Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Short Date
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Noble children are raised by nannies from a young age, except in very special circumstances.
That said, it's rare for nobles to be consistently indifferent to their children like in dramas or novels, ignoring them entirely to focus only on their own affairs.
Fathers in noble families serve as officers, administrators, or politicians in the Empire, while their wives manage the family estates or attend social gatherings for women, leaving them unable to constantly look after their children.
As a result, whether boys or girls, noble children are raised by nannies from early on.
In noble households, the nanny holds the position of the closest retainer and almost like family.
The Venner Count's family was no different.
"Pauna, do I really have to wear this? It's not like I'm going to a ball. I want to go out in something more comfortable."
In response, Pauna, Laura's nanny, shook her head and said,
"No, that won't do. Meeting friends from the capital might be one thing, but today you're going shopping for clothes with Lieutenant Colonel Jaeger. Normally, you and the Colonel have only shown him your uniform as his adjutant and subordinate commander, but when dressing in civilian clothes like this, you need to wear something cute and elegant to reveal a woman's charm."
It was phrasing that might seem rude to the only daughter of a count's family, yet neither Laura nor any of the attending maids took offense.
Because Pauna had been her nanny since Laura was toddling around, caring for her every step of the way. She was someone entitled to a bit of nagging like this when necessary.
"It was Count Venner himself who instructed me to make sure you dressed prettily for your outing with the Colonel today. If you go out beautifully dressed, he'll see you in a new light and surely compliment how well it suits you."
Hearing that, Laura looked again at the frilly dress in her wardrobe that she rarely wore, usually just leaving it stored away.
Unlike her comfortable uniform, it restricted movement, which she hated—but thinking of the Colonel praising how well it suited her...
Suddenly, she felt like trying it on.
"R-Really?"
"Objectively speaking, you're so beautiful, miss. Even back when you were at the Academy, you often came to me during breaks complaining, 'The boys stick to me over every little thing, Pauna. I hate it.' That's all because you're so pretty, miss Laura. When such a girl shows him not her stiff uniform but herself dressed up prettily, even the Colonel will start seeing you as a woman, not just his adjutant. I'm sure he'll love it."
Laura von Venner endured a bit of discomfort for the future where her respected Colonel would compliment her beauty, slipping into the dress.
"Take a look in the mirror. You look absolutely lovely."
She'd never worn a dress outside of balls in her life, but the thought of earning praise from the Colonel gradually lifted her spirits.
And why not? There's nothing quite as delightful as receiving compliments from someone of the opposite sex you favor.
Besides, even to her own eyes, the reflection in the mirror looked stunningly beautiful.
Seeing this, Pauna patted Laura's shoulder lightly and whispered softly in her ear.
"With your beauty hidden under that uniform all this time finally revealed... He's a man, after all. At the ball, he won't spare a glance at any other woman. Seeing how beautifully you've grown makes me emotional too. I've already spoken to the owner of Tailors, the suit shop our family frequents, to prepare samples suited to the Colonel. Just recommend one you think suits him, and it'll be perfect. Then, if you suggest going for coffee afterward..."
In truth, men have an instinct to glance at other women even when a pretty girlfriend is right beside them.
But telling Laura that truth would ruin the carefully laid plans, so Pauna added a little white lie.
"P-Pauna. The Colonel and I are still, still just... commander and adjutant..."
"I understand. Have a good time anyway."
With that, Laura finished preparing for her outing and headed to the front of her mansion to meet Lieutenant Colonel Jaeger. Pauna went to find the Venner family butler and said,
"Butler, it seems the miss never experienced that common first love everyone else has at the Academy, spending her free time on military textbooks instead of romance novels, so she doesn't realize her own feelings. But she's definitely smitten with Lieutenant Colonel Jaeger. She put on that dress she only wears to balls the moment I said he'd like it."
"Is that so? But will it really work out?"
Pauna flashed a confident smile and replied,
"It'll work out without a doubt."
She swallowed the rest of her thought.
'The miss has already mastered how to capture a man's heart. Any man, even one with iron walls, would fall seeing her act so innocently clumsy.'
Even in Korea, I'd studied nonstop without time to make a girlfriend. Beyond my major, I crammed military history books and trivia, leaving me few friends.
