Chapter 93
As Diana stood nearby recording the measurements, the faint yet constantly lingering intoxicating scent kept disrupting her concentration without her realizing it. It wasn’t just her. The staff taking the measurements also measured the same areas several times.
After barely finishing recording everything down to the finger circumference, Diana spoke to Sia with a flushed face.
“Lady Sia, may we come again in a week?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“At that time, this design and also…”
Diana stood very close beside Sia and had her confirm the designs. Sia found it odd that Diana, who was closer to her than anyone except Karin and Marie, was standing so near, but she didn’t think deeply about it.
After the Silver Silhouette Atelier staff left, Sia stretched widely and sat down on the sofa.
“How can just ordering clothes take this long?”
The sky visible through the window was slowly turning red. Marie, who had brought her drinking water, handed her the glass and replied.
“The days have grown much shorter, Madam.”
“It did feel pretty chilly this morning.”
“At this rate, winter will arrive before long.”
“Then I should make a snowman with Anna.”
“Hehe, Anna will love that.”
“Has Anna been staying in the annex lately? I could have her come over…”
“She’s been looking like she really wants to see you. Shall I bring her tomorrow?”
“Okay.”
After drinking the cold water refreshingly, Sia brushed her hair back and only then remembered that she had applied catnip to her body.
“Ah, so that’s why they were so restless.”
She had wondered why everyone kept crowding in while taking her measurements. It must have been because of the catnip. Sia giggled and finished the rest of the water.
Every time, she thought the way the catfolk reacted to catnip was quietly adorable. Because of that, setting aside petty revenge, she simply couldn’t help but play little pranks.
* * *
Having left Duke Blois’s estate, Diana climbed into the carriage and let out a deep breath. The estate itself had made her extremely tense, and the scent during the final measurements had made her feel as though her heart was about to burst.
The staff who boarded the carriage with her started chattering noisily in her place.
“Did you smell it?”
“You did too, right?”
“…It was an incredibly intoxicating scent.”
The employees who had measured Sia in particular couldn’t hide their dazed expressions as they muttered. The other staff, who hadn’t caught the scent of catnip, asked with puzzled looks.
“What kind of smell was it?”
“That black-haired woman had an insanely good scent.”
“Ah, how should I put it? Like a scent that makes you want to rub your body all over it?”
“Ugh, from a black-haired woman?”
“Hey, looks like he’s going to be penniless soon. Let’s never lend him money.”
“Hmph, I don’t care either.”
“If you’d smelled it too, you wouldn’t be saying that.”
“Ugh, even so, I wouldn’t say I want to rub up against a black-haired woman.”
As the employees’ conversation grew increasingly crude, Diana stepped in.
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting about someone who’s practically His Grace the Duke’s mate.”
At her firm and icy voice, the staff flinched. Diana was a rare superior who respected her subordinates’ autonomy while working and never mistreated them, but if they crossed the line, she became mercilessly cold.
With eyes lowered darkly, she looked at each employee one by one and continued with a grave tone.
“Regardless of His Grace, as long as she is our client, you must never speak carelessly about her. Do you understand?”
“Yes, we’re sorry.”
Turning her gaze out the window, Diana fell into thought. She truly was a mysterious woman. Setting aside the strange scent, her eyes were exceptionally unusual. The image of those round pupils, impossible to find among the catfolk, lingered vividly before her eyes.
Feeling as though another design suited to her was about to come to mind, Diana hurriedly pulled out her sketchbook and began drawing whatever came to her. Then, combining it with the peculiar design Sia had drawn for her, which had left a strong impression, she gave birth to a new garment.
All the way back to the shop, Diana poured out the flood of ideas that kept springing up.
* * *
Lately, Nox himself was aware that his condition was quite strange. He wanted to drop all work and stick close to Sia all day long.
An obsession dominated his mind, the fear that if he looked away even for a moment, he might lose Sia in that time. So whenever he had the chance, he went to see her, and if that wasn’t possible, he asked Cedric for news about her instead.
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