128. Bertang Dress Shop (2)

After asking Bertang for permission to take one of his employees who turned out to be a fellow Northerner, I brought Ann to the townhouse.

“Why are you still staying here when you said you no longer have dreams in the capital? And you said sewing isn’t your calling either.”

Ann blushed as she answered.

“I can’t go back precisely because I haven’t accomplished anything. I decided I would only return when I could boast to my father.”

But because of that, Boyer almost became a broken man, thinking his daughter had died.

If I hadn’t intervened to persuade him, he might have drunk himself to death. Instead of lecturing this impulsive young maiden, I changed the subject.

“I’m actually quite interested in the fashion business. How is your dress shop doing? Is it successful?”

Ann opened her eyes wide and promptly replied.

“It’s one of the most successful dress shops in the capital! If I had the skills, I would have opened my own dress shop. Do you know how much they mark up the prices at dress shops? And yet, the more expensive they charge, the more popular they become!”

Ann, who had been chattering away, suddenly seemed to remember something.

“Ah, but please don’t worry too much, my lady! I’ll keep a close eye on whether they’re making your clothes well and using good fabric.”

“I’m not concerned about how much profit the dress shop makes. As long as they don’t cross the line, I’ll overlook it as common practice in dressmaking. Rather, our North has a poor image, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. That’s why I ran away from the North.”

“I’d like to have famous shopping districts like this one in our North too. So people can see the North differently than they do now.”

Ann hesitated.

“You could build shops if the Grand Duchess wishes, but who would buy the clothes made there?”

Ann’s concern was valid. However, knowing that the curse on the Northern mountains would soon be lifted and a mining development boom would follow, I could only smile.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Soon there will be a high demand for such luxury items. Our North is becoming wealthy now.”

Looking at Ann, whose expression seemed to ask, ‘What on earth happened while I was away from home?’ I said:

“And I want a designer who will lead the North’s unique fashion trends with me.”

My plan to establish a high-end shopping district in the North began with De Beers’ jewelry store and a dress shop with a designer brought from the capital.

Among the various businesses I could invest in, I was particularly interested in a dress shop because it was precisely the kind of business that romance fantasy female leads touched and made successful.

How do they always manage to spot talented but undiscovered designers so well?

And how easy it is to make them successful. If the female lead wears their clothes a few times, they instantly become the most popular designers in the capital.

Therefore, as someone who had possessed a romance fantasy character, I decided to invest in a dress shop first.

* * *

“I told you to wait just a moment, but how could you not wait that short time! My goodness, how could you go to Bertang’s dress shop without me!”

When Caitlyn, who had prepared to go out after hearing that Darius and Anette were going to the dress shop, finished getting ready, naturally no one was waiting for her.

After leaving her out and going to the dress shop together, an employee from Bertang’s dress shop had come to the townhouse to speak with Anette about how many clothes they had bought that day.

“Take me with you next time! I can’t attend a ball wearing clothes I brought from the South. Dresses should be tailored at a capital dress shop. But to leave me behind! Sister, you really don’t have an ounce of consideration, do you?”

Not only Anette but even the maids looked dumbfounded, yet Caitlyn wouldn’t stop complaining. Anette simply ignored this.

Some time later, when Anette and Darius were leaving the mansion to visit Bertang’s dress shop, Caitlyn followed them.

“She finally took another carriage to follow us, your sister.”

“Just leave her be. She has feet, how can I stop her from going where she wants with them?”

Anette replied indifferently to Darius’s comment. When the grand ducal couple and Caitlyn entered the dress shop, Mr. Bertang greeted them with a bright smile.

“You could have sent our employee, but you came in person—I don’t know how to express my gratitude for the Grand Duchess’s consideration.”

While ready-made clothes were brought on the day they were ordered, the custom-ordered dresses and gentlemen’s clothes needed separate fitting adjustments.

“The grand ducal couple looks so good together today! But who is this young lady with you? I heard only the two of you were coming today.”

“My name is Caitlyn Pochet. I’m the Grand Duchess’s sister. Hoho, her very, very cherished sister!”

