CH 8.11

Arriving at the boutique, I descended the stairs with a sense of pride and authority.

Let’s see who it is.

I intend to hear about the reward they were promised in return of betraying everyone.

“Ah, Miss!”

“Welcome!”

“The people behind… Are they your friends?”

When I appeared, the assistants who were working hard on sewing small jewels on the dresses stopped their hands at once.

However, since I was in a different mood than usual, smile slowly disappeared from their faces.

With Raziana, Cynthia, and the knights standing behind me, they realized that the matter was serious.

Eventually, the basement became quiet. Raziana took a step forward.

“Who went to the Lavender Wedding Hall?”

Being a lady-in-waiting means I didn’t have to open my mouth. The staff, oppressed by Raziana’s natural aristocratic dignity, looked at each other. Then they carefully raised their hands.

“I did not.”

“Me too.”

If you don’t want to come out voluntarily, the only way left is to eliminate you.

After clearing out all those who claimed not to, there was only one assistant who kept her mouth shut and averted her gaze.

She was the oldest of Madame’s assistants.

“Sarah! You… !”

A sigh-like scream leaked from the mouth of Madame who came down belatedly and watched the situation.

She was hoping that it was not true.

With an expressionless face, I asked madame to confirm.

“Is it true that Sarah is the only person who knows the location of the show venue, the Lavender Wedding Hall?”

“Yeah, that’s right. That’s right but… .”

Is there any other feeling as disgusting as the feeling of betrayal?

Then, Raziana stepped forward and raised her hand.

“… … !”

Pa, pak!

Raziana slapped Sarah twice, who was biting her lip.

It was so powerful that Cynthia’s shoulders flinched and trembled.

“How dare you try to ruin the work of the future archduchess?”

Obviously, Raziana is on the side of justice, so there’s no way I would feel that she was being villainous.

As such, today’s Raziana was a proud and arrogant aristocrat.

“There is a way in our family to deal with things like you. Since you used your tongue so carelessly, we should tie it up with a wire for a week. That way, it will naturally rot and fall off.”

“… … !”

“If you had the ability and was used by the archduchess, you should have been grateful. But instead you sell information out of selfish desire?”

Other assistants and staff were taken aback by Raziana’s scolding.

They must’ve forgotten my identity because we often see each other and talk comfortably.

I didn’t want to show a sense of authority to the people I trusted and cared for, so I deliberately acted more comfortably.

“It’s not me!”

“Not you?”

“Really, I didn’t do it. I swear!”

The blue-faced Sarah screamed and pleaded not guilty.

The other assistants quietly moved back and maintained their distance as the madame rubbed her forehead while wearing a dejected expression.

“Sigh.”

Raziana looked around and grinned icily as she explained the circumstance.

“Everyone of you was sent to run errands and was told different locations where the fashion show was going to be held. Of course, none of them were real. They were all set up as a trap. But did you hear, Sarah? Only the location where you went rejected the offer. Why do you think so?”

“… … .”

“It’s because you sold the information about the showroom.”

Sarah trembled like a cornered mouse. Nothing more needs to be said.

In fact, even if a commoner is innocent, she is a criminal if an aristocrat declares that she is.

But what more excuses could there be?

Sarah screamed out of the blue, as if realizing that.

“I wanted to be a madame too! Viscount Latrus offered me that– he said that I could be a madame. That’s why I did it by mistake. I never had a bad intention.”

A mistake. It was a lame excuse.

It was also a justification that, upon hearing it, can make anyone’s blood pressure rise.

I couldn’t stand it any longer and ended up blurting out sarcasm.

“Ah, so you’re saying that the process of you meeting Viscount Latrus was by chance? Meeting him and getting an offer to be promoted to a madame, and handing over information about our show was all a mistake?”

“Yes, t-that’s right.”

“You’re shameless too.”

I’ve seen that logic many times before.

People who cheat on their lover always say that.

Entering a hotel, holding and rubbing each other, they all did it by mistake.

I put my hand on my forehead and asked coldly.

“Do you know how much damage you cost by ‘mistake’?”

“Pardon…?”

“Thanks to you, I spent my time visiting and persuading knights just to beat our competitors. Thankfully, I only have to give dresses to their family in return for standing on stage. However, the cost of labor for the madam and other assistants and staff who will struggle to make those additional dresses… Do you know what a huge price you have to pay?”

“That’s, that’s your choice…!”

“My choice? Yes, I did it on my own volition but it’s an expense that would never have occurred if you hadn’t sold information about the show. Isn’t that right?”

When I think about it again, my anger rises again. However, when the situation seemed to turn against her, the assistant eventually harbored malice in her eyes.

“My lady, that is too far-fetched. I’ve worked so hard here all this time! You can’t do that.”

Wow, oh God. Now it’s mutiny. She’s really trying to annoy me in various ways.

No matter how comfortable she had become with me, this is strictly a status-based society.

That kind of thing could not be tolerated.

Eventually Sarah buried her face in her hands and burst into tears.

“I only wanted to be a madame. It’s true that I was wrong, but please forgive me. Anyone can want to be a madam, right?”

Probably every assistant in a clothing store has the same dream. To become a madame and open a shop with their own design.

But in reality it was very difficult. A needle hole among needle holes.

If you have a lot of money, it will be relatively easy, but most people don’t. How many ranks are there above assistant? Besides, even if they managed to make enough money to open a ,store it was often difficult to even pay a salary like Madame in the past.

Traditional shops are already established and they are receiving patronage from the nobility.  Only with the support of the aristocracy can they produce better clothes, but that’s a difficult task, so it’s already impossible to go past that. So, I knew what Sarah was thinking.

But forgiveness is another matter.

“I won’t do it again. I was wrong. Please forgive me, Miss.”