Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: A Shameless Excuse for a Solo Outing
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After the night blessed with unexpected fortune, the morning of a weekend dawned with the rise of a new year.
"Emily, I'm heading out alone today, so don't follow me."
Having changed into clothes for the trip to the atelier and instructed Francis to prepare the carriage, I issued a command I'd never once given in my entire life to Emily, who was waiting, fully ready to accompany me.
"...?"
At first, Emily couldn't quite grasp what she'd heard and stared at me in bewilderment, blinking her eyes and working her lips soundlessly.
"...Pardon?"
It took her a good while before she finally managed to squeeze out those two short words.
"I'm going out alone today, so you don't need to come with me."
I repeated the same words once more, and Emily's face drained of color. With a terrified expression, she approached me cautiously and began patting me all over—my shoulders, arms, cheeks—to check if I was real.
"G-Ghost... you're not a ghost...?"
After tapping my shoulder, arms, and cheeks to confirm I was solid, Emily muttered something to herself, then pressed her hand to my forehead to check for fever.
"No fever either...? Young master, have you been drinking by any chance?"
"No, I'm not seeing things, I'm not sick, I haven't had a drop of alcohol, and I'm perfectly sober."
"Then why go out alone...? Is it because I got angry at you yesterday? That was my fault...!"
"No, it's not that...!"
Suddenly, Emily started trembling all over and plunged into despair, leaving me flustered.
I'd expected her to be surprised, but I hadn't thought she'd take it this seriously.
"If it's not that, then what's the reason for going out alone? You've never done it even once before."
"......"
I was at a complete loss for words.
How on earth was I supposed to explain this in a way that sounded even halfway believable?
It had to be convincing enough to leave Emily behind, and also justify me going alone.
Was there even such a thing...?
Even that one time I'd visited the Imperial Palace, she'd come with me. There wasn't a single place worth leaving her behind for.
"...?"
Actually, there was one.
A place I could plausibly go to alone, but taking Emily would be awkward.
The problem was, using it as an excuse would utterly demolish my image.
No, if I just finished the dress on time, I could explain everything perfectly.
Things might be awkward for a few days, but that was only about three days at most.
Shorter than the hellish boot camp from my past and present lives combined.
"Young master...?"
"Sigh... Hoo... "
As the silence dragged on, Emily called out to me in an anxious voice.
After taking a deep breath, I squeezed my eyes shut and rattled off the excuse I'd prepared in my mind.
"W-Well, the truth is, I was going to buy some embarrassing books. I'm almost an adult now, you know?"
Spring paintings or decadent novels.
The ultimate, unbeatable scapegoat for any teenage boy's sudden rebellion or eccentricity.
And it wasn't even a serious deviation, really.
Just something that would earn you a scolding and some embarrassment if caught by anyone—a near-perfect alibi.
"Wha...?"
As the unbeatable excuse slipped from my lips, a dazed voice leaked from Emily.
"Ah, th-that... uh... eek... "
Squinting ahead, I saw Emily—face flushed crimson, head bowed low, emitting strangled noises like a broken machine.
More flustered than when I'd asked to see her legs.
Better than her earlier pale, violently shaking state, but her face was so red I worried she might have a stroke.
"Y-Young master, y-you're supposed to brush off something like that! Saying it so bluntly in front of a girl...!"
"I didn't want to say it either, but you looked so serious, I had no choice... "
"Just stop talking!"
"......"
When I subtly shifted the blame onto her, the panicked Emily let out a shrill yelp.
A few servants bustling through the townhouse glanced curiously at our noisy exchange, but upon spotting me, they nodded knowingly and returned to their tasks.
What the...?
What exactly did they think they understood?
"Are you coming along, by any chance?"
"Are you insane?"
"Then it's okay if I go out alone?"
"Do whatever you want!"
With that, Emily spun on her heel and scurried away from me like she was fleeing.
The lie had worked, which was great, but it felt like her fondness for me had taken a serious hit because of it.
Wonder if I can salvage this...?
If I mess up, I'll be forever branded the perverted young master...
Maybe I should've just been honest...
As I stared blankly at Emily, now vanished from sight, a wave of regret suddenly washed over me.
"......"
But the water was already spilled.
_
Having sacrificed some goodwill to protect my secret in this miraculous trade-off, I arrived at the atelier without Emily's knowledge.
"The fabric we're using this time is cotton, right?"
"Yeah, prepare black thread, and make the seams as invisible as possible."
