Chapter 140
Chapter 140
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Apprentices' Paths
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After reaching a mutually satisfactory contract, the guild master and I didn't leave right away but continued chatting a little longer.
The business itself was concluded, but departing immediately would have felt too cold.
"My daughter, you see..."
"Ah..."
And the moment the work talk ended, the guild master launched straight into personal matters, making me regret staying.
My father from my previous life had once said, "Dads turn into fools outside who can only talk about their own kids." I never imagined I'd experience it here.
Family stories are easy enough—just nod along and pretend to be interested.
"That scoundrel of a guy...!"
"That must have been truly upsetting, sir."
Of all things, it had to be someone else's daughter's love life. I thought I'd die of awkwardness.
To my ears, it sounded like perfectly ordinary romance between a man and a woman, but it clearly didn't sit right with her father.
I wondered if it was appropriate to spill this to a stranger, but a father's heart when it comes to his daughter is a mysterious thing.
"Take care on your way back!"
"You've worked hard."
Still, thanks to my best efforts at blind empathy, when the guild master finished his tale, he saw me off with a brighter smile than when he'd stamped the contract—polite and courteous all the way to the carriage.
"Huu..."
I sank into the carriage seat and let out a weary sigh.
I hadn't expected to end up consulting all the way at the guild, and it left me utterly drained.
But it also swept away the vague anxiety lingering in my heart.
This seemed like a man who might bungle a job through incompetence, but he wouldn't stab me in the back.
And from his casual probing, it was clear he wasn't incompetent either—he was angling for a tidy profit as middleman.
The truth would only come out once we actually got to work, but at least we'd started off on a good note.
Anyway, after wrapping up at the Tailors' and Seamstresses' Guild, I didn't head straight back to the atelier. Instead, I met with Prince Hans, Miss Isabella, and Miss Heini in turn, giving each a heads-up about what had gone down at the guild.
I'd sent letters ahead, but this was hugely important from our side, so I wanted to minimize any chance of confusion.
The three of them reacted with bewilderment—"You actually landed us work?"—but overall, they were positive.
Securing a guild-level contract on top of shop-level ones isn't easy.
Not all of it, perhaps, but even the scraps falling from the table would bring decent profits.
Prince Hans, in particular, was over the moon.
Unlike machines or metals, where supply volumes were limited, the atelier went through fabric like water.
If the guild's ateliers started ordering, we could be shipping out by the kilometer every month—and possibly high-end synthetic blends at premium prices?
And only he could supply it?
It was practically a blank check.
After a frantic day dashing about and securing positive responses from all three, I finally made it back to the atelier as the sun hung in the western sky, the heavens starting to glow with yellow light.
Just an hour until closing time.
I'd eaten up far more time than expected—practically a full day gone.
"Ugh..."
I groaned softly as I scanned the bustling staff.
Work must have piled up a bit again.
Small operations like ours fall apart the moment one person steps away for a day, and it was oddly amusing that I was the one keeping up with it.
Being the head does come with its blind spots, but no company collapses just because the boss takes a day off.
Kingdoms don't crumble if the king catches a cold, after all.
Well, with kings all over the world, maybe one or two did?
"Elizabeth, nothing out of the ordinary while I was gone?"
"Nope. Two customers came by. One left word they'd come back tomorrow or the day after since you were out."
"Really nothing, huh."
"If special things happen too often, they stop being special."
"True, but..."
I just wished those "special" things didn't happen quite so frequently.
It felt like the world was out to get me—or wait, no, my career was smooth sailing, so maybe it was favoring me?
Tiring, but filled with good fortune, so that was a relief at least.
Having caught His Majesty's eye—if it had been some "Just you wait" vendetta—my life would've been a mess in every way.
With him openly declaring "This one's under imperial protection," even those who resented me had quieted down.
"Oh, right."
As I narrowed my eyes, mulling over recent events, Elizabeth let out a belated "aha!" and pointed to one corner of the workshop.
"Walter and Elin were looking for you."
"Who?"
"Walter and Elin. Seemed like they had something to talk about—fidgety all day, saying it had to be today."
"Today? Hmm..."
I furrowed my brow, frowning as my eyes darted about.
Did Walter and Elin have anything so urgent to tell me?
Nothing came to mind...
"Ah—right."
