Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The Dress Try-On and Mother's Proposal
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"Pretty..."
Hayes stared blankly at the dress, murmuring to herself.
Taking that as my cue, I curled the corners of my mouth into a slight smile and began my explanation.
"This is a dress inspired by clothing from the ancient empire era. The waistline is raised, and it's loose-fitting for comfort."
"A dress?"
"Not a chemise?"
Mother and my sister-in-law raised their eyebrows in surprise at the mention of a dress, both asking questions at once.
"Yes, it's worn over a chemise. I designed it so you don't need a corset or petticoat."
"Hmm~"
I nodded promptly in response to my sister-in-law's question, and Mother let out a soft hum, nodding her head.
"So the loose fit and high waist are to avoid constricting the belly and make it easy to put on and take off?"
"Exactly. And even as time passes and the belly grows, there's no need to alter the dress."
"Not bad at all. Altering each old dress one by one is no small hassle."
"Right? And with so many dresses, it becomes a real headache."
Mother, who knew that hassle all too well from having five children, furrowed her brows and shook her head slightly from side to side.
"But I'm not sure if it'd suit Sae-ah."
She glanced at my sister-in-law and asked indirectly.
Catching Mother's pass like she'd been waiting for it, my sister-in-law smiled with her eyes, clasping her hands together.
"May I try it on right now?"
"Of course."
I smiled and handed the dress to Emily.
Emily took the dress and carefully folded it before placing it in the basket.
"Emily, help my sister-in-law with her attire. Show her how to put it on too."
"Yes, ma'am. This way, please."
Emily picked up the basket and pointed to the door leading to the side room, taking the lead.
_
- Clink
Just as the teacups were nearly empty.
The doorknob to the room where my sister-in-law and Emily had gone turned with a click, and Emily appeared.
She flung the door wide open, then held it and pressed herself against the wall to make way, gesturing to my sister-in-law inside that it was safe to come out.
"Haha..."
My sister-in-law emerged with an awkward laugh, lightly lifting the hem of her skirt with both hands as she cautiously approached us.
"Wow-!"
The first to react upon seeing my sister-in-law in the new outfit was Hayes.
With her hands clasped near her cheeks and eyes sparkling, Hayes let out a gasp of admiration. She jumped up from her seat and toddled over to my sister-in-law.
"How does it look? Does it suit me?"
"Sister-in-law, you look so beautiful! It goes perfectly with your red hair... You look like a lake fairy!"
"Fairy might be a bit much, don't you think?"
At Hayes's exaggerated praise, my sister-in-law covered her cheeks with her hands, shyly smiling despite her embarrassment.
Watching her with narrowed eyes, Mother leaned close to me and whispered softly.
"It's all good, but her arms seem too exposed."
"It's meant to be layered with a shawl or coat on top."
Confident in my low voice, I turned to my sister-in-law and raised my volume.
"Sister-in-law, I included a coat too. Didn't you like that one?"
"Oh, that was lovely too. But this dress was so pretty, I wanted to show it off first without anything over it."
My sister-in-law smiled with girlish freshness, fluttering the hem of her skirt. Emily sidled up and draped a cardigan over her shoulders.
With Emily's help slipping her arms into the sleeves, my sister-in-law smiled gratefully at her, then buttoned the front.
"This one's so soft. How did you make it?"
She beamed, gently stroking her forearm.
"Sweater?"
"It's called a cardigan. It's a variation on the sweater, so they're cousins, in a way."
"You always come up with something new."
"Haha... That's all I think about."
Mother looked at me with wonder.
I met her gaze with an awkward smile and glanced away.
Thanks to memories from my past life, that kind of look felt a bit embarrassing.
"Hmm..."
Mother watched me steadily for a moment, then let out a soft sound and turned to my sister-in-law, lifting her teacup to her lips.
"Big brother, can you make me one of these dresses later too?"
The atmosphere suddenly felt awkward as I fiddled with my teacup. Hayes whipped her head around, gazing at me with pleading eyes and pointing at the dress my sister-in-law wore.
She'd shown no interest in the knit dresses Mother wore lately, but seeing this one made her beg for it right away. She must really like it.
