Chapter 63
Under the big, fancy dress skirt was a completely different design hidden.
It was a short dress that showed off the calves.
In this era, nobles believed that showing your legs was extremely inappropriate.
So when the audience saw this bold dress, they gasped in shock.
To make it even more surprising, Sabrina was wearing pants underneath the ripped-off skirt.
“Oh my! What kind of dress is that?!”
“How shocking!”
Everyone was shocked, but we calmly continued with what we had planned.
I took the guitar handed to me by one of the staff waiting near the stage.
Lillianne and Sabrina walked toward the piano and drums set in the center of the stage.
Once everyone was in place, Sabrina, now more comfortable in pants, tapped out a beat on the drums.
Lillianne’s piano and my guitar joined in.
With the heavy skirt gone, it was much easier and freer to play our instruments.
Then Edith jumped into the song with a bright face, shouting the highlight part of the chorus.
“Tell yourself you can do it!”
Edith reached out toward the buzzing audience with a big smile.
Yeah, I can do anything!
At the same time, the other models standing tall on the runway tore off their dress skirts too.
The colorful lace from the fancy dresses flew into the air like decorations.
The audience stared in awe at the beautiful and surreal scene.
As the song reached its highlight, musicians on one side of the stage stood up together.
“This is my farewell kiss!”
With Edith’s powerful voice, Sabrina hit the drums with energy.
Then the musicians began playing while moving their upper bodies as if they were dancing.
“You’ll be left behind, watching me soar—”
As the beat picked up, the models—now lighter and more free in their shorter skirts—began to dance.
It wasn’t exactly dancing—more like jumping or moving to the rhythm—but it was fun to watch.
“This is my welcome greeting!”
Colorful lace fluttered down onto the audience like butterfly wings.
They landed on people’s heads, knees, or even at their feet.
The lace looked like butterfly cocoons being shed.
As the visual and musical impact hit its peak, hidden fans of the “Clina Band” in the audience began to cheer loudly.
“Siren!!”
“Athena is amazing!!”
“I love you, Goddess Aphrodite!!”
“Goddess of Revenge!!”
Young noble ladies, who had been holding back their excitement, stood up and cheered too.
Some older, strict nobles frowned at the scene.
But that was expected.
Winning everyone’s heart from the beginning was never possible.
Still, like a small ripple that spreads across the surface of the water, this little wave of change would grow bigger and wider.
Just starting that change at Clina’s salon made it a success in its own way.
Soon, the song reached its final climax and became even more exciting.
“I’ll let go of everything and be free—like a bird!”
People who had already heard the chorus during the last performance sang along, moving their bodies to the rhythm.
“Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-ohhh—!”
Lace flew through the air, models danced wildly, and the energetic music filled the hall.
Some in the crowd raised their hands and waved them in the air.
Some even sang along with the chorus they’d only heard once before.
As the chorus repeated, Edith moved around the runway stage, singing the final lines with passion.
Half of the audience was now singing and enjoying the show.
As the song reached its final moment, Edith spread her arms wide and shouted the last word:
“Freedom!”
At that moment, the dancing models also raised their arms to the sky.
For a second, the audience was silent.
Then they erupted in cheers and applause.
Fans of the Clina Band screamed with excitement.
A few older nobles looked confused and didn’t know how to react—but they were only a small group.
And just like that, the fashion show ended in great success.
Even while the staff cleaned up the stage after the guests had left, they couldn’t stop smiling.
The reactions had been so positive after all the hard work.
But Lillianne’s face didn’t look so bright.
“Lilianne, why do you look so down?”
At my question, Lilianne, who was closing the piano lid, gave a bitter smile.
“I just remembered how some people in the audience didn’t look happy.”
Hearing her discouraging words, I let out a small, weak laugh.
“You can’t please everyone. If 70 out of 100 people liked it, that’s a success, right?”
“That’s true, but still…”
“There are always grumpy old folks wherever you go. You don’t have to worry about every single one of them.”
Lilianne nodded reluctantly with a faint smile.
But she still seemed uneasy, and after hesitating, she opened her mouth again.
“And the dress… I wonder if I made something just for myself.”
Well, that was something I was a bit worried about too.
Cliná Salon is a place where customers can wear masks and remain anonymous, so they’re usually more open and playful.
But reality outside the salon is different.
“It might have been okay for a show event, but I’m not sure if it’s right for an actual boutique where we sell clothes.”
It was Lilianne’s first time working in this field too.
Honestly, I also thought it was a risky challenge.
But trends always start with something new.
In a stiff, old-fashioned environment, new styles can’t be born. Every trend starts with a daring challenger or pioneer.
Our new boutique’s future was still uncertain, but I didn’t think this challenge was meaningless.
And besides, wearing those long, heavy dresses in the middle of summer?
I feel bad for the women who have to do that.
Shorts or knee-length skirts are so much cooler and more comfortable!
“Let’s stop worrying and just head home.”
I gently pushed Lilianne’s back as we went upstairs.
“What about Sabrina?”
“She’s waiting outside.”
Just as we stepped outside the salon, we froze at the sight of two familiar figures.
One of them was Sabrina.
And the other…
“So it is Miss Claire and Miss Lilianne, isn’t it?”
We both froze at the sight of the confident woman with her arms crossed—Lady Simona.
Come to think of it, we had taken off our masks since the salon had closed.
Next to Simona, Sabrina awkwardly scratched the back of her head, mask off too.
“Haha… Sorry. I ran into Lady Simona as I was leaving…”
So you were the problem!
I glared at Sabrina, but Simona stepped in front of her and spoke first.
“I thought something was fishy from the opening day of Cliná Salon.”
I remembered the first day when we left Lady Simona downstairs and ran around to fix salon problems.
As I struggled to find a way to explain, Simona coolly continued,
“Well, whatever. It looks fun, so I’ll pretend I don’t know.”
Of course—Simona is totally cool!
“But in return, let me join too.”
Huh??
At that moment, Lilianne, Sabrina, and I all looked at each other.
What do we do now…?
Having someone like Lady Simona on our side is definitely helpful, but…
“What’s everyone doing here?”
Just then, the novel’s main heroine, Edith, appeared with a bright smile.
The very same heroine that Simona, the villainess of the story, desperately tried to ruin!
Faced with this unexpected meeting between the heroine and the villainess, all we could do was freeze in place with our mouths wide open.
