CH:38
“It’s been a while, Young Master Kaon.”
“Have you been well?”
Deborah, a renowned tailor in Briae, offered a polite bow. Her atelier had grown considerably in recent years—so much so that not only the nobles of the Ferdinand Duchy but even those from nearby territories came seeking her services.
Thus, rather than having Kaon travel all the way to the capital for his attire, Leonidas chose to summon Deborah to the estate.
“Yes. Thanks to your patronage, I’ve been doing well. Since you’ve placed your trust in me, I will do my best to repay it.”
“I already know your skills. Just do as you always do.”
“Thank you.”
After the exchange of formal pleasantries, Deborah immediately got to work. She moved briskly and precisely, measuring and recording without hesitation. Even Kaon, who normally had no interest in clothing, could see how deft and experienced she was.
“You’re not pressed for time, are you?”
There was a little over a month left until the court ball. Though Deborah was clearly an excellent tailor, even she might struggle to make a new outfit in that short a time.
“It would be tight if we were starting from scratch, but your formalwear has been in preparation since last autumn, so this much time is more than enough. We just need to adjust the measurements.”
“…Since last autumn?”
“Yes. Thanks to Baroness Robert’s early request, we prepared several outfits in advance.”
Of course, Beverly. Understanding now, Kaon nodded—then suddenly stopped.
“Once Lady Alessia’s dress is decided, we can just finalize the coordination.”
Her next words nagged at him.
If all that’s left is to match Alessia’s dress, then that means her dress hasn’t been chosen yet.
If a man’s formalwear takes over a month to prepare, it’s obvious that a woman’s gown would need even more time. And yet, it wasn’t ready?
“Didn’t Alessia have her dress custom-made?”
“No, sir. I haven’t heard anything about her dress. Until today, I was under the impression she was having it made elsewhere.”
Even as she continued jotting down measurements, Deborah answered politely. Kaon, sensing something ominous, asked again.
“You say ‘until today’… meaning?”
“When I arrived at the estate, Baroness Robert asked me if I could make Lady Alessia’s gown from scratch. I told her the timeframe was too short to do so, and she asked me to alter something usable instead, which I agreed to.”
“…She asked that today?”
“Yes.”
Kaon was dumbfounded and momentarily at a loss for words. Baroness Robert was a veteran of high society—there was no way she didn’t know how long it takes to make a dress.
No, she definitely knew. That’s probably why she had instructed them to prepare his formalwear since last fall.
“Do I need to stand here much longer?”
“No, sir. I’ll be finished soon. If you have urgent business, I’ll hurry.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
Kaon responded shortly, his eyes dim with frustration.
“I heard you summoned me, Young Master.”
Baroness Robert greeted him with her usual grace. The gaze she directed at him held a familiar affection.
“Beverly, have a seat first.”
“Yes, Young Master Kaon.”
Even the way she said his name carried a warm gentleness. Looking back, she had always looked after him and Leonidas with love since childhood—sometimes strictly, sometimes with kindness.
Even his late mother had relied heavily on her. Though the baroness had initially disapproved of the duchess due to her humble origins, she had done her best to support her for the Duke’s sake.
After Kaon’s parents passed away and the estate was thrown into chaos, it was Baroness Robert who restored order. Even Kaon’s uncle—who had schemed to gain legitimacy over Ferdinand—didn’t dare cross her.
To summarize, Baroness Robert was more than just family to the Ferdinand household.
Kaon cherished her deeply, so he had no intention of harshly reprimanding her. He merely wanted to ensure such oversights didn’t happen again.
“I heard Alessia’s dress wasn’t prepared separately.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Baroness Robert answered calmly, as if she had anticipated this situation all along.
“Can you tell me why?”
“Because it’s not my place to handle that.”
“You’re saying it’s not your responsibility.”
“Yes.”
Kaon furrowed his brow. If the de facto lady of the estate wasn’t responsible, then who was?
