CH 22

“Farhend Nuve. I am honoured to be here, Belinda.”

“It’s nice to meet you. We’re called Eshar.”

“I’ve always looked forward to meeting you. We’re Renahl!”

“R-Rohaz here.”

“We’re…….”

Among the people introducing their dress shops side by side, there was a strange tension flowing between them.

Although they had gained some recognition in high society, they were operating dress shops that were not flourishing enough to handle commissions from the upper nobility.

But this morning, like a bolt from the blue, a request came from the Blanche family, and not just anyone, but from Lady Belinda herself.

Who is Belinda Blanche?

She was a notorious troublemaker whose name appeared in the tabloid’s day after day, and it was no exaggeration to say that whatever she wore became the fashion trend of high society.

It was a golden opportunity.

If they were able to catch her eye, it wouldn’t be out of the question for them to be able to make the leap to being a high-level dressing room that only deals with high-ranking aristocrats.

‘I even canceled the reservations I had and rushed here.’

He was not alone in being summoned.

As Belinda, elegantly leaning against the couch, listened to the lengthy introductions of the dress shop owners, she let out a yawn.

Then, like a ruthless tyrant gazing down at gladiators in the colosseum, she declared cruelly, “You all must make clothes for this poorly dressed magician.”

“What? Me?”

Vivian, who had been munching furiously on a piece of dried jerky for a snack, blinked.

Ignoring her, Belinda continued speaking. 

“I will reward the one who creates the most suitable clothes with a prize befitting my name. However, if you present me with clothes that do not meet my standards…..” She ended her words with a cruel smile on her lips. “You will regret for the rest of your life that you were called here today.”

The dress shop owners, facing nine competitors, felt a surge of competitiveness in their eyes.

“Magician!”

“Do you have any favorite colors?”

“What style do you prefer?”

“I think practicality is better than flashy dresses, right?”

“Magician, would you like to see fabric samples here?”

“W-w-w-w-w-why, why are you all doing this to me!”

Belinda flipped nonchalantly through the catalog, seemingly unperturbed by Vivian’s screams.

“Miss Be-Belinda, I don’t need new clothes. This is too much, so get me out of this…… ugh, waist, waist is too tight, ugh, ugh!”

Seeing how miserable Vivian was, Belinda finally showed kindness and relieved her burden.

“How long do I have to put up with you walking around like a ragged beggar? Do something about your measurements and make it neat, not for your sake, but for mine.”

After a while, a worn-out Vivian slumped into a comfortable chair, both physically and mentally exhausted.

The seamstresses were busy adding various embellishments and sewing on the samples they had brought.

Belinda, without taking her eyes off the catalog, as if what she was about to say was just a passing thought, asked Vivian, “Vivian, I looked at the recipe you wrote down for lunch yesterday, but it doesn’t seem particularly special.”

“The recipe I wrote down yesterday… Oh, that one?” Vivian barely managed to raise her upper body and answer. “If someone has a certain level of skill, they can easily make it since the manufacturing process isn’t too complicated.”

“I see.”

Belinda paused for a moment, lost in thought, then opened a locked drawer next to the couch with a key.

She took out a paper from inside and stared at it for a while as if confirming something before shaking her head.

“I don’t understand how such a simple recipe can have an addictive effect. But more importantly, who is the ‘Cecil’ mentioned here?”

That’s when it happened.

“Ah!” A cry erupted from one of the apprentice seamstresses who was sewing aggressively.

A woman, who had her finger pricked by a needle, slowly raised her head and looked at Belinda.

An androgynous face with an ambiguous gender. Short, neatly cut ash-colored hair revealing her ears. A tidy smile that seemed as if it was drawn on her face, but that was what made it so offensive.

There was no reason to smile, and it wasn’t a situation to smile in.

Just as the woman’s mouth was about to open.

Thunk!

A middle-aged woman, who appeared to be her superior, quickly pressed down on the back of the woman’s head, forcing her to bow.

“I apologize. My daughter seems nervous in front of the lady. It’s not like her to make such mistakes…”

“Mistake…….” A strange smile appeared on the corner of Belinda’s mouth. “You’re Marilyn from Bluebird Dress Shop, right?”

“Yes, yes.”

“And this child?”

“She’s Terry.”

This time, Belinda’s gaze turned to the dress that Terry had been working on.

The workmanship was so good that there was not a stitch to be seen on the robe, which was lavishly made of green velvet.

“Impressive workmanship.”

Inspecting the dress meticulously with the tip of her fan, Belinda made her verdict.

“I’ll go with this dress. You can finish the rest of the work. Make sure you charge a sufficient fee.”

“T-Thank you.”

To the flustered Marilyn, Belinda continued her questioning.

“Do you also make men’s clothing?”

“That was my husband’s business, but he’s not feeling well at the moment and is taking a break.”

“That’s a shame, because I was looking forward to seeing the menswear, since your work was so good.”

However, contrary to her words, her face didn’t show much disappointment.

Belinda returned to the couch and casually placed the recipe back into the drawer as if nothing had happened. She leisurely fanned herself.

“Vivian, we plan to dine out tonight, so prepare yourself.”

