Chapter 61
Cheerful and unique music could be heard all around the streets.
Even a poor guitarist and a violinist sitting with a dog were playing it.
They were all playing similar songs—songs that had started at the Clina Salon.
Some people even sang along with the lyrics.
“This is my goodbye kiss~ mm-mm-mm~”
One of the girls walking down the street hummed a tune, and another friend naturally joined in.
“This is my welcome greeting~ Because I won’t hide from you~”
Then, looking into each other’s eyes, they smiled brightly and sang the last line together.
“I’ll let everything go and be free. Like a bird—!”
The girls burst into giggles after singing together.
Not only commoners, but even young noble ladies were quickly becoming fans of the Clina Band.
Considering the time had no TVs or radios, the songs were spreading incredibly fast.
Unlike traditional operas or symphonies, the Clina Band’s music had relatable lyrics and catchy, upbeat choruses that made it easy for people to remember.
Of course, not all nobles were happy about it.
“A salon that plays cheap songs sung by commoners? I don’t even have to go to know what kind of place it is.”
“Exactly. It’s the kind of thing only commoners would enjoy. It’s disgraceful.”
Most of the objectors were older, uptight nobles.
Interestingly, even nobles who danced in masks in the VIP room of the salon kept quiet about it in public.
But among young noblewomen, a secret fanbase was growing.
“The goddess Athena’s drumming is just magical! You won’t understand until you hear it live!”
One excited noble lady fanned herself while talking to her friend at a café.
Her friend nodded eagerly.
“And Aphrodite’s piano playing! So elegant and graceful—she’s truly like a goddess!”
“And that unique singer, Siren, was charming too. Let’s be honest, operas can be a bit boring.”
“When’s the next show? Do you think they’ll play again this weekend? I think I convinced my father to get us into the VIP room again!”
“Oh wow, lucky you!”
Then one lady remembered something and folded her fan.
“Wait, I think there’s another event this weekend.”
“Another event?”
“I saw a poster. It mentioned a fashion show or something.”
The excited conversation dimmed for a moment, but one girl replied quickly.
“Oh, I saw that too! It said it was a fashion show with the Clina Band. So they’ll probably perform too.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”
Then another girl tilted her head thoughtfully.
“But what exactly is a fashion show?”
“I heard it’s to celebrate the opening of a new clothing store above the salon.”
“Hm… but there are already so many famous shops. Do we really need another?”
“Honestly, I don’t care about the fashion part. Everyone’s just going to see the band.”
“My mother complains that the songs are unrefined, but I’ve heard her humming them when she’s alone.”
While sipping tea at the café, I overheard the young noblewomen’s conversation.
Thankfully, the young noble crowd seemed to like the Clina Band.
But it seemed they were still skeptical about the clothing store.
It’s not surprising. Famous fashion shops already had deep roots in the noble world.
Starting a new boutique in a less central area wasn’t going to be easy.
The salon was doing well because it had anonymity—people could wear masks and gossip freely.
But a clothing store? Dresses speak for themselves. Everyone would know where you bought it.
Even with Lilianne’s amazing talent, this wouldn’t be easy…
And the real problem was…
Our fashion show models were still struggling.
After checking market feedback, I headed back to the salon with heavy steps.
“Welcome!!”
Hector’s gang shouted their usual loud greetings as I went down to the basement.
Down there, the models were in the middle of a rehearsal.
Hopefully, they’re not fighting again today…
But as I entered the basement, I was shocked.
It wasn’t a dramatic overnight change, but the models looked so much more confident.
At the front, Lilianne stood with her hands on her hips, directing everyone.
“Great job, Rachel! You look gorgeous! Stick your chest out a little more!”
Rachel, a curly-haired woman with freckles who used to work at a bar, walked confidently.
Lilianne clapped and cheered.
“Bravo! Perfect!”
Then, the lower-ranking courtesan who used to fight with Rachel took her turn.
Unlike yesterday, she behaved properly and walked the runway calmly.
“Yes, Catherine! So sexy! Move your hips more as you walk! And pose at the end—perfect!”
With her curvy figure and confident pose, Catherine finished her turn, and I blinked in surprise.
As I walked over to Lilianne, she greeted me with a bright smile.
“You’re here?”
“Uh, yeah… But wow, things have changed a lot since yesterday.”
Lilianne smiled gently and said,
“I told you, I could handle it.”
For a second, it looked like she had a glowing halo behind her.
Truly a goddess!
With Lilianne leading, anything might be possible!
But then I suddenly got curious.
“Wait, Lilianne… did you used to be a model or something?”
“Well… not really, unless you count child modeling.”
Then how is she so good at this?
I looked at her in awe, and she shyly stuck her tongue out.
“Actually, when I was working as a minor actress, I didn’t earn much. So I worked part-time at a clothing store too.”
Ah, that’s why she’s so good at encouraging them…
They say compliments make even whales dance, and I couldn’t believe how much things had improved just with that.
Lilianne really is our secret weapon!
As I looked at her with heart eyes, Lilianne suddenly clapped her hands like she remembered something.
“Oh, right! Our dresses are finally done too. Want to see them?”
Before I knew it, an excited Lilianne rolled over a tray with the dresses hanging on it.
On the tray were four colorful and fancy dresses.
“Oh, so these must be the dresses we’ll be wearing…”
I gave an awkward smile, and Lilianne beamed brightly.
“Aren’t they beautiful? This one’s for you, Claire. This one’s for Sabrina. And this one’s for Edith!”
There was a deep ruby-red dress, a calm cobalt blue, a soft pink that looked almost peach, and a delicate yellow like a spring flower.
Just from the colors, it was clear: red for me, blue for Sabrina, yellow for Lilianne, and pink for Edith.
Is it just me, or does this feel like something out of Power Rangers or Sailor Moon…?
Well, it’s just the colors that remind me of that. The designs themselves were elegant and very stylish.
But they looked even more flashy and extravagant than the dresses we usually wear.
Can we even play in the band wearing something like this?
As I stared at the dress, wondering about that, Lilianne tilted her head and smiled slyly, almost like she read my mind.
“Actually, these dresses have a twist.”
I think I’ve had enough twists by now…
I asked in a nervous voice, worried by Lilianne’s mysterious smile.
“What kind of twist…?”
Then, with a mischievous smile and a slightly excited face, Lilianne spoke.
“And that is…”