Darius gave Caitlyn a strange look, but Anette was now too tired to explain. So she simply left Caitlyn to throw around the Grand Duchess’s name as she pleased and went inside for the fitting.

Caitlyn then proudly began ordering the employees around.

“Bring me all the clothes from there to here. I need to try them on in front of the mirror.”

Learning she was the well-spending Grand Duchess’s sister, the employees’ attitudes became even more friendly.

“Miss, these are our new arrivals from here to here. The clothes at the very front caught Miss Margarita’s interest as well.”

“What? Margarita did what? How dare you mention Margarita in front of me? Ugh, how annoying! I don’t even want to see that dress, take it away!”

“I apologize, miss. Bring different clothes right away! Hurry!”

“Miss, here are different clothes!”

Although Caitlyn was particularly difficult, dealing with the whims of immature noble ladies was something Bertang’s dress shop employees were accustomed to.

As clothes piled up in front of Caitlyn, the employees gritted their teeth but did their utmost to please her.

If all the displayed clothes sold, Mr. Bertang would surely reward his employees generously.

“Would you like to see accessories and shoes that match this dress?”

“Yes, bring everything! I’ll buy anything good. Don’t hide your best items, show me quickly. The most expensive and beautiful ones!”

Caitlyn would grimace and throw items she didn’t like.

The attending employee would quickly rush to catch whatever she threw. These were all precious items, each handcrafted.

Glancing sideways, Caitlyn tried to flirt with the handsome Darius.

“How is this dress, brother-in-law? Does it suit me well? Clothes should be chosen by a gentleman, after all.”

“Well, I don’t have an eye for ladies’ clothing.”

Darius replied without even looking at Caitlyn, showing no interest. At his response, Caitlyn huffed and shouted, ‘I’m done with this one, next!’

The detailed adjustments for Anette’s dress were taking longer than expected, and with Caitlyn making a fuss next to them, Darius was beginning to regret coming along.

Swish.

Just then, the fitting room curtain was drawn back, and Anette appeared, having adjusted her dress.

“You did well to try it on yourself. Your chest is larger and your waist slimmer than our initial measurements.”

Bertang proudly showed off his work to Darius, who had been waiting. There was no trace of the boredom Darius had shown earlier as he gazed at Anette, entranced.

“Bertang thinks we could reveal more of the chest—what do you think? It would look prettier, but I don’t like low necklines.”

Anette smiled awkwardly as she met Darius’s eyes.

Rustle, with each step Anette took, the voluminous fabric of her dress made a pleasant sound.

Seeing Darius frozen like a wooden statue, Anette hesitated a little but then, urged by Bertang, lifted her skirt with both hands.

Twirl, as she spun around once, the full skirt and her pink hair swayed lovingly.

“What do you think, Grand Duke?”

It was like a dream. If heaven existed, Darius unconsciously thought it would be right here, in this moment.

Though the dress wasn’t finished yet, Bertang was certain the Grand Duke was pleased with Anette in this outfit.

And for good reason—the man couldn’t take his eyes off his wife’s appearance.

“The Grand Duke likes it so much he’s speechless.”

“You don’t dislike it, do you?”

Anette’s expression clouded at Darius’s silence. The way she rolled her blue eyes, framed by eyelashes, was as adorable as an angel.

Following Bertang’s style that emphasized curves, the dress had a voluminous skirt but, in contrast, the bodice clung tightly, showing the lines of Anette’s round shoulders and the plump bosom below.

Faced with this lovely yet different Anette, Darius couldn’t bear to look longer and turned his head away. He felt that even if he opened his mouth now, no words would come out.

“Since you have such a good figure, how about emphasizing the chest more? That’s the fashion these days.”

“Don’t alter it further.”

Even in the midst of this, Darius didn’t forget to add the condition that there should be no more exposure.

The employees of Bertang’s dress shop who had been attending to Caitlyn also didn’t spare their praise for Anette.

“You look truly lovely. You carry clothes so well that even more elaborate styles would suit you.”

“Your fair skin complements any color. Grand Duchess, why haven’t you been in the capital before? What a shame, you should have been attending the capital’s balls all along.”

“Indeed. You would certainly have led new fashion trends.”