Chapter 248
Chapter 248
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 248
Chapter Title: What the Hell Is This Murderous Heat...! (4)
Rather than making new outfits from scratch, tearing apart and modifying the existing ones was hitting more snags than I'd anticipated.
"Young Master, what do you plan to do with the leftover fabric after opening up the collar?"
"Hm... Leaving it spread out like a suit jacket would look pretty ugly, right?"
"Yes."
"Hmmm... What if we roll it inward...."
"We wouldn't be able to patch the fabric properly, would we?"
"Yeah."
Clothes couldn't just slip away into some nano-particle hidey-hole somewhere, nor did people have secret storage compartments on their bodies, so finding a decent spot to tuck away the extra fabric we'd cut or spread open to expose more skin was no easy task.
I'd thought skirts, with their inner space, might be easier to work with.
"Young Master, wouldn't this make too many buttons?"
"What about drawstrings? Pull them tight and tie, and you get natural pleats—easy to bunch up or let out."
"Wouldn't it be hard to shape properly? It might bunch up all messy."
"If we fix strings inside the skirt at regular intervals and pull...."
"The structure seems way too complicated. We're wearing clothes, not curtains."
"Uh...."
This time, the design just wasn't clicking.
"No matter how I think about it, wouldn't it be better to start from scratch?"
Even Emily, who'd been patient until now, couldn't hold back her opinion anymore—the results were beyond words.
"Hmmm..."
Even to my eyes, it screamed, "This isn't a maid outfit!" and deserved to be scrapped.
But giving up like this felt a bit regrettable.
More precisely, the little voice inside me was whispering, "You chickening out?"
Sure, ditching the variable design would solve it easily, but didn't it feel like something I could pull off?
Maid outfits had simple structures anyway.
It didn't seem impossible.
And honestly, admitting defeat wasn't easy.
A standard Victorian maid for guests, but after they leave, in after-hours... a French maid too risqué to show just anyone.
The gap moe was irresistible...
"Let's at least try it."
"Young Master, that really doesn't seem right."
"Nah, doing it ourselves might change things?"
"......"
Emily checked my eyes, then shook her head slowly and clamped her mouth shut.
"I did warn you?"
"Come on, I see potential here!"
At my level, it should work.
_
Despite Emily's protests, I pushed through with my stubbornness. If I rated the final product completely objectively...
"......"
"......"
It was a disaster.
"The core goal—the transformation itself—was perfectly achieved."
"It was."
The shape-shifting I'd obsessed over had succeeded decently.
"But can we even call this a maid outfit now? Even dolls kids play with don't wear stuff like this."
"Please don't say anything that hurts quite so much... It's embarrassing."
"Considering your profession, Young Master, you should feel embarrassed."
"Urk..."
Everything else was a total failure.
In my fixation on the variable form, I'd neglected every other aspect.
Design, comfort, user satisfaction—nothing escaped ruin.
No hodgepodge this messy existed.
Deep down, I'd half-expected it.
I'd just ignored it.
"......"
But the deed was done. As my personal maid, Emily had become the first and last wearer of this monstrosity, and she was glaring daggers at me.
"Urk..."
No room for excuses—I hung my head.
"Young Master."
"Yeah..."
As I trembled and averted my gaze, Emily called out in a voice full of pity.
"If you're going to end up like this, just make a new one. Don't waste fabric."
"Guhk..."
The truth stabbed deep into my solar plexus.
It hurt more because Emily meant it sincerely.
That wasn't a maid outfit—it was rags that used to be one.
No rebuttal possible; the blade of fact lingered, poisoning me with dot damage.
Thinking I could make it variable was pure hubris.
I'd forgotten—or ignored—that "multipurpose" could flip to "purposeless" anytime.
The maid outfit was perfect; I should've remembered I was only human handling it...
My blatant mistake.
I should've admitted my limits and started fresh.
"Guess we have to start over from the beginning."
"Good thing you realized it now, even if it's two days late."
