Chapter 43
‘Come to think of it….’
Luana had been my fellow student at the academy.
We weren’t close.
That was because she always found Rowan and Rena uncomfortable.
Still, she didn’t seem to dislike me.
Sometimes she would even greet me first, and when Rowan or Rena weren’t in the same class, she’d occasionally sit beside me.
‘Yes, that happened once too.’
Was it in our second year?
One time, while I stepped out for a moment, some nobles who hated me threw my bag and writing tools onto the floor.
It was such a childish trick, but at the time, I was young.
I was weak-hearted, and though I somewhat understood the power structure, it was still hard to accept.
When my eyes met with one of the snickering students, I felt anger boiling up from deep inside.
He was an illegitimate child of some count, who clung to the Leodid family to gain benefits, and he always disliked me.
He would openly say he didn’t understand why Rowan bothered with me, and that he shouldn’t waste time with someone “below standard.”
I walked straight toward him.
Maybe I still believed back then that a little bit of equality existed.
I swept the belongings off his desk, sending them crashing to the floor.
‘That was insane of me.’
I don’t know where I found the courage.
The boy, furious, shoved my shoulder—though I was at least a handspan shorter than him.
And yet, even then, I felt that if I struck him back, I would cross an irreversible line.
So instead, I kicked his desk.
The classroom turned into complete chaos.
Of all days, Rowan and Rena weren’t there, so I had no one I could call an ally.
As the nobles who disliked me approached to threaten me, the one who stood in their way was none other than Luana.
“Are you crazy? Stop it!”
Luana hid me behind her back and confronted them.
Her family was powerful, but more importantly, everyone knew how much the academy instructors cherished her.
Though reluctant, the others backed off. At the time, Luana was even rumored to be in marriage talks with the crown prince.
Those who were already wary of her didn’t dare push further, and eventually returned to their seats.
I couldn’t cause any more trouble either.
Holding back tears, I went back to my seat and picked up my fallen belongings.
That’s when Luana followed me to my desk.
Silently, she helped me gather my mirror, quill, and books from the floor.
“…Thanks.”
“It’s nothing.”
After saying that, she moved her things and sat beside me—almost as if to shield me from anyone else.
Thanks to her, I was able to attend the rest of the lecture without fear.
Though I didn’t feel entirely comfortable with her, I was still grateful.
‘…Madam Selvia is really amazing. She brings together only such good people.’
Luana carried the heavy burden of inheriting her house as its head.
She was diligent, well-liked by most nobles, and beautiful to boot.
Back in my adolescence, I would sometimes touch my own plain wheat-colored hair and envy her striking blue locks.
‘If Edin and Luana married, the Leodid family would finally have a strong counterbalance. The history, reputation, and wealth of the Cernaden family… even the imperial family couldn’t touch them.’
Thinking about it, there was no better choice.
But there was one thing I couldn’t quite understand.
From her academy days, Luana had never dated anyone.
That was because she had a younger brother—greedy and not particularly bright—who coveted the position of family head.
I had assumed she would only marry after firmly securing her succession.
‘Ah… maybe she’s doing it to check her brother’s ambitions.’
If she became a grand duke’s wife, her younger brother wouldn’t dare covet the position anymore—especially fearing Richeben.
In the empire, the saying “a married woman leaves her family” didn’t exist.
Even after marriage, women were free to choose whether to change their surnames. If they were in line to inherit, they could even pass on their own family name to their children.
This system existed because the elder generations of nobles, who believed in the eternal preservation of their houses, had granted daughters equal rights.
That’s why even I could carry on the Algerph family name.
‘Yes. I should just give my blessing. Lady Luana is someone Edin wouldn’t reject anyway. She’s called one of the empire’s most beautiful women… and she really does have a wonderful personality.’
Relieved.
Incredibly relieved.
Chanting that thought to myself like a spell, I stood up.
I had no idea who would be visiting me soon, but I forced myself to maintain a calm facade.
Berry and Olivia had already gone home.
I stayed behind, still working alone in the shop.
My eyelids drooped with sleep, but there was too much work piled up after running around all day.
‘Feels like I’m living even busier than before Rena ran away.’
I was attaching lace to the sleeves of a dress when I finally surrendered.
Even physical labor requires a working head, and I was so exhausted that my hands kept fumbling.
Leaving the stuffy workshop, I took a walk around the shop.
It was already 7 p.m.
The streets outside were bustling with people going in and out of taverns and teahouses still open.
‘Must be nice. I wish I could go out and play too.’
Thinking of my canceled vacation made me grit my teeth.
Just as I thought of lying down on the reception room sofa for thirty minutes—
Thump, thump—
Someone knocked on the shop door.
I peeked through the curtain to check, and there he was—Edin.
‘What the—? Doesn’t he have anything better to do?’
The streets were still crowded. Coming here at such a gossip-prone time was the last thing I needed!
I quickly opened the door.
“Hurry inside, quickly.”
“Sorry for coming so late.”
He knew, and yet he came anyway. What was with the apology?
As soon as he sat on the sofa, I kept five steps away, half-squinting at him.
“What brings you here?”
“I have something to discuss.”
“Mhm, I’m busy with work. If it’s something that can be said in twenty minutes, I’d appreciate it.”
“That should be plenty. I’d like you to make me another shirt.”
“…This shop only deals in wedding dresses.”
“I know, but I liked the clothes you made me.”
Ha. Seriously… Well, fine. Even when I first learned to sew, I often heard people say my work was unusually neat for a noble.
Pleased, I raised my chin slightly—then realized.
Wait. Why on earth should I make Edin clothes again?
“There’s a men’s clothing shop just two doors down.”
“Their stitching is sloppy. Not really somewhere I’d entrust work.”
“Well, that owner is eccentric and always skimps on fabric. Then insists that cropped shirts are the trend.”
I nodded at his words. Still, no was no.
“My men’s clothes are simple. They might not match the empire’s trends.”
“Yet when I wore the shirt you made, other gentlemen asked me where I got it. I didn’t tell them, of course—I don’t like unnecessary rumors.”
“Good job. Hm, maybe one day I’ll open a men’s shop after I get some rest… No, forget it. Either way, the answer’s no.”
“Please.”
“….”
It had been a while since I’d seen Edin ask so softly, with such a faint smile in his eyes.
But I wasn’t about to fall for that sly grin like a fool.
“This time, I really need it tailored.”
“Why?”
“Ah, I’d like to wear it when I meet Lady Luana of the Cernaden family—the one you introduced me to. I thought it would help to make a good impression.”
The moment I heard that, the thrill of his earlier compliments drained away.
Should I just kick him out?
Instead, sulky and childish, I blurted out—
“I’m very busy, you know. Today, tomorrow, the day after—I’ll be making dresses all day long. My fitting schedule is so tight, I have to meet every lady immediately.”
“There’s no need for the shirt to be ready by my first meeting with Lady Cernaden. You can take your time.”
“Hah. It might take me three months. Maybe four. Might not even be finished before my next vacation.”
“Even if it’s later, that’s fine.”
Edin only smiled at me, as if wondering what on earth I thought was the problem.
