Chapter 6
Older Brother
Annoyance welling up inside him, Nigel bit his lip and read the next line.
[It’s not that I dislike you only contacting me when you need something, or that you hate wasting money on appearances. I have no complaints about that. But Sienia is a different story.]
On the following two pages, reasons why Nigel would have to spend money on appearances were listed one by one.
First, most of Sienia’s attendees were people of status or wealth, and they would judge Nigel’s worth by his outward appearance. Second, shabby clothes would actually draw attention for the wrong reasons at Sienia. And third…
When the third reason appeared, Nigel couldn’t help himself and flipped the page.
[I know you won’t listen even if I say all this.]
‘…This is exactly why I dislike you.’
Nigel gritted his teeth and continued reading.
[So I rented a tailor’s shop for you. The shop’s name is Ludin. The payment has already been made, so just go.
—Zeronin]
‘How do you even see me normally?’
He had been frugal with money all his life. Of course, he got by with two dresses per season, but they were always clean, ironed, and presentable. Fashion trends existed for those with money to spend more freely.
[PS. Go to the tailor before you even think about writing a reply.]
Below it was a simple map, drawn almost as if for a child.
One thing was clear: Zeronin still treated him like a ten-year-old.
Nigel crumpled the stationery he had prepared for a reply and threw it into the fireplace. The paper quickly caught fire and turned to ashes.
“Thanks, Zeronin. The room feels even warmer now.”
He glared at the fireplace and then went into the bathroom.
The cold water refreshed both body and mind.
Sitting near the fireplace, drying his long black hair with a towel, Nigel reviewed the day’s schedule.
‘First, mail the letters to the orphanage at the post office, then head to that tailor, Ludin or Rodin… have lunch, and finally go to Evans Guild Bank.’
Unlike in Tillin, the sun rose almost instantly in the imperial capital, Solef.
Sunlight streaming through the window stabbed Nigel’s eyes, forcing him to squint.
‘Looks like I won’t need a scarf soon.’
He tightly secured his scarf and went down to the first floor.
“Ah, good morning! You were half-dead yesterday, but you’re the first one up.”
A young woman of Nigel’s age greeted him warmly.
“Will you have breakfast, or are you heading out right away?”
The savory smell of soup wafting from the distance made Nigel pause and quietly take a seat.
“Ahaha! If you smelled the soup my mother just made, you wouldn’t be able to resist. Wait a moment, I’ll bring it right away!”
Soon, a steaming bowl of soup, a warm piece of bread, and a glass of vividly colored fruit juice appeared.
“The juice is on the house. My mother insisted. She says she feels sorry for kids working hard at your age.”
A cheerful, plump woman in the kitchen winked at Nigel.
“…Please tell her thank you for me.”
“Oh, no need. If you really want to show your gratitude, just finish everything on your plate. Though honestly, my mother’s cooking is delicious enough that it speaks for itself!”
“Understood.”
Nigel lifted his spoon and tasted the soup.
“…!”
Thick yet mild, full-flavored soup, bread soft and nutty inside, and juice to cleanse the palate—breakfast couldn’t have been more perfect.
“Ahaha! You eat so neatly; you must not be from the capital…”
“North, from Tillin.”
“Tillin… that’s freezing, right? Half the year is snow…! No wonder someone would bathe in cold water in this weather—it’s you!”
“…But summer is nice and cool there.”
Nigel brushed the remaining damp strands of hair back.
“That’s how it goes: every drawback has its advantage. Like our inn—delicious food but a little lacking in the rooms!”
“Uh…”
Nigel didn’t know how to respond and just rolled his eyes.
“Just joking, no need to answer. Next time, ask for hot water for your bath—you might catch a cold.”
“Please tell your mother the food was excellent.”
“Will do. Have a safe trip. Oh, your name?”
“Nigel.”
“I’m Andy! By the way, the dinner here is even better.”
It was an invitation to come back early.
“See you later, Nigel!”
