63: Ordering Clothes to Accentuate My Sister’s Cuteness
“So, um… Lady Adelheid…” “Tailor” stammered, trembling slightly. She had been kneeling politely, waiting for our conversation to end.
“About the order. Listen carefully.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“First, I don’t need any new clothes.”
“What?!”
“No!”
“Tailor” looked stunned, and Leticia’s face paled.
“Lady Adelheid refusing new clothes?! This is a great loss for Eustasia!!”
“Tailor” stood up, placing a hand on her chest, and declared dramatically.
Though her words were rather… dramatic.
“I’m going as the head of the family. This is the outfit you made for the head of the family.”
“Tailor,” pressing a hand to her chest—which was surprisingly large, usually hidden by her hunched posture—crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut.
“”Tailor”?”
I was momentarily worried she had fainted from excitement, or perhaps suffered a heart attack.
Then I heard her muttering,
“Oh no, this is bad, this is really bad. This is impossible… I can’t… this is impossible…”
It seemed she had lost her mind.
Or rather, she had always been like this.
“But Elder Sister… for a trip, you might want something more… casual…?”
Leticia asked hesitantly.
“It’s an inspection, not a trip. …Well, if time allows, I might go out incognito, concealing my status as the head of the family…”
“Incognito! I love that word! This is where a tailor comes in!!”
“Tailor” revived.
“Since I need to blend in, tailored clothes would be unnecessary. In fact, they would be a hindrance.”
I thought she would give up, but “Tailor” persisted.
“Lady Adelheid, your elegance cannot be concealed! Just hide your noble status and dress as, say, a wealthy merchant’s daughter!”
“I agree!”
Leticia, for some reason, sided with “Tailor.”
Could I mention the time I disguised myself as a boy in old clothes, and even the innkeeper, who knew me, couldn’t see through my disguise?
If I were serious, I could dye my hair, even cut it, there were many options.
However, as the head of a ducal family, such measures weren’t necessary.
While Ciel had taught me about such elaborate disguises, I usually just changed my clothes.
“You’ve already made clothes like that for me, haven’t you?”
“W-well, yes, but… I’d like to make new ones… if you’ll allow me…”
My agreement with “Tailor” wasn’t based on commission.
Her pay didn’t increase with the number of outfits she made.
Or rather, she didn’t receive a ‘salary.’
In exchange for her livelihood—her life—she made clothes as instructed. That was all.
And yet, she always wanted to make more clothes; she was a tailor to the core.
Ah, she must have been terrible at navigating the world… it was no wonder she ended up in the “back alley.”
While someone like me, a villain, was exploiting that trait, I also felt like I was being used by her to make as many clothes as she pleased, so it was probably mutually beneficial.
――A transaction always went smoothly if you offered what the other party desired most.
That, presumably, was what they called a deal with the devil.
Those who offered such convenient deals were usually up to no good.
“”Tailor”, I understand your desire, but I decide what to order.”
“Y-yes, ma’am.”
“Tailor” straightened up.
“Make clothes for my sister. Everyday clothes she can wear from summer to autumn.”
“Yes! Summer and autumn outfits for Lady Leticia! Stylish ones!”
She repeated my order cheerfully—but subtly changed it.
“I said everyday clothes… well, I suppose… there’s not much difference.”
There wasn’t a strict definition for what to call clothes worn when there was no dress code.
“So, what kind of outfits should I make?”
She mused, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.
I vaguely recalled Leticia’s outfits from the [Event Stills].
Should I have her replicate those?
…It didn’t matter.
There was no need to overthink it.
“—Clothes that accentuate my sister’s cuteness.”
“Yes!”
“…Huh?!”
“Tailor” and I both looked at my sister, who had exclaimed in surprise.
However, since she just opened and closed her mouth without saying anything, I turned my attention back to “Tailor.”
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
I didn’t try to describe the outfits I had seen in [Moonlight Liberium] but chose my words to convey a similar image.
