Chapter 26

Chapter 26

TL-Mechatronic

“It looks like the meal was very delicious.”

The Duke’s gaze reached the hem of Luciel’s skirt. Only then did she realize that the traces of her hard work remained.

“Oh, when did I spill the sauce?”

She wiped it with the handkerchief the Duke had given her, but the stains didn’t come off.

She was a little nervous, but she couldn’t help it. Seeing that the speed of the carriage was decreasing, it seemed that they had already reached the bustling Charlotte street.

Neat and organized streets, squares with fountains, minstrels singing or playing musical instruments, painters and flower vendors were easily spotted everywhere.

Luciel’s heart pounded just by looking at the bright and stylish ladies and gentlemen walking down the street. Charlotte Avenue was also famous for being the largest and busiest shopping district in the Empire, Even the royal family and nobles of a foreign country visited it at least once.

The Duke took out his pocket watch, checked the time, and recommended something to Luciel.

“Luciel, why don’t you stop by Florine’s boutique and wear clean clothes?”

Florine Boutique was a children’s clothing store that the Duke bought for Luciel. Tilting her head, she asked.

“Is that clothing store here?” “There are two branches. Bellstein branch and the capital headquarters.”

Upon hearing that story, Luciel’s ears perked up. In her last life, she had never seen the city or did any shopping, as she had lived like a prisoner.

“Well, would it be okay…?”

“We still have time until class is over, so let’s stop by. It’s just for a moment.”

“I like it!”

Luciel squealed inwardly.

The Duke looked at Luciel, whose eyes grew with ears pricked up like a rabbit, making her even cuter.

‘Shopping with my daughter-in-law….

It was my first time experiencing it in my life.

He was used to ordering, but it was the first time he went out to the street and picked out clothes himself. Usually, he looked at the catalog in the mansion, chose something, and the best designers and tailors worked exclusively for the Duchy until he liked the outcome. So there was no such experience.

A carriage pulled up in front of a building with a harmonious white and pink color scheme. There was a brown sign saying Florine Boutique. It seems that it was quite popular, so there were many people who came in and out of the store even before Luciel and Louivid went inside. Most of them seemed to be from the upper classes.

“Welcome to-Oh! Duke of Bellstein!”

A young woman who looked like a store clerk was shocked when she checked the carriage’s coat of arms.

It was the first time she had seen the Duke in person since the boutique’s ownership was transferred to Bellstein. Her face was briefly reminded of the fact that the Duke of Bellstein was younger and more handsome than expected.

As soon as she entered the shop, Luciel was mesmerized by the cute interior.

The first floor was girl’s clothes, and artificial flower beds were decorated amongst white rabbits, sheep bears and horses, bright and cute dresses were hung on the children’s mannequins and glittering butterfly mobiles spun around.

Luciel turned around to the Duke.

“It’s a pretty shop.”

“And it’s yours.”

The Duke spoke to the female manager who was waiting behind him.

“I need clothes for this kid here.”

The manager hurriedly beckoned to the other employees and Luciel said cautiously.

“Can I pick it myself?”

The employees were about to pull out a few dresses, but having heard Luciel everyone stopped moving.

“The child is going to choose for herself.”

“Then look around comfortably, lady.”

“Luciel, you can choose whatever you want.”

“Yes.”

Luciel nodded her head and looked around the store with a flushed face.

“Duke, I will take you this way. What kind of tea would you like?”

“Lemon Ginger Tea.”

In one corner of the shop, there was even a tea room where you could enjoy tea and sweet desserts. The Duke followed the manager’s guidance and took a seat first.

When Luciel, who was choosing her clothes, met his eyes, the Duke gave a generous smile.

Suddenly, I could feel the gazes around me.

Not surprisingly, after all, fathers did not come to pick up dresses for their girls, and it was rare for a veiled noble, such as the Duke of Bellstein, to appear before people’s eyes.

“My lord, Duke of Bellstein. Greetings. I am the Marquise of Bellita.”

Because it was a face he did not remember, the Duke looked at her for a moment, but the gaze did not stay for even three seconds.

“Hello, madam.”

After a short answer, he opened and straightened the Imperial newspaper on the table. She would have said they were rude if she had been attacked by someone else, but Mrs. Bellita did not back down and with difficulty, she barely moved her lips again.

“…Ah, but have you ever had a daughter?”

It was a question that felt rude depending on what the other person perceived.

“No.”

At his reply, Mrs. Bellita did not come up with a comeback, but she worked hard in finding the next

thing to say, wanting to hear an answer for the mystery.

“Then that kid earlier…”

“… Am I obligated to answer that question?”

“Ho-ho, it’s not like that.”

The woman who had been bothering him backed away, but he could still feel her glance aimed at Luciel as if she was not satisfied with her curiosity.

