It’s Been 500 Years as an Extra, and the Original Story Still Hasn’t Begun - Chapter 171

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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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500 Years as Just an Extra,

The Original Story Still Won’t Begin

Episode 171

“Oh my, look over there.”

At the voice of the Noble Lady sitting by the window, the gazes of everyone gathered turned in unison toward one direction.

Two carriages with black bases decorated with gold and silver trim were slowly crossing through downtown.

Though they lacked the flashy decorations of other noble family carriages, their dignified and refined design gave off an even more overwhelming atmosphere.

“Which family could that be? I’ve never seen those carriages before.”

“It’s definitely not an ordinary family. Those patterns look like they used real gold and silver, not just paint.”

“The coachman’s attire too… wasn’t that the uniform knights wear?”

The women gathered in the cafe shared their opinions with mild curiosity about who the carriage owner might be.

The two carriages stopped moving one block past the cafe.

Soon, everyone was filled with questions upon seeing the young girl who stepped out of the rear carriage.

“Black hair…? Judging by her face and build, she looks to be around mid-teens.”

“Was there someone like that among the noble young ladies active in the Imperial Capital?”

The Noble Ladies gathered here were all people well-versed in High Society.

Not only did they have connections with great noble families, but some had such extensive networks that they were acquainted with Imperial Family members.

If even they didn’t know this person, the answer was one of two things.

Either she was from a humble family that had never been active in the Imperial Capital, or conversely, an incredible big shot.

However, neither possibility made sense.

A young lady from a humble family wouldn’t be riding around in such a splendid carriage, and they could confidently say no big shot they didn’t know existed within the Imperial Capital.

“Could she be a young lady from a foreign family? Since the friction with Melantia Kingdom has been resolved, His Majesty might have invited her as a state guest for diplomacy.”

“That’s a possibility. But… doesn’t that pattern look familiar somehow?”

“That’s what I’m saying. There’s no way we’d forget such a distinctive pattern.”

As people’s questions deepened, someone revealed themselves from the front carriage.

“That person is…?”

“Isn’t that Grand Duke Retis?”

“That’s right!”

Several excited women jumped up from their seats and pressed against the window.

Among countless nobles, the only young man with black hair and black eyes was Grand Duke Retis alone.

And when the blonde woman who followed him out of the carriage stood beside the black-haired girl, someone cried out in surprise.

“Ten years ago! At the Imperial Palace New Year banquet ten years ago!”

“What?”

“There was someone who entered as Grand Duke Retis’s partner!”

“…Wait, then that girl is?”

“Grand Duchess Retis…!”

Seeing the three people entering the dress shop with the Knights, the Noble Ladies all got up and headed outside the cafe.

“Welcome, Your Highness.”

“It’s been a while. I hope contacting you suddenly wasn’t too much trouble.”

“What are you saying? It’s nothing but an honor.”

As Madam Merisa bowed deeply, Termion waved his hand lightly with a gentle smile.

“Are we the only ones inside?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I thought it might be troublesome if you encountered other Nobles, so I cleared the entire schedule for today.”

“Oh my.”

Termion let out a short sigh as if troubled.

With less than two weeks left until the New Year banquet, this would be one of Madam Merisa’s few peak seasons.

Dedicating an entire day to them in such circumstances meant accepting considerable losses.

“While other families might be different, Retis is always welcome. Please don’t worry about it too much.”

“I’ll take responsibility for today’s sales. For now, could you take a look at these two people’s clothes?”

“Understood. This way…?”

Merisa’s words trailed off strangely as she was about to guide them to their seats.

She stared blankly at the two women standing beside Termion.

“…I apologize for not remembering your name, but haven’t you visited once before?”

“You remember?”

“You were Grand Duchess Retis’s Master, weren’t you?”

It was indeed the keen eye one would expect from the Imperial Capital’s top designer.

Merisa accurately remembered Ailesia’s details even after a full ten years had passed.

This was because Ailesia’s appearance was so impressive, and the scene of her sweeping up all the children’s clothes in the dress shop was still vivid in her memory.

Having recalled that much, Merisa’s body trembled slightly at the thought that followed.

