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Episode 68

"Presumptuous kindness?"

Without turning her head, Rosina kept her eyes fixed on the catalogue as she answered.

"No. Let me correct myself. Not presumptuous kindness, but misplaced enthusiasm. That might be easier for you to understand."

Seeing Julietta's face turn red, Janet quickly held her back.

"I want to wear a dress that Julietta picks out for me."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Really."

After calming Julietta, Janet glanced toward Rosina and said.

"I appreciate your input, but I'd like to wear a dress my friend picks out. Julietta is special to me."

A friend who was willing to attend social events she hated, just for her sake—where else would she find that?

She'd brought Julietta here to prepare for the season, so she wanted to let her have her way.

'It's obvious she wants to pick out my dress herself.'

Besides, Janet had almost no eye for selecting dresses anyway.

She'd studied styling while working as Julietta's handmaiden, but that was all about matching Julietta's tastes.

Since this was her first time picking a dress for herself, she didn't know what suited her.

It was better to rely on someone with experience.

"Oh my, I thought you were wise, but I see I was mistaken. Suit yourself. What matters is your own will, not a third party's opinion. But I'm certain you'll regret it."

Rosina hummed in reply.

Her gaze still fixed on the catalogue.

"Janet, don't mind what my sister says. Come on—I've picked out a few, so go try them on."

"Already?"

"Of course. I've always had excellent taste."

Watching her toss her hair with pride, Janet laughed and nodded.

Ding, ding.

Janet rang the bell on the table. Soon, the staff member who had brought the catalogue appeared.

"Help her try on the ones I've marked. She's my friend, so treat her well."

"Yes, my Lady. This way, miss."

Following the staff member's careful guidance, Janet was led away.

A short while later—

"Now, I'll open the curtain."

Swoosh.

The curtain of the central fitting room was drawn back, revealing Janet in her first dress.

A bright red dress with triple-tiered frills, a large ribbon at the neck, and red roses adorning it.

"Hmm. Not bad? It suits you."

"But isn't it a bit…… flashy for me?"

"Everyone dresses flashy during the social season. Try the next one too!"

As Janet nodded, the staff member drew the curtain again.

"Now, opening again."

Swoosh.

The second dress was unveiled.

This time it was a vivid blue dress.

Julietta had chosen it thinking it would match Janet's dark blue-tinged hair and eyes.

The second dress was just as flashy as the first.

Puffed shoulders, a cinched waist, and a rounded skirt that flared out from the hips.

"How is it?"

"Good. Blue really suits you."

"Yeah? I like this color too."

"Then I'm glad. But let's try the others too—something more modest and less flashy."

And so, the third dress was revealed.

This one was certainly modest.

A plain lilac dress without any large ornaments. There was a thin lace trim at the neckline, but it was barely noticeable.

"It's neat and nice. I like this one too."

Arms crossed, Julietta nodded with satisfaction.

After checking Julietta's reaction, Janet glanced at her reflection in the full-length mirror—her expression stiffened slightly.

"What's wrong? You don't like it……?"

Seeing her expression, Julietta asked timidly. Meeting her eyes, Janet answered with a still-stiff face.

"No. I like all three—I was just trying to decide."

"Sigh. What. I thought you didn't like them."

Julietta muttered with relief.

Regaining her composure, a grin spread across her face.

"There's no need to decide. I'll just buy all three."

"What do you mean? I agreed to accept one."

"Actually, I planned to buy you at least three from the start. I'd love to get you ten or more, but I knew you'd refuse."

"Julietta."

"Listen, Janet. I'm a Ludwig—I have more money than I know what to do with. Proportionally, buying three dresses for me is like a noble lady of another house buying just one sleeve of a dress."

At her unusually eloquent argument, Janet blinked.

Wow, Julietta could speak that well?

It was even somewhat convincing.

Catching Janet's hesitation, Julietta smiled and added.

"You're my first friend. Giving clothes to a friend was one of my long-held wishes. So just accept it this once. Okay?"

Under Julietta's sparkling gaze, Janet flinched. She was weak to that look.

Knowing this, Julietta deliberately widened her eyes even more.

Ugh. Visibly shaken, Janet's mind raced.

Since she was looking at her like that, she'd accept for now and gift her some jewelry later.

Though she couldn't choose anything too expensive, given Julietta's proportional wealth comparison—

"Then, just this once……"

Just as Janet was about to reluctantly agree—

Thump.

The sound of a catalogue being roughly thrown onto the table cut her off.

Startled, Janet and Julietta looked toward the source with wide eyes.

Naturally, it was Rosina.

Seated on the adjacent sofa, Rosina scanned the two with an incredulous look.

Then—

"Did you two lose your sense of taste? I wondered how you became friends—turns out it's because you both have such terrible taste!"

"What? What's that supposed to……!"

"Julietta. If you have money to burn, go donate it. That would be a far better use than buying three dresses like those."

Her tone was elegant, but the content was sharp and direct.

"Ha! Don't you think you're going too far? Since when were you so interested in my affairs that you'd interfere like this?"

"I'm not interested in you at all. But you keep wandering into my field of vision. Wearing those ridiculous dresses!"

Hoo. At Rosina's angry breath, her bangs lifted and fell.

"Don't criticize other people's tastes—"

"Taste is taste only within reason. This is just harassment disguised as goodwill."

Tsk, tsk. With a genuinely contemptuous look, Rosina picked up the catalogue she'd thrown.

Flip, flip.

Quickly flipping through the pages, she stopped around the last page.

"The back of the catalogue isn't new designs—they're from past seasons. The further back, the older they are. What you picked out……"

Staring intently at the catalogue, Rosina said with fire in her eyes.

"Yes. Exactly three seasons ago. But I've never seen those dresses at any social event in the last three seasons. Do you know what that means?"

"Wh-what does it mean?"

"It means those dresses were designed purely to fill out the catalogue—for people with terrible taste like you. I bet even the staff were shocked! That you managed to pick out such hideous dresses with your incredible eye for fashion?!"

At Rosina's outburst, Julietta and Janet's gazes turned to the staff member.

Suddenly the center of attention, the staff member flinched visibly. It was clear she had something to hide.

"Was what she said true?"

At Julietta's question, the staff member bit her lip.

Then, with an awkward smile, she stammered.

"Le Blanc respects every customer's personal taste."

In high-society parlance, 'personal taste' was code for 'atrocious taste.'

"……I can't believe it. Is my taste really that bad?"

At the shocked Julietta's mutter, Rosina delivered the final blow.

"You have no idea how glad I am that you hate the social season. It would have been quite painful to see a fellow Ludwig parading around in clown clothes."

Huff!

Having let it all out, Rosina smiled with satisfaction.

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