Chapter 25: Chapter 25
Ann’s eyes sparkled while the seamstresses nodded. They immediately put away what they had been working on and found gold and silver threads to make the wedding dress.
They all moved diligently, and Ann felt proud when looking at them.
Usually, seamstresses work the hardest at the nobles’ mansion. They usually work as seamstresses for a couple of years and get scouted by designers to get hired at their boutiques.
However, all the seamstresses in the Claymore mansion were veterans with at least 20 years of careers. They were all good enough to be head seamstresses in any other noble family.
They finished preparing in just a few minutes. Then, they turned to Ann as one and yelled, “What should we make?”
“What? A dress, of course. A wedding dress.”
“Ann, of course, we will make a wedding dress. We were asking about the style. Which style added with which gems and what kind of embroidery?”
“That’s…”
Ann couldn’t say more. Yes. The five seamstresses in front of her were all extremely good at their job. It wouldn’t be impossible for them to make a great wedding dress if they sewed all night.
However, they were seamstresses.
They could do their job only when someone else told them what to make.
‘Designer! We need a designer!’
However, it had already been three years since the late duchess passed away. A tailor at the capital who specialized in men’s suits had been making Edgar’s suits, and the Claymore Family hadn’t had any occasion to make a fancy lady’s dress.
There were a few ladies whom the family supported, but they each ordered their own dresses. It had been three years since the last time a dress was ordered by the family.
Therefore, they didn’t even know the contacts of designers who lived nearby.
Even these excellent seamstresses had mainly been embroidering cushions, furniture, curtains, and handkerchiefs for the last three years.
“Um… what should we do. The duke didn’t care to find out, and…”
Ann got into a panic and started to ramble while the seamstresses started to panic with her. However, Rosa didn’t panic.
She held Ann’s hands tightly while her brown eyes firmly held the shaking grey eyes.
“Let us go to the duchess, no, to Lady Berner.”
“To Lady Berner? But we cannot let her know that we are this unprepared…”
“Ann! Every woman in this world dreams of her wedding dress!” Rosa yelled at the top of her voice which echoed through the room. Ann had never seen her yell like that before.
She had a habit of speaking calmly that fit her job a little too much.
“Even my ten-year-old who says she will never get married goes on for at least an hour when asked what kind of wedding dress she wants. That day is… that day is…”
She was yelling for the first time. She then took a deep breath, only to yell even louder.
“… is the day you can put on the prettiest dress in the world and become even more beautiful than the princess!”
The Kingdom of Seritos despised extravagance and loved frugality. But for one day, on the wedding day, no one was bound by any rules.
The bride could put a tiara befitting only of a princess on her head and tell the guests not to be dressed in the same color with her dress like princesses do without getting criticized.
When princesses did that for balls, they were called arrogant, but when brides did that, all the guests followed that order as if they were obliged to do so.
“Yes, yes. How could I forget that? Yes, Lady Berner must have her own dream about a wedding dress.”
“If she tells us about it, we will do our best to make it. We are not as creative as professional designers, but we are good enough to say there is nothing in this world we cannot make.”
The other seamstresses nodded determinedly.
It was the wedding dress of the woman who was about to become the duchess. Moreover, it would be made by seamstresses of the Claymore family, without the help of any salon… their very pride depended on it.
“Then let us go to her immediately, Rosa.”
“Give us just a minute.”
A few seamstresses brought a few sample fabrics, threads, laces, and embroidery patterns even before Rosa gave orders.
As they were all skilled at their jobs, designers who used to work with them would often do the design and let them do the actual making.
Additionally, they didn’t fail to notice which things were needed when discussing the design. Rosa put them in a basket and added a few pieces of white papers and a pen.
“Well, let us go now.”
“You are really thorough. Lady Berner will be delighted too!”
Ann was sure Rubica would leap up in joy. They then hurried to the duchess’s room where Rubica was staying at.
At that time, Rubica was-
“And how was this embroidery done?”
… sitting on a small stool next to the dressing table and looking closely at a cushion that had been on the bed.
Things at the mansion were most certainly upgrading her sense of beauty to a new level. She had already studied every dress in the dressing room.
Characteristics and patterns of embroideries on stomachers, jewels, wrinkles of the skirts, laces used on dresses, silhouette of gowns, and sleeves.
She saw them all, stroked them all to check how they felt, and memorized how they changed to the blowing breeze. Her father’s business had shown her all kinds of goods from all around the world, Hue’s abbey in which people from various kingdoms had lived, and now Claymore Family that had the greatest wealth in Seritos.
The beauty inside her was ripening with the new experience.
“Lady Berner! It’s Ann. May I come in?”
Rubica was still admiring the simple but decorative embroidery on the cushion. Then, she was woken up by the voice calling her. She was surprised and thought about getting up and opening the door, but she soon dismissed the idea.
‘Most nobles don’t sit up and call instead.’
Ann would rather pity her for having the habit of a maid if she opened the door herself.
She put down the cushion on her laps and spoke quietly.
“You can come in.”
“Thank you.”
The door was opened carefully. Then, Ann saw Rubica protecting her belly with the cushion.
‘Ohh, that’s!’
It had to be an unconscious and instinctive action to protect the baby. Her misunderstanding was now confirmed. She was so happy that she couldn’t look straight at Rubica.
How had she melted Eddie’s cold heart?
Anyway, to Ann, Rubica was now someone who will present the Claymore Family with the warm laughter of a child. Ann swore to herself on the spot to have Rubica as her priority just like Carl had Edgar as his.
“What is it?”
Rubica carefully asked Ann who appeared to be deeply moved. The woman with grey eyes seemed to often be caught in emotions, regardless of the rumors about her being cold.
Rubica knew nothing about what ran through her imagination. She was just worried at seeing Ann suddenly stand still without saying anything.
“Oh! Ah, oh.”
Ann hadn’t freed herself from the imagination about the joy Rubica’s child would bring that she couldn’t answer the question properly. Rosa sighed and spoke instead.
“Nice to meet you, my lady. I am Rosa, head of the seamstresses.”
“Oh! Nice to meet you.”
Rubica brightened up.
Was it Rosa who had done that simple but beautiful pattern in the cushion? Rubica really admired her.
However, Ann and Rosa misinterpreted her change of expression.
‘… yes, she does want a pretty wedding dress after all.’
However, she hadn’t been able to get what she wanted as Edgar, the Duke Claymore, was too powerful. Ann and Rosa secretly swore to make her put on a great wedding dress.
“I heard that you and His Grace will get married tomorrow. Um, so, about your wedding dress…”
“I am just going to wear something nice. His Grace also said it would be better.”
Rubica smiled as she had no complaint. The dress she was wearing right now was the most expensive dress she had ever worn, and the ones in her closet were even better. Really, she was fine to wear any of them.
Oh, but the more brightly she smiled, the bigger the pain within Ann and Rosa grew. To Ann’s eyes, that smile became pitiful, and to Rosa’s eyes, it was the kind smile of a lady.
“Lady Berner, we seamstresses will make a beautiful wedding dress for you!”
“… excuse me?”
“Let us handle it.”
“I don’t understand…”
Ann quickly drew a small table closer to Rubica, and Rosa didn’t waste time. She put the basket on the table and spread the fabrics, small embroidery samples, and designs. Then, she put the white paper in front of Rubica and put a pen in her hand.
“I swear upon the honor of seamstresses in the Claymore family. We will finish the wedding dress you wish to have.”
Rubica didn’t know what to think of it. She just looked at the determined Rosa with the pen in her hand.
Why on earth was she doing this?
“But how can you possibly make a wedding dress in a day…”