Chapter 27
Bijou Fashion House lived up to its reputation as the most popular in the Empire, with branches spread across its territories.
Among them, the Erdin branch was run directly by Christine, and since the daughter of the duke, Alice, frequently visited, it had become the largest fashion house in the North.
The moment they stepped inside, they saw the spacious interior with marble floors so polished that they reflected their faces.
The lobby was furnished with luxurious tables and chairs for waiting, with a light assortment of refreshments on the central table.
If it weren’t for the mannequins dressed in various outfits scattered around, it could easily be mistaken for a room in a noble’s mansion.
At the far end of the lobby stood a large door, which seemed to lead to the dress room.
Alice, who had usually called the fashion house to her residence rather than visiting in person, looked around the interior and remarked,
“It seems bigger than the last time I came here.”
“We had some expansion done. It’s thanks to the many visitors we’ve been receiving,” Christine said, covering her mouth as she chuckled.
Alice and Aiden sat on a long sofa, and Christine served them some black tea.
“Please wait a moment. I’ll show you the catalog shortly,” she said, bowing politely before heading to the dress room.
Alice took a sip of her tea, enjoying the muscat aroma. After putting down the cup, she spoke.
“That’s perfect. I suppose we should get your custom-made outfit done while we’re at it.”
“I haven’t even had the chance to wear everything you got me last time.”
“Those were all ready-made, weren’t they? A guard should obviously have a proper custom outfit,” Alice said, crossing her legs and lifting one corner of her lips in a smirk.
Seeing her proud and arrogant smile, Aiden couldn’t help but mimic her slight smile.
Just then, Christine returned, carrying the catalog.
“These are the designs I’ve been thinking about. Would you like to take a look?”
She handed the catalog to Aiden, who flipped through it carefully.
Alice leaned over his shoulder, admiring the designs and letting out small exclamations of wonder.
From casual, easy-to-wear indoor clothes to extravagant outfits suitable for a formal ball, the catalog showcased a wide range of designs.
“Among all these, I especially recommend this one. I based it on the image of an angel, purification, and sanctity, which I feel perfectly suits you, Aiden,” Christine explained.
“Is that really the image I give off?”
“Of course. I am certain you are the only one who could pull this outfit off.”
Christine continued her explanation as if she had been eagerly waiting to show Aiden this particular outfit. Alice listened with her chin resting on her hand.
‘Hmm, it does seem like it would suit him,’ she thought, imagining Aiden in Christine’s design.
A soft jingling sound then caught Alice’s attention.
She instinctively turned her head toward the door, noticing Christine’s assistant entering the fashion house carrying bolts of fabric.
“Meow!”
Startled by the sound, Cherry, who had been lying on Alice’s lap, suddenly stood up and looked around.
Cherry slipped out through the slight opening of the door just before the assistant could close it.
“Che– Cherry!”
Alice jumped up, panicked.
“I’ll go get Cherry. You can keep looking around!”
She ran out of the fashion house after Cherry. The assistant’s trembling voice called out,
“D-did I… cause trouble…?”
“No, it’s nothing. Cherry’s smart enough to come back soon anyway,” Aiden reassured him.
Cherry wasn’t an ordinary cat; she was a magical beast capable of understanding human speech. Even if Alice hadn’t chased her, she would have returned to her owner eventually.
Aiden decided to wait leisurely inside the fashion house for Alice and continued flipping through the catalog.
Reaching the last page, he noticed illustrations of simple accessories like necktie pins, brooches, and other jewelry.
Curious, he asked,
“Does this fashion house sell accessories too?”
“Oh, those are from a nearby accessory shop. We recently entered into a collaboration with them,” Christine explained.
“A collaboration?”
“Yes. They provide accessories that match our outfits, and we introduce them to our customers. Are you interested, Aiden?”
“No… I’m fine,” Aiden murmured, momentarily hesitating before continuing.
“Could I see the women’s catalog?”
“The women’s one?” Christine blinked in surprise, then smiled knowingly.
“Are you planning to get something for the Erdin duchess?”
“Uh, well…”
Aiden scratched the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed.
Since becoming Alice’s guard, he had started receiving a salary. Although it hadn’t even been a month since he joined the duke’s residence, he had already received more than the usual pay as an advance for maintaining his appearance and status.
For an ordinary household, it was an amount more than enough for six months of living expenses.
However, Aiden didn’t really need to spend it. Alice had already provided him with enough clothes, and his meals and lodging were fully taken care of at the duke’s residence. He didn’t have any other particular items he wanted.
So, he thought it would be nice to use this excess money to get a gift for Alice.
Somehow, it felt like returning the money he got from the duke’s house back to the same house, but…
‘Still, since I’m choosing it with Alice in mind, she should like it,’ he thought.
Christine returned with a new catalog, which Aiden took and opened to the last page, revealing various pieces of jewelry.
“The Erdin duchess is already a strikingly beautiful person, so if you choose something too simple, it won’t stand out. But if it’s too flashy, it could look over the top. I recommend something that stands out just enough,” Christine advised.
Following her explanation, Aiden carefully examined the catalog.
His eyes settled on a flower-shaped silver brooch. The petals were adorned with softly glowing emeralds, reminiscent of Alice’s light green eyes.
Noticing Aiden’s interest, Christine spoke,
“Shall we go with this one?”
“Yes,” Aiden replied softly, smiling as he imagined Alice wearing it, matching her eye color with the accessory, just as he had done with his own magically altered blue eyes.
Just as Christine went to fetch the brooch, the door suddenly banged open.
Aiden and Christine turned toward the source of the noise.
A man with slicked-back dull blonde hair entered the fashion house.
“Hey, the owner, come out here.”
He called out to Madame Christine with a crooked tone. Her ever-present smile instantly stiffened.
The man barged in as if he owned the place, followed closely by a young noble girl.
It was obvious from the man’s outfit and accessories that he was wealthy. Every piece he wore was expensive.
But while each item screamed high price, the ensemble showed no sense of style—it seemed he simply wanted to flaunt his wealth.
The young noble girl with him was no different. She had dull blonde hair like the man and brown eyes, wearing a dress and accessories that were excessively heavy for someone her age.
They looked around the fashion house noisily, and the man’s gaze landed on Christine.
