Celebrity Lady - Chapter 37

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Celebrity Lady
Chapter 37
* * *
Time flowed on, and late July arrived—that sweltering time when the heat reached its peak.
In the commercial district of Jedo, there was Lünten.
Along a street lined with tailor shops where renowned designers hung their glittering signs, there stood a small, modest building that belonged to Beki.

Beki, the proprietor of the shop with its freshly painted brilliant sign, gazed at the storefront from outside and sighed heavily, her expression growing pensive as she recalled something.
It was about a month ago.
* * *
That day, the tailor Beki had been summoned to the ducal residence by her regular customer, Lubert.
Lubert was always timid and taciturn, but that day her mood felt somehow different.
“I have a lot to say today.”
She spoke with a sudden smile.
“Beki, I know this might seem strange coming out of nowhere, but you’ve always sewn my clothes without showing a hint of annoyance whenever I call. I’m truly grateful.”
“Oh my? No, no, no! Miss Lubert! There’s nothing more of an honor than sewing clothes for you.”
Genuinely flustered, Beki waved her hands frantically.
“You know as well as I do—no one wants to sew dresses for me.”
“Ah…”
Lost for words, Beki scratched her cheek.
It was true. Jedo had many skilled tailors who were called “Renowned,” but Lubert had never worn a single dress made by any of them.
The prestige of the wearer became the value of the dress itself, and further still, the value of the tailor who made it and the brand they operated.
Therefore, Renowned tailors naturally wished to sew dresses for ladies who commanded attention in high society.
Lubert, noticing that they shunned her order because she was fat and unpopular, had dealt with only Beki for a long time.
“If you ever become famous, will you pretend not to know me?”
At Lubert’s question, Beki felt her heart ache.
‘How much that must hurt her…’
Beki chose her words carefully so as not to wound Lubert’s feelings.
“Miss Lubert.”
“Mm?”
“A tailor without talent like me will probably never become famous, but if such a dream were ever to come true, I’d rather become so renowned that anyone couldn’t simply place an order with me.”
“Oh, truly? You’re more ambitious than I thought!”
“It’s not like that. I’d like to live with peace of mind, sewing only dresses for you, Miss Lubert. Haven’t you heard the story about Madam Susan?”
Beki spread her hand and placed it lightly before her mouth, then leaned in and whispered conspiratorially to Lubert.
“The young lady of Count Pelcan ordered a dress that had to be altered for a whole week. When the dress was finally delivered, she threw it over her head and cursed because she didn’t like it.”
“Tch. What a temperament.”
“Exactly. I thought all I had to do was sew, but I ended up having to manage emotions too.”
Beki shook her head firmly.
“What good is it that Madam Susan is famous and makes a lot of money? I’m not envious at all. My client is different from Susan’s clients—she’s this kind and gentle.”
Lubert, who had paused for a moment, broke into a bright smile.
“Thank you for saying that, Beki.”
“Haha… Anyway, I don’t want to become famous. I just want to take on enough orders to scrape by and live a quiet life making clothes.”
At such a wish from Beki, Lubert, for some reason, let out a wry chuckle.
“Hmm, well? I understand not wanting to be tired and bothered by it all, but you only live once. At least make sure my name is carved—”
Lubert laughed once and tapped her own head with her index finger as she continued.
“—firmly into people’s minds.”
“Pardon?”
“As you wished, let’s not make this an awkward partnership. It would only be exhausting. If we’re going to become famous, let’s do it right.”
“What do you mean by—”
To the perplexed Beki, Lubert folded her arms and spoke with the most confident expression imaginable.
“I’m going to make you a renowned tailor so famous that anyone can’t simply commission you for a dress.”
* * *
Emerging from her reminiscence, Beki gazed vacantly through the shop window at the displayed mannequins.
“Let’s make a Contract. I’ll design the dresses. You’ll become my exclusive tailor and sew only according to my designs.”
Lubert had proposed surprisingly generous Contract terms, as though she feared losing a great tailor.
First, she had purchased this dilapidated building for two hundred million marks.
“Now I’m the landlord.”
And to Beki, who had been paying the former landlord 650,000 marks monthly in rent while running her shop,
“So you won’t have to pay rent anymore.”
She had even allowed her to run the business for free.
“The Contract period is three years. The split is fifty-fifty on total sales. And I’ll pay you a Contract Fee of thirty million marks plus an Advance Payment of twenty million marks immediately. The Contract Fee is entirely yours, and the Advance Payment will be deducted from future profits.”
Not only was she paying a Contract Fee that rivaled annual earnings just for sewing, but she was also offering half the sales, and
“Think of the Advance Payment as a sort of investment. Since you probably have no confidence in selling new designs, at least you’ll have twenty million marks secure even if things fail, right?”
She assured the hesitant Beki by guaranteeing her a minimum cushion to live on.
What should she call it—a feeling of being treated very well?
Beyond the money, Beki was moved by that earnest sense of being needed despite being an unknown tailor, so she signed the Contract right there.
The certainty in Lubert’s eyes—as though she had never even considered the word “failure”—inspired trust.
But…!
‘Miss Lubert, what do I do? I think we’re ruined.’
Beki, who had been staring at the mannequins beyond the window, covered her face and looked about to cry.
