entered, bathed in the morning sunlight. Their names were Rowan Leodid and Rachel Leodid. My mouth slowly opened.
‘Why are they here?’
My heart, surprised by the faces I hadn’t seen in a long time, beat fast. I couldn’t help it. I deliberately gave them a more formal and cold greeting to hide the past that was creeping up in my mind.
“It’s been a while, Lord Leodid.”
Rowan Leodid was my first love from my academy days.
