Chapter 73 - Reunited at Arcade Street

Max ran as if he was being chased by his thoughts and arrived at Jubelian’s house in no time. He would usually check if his master was inside first, but he was too focused on simply making it to her room today. When he arrived at the balcony, Max realized that no one was in there.

‘Where did she go?’ As he frantically peered into the room and searched for Jubelian’s presence, he sensed someone getting closer. ‘Who is that?’ The person’s heavy gait felt different from her light, feather-like footsteps. Just as the bedroom door was about to open, Max hid himself. 

“What kind of dress will our lady choose this time?” 

“I’m not sure, but I think she will look nice in a flowy dress with frills.” 

“Since she’s so beautiful, what wouldn’t suit her?”

“You’re right. I’m jealous that I can’t shop at Arcade Street without any worries as well.”

Max could guess Jubelian’s location from the maids’ conversation. ‘Arcade Street… huh.’

* * *

I closed my eyes from intense fatigue, then reopened them. Just a few months ago, I had at least exercised by following Mikhail around, but now my stamina had deteriorated from staying at home all the time. ‘I shouldn’t forget to take regular walks from now on, at the very least.’ With this in mind, I entered a renowned boutique in the capital. 

“Oh my, what a surprise!” Although I heard the person who spoke, I didn’t think it was directed towards me until she blocked my path. “Have you come out to shop as well, Lady Floyen?” 

‘Hmm… No matter how much I look at her, I can’t figure out her identity,’ I thought as I studied her face closely. Nevertheless, I decided to respond to her as if I knew her, or else she might naturally get offended at me for not recognizing her. “Yes, are you looking for dresses as well?”

“Oh, Lady Floyen! There’s no other reason to visit a seamstress than that. Well, I’m actually here to take my finished dress home.” 

“Ah, I see. Then if you don’t mind.” I excused myself, preparing to walk past her to continue my shopping. 

“It’s such a shame,” she suddenly said with a sigh. I imperceptibly turned toward her and saw that she was looking straight at me, which meant that she had aimed her words at me. 

“Huh? What is?” 

In response to my question, she spoke as if she had waited for me to ask. “I just think these dresses won’t suit you well because of your slender figure, Lady Floyen. If trends weren’t so important, you wouldn’t have to wear uncomfortable dresses that don’t even look good on you. It’s simply… a shame.”

Her words sounded sarcastic, but there was some truth to them. ‘They are definitely uncomfortable.’ The trend these days was the robe á la française, as seen in the show ‘Rose of Versailles.’ With its showy stomacher and sizable skirt, this dress attracted attention to the bust. Although it was pretty, it was extremely uncomfortable. I had originally planned to order a dress to follow the trend, but I was reminded to take my comfort into consideration if I was going through the hassle of requesting a dress in the first place. ‘Thanks to her, I’ve realized something important.’ 

Regardless of her intentions, I was grateful that she offered me useful advice. “Thank you for the advice. I will take it into consideration and order a dress that suits me,” I said with a smile.

She showed a reluctant expression in response and nodded. “Ah, okay.”

“Then, I’ll excuse myself.” As I strode past her, I thought about what kind of dress I was going to request to the designer before coming up with an idea. ‘Ah, that should be good.’ 

* * *

I was exhausted by the time I finished ordering the dress, but it was a worthwhile endeavor. ‘I think the new dress will suit me better.’ Now that I had completed what I had set out to do for the day, I became overwhelmed with fatigue. As I contemplated whether I should go back home, I heard someone’s voice. 

“You scoundrel! Are you trying to avoid responsibility after putting a nobleman in danger? Apologize at this moment!” 

I frowned, wondering who would harass a commoner at a public place like this. ‘He sounds like an idiot trying to recover his self-esteem by humiliating someone else.’ I cast a furtive glance at the dispute, then knit my eyebrows. ‘Why… is he here?’

The nobleman who was mistreating the commoner was a famous man even I knew of. His name was Baron Gordon, and he had once been the subject of gossip among the nobility as a commoner who managed to enter the upper class. ‘Infamous, to be precise.’ As a former usurer, he had acquired the favor of high-ranking nobles by buying them expensive gifts. He must’ve thought he could buy anything, even status, with money. But it was impossible for the nobility, the very class that depended on the principle of blood rights, to easily accept him as their kind. Eventually, he vanished from high society after being cast away. ‘I was wondering why I hadn’t heard any news about him for a while. It looks like he was busy running around and doing things like this.’ My thoughts were directed towards the commoner rather than Baron Gordon, however. 

“I don’t know why I have to apologize when you’re the one at fault for falling.” 

There was only one person I knew who would informally talk to a nobleman like that. ‘I knew it. I knew that he wasn’t going to keep his promise.’ I sighed and glared at my father’s disciple.