“Hello, Sir Otsupain, Knight?”
“Ah! I was lost in a long recollection despite being in front of the Baron and the Young Lady.”
“Welcome home.”
Caro spoke to Otsupain, who was lost in thought and frozen. Otsupain then seemed to notice and was surprised. Caro smiled and gently said, “Welcome home.”
“Ah, I’m home.”
Otsupain unintentionally replied to Caro.
“Were you surprised?”
“Ah, very. I never imagined that a girl who worked at a bakery would be in such a position…”
Otsupain had often seen Caro working at Marie’s Bakery. he had inwardly praised her as an employee because she was quick-witted, worked very efficiently, and had polite manners. Learning that she was an aristocrat, Otsupain was surprised, but upon further reflection, he also found it understandable.
“As you may know, there are people of even higher status working at the bakery where I work. Therefore, that shop is slightly different from other shops.”
“Is that so?”
Otsupain didn’t quite understand how it was different when Caro told him it was different from other shops.
“We can discuss that later, but for now, there isn’t much time before the party starts, so please rest in the room we’ve prepared here.”
“Ah, I’ll do that.”
Caro said to Otsupain.
“Berna, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Yes, Understood. Sir Otsupain, I am Berna, and I will be taking care of you during your stay. Please do not hesitate to ask if you need anything.”
“Ah, please take care of me.”
“Well then, Sir Otsupain. I will guide you to your room.”
At Caro’s instruction, Berna stood before Otsupain and offered to guide her. Berna then led Otsupain to the room she would be using during her stay.
“Now all the actors are in place.”
“I don’t know what you’re concocting, but you seem pleased.”
“Father, I’m not pleased. If anything, it might be more accurate to say I’m angry.”
“R-really?”
“This time it’s an important Mission, so I can’t afford to fail.”
Frederick said to Caro with concern, but she had a defiant smile.
“Well then, Father, let’s get started on the party preparations ourselves.”
“Ah, yes.”
Caro and Frederick began the final preparations for the party that would begin shortly.
A large number of people had gathered in the hall of Baron Frederick’s villa. As it was an aristocratic party, the men were in formal attire, and the women were dressed in glamorous dresses. In one corner of the venue, many dishes and drinks were displayed, and when requested from the employee in charge, food was served on small plates, and drinks were poured into glasses on the spot for guests to take and drink freely. As the host, Frederick, had not yet appeared, the attendees were eagerly awaiting the start.
“As expected, this is quite noticeable. The gazes are a bit painful.”
Otsupain waited for the party to begin in a tense atmosphere in the hall. For this party, Otsupain had brought two dresses. The first was one she had owned, and the second was a dress made by Rachel. Otsupain debated which one to wear, but she decided it would be a waste not to wear something made for her, so she wore the silver shimmering dress made by Rachel. Unlike traditional dresses, the skirt was slightly shorter, revealing her legs. Perhaps because of this, she felt the gazes of other attendees, especially women. Generally, conversations are held after the party begins, and it would be rude to the host to get too involved in conversation before then, so no one approached her. However, the female attendees looked at Otsupain with eyes like predators, wanting to say something.
“Ah, sorry to keep you waiting. Thank you all for attending the party hosted by our family today. This year, many people, including myself, have caused concern. Fortunately, our family has regained its position, has been granted territory, and we are able to hold our first New Year’s party. Furthermore, this territory has produced various agricultural products and has grown to support the country’s food supply. We are grateful to all of you for this. We have prepared a modest spread of food and drinks, mainly from what we harvested in this territory, so please enjoy yourselves and converse.”
A little while later, Frederick appeared and gave a greeting to the attendees. With that, the party, which would last through the New Year, began.
“Baron Frederick, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance…”
As the party began, many titled aristocrats surrounded Frederick to greet the host. Elsewhere, many women had gathered around Otsupain.
“Sir Otsupain, Knight. Where did you get such an outfit?”
“This dress was made by a casual acquaintance…”
“Did you hear that? She said a casual acquaintance.”
“Ah, I did.”
Surrounded by many women, Otsupain was flustered. At previous parties, as a titled woman, she had been kept at a slight distance by other women and rarely approached, often standing alone by the wall. However, this time, despite her awkward position, Otsupain was being approached by various women.
“Please, please, introduce me to that shop too.”
“That’s unfair. Introduce me too.”
“Introduce me too!”
“Eh? Eh?”
Otsupain was surprised by the desperate pleas from so many women.
“Excuse me, but may I ask one thing? Is there something special about this dress?”
“Eh? Do you mean to say you don’t know about it, Sir Otsupain?”
“I just asked an acquaintance to make it?”
“Whaaat! This dress with a novel design is undoubtedly made at the talked-about Akane Workshop.”
“I was surprised when I saw it for the first time, but the glossy fabric and the unconventional design make it unmistakable.”
“There are rumors that it’s a workshop connected to the Duke’s family. Please introduce it to us too.”
The women were all desperately trying to extract information about Akane Workshop from Otsupain. The existence of Akane Workshop was that much of an object of admiration for aristocrats.
“Ababababa.”
Otsupain’s thought process, unaccustomed to such situations, came to a halt.
“Everyone. Sir Otsupain is in distress.”
“Oh, Lady Caroline. I can’t believe you’re also wearing a dress from Akane Workshop.”
Just then, Caro stepped in to help. The dress Caro was wearing was similar in design to Otsupain’s, with pink as the base color. The women gathered immediately recognized it as a dress from Akane Workshop.
“This dress is a precious item that can only be made for those who have been approved. I am very reluctant to say this, but obtaining the right to do so is extremely difficult. Just recently, Her Majesty the Queen went through great trouble to obtain that right. You all understand what this means. Obtaining this right is that difficult. However, if there are still those who wish to know, I will hear them out. Putting aside the dresses for now, we have also prepared unusual fruits grown in this territory, and we would be delighted if you would sample them.”
Caro’s words were a roundabout way of saying, “Please do not get involved in this matter any further.” The women, suppressing their desire to know, all moved away from Otsupain.
“I was surprised to learn that Sir Otsupain had a dress made by Rachel.”
“Thank you for your help. I’m grateful. I didn’t have a spare dress for this party, and Rachel-dono helped me out. I had no idea it was as valuable as everyone claims, and I should have thanked her properly.”
“Is that so? As for whether it’s valuable, the answer is no. Rachel’s hobby is sewing, so she has many clothes for personal use. And while a dress for a party would normally take months, she can make one in two or three days. She has truly amazing abilities.”
Caro explained to Otsupain.
“Then I’ll excuse myself for a moment. Sir Otsupain, please enjoy the party too.”
“Ah, I will.”
With that, Caro moved away from Otsupain.
(I can’t believe Otsupain had a dress made by Rachel. She really gets into it when she helps.) (Well, this was unexpected, but within the scope of what I imagined.)
Caro thought to herself as she moved to greet other attendees.