Last week, I'd asked if they had any interest in trying patternmaking.
I'd told them to think it over and let me know by the end of the week, but they'd reached a decision faster than expected.
They might've dragged their feet until Friday without a word, but since they'd decided quickly, the least I could do was hear them out promptly.
"Walter! Elin!"
I flashed Elizabeth a grateful smile before calling out to them.
"Y-Yes?!"
"Uh, y-yes!"
"Come to the break room. Let's talk."
"“Y-Yes...!”"
_
Walter and Elin arrived in the break room about five minutes after I called.
"Sit down, quick."
"O-Okay..."
I gestured for the pair—who crept forward, glancing nervously—to take seats, then slid glasses of sparkling apple water toward them.
"I heard you were looking for me."
"Y-Yes..."
"It's about that thing from last time, right?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"So, you can tell me what you've decided?"
The reason was obvious, so I skipped the pointless "Why?" and got straight to it.
"Yes..."
They'd made up their minds and resolved to speak, but voicing it was another matter entirely. The siblings nodded but spent ages fiddling with their pants and skirt hems, heads bowed.
It was frustrating that they'd sought me out yet couldn't speak up, but the fact they'd taken initiative before I even followed up was commendable. So I sipped my tea leisurely, waiting for their courage to build.
"Um, I..."
In the end, Walter was the first to muster his resolve and speak.
"Yes."
I set down my teacup with a neutral expression and met his eyes.
Walter held my gaze without flinching, swallowed once, and continued.
"I want to... keep working as a seamstress, like now..."
I'd half-expected it given how quickly they'd decided, but he was true to form.
He'd been negative from the start, after all. Hard to flip one's heart in under a week.
It was his choice, so I couldn't interfere, but I'd harbored some hope it'd change with time—a faint regret lingered.
"I see..."
I replied in a voice tinged with slight bitterness, shifting my gaze to Elin, who was still toying with her skirt hem.
"What about you, Elin? Same as your brother?"
"I-I..."
Elin, head bowed even deeper, shuddered at the shoulders as she opened her mouth.
She bobbed her head up and down repeatedly, fidgeting anxiously, lips quivering as she forced out the words.
"I-I want to... learn patternmaking..."
"Yes, I see... Huh...?"
Patternmaking?
"Elin, did you just say patternmaker?"
"Y-Yes..."
Her unexpected answer left me thrilled yet flustered, at a loss for words.
The siblings always aligned before—this time, they'd diverged.
"Oh..."
I quickly checked Walter, wondering if Elin had gone against her true feelings to read the room, but he sat calmly gazing at me, unsurprised.
My predictions kept missing the mark, but it felt good.
"C-Could I... not...?"
Unlike Walter, with no immediate reply from me, Elin grew anxious, her voice thick with tears.
"Absolutely not. These are choices you made after thinking it through, so whether patternmaker or seamstress, I'll respect them."
I firmly dispelled her fears, then added with the warmest smile and gaze I could muster.
"It's just... this is the first time your opinions have split, so I was curious why. Mind sharing what led to your decisions?"
"It looked... cool..."
"Cool?"
"Th-The patternmakers, when they design their own clothes... they look so, so cool... I thought it'd be nice if I could do that too..."
"Hmm~ I see. That's a fine reason."
A pure, innocent motive brought a smile to my face.
Wanting to emulate something that looks cool.
A classic motivator for pubescent teens—and an excellent one at that.
Had they cited something crass like social status or money at this young age, I'd have been disappointed and saddened.
At the cusp of adolescence, it's best to dream ideally, even if it seems a bit childish.
"And you, Walter?"
Satisfied with Elin's answer, I turned expectantly to Walter.
"I-I... want to be like Adelaide sis..."
"What...?"
The pleasant mood shattered in an instant.
"Who? Adelaide?"
No way, I must've misheard. I repeated myself, eyes wide, hoping against hope.
"Y-Yeah... Adelaide sis..."
But Walter nodded shyly, beaming bashfully.
"A-Adelaide... you mean...?"
Incredible.
His aspiration wasn't just high—it was impossible.
If it'd been merely difficult, I'd cheer him on.
But attempting the feats of a human in a world without sewing machines or electric motors...?
"Oof..."
Alarms blared deafeningly in my head.
This was bad...