Meanwhile, Luciel found her favorite dress.

It was a white lace dress made of thin and soft mesh like the wings of a butterfly. She liked the design in which the sky blue cape wraps around the shoulder.

“Pretty.”

She thought it would be nice to wear this and go see Kizef.

“Then I might be able to get married because I look pretty.

“Excuse me….”

It was when Luciel tried to call a clerk to try on the dress.

A girl with a voice like the sound of a bell entered the store and approached. She seemed to be an upperclass girl of Luciel’s age, but her expression was so confident it seemed arrogant.

There were many other dresses too, but she shoved Luciel as she dared to approach the mannequin Luciel was looking at.

“…What are you doing?”

The little girl looked at Luciel who was smaller than her, and rolled up her lips.

“It doesn’t look good on you.”

Somehow, the disgusting smile was somehow familiar, She was a pretty girl with luscious red hair and green eyes.

“Mrs. Marianne, take out this dress and show it to me! This white dress.

Following the girl, a gray-haired middle-aged woman came in leisurely.

“Penelope, why are you in such a hurry?”

“Mother, look at this dress. It would be perfect for me, right?”

As soon as she ran into the pair of mother and daughter, Luciel recalled bad memories of her past

life.

Penelope von Cavill was the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Cavill. She was the youngest child who came into their arms when the Marquis of Cavill was fifty years old. Above that, he treasured the child because she had an appearance that resembled him, was clever, quick-witted, and talented in business.

When Luciel first went to the Marquis Cavill, Penelope opened her green eyes and said this.

‘Father, is this the child? The one who’s a living jewel

mine?

Needless to say, the jewels Luciel had created were enough to afford Penelope’s luxury. She also used the jewels to adorn her dresses, but at that time Luciel made only jewelry out of pain, sorrow and anger. Things like obsidian, sapphire, or ruby.

I’m tired of red rubies and even more tired of blue sapphires. The black obsidian is kind of offensive. Sister-in-law, can’t you make other jewelry?’

To elicit Luciel’s other feelings, Penelope was an enough devious child to fake kindness to win Emeralds.

She was 17 years old, the same age as Luciel and she was incredible.

Luciel, who was looking at the Marquis mother and daughter pair, had a headache because of her painful past.

Marianne, the manager, rushed to the call of Penelope, a regular customer.

“Welcome, Marquise of Cavill and the Young Lady Cavill.”

“I want to try on this dress.”

Penelope stubbornly pointed her hand at the dress. A look of embarrassment appeared on the Manager’s face when she saw that Luciel was watching.

“Oh, but it’s the outfit that the customer who came first looked at…… First, let me ask her about her intentions.”

Since she is a regular, she thought they would put their convenience first, but Penelope gave her an unexpected scowl.

“I beg your pardon? I just choose it.”

“I’m… I’m fine. I’ll look at something else.”

The moment Luciel tried to step behind to avoid the spot.

The Duke, who had a particularly conspicuous presence, raised his tall body. That alone immediately drew attention to him. Turning his gaze from the store manager to Luciel, and as if he had listened on purpose until now, he said.

“That dress. Wrap it. No, would you rather just wear it and go, Luciel?”

As Luciel was picking her words, Penelope intervened between them.

“I chose it first.”

Penelope groaned with resentment. The more she did, the more Louivid’s eyes grew colder.

“No matter how young you are, how can you be so rude?”

“What? Wh-What do you mean….”

“I was looking at my little girl every 30 seconds, wasn’t the young lady who pushed aside my child, who was quietly choosing the dress first, and dared to cut in line to pick the dress?”

Louivid took out a pocket watch with a strap and saw the time. It was very cumbersome to deal with a child who he didn’t even care for, but for Luciel, he could have been even more childish.

“Hey, she didn’t even ask someone to show her the clothes. I’m the one who said it first.”

“No matter how young a child is, I will not tolerate wrongdoings, Young Lady of Cavill.”

The Duke’s face grew colder and colder.

“P-Penelope, we-we have a lot of other dresses to…..”

Penelope’s mother, the Marquise of Cavill, who later discovered the Duke’s identity, tried to stop her daughter.

“No. I really want to wear that. Hey, you, answer me. Am I not right?”

Penelope grabbed Luciel’s collar and shook her with a mean face.

“Make some more jewels, sister-in-law. Okay?’

17-year-old Penelope, who smiled innocently while strangling Luciel for jewelry and the young Penelope’s faces in front of her, overlapped as they were,

Luciel instinctively crumpled her face.

“I don’t have to be afraid. Now she can’t do anything to me.

“I told you to answer.”

“Penelope, stop it.”

Luciel opened her closed eyes and stared at Penelope. Then shook her head vigorously.

“You were being rude.”

“What?”