Chapter 149
Chapter 149
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: Necktie Feedback
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"This one was sent by Prince Hans, and this is from my brother-in-law..."
After scattering neckties around and letting three or four days pass, feedback from the recipients started trickling back to me one by one.
I was truly grateful that everyone was offering their opinions so readily, but on the flip side, most of the feedback I received was far from what I'd hoped for.
"Ugh... Even my brother-in-law wasn't a fan of the necktie..."
Strangely enough, no one seemed to like the necktie much.
Bow ties and ascot styles mostly got neutral or positive responses.
When Father asked if there was anything else besides that, I showed him the ascot-style necktie, only for him to stare at me with eyes that said, 'Why are you pulling this out now?' It felt a bit unfair.
I'd offered the necktie first because I liked it more...
Not everyone panned the necktie, though.
Tastes vary, after all, so a tiny handful of people did give it positive reviews.
And wouldn't you know it—that tiny handful included His Imperial Majesty the Emperor.
[He said it reminds him of a leash, and he liked it.]
That train of thought was pretty frightening.
There were people who found it unpleasant because it evoked a noose, but out of a dozen or so, His Majesty was the only one who saw it as a leash and said 'good.'
Well... His Majesty spouting odd things like that wasn't exactly new, so I wasn't all that shocked.
What really unnerved me was wondering if his children thought the same way.
Princess Elizabeth seemed normal compared to him, but I couldn't let my guard down. The first thing she'd said when we met was, 'Mother told me to find an enterprising man, and you seem like one.'
Back then, I didn't know her mother was the Emperor, so I'd just thought, 'How unique~' and let it slide. But now that I knew the truth, nothing creepier than that had ever been said to me.
No way her tastes could be normal after being raised by him.
Who knows—she might end up saying something like, 'Mother told me a man should wear his leash well,' and lock me up someday.
"......"
Suddenly, the chilling sensation of prison bars flashed in my mind, making my nape itch.
Out of nowhere, I felt an urge to revere the Imperial Consort.
How had she endured twenty years by His Majesty's side?
I wasn't sure I'd last even a month without losing my mind.
"Gulp..."
I boosted my loyalty to the Imperial Consort by a couple levels and subtly shifted my gaze to sneak a peek at Elizabeth, who was sitting two seats away.
"Hmm~"
Elizabeth was sketching designs when she hit a part she didn't like, pressing her pen to her lips and crossing her legs.
She happened to be frowning, which wrapped her in an air of imperiousness.
What scared me most in that moment was how well that aura suited her—and how my mind thought it'd be fine to experience it firsthand.
"Ugh..."
"...?"
A chill ran through me at how twisted I was becoming, and I shuddered with a groan. Elizabeth, her focus broken by the sound, raised an eyebrow and turned to me.
"What's wrong?"
"Haha, it's nothing."
"......"
I couldn't exactly say, 'I was imagining you kidnapping and locking me up,' so I gave an awkward smile and shook my head. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes suspiciously but didn't press further.
"Phew..."
Maybe that killed her motivation entirely, because she let out a soft breath, set down her pen, uncrossed her legs, and turned her chair toward me, arms folded like she was ready for a proper chat.
"How's that necktie project you’ve been working so hard on coming along?"
"Eh... I haven't even started yet."
"Why? You seemed like you were making all sorts of things, even if not at Elin's level."
"After hearing feedback from everyone, I think I need to tweak the direction a bit. But it's not really my taste, so I'm hesitating."
I'd originally planned a safe 9cm-wide striped necktie.
To suit His Majesty's taste, it'd have to be a skinny tie under 3cm wide.
To match the nobles' general preferences, an ascot-style.
I could make them, sure. But personally, I disliked both styles.
An ascot was something I wouldn't bother seeking out to wear, while a skinny tie was an abomination that shouldn't exist.
It really looked like a noose or leash, failing at both style and decorum.
I'd take a bolo tie made of metal tips and cord over a skinny tie any day—a hundred times better.
At least a bolo tie could pass as a pendant if you picked a nice metal tip; design-wise, it wasn't bad.
"Is that a meaningful dilemma? You're going to make them all anyway."
"Nope."
Of course not.
It wasn't so much agonizing over what I didn't want to make as pondering how to nudge it toward something I'd like, even a little.