“Then, the person beside you is?”

“Elenora Vies von Retis. Please take care of me.”

It was truly the simplest greeting possible, but Merisa bowed respectfully, filled with inexplicable emotion.

“Thank you for visiting again, Grand Duchess. You’ve really… grown up beyond recognition.”

That brief encounter from ten years ago was still vividly etched in Merisa’s mind.

That child who had sparkled her eyes saying an adult-sized sky-blue dress would suit her Teacher well had appeared as a proper young lady.

Feeling somehow moved, Merisa smiled brightly as she guided Ailesia and Elenora inside.

“Your Highness, I’ll guide you to the lounge. Is there any refreshment you’d prefer?”

“Any ordinary tea will do.”

“Understood. I’ll escort you this way.”

“You all should rest in the lounge or look around too. If there’s anything you want, feel free to choose.”

Termion also offered rest to the Knights waiting in the back.

There was no way this would end with just picking one or two dresses. From now on, they’d have to spend quite a tedious time.

“I’ll wait outside.”

“Is that necessary?”

“Quite a few passersby’s gazes were drawn to us. There were several Nobles among them.”

Rebecca had been observing the surrounding situation throughout the carriage ride.

When they arrived at the dress shop, she clearly saw people sitting in the cafe across the street getting up.

Moreover, most of them were women, so there was a high possibility they were Noble Ladies enjoying tea time. To prevent any potential commotion, it was necessary to guard the front of the dress shop.

“Excluding me, pair up in twos. We’ll take turns every hour.”

“What about you, Baroness?”

“I’m not interested in shopping, so don’t worry. Be grateful to His Highness and go pick out some gifts.”

At Rebecca’s appearance of handling the situation on her own, Termion just chuckled and headed to the lounge.

“How about this one, Teacher?”

“It’s pretty.”

“What about this?”

“That’s nice too.”

Unlike Elenora who was excited about her first shopping trip since returning Home, Ailesia seemed somehow listless.

Of course, she was enjoying this situation itself very much. But there was nothing she could do about the dresses not catching her eye.

‘If we start making one now… would it be finished by the New Year banquet?’

Dresses have vastly different production periods depending on the fabric and design. Considering size adjustments and decorative work on top of that, ten days wasn’t exactly generous time.

‘Should I at least ask?’

Taking advantage of Elenora entering the fitting room to try on the next dress, Ailesia gestured to Merisa.

“Yes, Teacher. Do you have a separate order?”

“By any chance, how long would it take to make a new dress starting now?”

“A new dress?”

Merisa quickly racked her brain with a slightly tense expression.

She had been feeling anxious inside because Ailesia’s reaction hadn’t seemed very enthusiastic.

‘The Grand Duchess’s opinion is important, but I absolutely must win this person’s favor.’

Merisa had experience dealing with countless customers and reading people’s moods.

She was convinced from just a few words and expressions that Ailesia was the real power behind this group.

Finally, Merisa finished her calculations and spoke up.

“I can prepare up to two dresses in as little as three days, or at most within ten days.”

It would be a bit tight, but with Merisa’s skills, it wasn’t an impossible schedule.

The reason she specifically mentioned two dresses was clearly a calculated move to include Ailesia’s outfit as well.

“Then you can tailor it to the design we want? I’d also like to provide the fabric directly.”

“Design is one thing, but fabric?”

Participating in the design wasn’t particularly surprising.

Some noble ladies with exceptional aesthetic sense wanted to apply their own unique ideas to their dresses, sometimes becoming trendsetters in the process.

However, cases where they provided the fabric were extremely rare.

No matter how noble a woman might be, it wasn’t easy to possess professional knowledge about fabric characteristics and processing methods. Moreover, some fabrics required special tools and techniques for processing.

“Could we have a private conversation, just the two of us?”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll escort you to my workroom for a moment.”

“That sounds good.”

After giving instructions to her staff, Merisa headed to her room with Ailesia.

And the moment she saw what Ailesia pulled out from her subspace after closing the door, she hurriedly covered her mouth to stifle the scream that was about to escape.

“Th-this couldn’t possibly be…!”

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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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