Naturally, romance or dating was a pipe dream.
At the Academy, scoring less than perfect in tactics, strategy, or military science meant instant failure, so I poured all my time into those. And as a commoner, no woman would date me anyway.
Twenty-one years old? No, counting my past life in Korea, it was nearly thirty years without a girlfriend, let alone proper conversation with a woman.
To be precise, I'd been around Laura as commander and adjutant.
But that was strictly professional, so it doesn't count.
"Colonel, are you feeling unwell by any chance?"
I wasn't sick or anything, but Laura appearing in a dress so different from her usual uniform left me frozen.
I'd always known her face was pretty and her figure slim and beautiful.
But seeing Lieutenant Laura, who'd just been my capable and attractive adjutant, suddenly transformed into a cute, beautiful woman before me was something else entirely.
She was stunning enough to stare at blankly. My heart raced.
"No. Your dress just suits you so well and looks so pretty, I got lost staring. It's so different from usual. The uniform looks great too, but this outfit suits you perfectly."
"Is that so? I was wondering if it really suited me right up until I stepped out."
The frilly white dress with its silvery sheen suited her silver hair tinged with blue and her red eyes perfectly, evoking a fairy-tale princess.
Laura, blushing slightly at the praise, pointed to the carriage waiting in front of the mansion.
It wasn't gilded like something out of a storybook, but the jet-black base emblazoned with the Venner family crest in gold was incredibly stylish.
Would I one day have my own carriage like this?
"There's a suit shop called Tailors that my family frequents. Let's go there to get measured."
Pristine white walls unmarred by time, desks crafted from raw wood, countless fabric samples atop them, and mannequins draped in suits of every style.
Even the cheapest-looking suit used silk, not ordinary cloth, which made me inwardly flinch.
"Colonel, the tailor is waiting."
Laura, every bit the count's daughter, confidently took my arm and led me inside.
The tailor deftly measured my chest, waist, arms, and inseam, then guided us with Laura to an inner room.
A distinguished older gentleman, looking perfectly suited to fine tailoring, greeted us as if expecting our arrival.
"I'm Ray Gent, owner of Tailors. It's an honor to fit the first suit for the young war hero, Baron Jaeger. Please choose one to your liking."
At his words, the staff brought over at least ten suit samples.
"This gray one looks a bit too aged for the Colonel, and the red is too flashy. Navy seems the best fit."
The owner nodded approvingly.
"Oh, indeed, Lady Laura. Excellent eye. Navy suits a young yet dignified man like the Baron perfectly. A few accessories might enhance it nicely..."
"Something like a pocket watch for that..."
"Wise choice. It's five gold, but Count Venner has already settled the bill, so no need to worry."
The conversation wrapped up in seconds, and Laura swiftly handled everything from pickup details to procedures.
If someone bought something for me without asking, I'd normally be surprised or annoyed...
But I knew nothing about noble suits, so her stepping in spared me from looking foolish in front of the owner. I was grateful.
And Count Venner not only recommended the shop but covered the cost too.
Five gold might be pocket change to him, but it's what five serf families earn in a year of labor. I should repay the favor somehow.
"Lieutenant Laura, sunset's still hours away. How about coffee nearby? You've gone to such lengths for me—let me treat you."
Laura nodded eagerly, as if she'd happily drink the dandelion or chicory brew serfs call coffee.
"Yes, Colonel."
That afternoon, Laura and I went to a café, chatting not about strategy or tactics but our everyday lives.
Even when I said things she might not care about, her eyes sparkled as she nodded and listened.
While sharing the cream puff she ordered, some cream got on my mouth...
She instinctively pulled out her handkerchief to wipe my face. Our eyes met, and her cheeks flushed bright red.
"C-Colonel. You had cream on your face."
Seeing that, even a dense guy like me... piecing together every sign so far, I knew.
Count Venner dotes on his only daughter endlessly. He could have paired her with some suitable noblewoman at the banquet and played it off as a misunderstanding later.
Instead, at that ultimate marriage-mart ball, he paired her with me as partner, let her choose my suit...
And her reactions over coffee were blatant.
So, instead of asking outright, I tested by placing my hand near her left one.
She startled with a surprised look and flinched, but didn't pull away. That confirmed it.