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“…my lady, you’re quite different from your esteemed Grandmother.”

Just as the dress design was nearly finalized, Kamilla said that to her with a thoughtful tone, and Ekaterina tilted her head slightly.

“Have you perhaps met my grandmother before?”
“Yes, when I was just starting out. She was quite the difficult… Forgive me, a dignified and proud woman.”

You can just call her a rotten hag, you know.
Not that I can say that out loud, but I *want* to.

“Did something…happen between you and her?”
“Oh, no! …Well, she was famous for ordering dresses quite often, so I worked hard to catch her attention and eventually got to make one for her. However, what I came up with didn’t quite fit her fancy. It was a very intricate and luxurious dress, but…”

I instantly got it—from one working adult to another.
Ekaterina cleared her throat lightly.

“I see. And, was the…payment completed?”
“Y-you understand well. No, she never paid.”

You—DAMN—HAG!!
If you’re so ‘proud,’ how about not stiffing a rookie designer out of her pay, huh?!

“I beg your pardon, but do you happen to have any proof of the unpaid amount?”
“Yes, I still have a letter. It came from her attendant, saying that since the dress displeased her, she refused to acknowledge receiving it, and therefore would not pay.”

…My head hurts.
She took the dress and then refused to pay because she didn’t like it? Is she out of her rotten mind?

“Mina…”
“I’ll inform the butler.”
“Thank you. Please show that letter to the butler and collect your payment. I apologize for my grandmother’s conduct.”
“Thank you so very much…!”

Kamilla bowed deeply.
I guess it’s tough for dress designers to manage their finances. Damn hag, seriously, I’m so sorry.

“My lady, you truly are wonderful. So kind, so tasteful, so worldly despite your youth… To think that the daughter of House Jurnova would treat someone like me with such warmth—it moves me deeply.”

Ah, well.
I’m only pretending to be a noble lady. Sorry about that.
She’s probably just being polite, but still—it feels awkward when I’m technically a fraud.

“If this dress pleases you, my lady, I would be honored if you would continue to patronize me.”
“So do I. And if you see potential in using Celestial Azure for your designs, I’d be delighted if you could recommend it to the ladies of the capital. It’s not well-known yet, you see.”
“Oh, I’d love to! I already know several who would look wonderful in it and eager to try out new trends. It’s such a marvelous color—and for your sake, my lady, I’ll promote it with all my heart.”
“I appreciate your kind words.”

It’ll probably be good for Kamilla too—offering new materials to clients gives her an edge.
Let’s make this profitable for both of us!

.

After taking measurements and promising to bring the trial dress next week, Kamilla left. Ekaterina then headed toward one of the rooms in the Jurnova ducal mansion in the capital.
It was the portrait gallery—lined with generations of Jurnova dukes and their families. From the founder, Sergei, to the current head, Aleksei, their many faces filled the wide walls.

Ekaterina smiled as she looked up at the dignified portrait of her grandfather Sergei seated in an armchair, with a serious, ten-year-old Aleksei—without his monocle yet—standing at his side. She steadied herself mentally, then turned to the next portrait.

…Why is this one *massive*?!

The oversized painting depicted a young woman—exquisitely beautiful, tall and slender, dressed in extravagance. Her long pale-blue hair was elegantly styled beneath a glittering tiara, and massive gemstones adorned her necklace and earrings. Though she wore a faint smile, her long, narrow eyes had a cold glint to them. Ice-blue, just like her grandson’s. Infuriatingly so.
This was my grandmother—back when she was still young. Alexandra the Imperial Princess.
Why the hell is a *princess portrait* hanging among the Jurnova family ones? This was *before* she even joined the family!

(*Damn hag.*)

I muttered the words silently, making sure Mina behind me couldn’t hear it.

“Hmph.” I turned away and looked at the next portrait.
It showed a stunning man with long legs crossed, lounging in a chair with a charming smile—my father, Aleksandr. Pale blue hair, pale blue eyes, the spitting image of my brother save for the lack of a monocle.

Next to him was Onii-sama: a striking young duke standing proud with a sword in hand. The same handsome features as their father, but hardened with the weight of bearing the immense power and wealth of the Jurnova family alone.

