Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: The Babydoll Debut
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"This feels a bit awkward. Was the workshop always this big?"
"It's because we've got less than half the usual staff."
"Ah, I already miss Mari wagging her tail and bouncing around poldoldol."
"Should I call her over right now, for Adelaide's sake?"
"Sir Herbert, are you out of your mind?"
"Hehe~ Just kidding."
September's third week, Saturday.
Excluding the day we'd gone to the forest to take photos of Caterina, this was the first historic weekend we'd shown up at the Atelier.
On such a day, the four employees who'd come to work and I felt awkward in the emptier-than-usual workshop, huddling together at the table.
A subtly excited atmosphere hung in the air.
Until last night, I'd agonized over whether it was right to drag the staff into my personal scheme, but one look at them made all those worries vanish in an instant.
"Everyone who's coming is here, so let's get into the explanation."
"Yes."
"I've been waiting for you to start."
I uncrossed my arms, rested them on the table, and opened my mouth. The employees immediately focused their attention on me, as if they'd been waiting.
"As I mentioned yesterday, for the time being, we're dropping all restraint and showing exactly what we want to show, right?"
"Yes."
"I plan to take things big from here on out, but the work itself won't change much. Make prototypes, advertise, ignore the noise, make more prototypes."
Starting a game of chicken doesn't alter your actions.
What separates a regular game from chicken is the resolve to not swerve into the wall even in crisis—and the madness that revels in proving your iron heart after you crash.
Of course, I had no intention of making some bizarre, flashy attempt that would blow up spectacularly.
This had to go on our Atelier's menu, after all.
Old habits are the best habits. When in doubt, stick to what you know best—like the underwear we've been working on.
"So, what clothes are you planning to make?"
"Hmm~ For now, I'm thinking of putting out some underwear items."
"Underwear items?"
"Yeah."
I nodded and looked at Princess Elizabeth.
"Over the next four weeks until Founding Day, we'll release one outfit per week. Through these four types, we'll clearly show everyone the direction we're heading in and the vibe we're aiming for."
"......"
I planned to use this opportunity to create a whole new category of underwear.
The kind only our Atelier could attempt—the kind we alone could produce.
And the perfect fit for that category? Clothes you absolutely shouldn't show anyone... but desperately want to show to that one special person.
In subculture terms, victory underwear.
Items born explicitly for "that sort of" purpose.
I wanted to establish the modern concept of lingerie right here.
In the modern world, the word "lingerie" conjures images of sexy, embarrassing women's underwear. But at its core, lingerie simply means "underwear."
To be precise, it originally referred to linen undergarments for both men and women. It evolved into women's underwear when it entered English, and after the tumultuous 20th century, it unofficially came to encompass "naughty underwear" as well.
That's exactly what I wanted to do.
This time, I'd add "underwear worn for sexy purposes" to the definition of lingerie.
"What kind of clothes are those? Given everything Sir William has done so far, all I can think of are naughty things..."
"...Well, you're not wrong."
Sexy underwear? Spot on.
But if I aimed for it outright, it'd be like proudly confessing public indecency to the church and the judges. So instead, I'd release items with a veneer of practicality, naturally steering them toward that naughty territory.
"Take a look at this first?"
I spread a single drawing out on the table.
"A nightgown?"
"Way too short for that. Isn't it a negligee?"
"What negligee is this tacky? Most cover down to the knees without blatantly showing everything underneath."
"Hmm..."
"It's called a babydoll."
The glorious first candidate I'd chosen for this endeavor was the babydoll.
A babydoll is a type of women's nightwear—a nightgown, essentially.
More precisely, it's what you get when a dressing gown (the light indoor dress that noble ladies lounge in) evolves two steps further.
First evolution: a negligee—airy and light, less see-through than before, strictly for indoor sleepwear that's impractical outside.
Second evolution: the babydoll.
Even the prototype negligee is thin and short, but the babydoll takes it further with even thinner fabric and less material overall.
The result? A simple design with no sleeves, loose fit, undefined waistline. The slightest movement bares your hips completely, and everything underneath is starkly visible.
"Babydoll...? Why the name?"
"For baby-making?"
"No, that's not it..."
I shot Adelaide an exasperated look as she spouted nonsense with a cheeky grin, furrowing my brow.
In sexually open societies, sure, it's used that way—but that's absolutely not the origin of the name.
The name came from its silhouette resembling a baby dress, something a child might wear.
The original creator reportedly hated the name, but what can an official do when the public insists on calling it that?
Sexy underwear named "babydoll"—a delicious contradiction laced with taboo allure.
"This is just a lighter take on the negligee."
"Is there really a need? Girdles and brassieres at least have a solid excuse, but this seems lacking."
"That's a fair point."
Princess Fanny, studying the drawing intently, tapped it with her finger and voiced her concerns.
A perfectly rational objection. In my past life, the babydoll first appeared in 1942 America.
As the year suggests, it was born from wartime material shortages—the same reason corsets quickly became relics.
But here, no such war happened, so debuting it now would feel terribly out of place.
I'm no fool; I'd prepared an excuse.
"Some people find long, thick sleepwear uncomfortable at night, right? But negligees double as indoor wear, so they can feel heavy for actual sleeping. And you still need a shawl or jacket over them if you're wandering outside the bedroom anyway.
So we strip away the frills, use thin straps, and go with silk chiffon fabric for a light, barely-there comfort. For that airy feel, we'll use bright colors like pink, white, or blue."
"Hmm~"
Not a bad justification.
In this world, without modern iterations, a negligee is more sleepwear than underwear.
The purpose is convenience. If users happen to wear it sexy-style? That's on them, not me.
"Heh..."
I straightened my back with a proud smile, feeling pretty clever, when Princess Elizabeth, who'd been eyeing me with narrowed gaze, spoke up.
"So, what's the real intention?"
"It's sexier."
"Hehe~ Thanks for the honest answer."
The princess raised an eyebrow with a sly grin.
She crossed her arms and shot me a sidelong glare before adding,
"The excuse itself isn't bad. Though I doubt anyone would buy it after seeing the actual clothes."
"Even I wouldn't believe it."
"And you're still putting it out?"
"Yeah."
People aren't idiots. Most will see right through the excuse.
That's why I'm prepared for the consequences—even jail.
There was a precedent decades ago, too.
The guy tried defending an adult novel as "sex education material"?
If he'd just admitted it, he might've gotten off with a fine as a noble. But that nonsense earned him a month in the knights' barracks for insolence.
"Well... we're not the ones going to jail, so let's gloss over that and move to other issues?"
"Yeah."
"The outfit itself isn't hard to make. With Adelaide here, a day should suffice. Minimal decorations, low cost—way better than girdles if it sells."
"Exactly, that's the key."
"But."
I flashed a satisfied smile at her tactfully skipping ahead, but Princess Elizabeth drew a sharp line.
"How do you plan to promote it?"
"Take photos and show them off."
"Newspapers aren't printing next week. Got a place to display? You're not thinking of printing flyers and handing them out yourself, are you?"
"Of course not. I'm rich, but not that rich."
Blanketing the nation with flyers could buy a mansion in the capital.
If that's the case, why not just buy the mansion instead?
Besides, this was a provocation. Spreading the word just in the Imperial Capital would be plenty.
"The bulletin board in Western Square. We'll plaster it big—like an unfolded newspaper."
"Hmm... That'd definitely get attention."
"Right?"
Plus, with Founding Day approaching, people were starting to flock to the capital. It'd be even more dramatic than usual.
"So, anyone opposed to the plan so far?"
The staff shook their heads in unison, signaling no objections.
"Good. Then let's roll with it."