It was post-catastrophe, after burning two days, but as I owned up, Emily looked relieved and shyly gave a thumbs-up.
"So, can I take off this monstrosity now?"
"Yeah, just shove it in some corner of the storeroom."
"Yes."
I wanted to erase the failure from history, but it was still my creation—no deleting. Exile to the storeroom it was.
But I made the mistake, so shouldn't I take the exile?
"......"
The king's errors are the vassal's burden.
In that sense, those rags suffered a bad master.
That's just how the world works.
_
With the decision to start from scratch, nothing could stop me now.
Just copy the French maid outright, but cover the chest properly. Done.
Of course, straight copy was too radical for French maid style.
It got famous for being sexy, after all.
The biggest headache was the legs exposed by shortening the skirt.
Solution: Cover with stockings and play dumb.
Sounded insane at first glance, but maids worked out of sight.
If no one catches you, it never happened—that's the rule.
Plus, summer excuse.
Not for public view anyway; showing some calf was forgivable.
Bit classist, but maids were commoners.
Apply noble standards to them, and every farm wife gets arrested.
No one farms in pristine clothes.
Working near nobles meant stricter than farmhands, but instruct changing only for guest service. Butlers, maids, and footmen handled urgent greetings.
Key: Not hot, and pretty.
"Apron should dry quick and breathe well, right?"
"In summer, yes."
"Linen for the apron then."
"Could you reduce the coverage a bit too?"
"I'll try."
First, beat the heat: Linen apron for airflow, less body coverage.
French maid apron was bib-level useless, but this was for actual work—moderated.
"Remove sleeve cuffs and collar frills too?"
"Got it."
Added tweaks: Ditch sleeve/ neck cuffs and collars.
"Need gloves?"
"Hm... We'd appreciate them. Hands get roughed up more than you'd think."
"Okay."
Shortened sleeves axed cuffs, so added gloves for hand accent and style points.
Pheasant substitute? Hearty like gukbap.
Wrist-length white gloves were butler staples, but for maids: +1 Intellect, +1 Charm. Solid item.
Components set; thin fabric seals summer maid outfit.
Over weekend, cut/sew pattern into outfit: Victorian-French hybrid born.
Strictly transitional to French maid, but my mix made it unique.
"I'll wait outside. Change and come out."
"Yes."
Handed finished piece to Emily, stepped out to townhouse flowerbed.
Maid outfit roots meant light work test before showing Mother and sister-in-law.
"Young Master? I'm dressed. What now?"
"Oh..."
Arms crossed, waiting quietly—Emily emerged hesitantly soon after.
Shortened skirt felt awkward; cute hand tugging hem.
Indoors, I'd stare teasingly silent—but outside.
Handed broom, pointed to flowerbed.
"Take this and sweep around lightly."
"Yes."
Emily took broom, swept flowerbed perimeter as instructed, back and forth.
After five minutes of her sweeping/moving...
"How's the fit?"
Raised hand to stop her, pointed at outfit for feedback.
Emily halted, spun arms.
Tugged underarm fabric lightly.
"A bit tight under my arms, but maids with smaller chests should be fine."
"Yeah? Heat, breathability?"
"Hmm~ Not sure yet. Need sweat to tell. More movement?"
"No need. Just better than before?"
"Hmm~"
Emily hummed, flapped skirt checking something, smiled lightly.
"Good airflow, thinner fabric—heat buildup definitely reduced."
"Good. No 'not enough' feeling?"
"More exposure, and maids won't wear it."
"Got it..."
No revisions.
Noted Emily's feedback simply, pocketed notebook.
"Just in case, wear it another hour or two?"
"Indoors, sure."
"Yeah. Back inside for more testing."
"Yes."
Said enter—she led, opening door.
I watched summer maid skirt swish as she climbed stairs lightly.
A bit light for maid work.
From 'maid outfit' view, lingering unease—but one undeniable fact.
"Summer限定... might be okay..."
Damn pretty.
____