“Miss Belinda, I appreciate your intentions, but now is not the time…”

“Since we rarely have enjoyable moments, don’t spoil my mood.”

Vivian’s mouth clamped shut, but she couldn’t hide the anxiety and nervousness in her eyes.

As if to soothe her, Belinda covered her mouth with her fan and whispered, “Some things naturally resolve themselves when you sleep and wake up. So, take care of your body as I instruct you.”

As she said this, Belinda’s gaze remained fixed on Terry, whose head was still bowed and unmoving.

* * *

Late at night.

An uninvited guest had slipped through the Blanche family’s tight security and effortlessly slid into the mansion.

Moving silently, like a shadow, the intruder showed no interest in Blanche’s main building, where all kinds of treasures were piled.

They simply trodded the familiar paths as if they were using a favorite walkway and made their way to the unusually deserted annex.

Finally, as the intruder looked up at the elegant exterior of the annex, there was a flicker of life in their eyes.

“How dare you…….”

Ugh.

With that sound, the intruder effortlessly climbed up the wall and crossed over to a second-floor room’s window.

All their movements were as natural as the flow of water, and they didn’t make the slightest noise.

In their impatience, they didn’t even bother to look around the room before reaching for the nightstand drawer next to the couch.

The lock was no problem for them.

Click.

With a thin wire, the intruder easily unlocked the drawer and grasped the paper inside.

The intruder’s expression narrowed as they tried to decipher the recipe written on the paper.

It was difficult to understand due to the poor handwriting. They cautiously read the top line.

“Cecil’s…….”

The intruder’s face brightened.

“Did you come here for the recipe?”

“……!”

Startled by the sudden voice, their entire body tensed as if struck by lightning.

Instinctively, they scanned for an escape route.

In the blink of an eye, they assessed all possible escape routes and found the most efficient one.

Just as they were about to leap, exerting force on their feet.

“Sir, remember not to kill them. And don’t make any noise, because we don’t want to wake Ratchet.”

“Yes.”

In the face of the enormous shadow of the looming demon, the intruder stumbled backwards.

They already knew that an unknown knight from the northern region had been assigned as Belinda’s escort. The strength of the northern knights had already gained a reputation throughout the continent, but they were still mere humans.

The intruder mistakenly believed that evading and escaping rather than confronting them head-on would be sufficient.

‘Wow, isn’t this too much, from a human perspective?’

No, even from an inhuman perspective, this wasn’t it.

‘Is that knight really the same species as me?’

Cold sweat trickled down their back, overwhelmed by the feeling of facing the devil himself and the fear that accompanied it.

If even the slightest movement was seen, it would mean certain death.

Eventually, they quickly made a decision.

“Surrender! I surrender!”

Declaring surrender meekly, they decided to save their life for now.

Just then, the moon, previously hidden by clouds, revealed itself, illuminating the view inside the room.

Belinda glanced at the familiar face under the bright moonlight and shrugged her shoulders.

“Your name was Terry, right? You didn’t come here to bring the completed outfit, I assume.” 

Terry, with her hands raised, pursed her lips and replied, “It’s because our dressing room’s dedication to service is unwavering. I wanted to show you the completed outfit right away, so I came running in the middle of the night.”

“Making excuses even when coming empty-handed.”

Despite the blatant sarcasm, Terry remained unperturbed. The recipe was still in her grasp.

If she could decipher the recipe for “Cecil’s Lullaby,” she could create an antidote in reverse. With that, she would undoubtedly be able to save that person.

‘If I’m willing to give up one arm, I can escape with the rest……’

Terry’s eyes darkened in a moment of grim determination.

“Are you sure you don’t want to check out the recipe?”

Terry felt a strange unease at Belinda’s gentle voice, questioning her smoothly.

Without declining Belinda’s offer, she slowly read the contents he held in his hand.

And…

“What the…….”

Belinda watched Terry’s face contort into a grimace.

Then, her voice reciting the final line of the recipe carried an air of superiority.

“’It guarantees an addictive taste that can make two people die while eating. Keep it a secret.’ Now Terry, I didn’t know you liked lemon tart enough to steal the recipe.”

“Surely you mentioned ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’…”

It suddenly dawned on Terry.

‘It’s amazing how such a simple recipe can have such an addictive effect……’

‘But more than that, who is this Cecil?’

Belinda had never mentioned ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’ in her own words.

If one wasn’t a resident of the slums, they wouldn’t react to the ordinary name “Cecil.”

It was all a misunderstanding on Terry’s part, judging hastily based on fragmented information.

Belinda smiled cruelly, as if she were savoring the despair on Terry’s face and whispered, “You seemed quite anxious. Falling into such a sloppy trap, like a rat in the sewer.”

But it was Cedric, not Terry, who reacted to the words.

“Rat?”

His tone carried a strange nuance, as if he knew that the word “rat” held a hidden secret.

“Ah, let me introduce you,” Belinda said languidly. “This person here is Terry, an apprentice seamstress at the Bluebird Dressmaking Studio and a member of the information organization known as The Rats.”

“How did you know…… she was a Rat?” Cedric asked. 

And Terry, who was about to lower her hands, raised them again to meet Cedric’s gaze and nodded in agreement.

So, to explain how this all came about….