With Andy’s warm farewell, Nigel stepped out of the inn. The inn’s sign clearly displayed “Andy’s Inn.”
‘Good start.’
He smiled lightly and continued walking.
After mailing the letters to the orphanage with express postage, Nigel took out Zeronin’s letter—specifically the last page.
Relying on this simple map was an act that clearly bruised his pride.
But growth could only come from acknowledging one’s own shortcomings, and Nigel gripped the map tightly.
‘…Not bad, actually.’
Unlike on the way to the post office, he only got lost twice before reaching the destination. Clearly, the old philosopher’s saying about growth beginning with self-recognition was correct.
Nigel tucked Zeronin’s letter back into his bag with a faint smile.
Ding.
The clear sound of a bell greeted him first.
The interior of the tailor’s shop was lavish, leaving no place to rest the eyes—exactly the kind of place Allen would love.
Soon, a woman dressed fashionably appeared from deeper inside.
Even Nigel, who knew nothing about trends, could see why fashion mattered—her outfit suited her perfectly.
“Welcome, Lady Nigel. Madame Ludin has been waiting for your visit.”
“Uh…”
“Oh, pardon me. Your older brother reserved the entire week for you. Didn’t he tell you?”
Whether Zeronin spent money frivolously or buried it in the ground was none of Nigel’s concern.
But the important part was…
“…Older brother?”
The word made Nigel’s mouth open in disbelief.
“Oh-ho-ho! Looks like a surprise gift, but don’t be shy, Lady. Your older brother cared so much about you, Madame Ludin says she’s never seen such a considerate gentleman in all her years running this shop!”
“My… older brother…”
“Ah, this isn’t the time. First, let’s show you the clothes we prepared. After choosing the others, we’ll move to fittings. Su, Rina?”
At her snap, the two young girls appeared and whisked Nigel behind a partition, as if she were an experiment.
Before he knew it, Nigel was standing in his undergarments, being measured from head to toe.
“Madame, measurements are done.”
“Good. Then show the prepared outfits!”
Thwack!
Behind the curtain, the girls quickly dressed him: a white shirt with an emblem pocket, pleated blue skirt, matching tie, wide-brimmed robe… all in a flash.
Rina and Su smiled and removed the partition.
Clap, clap, clap.
Slow, deliberate applause filled the room.
“Per-fect! The new Sienia freshman color is blue—lucky for all students! Lady’s fair skin and violet eyes match the blue perfectly, oh-ho-ho!”
Nigel looked awkwardly at his reflection.
‘…Well… not bad.’
Even in the academy uniform, he looked decent. The robe, made of heat-retaining fabric, seemed durable enough to survive several nights without damage—a definite plus.
“Now, this isn’t the time to linger. Many more clothes to try, oh-ho-ho!”
After multiple rounds of changing, only the evening dresses remained.
Madame Ludin seemed to draw energy from Nigel’s diminishing strength, growing more enthusiastic with time.
“Lady Nigel, we have three evening dresses prepared. Please choose whichever you like.”
She pulled back a curtain in the corner, revealing three beautiful silhouettes.
“One by your older brother, one by Madame Ludin, and the last inspired by current capital trends. A Lady from a duke’s house attended the New Year’s party in a similar dress, causing quite a stir, ho-ho.”
In the original story, only the heroine attended that party. Her A-line silk dress on the right matched the original description, emphasizing her purity and drawing all eyes.
‘The crow trying to be a swan… will only get laughs.’
Nigel first picked the cream silk dress on the right.
The remaining choices were a lavish blue dress with lace, frills, and jewels, and a clean silver dress.
Seeing the narrow waistline of the blue dress, he quickly made up his mind.
“I’ll take the middle one.”
“Exactly! Excellent choice, Lady. This shows your older brother’s great taste—Madame Ludin would be proud to scout someone with such discernment.”
…It wasn’t that he liked Zeronin’s choice.
He just didn’t want to wear ill-fitting clothes and risk getting sick before even entering the academy.