On the mannequins hung short-sleeved dresses tailored for the summer season. They were Lubert’s designs.
The lace, reduced to its minimum, appeared only as accents at strategic points. The front placket had no special embellishment, allowing the neckline to be emphasized with understated elegance.
The dresses, stripped of all the heavy padding at the shoulders and hips, were unburdensome and refined.
‘I was shocked when I first saw them. They were so sophisticated and had such presence. I never knew Miss Lubert had such a gift.’
But.
‘New and unique designs don’t sell for a reason.’
The designs were far removed from the current trend of emphasizing opulence through heavy lace, grand shoulder pads, and decorative ribbons that drew the eye to the front placket.
It was only natural—customers accustomed to familiar designs rarely venture into new territory.
Regardless of how excellent Lubert’s designs truly were, the simple fact remained: they wouldn’t sell.
Bzzzz—
A single fly buzzed around Beki’s face mockingly.
“Oh no! Where did this fly come from…”
A hand suddenly appeared before Beki and caught the fly for her.
It was her younger brother, Oland.
“Hehe, Sister. Why are you wearing such a gloomy face outside? It’s blazingly hot out there—come inside.”
“Mm…”
Beki felt embarrassed to look at her brother’s face.
Truth be told, she had three younger siblings below Oland. To support them all, the tailor shop’s income was nowhere near enough.
So her brother Oland worked every dawn, cleaning chimneys and delivering newspapers to neighboring houses just to cover living expenses.
Her kind brother always said,
“Sister, you’re going to shine someday for sure! So don’t worry about anything and just make the clothes you love with peace of mind!”
‘But I have no talent. When will that light ever come?’
As Beki stepped inside the shop, she let out a sigh.
She knew her own design sense was somewhat lacking. So she had been excited when Lubert proposed confidently, “I’ll do the designs!”
‘But Miss Lubert, what are we going to do now?’
Looking around the quiet shop, Beki felt her chest tighten.
‘Ever since we hung Miss Lubert’s designs, even the few customers who used to peek in have all disappeared. In the nine days since we changed the mannequins, we’ve had exactly zero customers.’
They had failed. Utterly and miserably.
‘But Miss Lubert said she would send a customer today.’
When Lubert came a few days ago to check on the shop’s condition, she observed the fly-infested storefront with an unbothered expression and said,
“Tomorrow, an important customer is going to visit. She’s a big client, so please treat her well. Oh, and I’ll handle the payment, so give her everything for free.”
“What? You want me to sew a dress for that customer for free?”
“Yes. Since this is a new design attempt, everyone is hesitant. Someone has to wear it first so the purchasing public will take notice.”
In other words, Lubert was saying she would have someone wear the dresses for free just to advertise them.
It was a fairly clever scheme, but honestly, Beki held no hope.
‘Miss Lubert, forgive me, but this bold design so far removed from current trends…’
Looking at the mannequins from behind, Beki shook her head slowly.
‘Unless a great actress like Sera Vigo wears it and walks through Jedo, I don’t think there’s any hope…’
And then it happened.
Just as she settled into a corner with a plop, the shop door burst open.
“S-s-sister!”
Oland, who had been cleaning outside, suddenly shouted with unmistakable excitement.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“J-j-j-just now…!”
“What is it? Calm down and tell me.”
“C-can’t calm down! Right now, outside, s-someone has…!”
As Beki frowned in frustration, a Carriage came to a stop behind Oland.
Whinnnnny—
“Whoa!”
It was quite an elegant Carriage.
‘What is this?’
As Beki wondered, two well-dressed men stepped down from the Carriage first, then helped a woman step down after them.
The woman wearing a wide-brimmed Hat stepped down and immediately received the escort of the men who unfurled a Parasol for her, walking toward the shop.
Tap-tap-tap.
Because the sun was strong and she wore a Hat, the woman’s face was not visible, but her slender figure and tall frame instantly captured Beki’s gaze.
‘Is this the customer Miss Lubert mentioned?’
Beki, who had been staring at the woman, scrambled to her feet to greet her.
Presently, the moment the woman stepped into the shop and removed her Hat,
“…!”
Beki’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
“Wh-what… Is this…”
Among everyone who lived in Jedo, was there truly anyone who didn’t know this woman’s face?
“S-s-sera V-Vigo…?”
Yes, it was Sera Vigo.
The real Sera Vigo.
The great actress of Jedo made her entrance with flowing blonde hair and tilted her head as she asked,
“Is this ? Is this Madam Beki’s tailor shop?”
Even the slightest tilt of her head seemed like an angel’s movement.
“S-s-sera V-Vi…”
In place of Beki, whose soul seemed to have left her body, Oland, who had barely regained his senses, answered powerfully.
“Yes! That’s right! This is Madam Beki’s tailor shop, !”
“I found it well.”
Sera, approaching Beki, extended her hand for a handshake.
“I heard you’re a skilled tailor. I’d like you to make a Dress for me.”
“Y-yes? Me, m-me, me? Me? For Sera’s?”
“Yes.”
Sera smiled softly and added,
“From now on.”
“…”
A moment of silence.
“Oh my! Are you alright, Madam Beki?”
The unknown tailor Beki, overwhelmed with such joy, actually fainted dead away backward.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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