Sensing his frustration, the baroness continued.
“Lady Alessia’s gown should have been arranged by Ingelos. I serve Ferdinand. If I stepped in, it would be overstepping.”
“But Alessia is staying in Ferdinand. She’s my… fiancée.”
He hesitated, but finally said it aloud. Alessia was his fiancée—shouldn’t that have warranted some attention?
“You know she didn’t bring many things with her.”
“That is the young lady’s personal matter, isn’t it?”
“Beverly!”
Kaon, who had held back so far, finally raised his voice. It wasn’t particularly loud, but it was the first time he had ever expressed anger toward the baroness.
Even she seemed slightly shaken, a crack forming in her composed expression. But she quickly regained her calm.
“Young Master, Ingelos never sent a dowry for Lady Alessia.”
“That’s because we aren’t married yet. Dowries are typically sent at the time of marriage.”
“Yes, dowries usually come after marriage. But when a lady is staying as a fiancée, the expectations are different.”
A fleeting glint of disdain crossed her dark teal eyes.
“As you said, the young lady arrived in Ferdinand practically with nothing. Just one carriage—no supply wagon followed.”
“……”
Kaon fell silent. There was nothing incorrect in what she said. In fact, one of the reasons Alessia had faced a cold reception when she first arrived was because of this.
To send a noble lady with no proper gifts or entourage—not even the most basic gestures of courtesy—was perceived as an insult to Ferdinand.
“If Ingelos truly respected Ferdinand, would they have done that? If they took this engagement seriously, they wouldn’t have acted that way. The ones who broke decorum first were not I, but Ingelos.”
Every word she spoke was so logical, Kaon couldn’t argue. And knowing how sincerely she served Ferdinand made it all the more difficult.
“Young Master Kaon, I would never do anything to bring harm to Ferdinand. I never have, and I never will.”
Her resolute declaration left Kaon with nothing more to say. In the end, he could only let her go.
It was the day to finalize the inspection route. Kaon scanned the conference room, his gaze stopping at an empty seat. At some point, Alessia had stopped attending these meetings.
“Where’s Alessia?”
“A maid came earlier and took her. The tailor returned with the altered dress. They apologized for the short notice and asked for understanding.”
“Oh, a dress? So the lady will be attending the court ball as well. I’ll lay down my life to protect her—might I be allowed to escort her too?”
“Enough. That’s not your place, Morris.”
Kaon gave a subtle nod of thanks to Nils for saving him the trouble of speaking.
‘So she chose a dress after all.’
With less than two weeks left, it was only natural—but still, it didn’t sit well with him.
He wasn’t particularly fond of the court ball, but it was said to be the dream of every noble in the kingdom.
Especially the spring ball, known for its stunning decorations, was something young ladies looked forward to with great excitement. To stand out, they spared no effort. According to his cousin Gideon, who loved such events, families often hired famous tailors months in advance to create the perfect ensemble.
Yet Alessia would be attending in a mere altered gown.
Though Kaon knew logically that Baroness Robert was right, it still bothered him. Just because Ingelos had acted that way didn’t mean Ferdinand had to follow suit.
“Oh, how beautiful Lady Alessia must look. Lord Kaon, watch your eyes.”
“My eyes?”
“Of course! You might be blinded by her beauty.”
That was nonsense. Kaon shot Morris a scornful glare. Not that it had any effect—Morris was long used to such looks.
“Oh, Lord Kaon. They say a man holding fortune rarely knows he’s holding it. If another man falls for Lady Alessia and challenges you to a duel, you’ll regret it then.”
A duel? Over something like that? What fool would waste time on such nonsense? And even if someone did, when did he ever say he’d fight?
“Let them try if they want.”
Kaon scoffed. Maybe the old him—who once liked Alessia—would’ve cared. But not now. If some fool fell for her now, he’d just laugh. Loudly.
And so Kaon spent the rest of the meeting preparing mentally for an event that had yet to happen.
