Chapter 90
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The time of the great natural cycle had finally passed. Sia began the day with a visibly refreshed face.
“Madam, you have an appointment at the dressmaker’s today.”
Marie informed her after she had finished breakfast with Nox and returned to her room.
“The dressmaker’s? Why all of a sudden?”
Sia was puzzled. It wasn’t as though her dressing room lacked clothes. Marie explained,
“You don’t have any winter clothes. The Blois territory is farther north than other lands, so it gets quite cold in winter. If your indoor clothes aren’t changed to thicker fabrics, it could become uncomfortable.”
“…Is it that bad?”
“Yes. Of course, if you stayed inside the whole time, it wouldn’t be a huge problem, but…”
“No matter how cold it gets, I should go outside for some fresh air sometimes, shouldn’t I?”
“That’s exactly why we need to fit your outfits today.”
“…Alright.”
She felt a little reluctant. This world didn’t have the ready-to-wear system like Korea, but accepted it. She’d have to get used to these things now.
“So that’s why Nox told me to go back to my room and rest.”
Now that she was feeling well again, Sia felt a twinge of regret. She’d wanted to help with work, even if she wasn’t as capable as the butlers.
“I was hoping to look over the account books today.”
Even if it was just making samples, she would rather work with the actual ledgers. While she was thinking about when she could do it, Cedric arrived.
“Pardon the intrusion, Madam.”
He came in carrying an armful of lush pink roses.
“What’s with the roses?”
“Hehe, the Master sent them. He said it’s a congratulatory gift to celebrate your recovery.”
Cedric placed the accompanying vase on the main table of the sitting room and deftly arranged the flowers.
“Wow, the scent is amazing.”
“It’s a variety imported from another country, and it can only be grown in a greenhouse. One of the more difficult varieties to cultivate.”
Impressed, Sia leaned closer to breathe in the sweet yet fresh fragrance. After inhaling several times, she smiled brightly and asked Cedric,
“Cedric, could I send one of these roses to Lord Nox?”
His office, while elegant, was rather austere. When she had worked as a housemaid, she would often bring roses from the garden to brighten his desk.
“The Master would be very pleased.”
“Oh, the catnip. Did you and your wife drink it as tea?”
Sia asked, curious if catnip could be brewed safely. Cedric’s face lit up as he quickly answered,
“The aroma was beyond words. My wife praised me for the first time in ages, it made me very happy.”
“Haha, the first time in ages? Cedric, you seem like you’d be a very considerate husband.”
“Males are simple creatures. No matter how hard we try, it seems it never quite satisfies the females’ eyes. But if you don’t give up and keep trying, good things like this can happen.”
Cedric seemed genuinely pleased as he spoke. To Sia, his demeanor felt curious. When she’d looked up cats in Korea, from a human perspective they were said to seem, well… not exactly devoted.
Especially male cats. She’d heard many would simply mate with a female and then disappear. Of course, cats are territorial and vary by individual, but still, Cedric and Nox’s deep devotion to their mates struck her as extraordinary.
Ah, maybe this was just because her preconceptions were shaped entirely by the men in her own family.
Even when she thought of them now, she didn’t feel homesick. Just a simple, detached acknowledgment that those times had existed.
Casting aside idle thoughts, Sia decided to ask Cedric something since he was here.
“Oh, and Cedric.”
“Yes, Madam?”
“Could you bring me the most recent account book? And a blank ledger as well.”
“Are you planning to work on what you mentioned before?”
“Yes, I’m bored.”
“Understood, I’ll bring them.”
Cedric took one of the pink roses Sia had chosen and left the room.
While she waited, sipping tea and passing the time, the staff from the dressmaker’s arrived.
They weren’t from the same shop as before. These were new faces. Seeing the unfamiliar group, Sia thought.
How far will they stand from me to take my measurements this time?
Will they frown at the sight of my black hair?
Having grown used to the discomfort in others’ gazes, she actually felt a spark of curiosity.
She reached into her pocket and opened what she’d prepared. The mint candy tin clicked softly as it opened for the first time in a while.
She dabbed a small amount of catnip on her hands, waist, and hair. To others, it would just look like she was smoothing her clothes and hair.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Sia. I am Diana, Madame of the Silver Silhouette Atelier. It’s a great honor to have been invited today.”
Sia’s eyes widened slightly. Unlike the previous shop, the Madame herself had come. And unlike the others, Diana did not avert her gaze from Sia’s.
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