SOLIRF~23

Image Consulting

Posted by Marinette, Released on October 8, 2025

Chapter 23

Image Consulting

“Is that so? I’ll keep that in mind, sir.”

Bartolo burst into loud laughter, patting me on the back as if he had finally met someone who understood him.

“Haha! You might look young, but you catch on quick! I like that—very good, very good!”

After that, I decided to investigate the realities of office life in this fantasy world. The interviews I got from Pinea and other people at the trading company helped a lot.

Turns out, no matter what world you live in, office life is just office life.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I plan to follow their customs.

For someone already marinated in modern logic and workplace ethics, there was no way I could accept such outdated nonsense now.

Here’s what the interviews revealed:

“Tea? Well, I mean, the youngest usually does it, but it’s not like only women have to serve it. What creep told you that?”

“There are people who prefer it that way, sure. But no one does it because they want to. It’s just because their boss said so.”

“So what, tea tastes better if a woman makes it? What a load of crap.”

So basically, everyone hated it—but they still did it because their boss told them to.

Fine. I wasn’t thrilled about it, but I followed orders.

After greeting my lady, I went to her office and prepared tea. A few maids tried to stop me, saying they’d do it, but I politely declined.

Let’s start with something small, I thought.

Today, Lady Chiara had told me to leave her things in the office, then come to her room. So, I deliberately arrived about ten minutes late.

“What’s this, Cornelia? Why are you so late? The butler said you weren’t even in the office. Do you think showing your face for a second counts as coming to work? I told you to come quickly.”

Her mood was clearly foul.

I looked flustered and stammered, “Ah, I—I was greeting my senior… I’m sorry, my lady.”

“What?”

Lady Chiara’s eyebrows shot up as she straightened in her chair.

Beside her, Butler Fenel immediately looked alarmed. “Miss Cornelia, what do you mean by that?”

“Ah, well…”

I hesitated, darting my eyes around nervously, until Chiara’s voice cut sharply through the air.

“Cornelia. Speak.”

I let out a timid sigh and confessed everything.

“Sir Bartolo said he was my senior, and that I should greet him every morning after greeting you…”

“What?!”

The atmosphere instantly froze over.

Whoa, that’s… more intense than I expected.

I hadn’t planned for this kind of nuclear reaction. I’d only wanted to stir things up a little—something like ‘Don’t mess with my people.’

“And then?”

I pressed my lips together, pretending to be scared and distressed.

“He also said tea tastes better when a woman makes it… so I should bring him some whenever I go to greet him…”

“Fenel.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Who is Bartolo?”

Reading the danger in her tone, Fenel quickly answered.

“He’s a trusted aide of the Marquis, responsible for managing many of the estate’s major affairs. He has a very good reputation among the retainers.”

Of course he did. That kind of man always targets people lower on the ladder.

“Then how come the man I’m hearing about from my aide sounds like a piece of garbage?”

Fenel pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat beading on his forehead.

“I’ll look into it further, my lady.”

“My father likes him, so I’ll let it go this time. But tell him this—if he dares to use his seniority as an excuse to harass my aide again, he won’t even get soup next time.”

“Yes, my lady.”

That went even better than I’d hoped. I’d planned to collect more dirt before striking back—but this was already a solid win.

“Cornelia.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Lady Chiara’s expression softened a little as she said,

“From now on, if anything like that happens, come straight to me. You’re my aide. In this household, you bow to no one but me, my father, and my mother. Understood?”

She exhaled heavily, like she was suppressing the urge to add something more… possibly ‘What a damn loser.’

“You’re still new to a noble household, so you probably don’t know better. You’re young, too.”

I’m pretty sure I’m older than you, I thought.

To her, I must have looked like some naïve little lamb.

“You’re cute, Cornelia. That’s why pests like that will hover around you. You have to make it very clear—‘No, I don’t want that.’ The thing I hate most is when people just let themselves be walked over.”

Definitely the type to hit back twice as hard, I mused, recalling the gossip articles.

“If anyone tries to use their status to pressure you, tell them my name. Make sure they know who’s backing you. Got it?”

My jaw almost dropped.

She just told me to name-drop her? That’s… actually kind of awesome.

It was the kind of line only someone from a powerful family could say. But at the same time, it showed how easily she trusted me, even though we hadn’t known each other long.

***

Lady Chiara’s influence showed itself the very next day.

Bartolo called me out privately.

“So, I thought you had some sense—but you went running straight to her?”

I stood firm, remembering my lady’s words: Never act submissive.

He sneered. “Seems like the lady’s really taken a liking to you. But that won’t last. Be careful. Do you know anyone who crossed Bartolo and got away fine?”

He glared, his voice dripping with threat.

I stared back, unamused.

If you think I’ll let you hit first, you’re wrong.

***

Moved by my lady’s leadership, I decided to take my job as her social consultant seriously.

Through Pinea, I collected every social magazine I could find and absorbed all the gossip I could. If the articles were true, then high society was basically a battlefield without bullets.

“At least I don’t have to explain everything,” Kiara said, half relieved, half exasperated, when she realized I already knew her public image.

“Not everything written about me is true,” she said quietly. “But most of the actions they describe… yeah, I did those. I don’t have a great reputation in society. They call me a villainess.”

The dark, elegant décor of her Black Diamond-inspired room only made that impression stronger.

“I want to lead social trends—to set the tone myself—but reality doesn’t match my ambitions. Still, I do love fashion and beauty. I’m confident in my sense for those things.”

That much was true. For someone who invested so much in her appearance, she knew what suited her best.

“Then why do you act the way you do?” I asked, holding up The Gossip Lady.

Her brow furrowed instantly.

“They drive me crazy.”

“What do you mean?”

“They copy my dresses. They call the boutiques I use outdated. I start a trend, but they give credit to someone else. They lose things I ordered on purpose. It’s all just—ugh—so irritating.”

Okay, yeah, I’d be pissed too.

“It sounds intentional. Whoever’s doing this must be someone with influence. Who is it?”

Kiara’s shoulders slumped slightly.

“Lady Lilis Seref.”

Ah. Even higher nobility.

That was going to be tough.

According to Pinea’s notes, Lady Seref was the crown prince’s fiancée—the angelic darling of society. Naturally, anything she did would outshine Chiara.

“Do you think it’s impossible?” Chiara asked softly, her confidence wavering.

She’d clearly been through a lot. And she wasn’t the type to fake strength, so she’d taken the blows hard.

But image management is a game with no end. If she was already seen as the villainess, then…

I smiled. “Do you actually want to change your image, my lady? Into something angelic?”

She thought about it and shook her head.

“Not really. You’ve seen my personality.”

“Then why force it?”

“Because that’s what works. That’s what dominates the social scene.”

I grinned. “Then why not embrace what already works for you? Become a stylish, luxurious villainess instead.”

“…!”

I slid a Black Diamond catalog across the table toward her.

“Doesn’t it fit you perfectly? Our brand and your image.”