“Haa. This is quite troublesome,” Otsupain muttered, sitting on a bench in the central plaza and sighing. She had visited many shops since then but couldn’t find a suitable dress for a noble’s party.
“It looks like I’ll have to resort to the ‘inside-out dress’ method.”
The “inside-out dress” is a technique where a soiled dress is turned inside out, exposing the clean lining to give the appearance of being presentable. While it compromises the design, it’s an emergency measure when there’s no alternative. If anyone notices, it’s considered polite for others to pretend they haven’t. This custom is only permissible at parties involving lower aristocrats, and it cannot be applied to gatherings of higher social standing. It’s a consideration for impoverished lower nobles like Otsupain.
“Well, I do this often with my undergarments, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Otsupain didn’t own many undergarments and would sometimes turn hers inside out to wear them the next day. Today, she had actually washed her undergarments, considering the possibility of trying on dresses.
“That’s what I’d like to say, but while it might be fine for a party with close acquaintances, this is a party hosted by Baron Frederick. Turning my dress inside out would be extremely rude. Haa.”
Otsupain’s thoughts looped endlessly as she watched the people passing by.
“Huh? Isn’t that the captain of the Holy Knights?”
“Hm?”
Suddenly, Otsupain was called and looked up. A young woman in a school uniform was peeking at her and speaking.
“Ah, yes, that’s right.”
“Um, your name is… Ah, yes, yes, Oppai-san, right?”
“No! It’s Otsupain!”
Her name was often mistaken, but Otsupain disliked being called that and denied it emphatically.
“Is that so? And why is Otsupain-san dressed like a jobless old man here?”
“O-old man! I’m still in my twenties!”
“I can see that, but ahaha. Come on, it was just a figure of speech.”
The young woman in the uniform replied with a laugh.
“Hm? Who is it… Oh, it’s an employee from Marie’s Bakery, isn’t it?”
“You only just realized that now. Let me properly introduce myself. I’m Rachel, a first-year student at the Royal Academy! I work part-time at Marie’s Bakery, but you probably know that. Ahahaha.”
“I am Otsupain. Definitely not Oppai. I belong to the Holy Knights, protecting the Sanctuary. I’m even the captain here.”
Rachel replied with a smile. They had exchanged minimal words inside the shop, but this was their first time talking like this, so they introduced themselves. As they spoke, Otsupain realized that Rachel’s way of speaking was surprisingly similar to how her own boss spoke when not in a formal setting.
“I happened to be passing by and saw you sitting there with a face like the end of the world, so I got curious and decided to call out to you. Are you alright? If you’re having trouble with something, I’m happy to help.”
“Ah, there’s nothing Rachel can do about it, but I’ve been invited to a party hosted by a certain noble during the New Year’s holidays. I need at least two party dresses but only have one. I went out to the city to buy another, but I couldn’t find one that would be ready in time.”
Otsupain answered Rachel’s question.
“I see. What if I made one for you?”
“What? A dress for a noble’s party? It’s not something an amateur can just whip up.”
“Oh, come on, just trust me and let me try. Hmm, if I take your measurements and use some of the fabric I have on hand, I think I can finish it in three days.”
Rachel replied with confidence.
“There’s no way you can make a dress in three days. Don’t joke around. Are you perhaps mocking me?”
“Fufufu. Normally, you might think that, but I can actually do it. Just indulge me and let me take your measurements. It’s not like it’ll hurt, right?”
“Well, taking measurements shouldn’t take too long.”
Otsupain, resigned to being deceived, decided to go along with Rachel since taking measurements wouldn’t take much time.
“Then let’s not waste any time. My shop is nearby, so please accompany me just for a little while.”
“Hey, don’t pull my arm! And Marie’s Bakery is quite a distance from here!”
Pulled by Rachel’s hand, Otsupain stood up from the bench where she had been sitting.
“We’ve arrived. This is my shop.”
“Isn’t this Marie’s Bakery No. 2?”
After entering the commercial district from the central plaza, Rachel led Otsupain to Marie’s Bakery No. 2. It was an annex of Marie’s Bakery, and while officially a bakery, it primarily dealt with beauty and cosmetic products for women.
“That’s right. Come on in, come on in!”
“Yo! Everyone working hard?”
Rachel entered the shop, and Otsupain followed her.
“Ah, Manager. Thank you for your hard work. What brings you here today?”
“Mmm, I had a bit of unfinished work, and I ran into an acquaintance on the way, so I brought her along.”
“I see. Welcome to Marie’s Bakery.”
A polite-looking female employee with wavy brown hair responded with a smile.
“Didn’t you just call Rachel ‘Manager’?”
“That’s right. I’m Rachel, the manager of Marie’s Bakery No. 2. Though I am a hired manager, of course.”
“Even though you’re still a student, you’re the manager of a shop favored by nobles…”
“Is that so unusual? Bobby Prim Trading Company, the largest shop in this town, has a student as its owner. Compared to that, my shop is just the beginning.”