Unlike me, who took after our mother, Onii-sama’s features came from our grandmother and father. However, the color of their eyes were different—those two merely had plain pale blue, while Onii-sama’s were that vivid, self-luminous neon blue. Maybe the painting simply couldn’t capture that.
That said, both the portraits of Onii-sama with our grandfather and of him alone did an excellent job of capturing the color of his eyes. Perhaps they commissioned a more skilled artist for those. Either way, I’d like to believe his eyes were a of different shade than our father’s and grandmother’s.

“My lady.”

A voice—not Mina’s—called out, and Ekaterina turned.
It belonged to an older woman wearing a dark dress—the uniform of a housekeeper. But she was not merely a servant.

“The butler sent me, my lady. You requested me?”
“Yes. You must be Nonna, my grandmother’s former waiting maid.”
“That is correct. I am Nonna Zares.”
“I see. I’ve heard my grandmother ordered dresses quite frequently. I would like to take a look at them—please show me where they’re stored.”

Nonna only inclined her head slightly, then turned her back and began walking without a sound.
That attitude… yeah, I expected as much.

Following her, Ekaterina asked as they walked.

“What kind of person was my grandmother, from your point of view?”
“She is the finest lady of all.”

The reply came crisp and immediate—as if it had been memorized from a textbook.

“Then, what about my father?”

This time, there was a brief pause before the answer.

“…He was a wonderful man. So charming that he could enchant any woman who met him. Not only handsome, but a refined gentleman who always treated women with kindness. He was a man unbound by dull worldly affairs—free-spirited, and lived life to the fullest.”

—In other words, a skirt-chaser!
And ‘enchant any woman,’ you say…? That’s next-level Casanova. Like, Genji Monogatari level¹. Sure, he looks just like Onii-sama, but if you took Onii-sama’s charm stats and poured all of them into seducing women, this is what you’d get. His final evolution form.
Not to mention, making my tiny Onii-sama handle all the paperwork while he “lived life to the fullest”? What a piece of work, that old man.

“I see. And these dull worldly affairs?”

Nonna turned and gave Ekaterina a sharp look.

“Things like paperwork, or keeping accounts—such dry and joyless matters.”
“My, so Father never bothered with money, I take?”

Ekaterina met her gaze with a bright, amused smile.
Nonna’s stare grew severe, but Ekaterina’s smile didn’t waver in the slightest.

With a huff, Nonna looked away and resumed walking.
Heh. Victory’s mine.
God, that was petty of me.

But when they reached their destination, Ekaterina nearly collapsed at the sight.

What the hell is *this*!
This isn’t a walk-in closet. It’s a *walk-in hall!* Walk-in-a-freaking-salloon!! It’s big enough to host a small party—and every inch of it is packed with dresses!! The entire freaking hall is a closet for dresses! No, a *mausoleum* for dresses!
The shutters were closed, no light came in, and dozens of gowns stood eerily on display mannequins, barely visible in the gloom. This is totally haunted-mansion vibe!
You could practically *feel* the old hag’s lingering obsession in the air, it creeps me out.

“Even this is not the full collection. There are far more stored at the main estate in the duchy. *This* is what it means to be a lady of refinement.”

Why does she sound proud about this?

“Her Highness ordered new dresses at least once a week. She never wore the same one twice. If she disliked a dress, she would not only refuse to wear it, but forbid anyone from showing it to her again. Such luxury, such dignity—these are the marks of a true noblewoman.”

Then Nonna fixed Ekaterina with a cold glare.

“I hear you’ve been in the capital for nearly two months, my lady, and only now have you placed your first order for a dress. How disgraceful. What do you think the Jurnova name stands for? —You must display the might of the ducal house, lest the lower classes take you lightly. Allow me to introduce you to the finest designers your grandmother approved of. From now on, you shall commission at least one dress every weekend. —And as for your treatment of servants; you must realize that your current behavior towards them is unbecoming of a noblewoman. I shall teach you how your grandmother would have conducted herself. After all, no one served closer to her than I did. I will make you into a proper noblewoman.”
“My, is a noblewoman something one becomes simply by ordering many dresses?”
“It shows that you belong to a house wealthy enough to do so. But even that is trivial. A lady should live only for beauty—scorning the base creatures who cling to vulgar concerns like money or power, and devoting herself to refining her own beauty in the midst of splendor. That is how a true lady conducts herself.”
“My.”

Ekaterina placed a hand over her mouth and laughed softly.

“How terribly vulgar.”