I’ll Be the Heroine’s Competent Divorce Partner - Chapter 79
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 79
‘We can’t make major changes to the existing design. After all, noble families value tradition and dignity.’
Meanwhile, as soon as we began discussing the maid uniforms in detail.
Isabel said this with her characteristic star-like sparkling eyes.
‘Really, could designing clothes be that enjoyable?’
I smiled slightly to myself.
‘Instead, we could add a bit more convenience as long as it doesn’t compromise dignity.’
‘What kind of aspects, for example?’
‘First, the material. The current maid uniforms are made of high-quality material, but they’re difficult to wash.’
Isabel continued, lost in deep thought.
‘The higher quality the material, the more carefully it needs to be maintained. Of course, I know that the material of the maid uniforms itself is one element that shows the family’s dignity, but…’
Isabel, who had been trailing off, soon smiled shyly.
‘It used to be difficult in the past.’
…She was probably recalling the difficult life at Count Delaney’s House.
Feeling a pang in my heart for no reason, I nodded vigorously while pretending nothing was wrong.
‘Good. Then let’s change the material first, and what other points might there be?’
Isabel, who smiled brightly, asked me back.
‘Miss, do you happen to have any aspects you’ve been thinking about?’
‘Hmm… I was thinking we could add some pockets.’
There was one thing I realized while carefully observing the maid uniforms over the past few days.
The maids frequently used small cleaning tools like cloths, scrubbers, and brushes, but the maid uniforms had no pockets at all to store those items.
Usually they seemed to carry them around in baskets, but that’s still cumbersome, isn’t it?
‘Well, that would be a bit difficult.’
But Isabel showed reluctance.
‘Noble houses wouldn’t welcome that. As you well know, Miss, they consider putting things in pockets to be undignified.’
It was true.
That’s why noble ladies carried small handbags or entrusted their belongings to maids.
Exceptionally, gentlemen did carry wallets or cigarette cases in their jacket inner pockets.
But putting things bulkily in trouser pockets was avoided as something only commoners did.
‘Then it would be fine if the pockets weren’t visible, wouldn’t it?’
‘The pockets… wouldn’t be visible?’
‘Yes. The maids always wear aprons.’
I continued calmly.
‘Let’s put pockets only on the skirt side that’s covered by the apron. Like how gentlemen put pockets in their jackets.’
‘Certainly… that wouldn’t be very noticeable.’
Isabel, who had been thinking for a moment, soon nodded.
‘Yes, that level should be fine.’
At that point, Isabel and I concluded our discussion.
We decided to first replace only the maids at the townhouse as a trial.
If the response was good, we would replace the maid uniforms at the ducal estate as well.
“Isn’t this new maid uniform really comfortable?”
“Right. Especially this pocket – it’s perfect for keeping cloths, needles, and small thread bundles.”
“I never knew one pocket could make such a difference.”
The excited maids chattered like young birds.
“This was made at Bella’s Dress Shop!”
“Really? That dress shop is really famous these days, isn’t it?”
“The one the Princess patronizes?”
“My goodness, to think we’d live to wear clothes made by such a famous dress shop.”
Hearing those excited voices, I nodded with satisfaction.
Well, the maids’ reaction seems to be fairly positive.
* * *
A few days later.
In the tea room of the Laventess Ducal House where bright sunlight streamed in.
A fragrant tea aroma floated in the air and various luxury desserts were abundantly arranged on the tea table.
Marisa reigned like a queen in the head seat with several noble ladies seated around her.
“The tea fragrance is really lovely.”
One of the noble ladies spoke up in a bright voice.
“The desserts are all really delicious too.”
“As expected of the Duchess of Laventess. Such a perfect tea time…”
Another noble lady offered flattery without batting an eye.
“I’m truly delighted that the tea suits your taste.”
Marisa, who smiled gracefully, added nonchalantly.
“It’s somewhat embarrassing to say with my own mouth, but I went through quite a lot of trouble to obtain that tea.”
“Oh my, did you really?”
“Of course. It’s precious tea imported from the East.”
Marisa gilded her own face with an expression that wasn’t embarrassed at all.
The noble ladies quickly made a fuss.
“Such refined taste indeed.”
“The Duchess doesn’t choose even tea carelessly.”
“Could I someday have excellent discernment like the Duchess?”
Marisa, who had been enjoying the noble ladies’ sweet flattery with a satisfied face, waved her hand elegantly.
“Well, such taste requires long cultivation. It would be difficult to acquire easily…”
At Marisa’s exaggerated gesturing, her sleeves heavy with dangling lace swayed.
Her sleeve violently struck the teacup that had been sitting beside her.
The teacup fell onto the noble lady’s lap.
“Eek!”
The startled noble lady let out a shrill scream.
But then.
“Baroness, please excuse me for a moment.”
A maid who had been waiting nearby hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief from her skirt.
Then she frantically wiped the noble lady’s wet dress.
“My goodness, Baroness Coleman. Are you alright?”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
The shocked noble ladies each added their words of concern.
“Yes, I’m not hurt, but…”
Baroness Coleman looked down at her dress with a tearful expression.
Fortunately, thanks to the quick wiping, the stain wasn’t too large.
Still, formal dresses were basically made from expensive materials.
It would likely cost quite a bit to repair the dress.
Meanwhile, Marisa concealed her troubled expression and smiled smoothly.
“Oh my, go and get your clothes sorted out. You there, escort Baroness Coleman.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The maid who bowed her head led the baroness away from the scene.
Perhaps due to pride, Marisa didn’t offer even a single word of apology despite this commotion.
The noble ladies wore subtle expressions.
‘Even so, shouldn’t she at least apologize…’
‘The dress is completely ruined.’
‘What does she plan to do about the dress repair costs?’
An awkward silence descended.
“……”
“……”
But Marisa continued to elegantly sip her tea.
Her gestures and attitude clearly conveyed the sentiment ‘What did I do wrong?’
The noble ladies could only glance at each other nervously, not daring to speak carelessly.
Just then.
Unable to bear this uncomfortable atmosphere, one of the noble ladies forced herself to speak cheerfully.
“By the way, about that maid earlier. Where did she pull that handkerchief from?”
“I know, right. It was like magic.”
Marisa didn’t miss this opportunity to cover up her mistake either.
She spoke as if nothing had happened.
“We completely replaced the maid uniforms recently.”
“Oh my, the maid uniforms?”
“Yes. We added pockets to the new maid uniforms, and they seem quite useful.”
In any case, if the Grand Duchess continued to act coldly, it would ultimately be uncomfortable for the noble ladies.
So the noble ladies quickly played along with her words.
“Oh my, the maid uniforms?”
“How thoughtful of you.”
“That’s nothing special really.”
The Grand Duchess smiled elegantly.
“We attached pockets to the skirt area that gets covered by the apron. However, since bulging pockets shouldn’t show ungracefully, we had quite a time selecting a dress shop.”
……For something she called nothing special, wasn’t she talking about it for quite a long time?
The noble ladies wore subtle expressions again.
But they still played along with Marisa’s words.
“Oh my, was there such a skilled dress shop in the territory?”
“I’m curious where you commissioned it.”
Then Marisa answered as if she couldn’t help herself.
“Bella Dress Shop.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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