“Without compromising Leticia’s innocent charm.”
“Yes!”
“Even for summer wear, keep it modest. Make sure she can adjust with a jacket if necessary.”
“Certainly!”
“Since the materials are high-quality, there’s no need for elaborate embellishments.”
“Understood!”
While her responses were always good…
Only her responses were good…
“…Um…”
Leticia, who had been trying to say something throughout our conversation, finally spoke hesitantly.
“What is it, Leticia? If you have any preferences, tell “Tailor” now.”
“That’s not what I wanted to say…”
She was being evasive.
“If you have something to say, say it clearly. I don’t have all day.”
I spoke sharply.
I inwardly praised myself; that was quite villainous, wasn’t it?
Thus prompted, Leticia spoke hesitantly.
“…Elder Sister, do you… think I’m… cute, innocent, and… made of good material…?”
…Oops.
I had misspoken.
“…………”
I fell silent, my face expressionless.
Help me, Ciel. I had misspoken. A very un-villainous-sister-like slip of the tongue. I needed to fix this. Stat.
Of course, my mental image of my tutor offered no assistance.
However, I had learned from her.
Shortly after I became the head of the family, another family head had made a snide remark, “It must be nice to have such a capable assistant. No, forgive me, was that disrespectful to the head of the Vanderwaals, despite your youth?” Ciel was that competent.
A few days later, that same family head was embroiled in a scandal involving his relationships with women and financial irregularities in his territory, and he was replaced.
I hadn’t done anything.
And, incidentally, a large portion of that family’s hidden assets somehow became ours.
I hadn’t done anything, and I hadn’t even given any orders.
It was so swift and efficient, even by Vanderwaals standards, that I hadn’t dared to ask for details.
However, I did make a mental note to avoid angering Ciel.
――Alright, I would just own it.
“I was simply offering an objective assessment. Do you have some complaint?”
A cold tone, a condescending attitude, and a disdainful gaze—the perfect trifecta of villainy.
While I disliked Prince Konrad, I agreed with his assessments: “You have a nasty personality,” “Your way of speaking is irritating,” and “If you didn’t speak, I might even consider you a lady.”
I felt the same way about him, to the point of suspecting it was a case of “it takes one to know one.”
Besides, I wasn’t pure enough to trust a kind-hearted king.
“…No.”
Leticia backed down obediently.
But there was a smile on her lips, and she truly was… cute, innocent, and made of good material.
“Tailor” approached her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Have confidence. Among all the young ladies, Lady Leticia, you are very healthy and lovely.”
“Oh, I…”
Leticia blushed, which was also very healthy and lovely.
However, objectively speaking, putting aside my sisterly bias, most noble ladies were probably suffering from overconsumption of sweets and lack of exercise.
Especially those who were pampered.
Even though imported sugar had become cheaper, and more milk was being used for cream.
While the combination of butter, sugar, and cream was a flavor explosion…
While everyone had a different constitution, and I found a slightly plump figure cute, gentlemen seemed to prefer the illusion of slenderness with curves in all the right places.
Leticia, along with me, followed a strict diet managed by Ciel and the kitchen staff under her direction.
Personally, I wanted to give my sister more to eat, more luxurious meals and sweets, but we couldn’t afford to show weakness and be underestimated.
I also wanted to indulge in more sweets to relieve stress, but Ciel wouldn’t allow it.
…I understood that we couldn’t be seen as vulnerable.
Besides, my sister was working hard on her dance lessons.
And I felt like my own waistline had become a little more… defined from practicing with her.
However, I seemed to lose weight from my chest first.
The areas I didn’t want to lose weight from were also becoming… less defined.
…I decided it was just a margin of error.
“…Now then, Lady Adelheid, Lady Leticia, if you’ll allow me, I’d like to take your measurements.”
“Very well.”
I nodded curtly.
Leave a Reply