Like a spoiled request to add a dash of my taste since I had to make them anyway.
"Then don't overthink it—just make them. You always waste energy on weird stuff."
"It's not weird, though..."
Even a homemaker cooking from recipes adds their own flair or ideas.
Sure, I was stealing ideas from my past life to work, but I was doing it with my own principles.
"......"
What nonsense was that?
Even I thought it sounded idiotic.
Elizabeth was right—I overthought everything.
And I was arrogant.
Empty cart rattling loudly, as they say.
"... Elizabeth, which tie style do you like?"
"Me?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm..."
A flush of embarrassment heated my face, so I steered the conversation elsewhere.
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and pointed at herself, then rested her hand on her right cheek and eyed my nape intently.
"You, loosen your necktie a bit."
She pointed at my necktie with a faintly displeased look, wiggling her finger up and down.
"Lower, lower it more. Undo one button too, and open your collar a little."
Grabbing the knot, I shook it side to side and slid it down. Elizabeth made these oddly specific demands.
Undoing a shirt button and adjusting the collar—what's weird about that? But this shirt was still basically underwear.
In modern terms, think sleeveless undershirt.
Not as private as panties or a bra, but not something to flash confidently either.
Fine indoors with permission for a moment, but you'd get an earful if you stepped out like that.
Suit jackets have "Surgeon's cuffs"—buttons on the sleeves—as a holdover from when shirts were undergarments.
Back when you'd roll up your jacket sleeves instead of removing it for work or busy hands.
"Hmm..."
It felt a little off.
Elizabeth's face was serene, but a faint impure glint flickered in her eyes.
Should I indulge her? I hesitated, but figured she wouldn't ask in front of everyone, so I removed the necktie and undid one button.
Then I adjusted the collar to teasingly reveal my collarbone.
"Mm~"
"......"
A hum escaped her immediately.
Her lips curved up slightly, eyes crinkling softly—it wasn't polite admiration; it was genuine delight.
"See, I prefer no necktie. You've got a pretty neckline and clear skin—hiding it would be a shame, right?"
"......"
It was clearly a compliment, but it didn't sit right.
The kind you'd give a woman.
For a man, it'd be more like, 'Get out, go hunting, do some riding—you delicate flower.'
Of course, Elizabeth wasn't mincing words; she genuinely thought it was pretty.
That was scary in its own way.
Mother and daughter both fixating on necks.
Logically, I knew Elizabeth was different from His Majesty, but their similar faces and behaviors kept conjuring iron bars and leashes, leaving me uneasy.
"... I mean in general, not just me."
No chained-dog ending for me—I vowed to button up meticulously from now on and tweaked my question.
"Then it'd be what you'd call a standard necktie."
"Why?"
"Compact design—not too flashy, not too plain. Room for variation, tidy without being stiff."
"Mm~ Now that's music to my ears."
"That's your taste from the start, isn't it? I'm here because I like the way you think."
"Uh..."
Her straightforwardness ramped up to an uncanny level.
Before, it'd brush the edge of the strike zone, teasingly. Now it was dead center.
Had she snuck daytime drinks? I scrutinized her, but her face was calm.
Then she met my lingering gaze with a soft, foxy smile.
Her sudden flirtation tickled my cheeks.
"Heh heh..."
I let out an embarrassed chuckle, rubbing my nape.
What was she doing, flirting in front of everyone...?
A social recluse like me doesn't know how to respond to this.
"......"
Our non-confrontational standoff dragged on.
Elizabeth wouldn't look away, as if demanding a reaction.
I dodged her eyes, trying to brush it off.
It was a heart-stifling battle of wills.
My fault entirely, but stifling was stifling.
"Ahem! Cough...!"
About a minute of intense air-staring later, silent Elin made a cute throat-clear and straightened her hunched posture, inserting herself between us.
"Y-You two...!"
Trembling like a kitten, she called to us with dissatisfied glances, then opened her adorable mouth.
"Don't f-flirt with me in the middle... It's embarrassing, and I can't work..."
"Oh, sorry. I did something naughty in your workspace."
"N-No, not that much..."
Elin protested in an aggrieved tone at the unintended sugary scene, and Elizabeth finally looked away, lightly patting her head.
"Phew..."
I exhaled heavily and undid one jacket button.
Barely survived...