“I don’t understand what you mean by ‘the beginning,’ but was Bobby Prim Trading Company managed by a student?”
Otsupain was shocked by this revelation. By the way, “the beginning” is a term from sumo wrestling, referring to the lowest rank, and by extension, it can also mean something that has just started. Rachel’s usage was slightly different, and in this world without sumo, her meaning was not understood.
“Yes. Incidentally, that shop originally belonged to my older brother.”
“Rachel’s brother must be an impressive person.”
“He’s my pride and joy. Though, he’s a little different from my real brother now.”
It seemed like there was a complicated family situation, and Otsupain decided it was best not to pry further.
“Lola, please call me if you need anything. Well then, Otsupain-san, please come this way.”
“Ah, excuse me.”
Led by Rachel, Otsupain was guided to the back of the shop.
“This is amazing.”
Otsupain entered the room she was guided into and was astonished by the sheer number of clothes neatly arranged.
“I make various clothes as a hobby.”
“It looks like a full-fledged sewing workshop, and you even have tools I’ve never seen before.”
This room was formerly the previous owner’s room, but since Rachel became the manager, she uses it as her private sewing room. It’s equipped with an electric sewing machine, numerous sewing tools, various types of fabric and thread, as well as mannequins and dress forms for a three-dimensional cutting technique. Various completed costumes are displayed, most of them for petite women.
“Alright, I’m going to take your measurements, so please undress.”
“Ah, understood.”
Just in case, Rachel locked the room and asked Otsupain to remove her clothes for the measurements.
“Please put the clothes you take off in this basket.”
“Over here, right?”
Otsupain placed her removed clothes into the basket Rachel had indicated.
“Is this all?”
“There’s still something left.”
Otsupain was now in her underwear, but Rachel stated there was still more.
“Do I have to take off my underwear too?”
“Of course. I can’t get accurate data otherwise.”
“R-really?”
Otsupain had ordered clothes a few times in the past, but she had never been instructed to undress completely.
“That’s right.”
“O-okay.”
As Rachel instructed, Otsupain removed her two undergarments that concealed her chest and private areas.
“Okay. I’ll start measuring now. It might feel a little cold at first, so please bear with me.”
“This is a tool I’ve never seen before. Hya! It’s cold!”
“This is a tape measure. See, there are markings here? This is how I measure length.”
Rachel explained as she smoothly extended and retracted the tape measure.
“Fumu fumu, neck circumference… shoulder width… chest, underbust, bust… Wow, quite large. And…”
Rachel stopped measuring mid-way and placed the tape measure on a nearby table.
“You don’t seem to have finished measuring?”
“That’s right. There’s a part that’s piqued my interest.”
“Wh-what interests you?”
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Saying that, Rachel began to massage Otsupain’s breasts.
“They have a rather nice feel to them. Hmm hmm.”
“Is there something you’re concerned about?”
“Well, yes. I see they’ve gone in quite nicely.”
“N-now, don’t try to pull out what’s inside!”
Rachel began to playfully pinch Otsupain’s areolas, trying to coax something hidden inside to come out.
“If you stimulate them like that, Hyaun! Hec! I’m letting out strange noises!”
“Oh? You’re enjoying it. How about this! Otsupain-san. Your nipples are showing now!”
Otsupain’s nipples, coaxed out by Rachel’s hands, were adorably prominent on her chest.
“And what were you planning to do by making my nipples come out?”
“Hmm. I was just curious… Is that not okay?”
“Of course, it’s not okay! H-hurry up and get back to work!”
“Yes, sir!”
Rachel picked up the tape measure from the table again and resumed taking Otsupain’s measurements.
“Alright, measurements complete.”
“You’re very thorough with your measurements.”
“Yes. I measured some unnecessary data as well, but it should be fine, right?”
“Hey!”
At Rachel’s exclamation, Otsupain couldn’t help but retort.
“Well, well, I’m making you a dress for free, so it’s a small price to pay to measure those things, isn’t it?”
“Free? You’re not charging me? The clothes displayed here also seem to be of a level where you could charge money.”
“Well, I make them as a hobby. And I’m using scraps for the fabric this time, so it won’t cost anything.”
“Is, is that so?”
“That’s right. Ah, you can put your clothes back on now.”
Rachel said this while transcribing the measurement data onto paper.
“Well then, I’m counting on you.”
“Okay! I’ve got it. I think I’ll have it finished in two to three days, so I’ll have Catherine-chan deliver it when it’s done.”
Rachel seemed to have business at the shop and stayed behind, while Otsupain left Marie’s Bakery No. 2.
“Speaking of which, she said Catherine-chan would bring the dress when it’s finished. Catherine-chan… Hm! Could it be that the Saintess herself will deliver it? What in the world! I should have gone to pick it up myself!”
Otsupain had been listening passively, but when she thought about it more carefully, she remembered that Catherine was the name of the Saintess and her face turned pale. Just as Rachel had said, two days later, the Saintess herself arrived to deliver the finished dress, much to Otsupain’s mortification.