"Got it."
With Adelaide's assistance, dressmaking progressed far more smoothly than going out alone ever could.
"Reinforce the seams there a bit."
"Yes."
Unlike the noble trio who always injected their personal tastes without restraint, the seamstresses followed instructions faithfully as long as it wasn't technically impossible. It was a real relief.
And so, after about three hours of me cutting fabric and Adelaide sewing it together as directed...
"All done."
"Oh..."
We had the dress exactly as per the blueprint before lunchtime.
A living sewing machine, truly reliable performance.
"Well? Is it what Sir William wanted?"
"Hmm..."
I closely examined the dress Adelaide held up right in front of my face.
The finishing and overall silhouette were perfect, just as intended.
But one issue: the waist was fatter than expected.
"Adelaide, doesn't this leave too much space under the bust?"
"I was wondering whether to mention it, but you see it too, Sir William?"
"Yeah, you sewed it to the measurements, right?"
"Yes, feel free to check."
"Ugh..."
Emily's bust was so ample that even with the curves I'd accounted for, there was way too much empty space left.
If she wore it like this, she'd look like a pigeon with its chest puffed out.
Fixing it would mean ripping and resewing more than just that one spot.
Starting over meant redrawing the pattern and meeting again tomorrow.
Then I'd end up as the lunatic wandering around hunting for lewd books all weekend.
One day might fly under the radar, but two days and Mother would summon me for sure.
"No helping it. If it's too much, we'll cover it with a belt."
Couldn't show tenting, but cinching it just enough to kill the empty space should avoid twisting the fabric while adding a focal point.
"Ooh, a belt... Nice idea. How do you come up with these on the spot, Sir William? You always bring these amazing clothes out of nowhere—I’m dying to know what's in that head of yours."
"Haha..."
Hearing praise for me rather than the clothes felt oddly bittersweet.
If I were a true innovative designer creating anew, I'd be proud, but these were basically designs plagiarized from the future... nothing special.
"Shall we make the belt too, then?"
As I smiled wryly at the dress, Adelaide volunteered for more work.
Not a bad idea, but I shook my head and declined.
"No, I'll buy that somewhere else."
"Why? I make great belts—cowhide, rabbit, alligator, lizard, you name it, I've worked with it."
Of course, if they could make it here, it'd save me the hassle over buying elsewhere.
"It's not that I don't trust you. The atelier just doesn't have any leather yet."
If they had the materials, that is.
No alchemist here to conjure something from nothing, so the belt was unavoidable—I'd have to buy it.
"So that's it for today?"
"Yeah."
"Aw... Leaves me wanting more."
"Sorry, no choice. Next time, after Founding Day, I'll bring a bunch of fun stuff."
"Okay."
I soothed the visibly disappointed Adelaide and carefully packed up the finished dress.
_
While buying a black leather belt, I also picked up a deep green shawl, then stopped by a bookstore.
It was a lie, but after declaring I'd buy lewd books, coming back empty-handed would look suspicious.
For a three-day fib, did I really need to buy porn too? But since I'd promised a surprise gift, better to do it right.
Everything felt so frustrating.
Should've just been honest and made it openly.
Rushing into plans on impulse always tangled things up.
"Sigh..."
With a heavy sigh, I grabbed one such book from the bookstore's darkest, most obscure corner.
How do I know it's "that kind"? Easy to spot.
The titles are blatantly explicit.
From ancient times to modern, books that sell hook readers with interest—sentence-style titles or blatant spoilers are surprisingly common.
Tell 'em the content upfront, and curiosity kicks in naturally.
Like the one I just picked: Memoirs of a Licentious Lady.
Dunno the plot, but the title alone screams dopamine hit.
"Hmm..."
One might be too skimpy.
Too straightforward.
So I grabbed the one next to it: Forbidden Relations.
Under the packaging of a "first try," two should suffice.
"Shopkeep, how much for these two?"
"Five silvers each."
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
I paid for the two I'd grabbed at random and left the bookstore, climbing into the carriage.
It was only around two o'clock, but streets choked with carriages meant dawdling could have me home at sunset.
"Tch."
Once aboard, I irritably chucked the books into a corner.
Blowing ten silvers on trash like that.
Ten silvers could've bought meters of silk. What a waste.
"Charles, back to the townhouse."
"Yes, sir."
I averted my eyes from the books, furrowed my brow, and ordered Charles to head home.
I'll toss 'em as soon as I'm done with all this.