"Hmm..."
Thinking about it, ever since I made the stockings, her nagging had decreased a lot, and her antics had become cuter.
It wasn't hard to make, and she liked it so much—sure, I could make her one.
"Sure. Later, tell me the color and decorations you want, and I'll make it."
"Really?! You promised? No taking it back later!"
"Yeah."
"Ehehe~"
I chuckled and nodded, and Hayes's eyes went wide as she flapped her arms in delight.
She probably would've jumped around if Mother weren't there.
"That's enough now. Let's have some tea and chat. It's been a while, so there's plenty to talk about, and the tea I brewed will get cold."
Mother's words cut through Hayes's beaming joy.
"Yes, Mother-in-law."
"Yes~"
My sister-in-law and Hayes nodded with bright smiles and approached the table with light steps, taking their seats.
_
As our casual teatime chit-chat wound down and everyone rose to return to their rooms.
"William, I need to speak with you alone, so stay."
"Yes..."
Mother, who had been sitting quietly, lightly grabbed my wrist.
What could she want to discuss just with me?
I wanted to ask, but her sharp gaze made me obediently sit back down, rolling my eyes as I tried to guess the reason.
As soon as my bottom hit the chair, Mother turned slightly to Hayes and my sister-in-law with a smile.
"Saea must still be tired from the journey, so rest until dinner. Hayes, you go do your own things."
"Yes."
"Yes."
At Mother's signal to leave without lingering, Hayes, my sister-in-law, and even Emily quickly exited the room.
"I'll be waiting outside. Ring the bell if you need anything."
"Alright."
Emily left with the servants' customary line as she closed the door.
Thankfully, as soon as the door shut, Mother spoke without hesitation or pause.
"Lately, I've had something weighing on my mind."
"What is it?"
"The customers visiting my boutique are skewing toward a certain age group. More and more, it's only mature ladies over thirty."
"Hmm... Isn't that natural? Young ladies and noblewomen have quite different tastes, so catering to one side isn't so strange."
"Of course, I understand that. But doesn't it pain me to lose the young ladies? They're potential customers, after all."
"I see..."
"So, as a solution, I've been considering opening a boutique for young ladies."
If she did proper market research, Mother's plan was as straightforward as it gets.
Many companies rebrand or launch new lines to capture new demographics.
"Sounds good. Better than trying to chase two rabbits at once and ending up with something mediocre."
"Really?"
I nodded in agreement, and Mother gave a meaningful smile, staring straight into my eyes.
"I'd like to entrust that boutique to you. What do you think?"
"Pardon?"
Stunned by Mother's unexpected proposal, I blinked dumbly at her.
I'd never studied management or run a shop.
I didn't have wide connections, nor had I shown any sharp business acumen to her.
Why me?
I couldn't understand what she saw in me to hand it over.
After staring blankly at her for a while, I pointed at myself with a trembling voice.
"...Me?"
"Yes."
"The boutique?"
"Yes, the boutique. I'm giving it to you."
"Why...?"
I blurted out my burning question in shorthand.
Mother's expression darkened, and she pouted displeasedly.
"You don't want to?"
"No... it's not that..."
"Then?"
"I don't know anything about boutiques or management. What makes you think I'd handle the shop?"
"Ha."
Mother scoffed at my lack of confidence, lifting one corner of her mouth as she looked at me.
"The clothes you make suit young ladies better than noblewomen. Hayes and Sae-ah love them, and the young maids do too."
"Well... yeah. I made them thinking of young people wearing them."
Mother tapped her temple with a finger.
"In a boutique, quality and luxurious fabrics matter, but the key is 'how well do you grasp trends?'"
"Yes."
"Reading trends quickly and following them is crucial."
Mother paused, then raised one finger to continue.
"But what if you could lead the trends?"
"That'd be ideal. You could claim everything before others catch on."
"Exactly. That's what I find important."
Mother grinned and pointed at me.
"And in your eyes, which read young people's trends, and your hands, which bring them to life, I see potential."
"......"
Mother's voice and gaze brimmed with conviction.
Under that heavy, expectant stare, I could only gape at her, at a loss for words.