Chapter 11: In the Fitting Room (2)

Eileen was on her way to the women’s clothing store, riding in a rickshaw with Julian once again.

Uriel was following the rickshaw on horseback. The interior of the rickshaw was much narrower than the Margrave family’s private carriage.

And right next to Eileen,

Was the scoundrel Young Master, who had undergone a complete transformation from his messy appearance before leaving the mansion.

Unexpectedly, he seemed to be lost in deep thought.

Julian hadn’t said much since leaving the magic portraitist’s atelier. Eileen, who was usually taciturn, didn’t interrupt her master’s silence either.

‘Is he thinking about what happened at Otto’s clothing store?’

However, inside Eileen’s head, adorned with a maid’s headband, her thoughts were racing.

‘What was that behavior he showed earlier? I can’t explain it at all.’

The scoundrel Young Master had definitely been acting strange for the past few days. However, the actions that took place at the Margrave’s mansion were still within an acceptable range.

But today’s events were something Eileen’s reason couldn’t comprehend.

The fact that the good-for-nothing Young Master Julian had shown consideration for a commoner.

Eileen recalled the conversation she had with Uriel, the knight, while Julian was getting his messy face cleaned up at the barbershop a while ago.

---

The barbershop was quite large, so there was a waiting area inside for Eileen and Uriel.

The two were sitting side by side on the seats in front of the fireplace. Uriel, instead of the taciturn Eileen, spoke first.

“Lady Eileen. What in the world happened? What’s going on with the Count?”
“That’s… I’m also thinking about it for a moment. And Dame Uriel, you can speak informally to me.”

Uriel, as a knight with a noble title, was a noble. Eileen, a maid, was just a commoner, so it wasn’t wrong to speak formally.

“No. As the Deputy Head Maid of the Margrave’s mansion, Lady Eileen, you deserve respect.”

Deputy Head Maid Eileen. Before becoming Julian’s escort knight by the Margrave’s order, Uriel had also been skeptical of her.

Last year, at the young age of just becoming an adult, Eileen was the one who received an unprecedented promotion to Deputy Head Maid of the Margrave’s mansion.

The Essenmunt Margraviate held a very important position in the Holy Empire. And the Margrave’s mansion was the place where the most important tasks of the Margraviate were constantly handled every day.

In other words, the Deputy Head Maid in that mansion held a position comparable to high-ranking officials in the Imperial Palace. It was definitely not an ordinary occurrence for Eileen, a commoner, to occupy that position.

However, the opinions on Eileen were divided among the Knights of the White Night.

A sacrificial lamb offered to prevent the scoundrel Julian from going even crazier, or a temptress who had seduced the Young Master to obtain the position of Deputy Head Maid.

Uriel, as a woman, didn’t particularly enjoy the gossip mixed with sexual innuendos that circulated among the male knights. So, she didn’t have any particular prejudice against Eileen.

‘But after becoming Count Julian’s escort knight, I came to respect Lady Eileen.’

The rumors about Eileen were the opposite of the truth. Or rather, it was a mixture of truth and falsehood in a subtle ratio.

Count Julian was an even more good-for-nothing scoundrel than the knights had known.

The Lion Margrave Wilhelm, who was revered by the knights even more than the Emperor of the Holy Empire.

Even he couldn’t control the madman Julian.

‘He was a madman who wouldn’t hesitate to commit indiscriminate murder someday. From what I’ve observed.’

However, the only time that madman was able to communicate like a human was when he was with Eileen.

And after Eileen’s ‘service,’ which was a secret to those outside the mansion, he became relatively more docile than usual.

‘That bastard, worse than a dog. I don’t know what kind of service it is, but how could he hit the delicate and fragile Lady Eileen?’

And after the service was over, Lady Eileen would come out with handprints all over her cheeks.

“Dame Uriel?”

When Uriel didn’t respond, Eileen spoke again. In any case, the people in the mansion felt nothing but endless pity when they saw Eileen, who was called the black-haired saint.

This frail woman was personally providing the care that even Julian’s biological mother, Saint Agnes, couldn’t provide.

‘Such an angelically beautiful person… No noble lady in the Imperial Capital was more beautiful than her.’

She herself had been an escort knight who had even followed him to Pantheon. So, she had seen the Count’s infamous fiancée, Princess Lillia, right in front of her.

‘The Princess is… well, honestly, she’s pretty, but Lady Eileen is much better. The Princess just has ridiculously large breasts.’

Uriel herself had heard whispers about her appearance among the knights, but she was a knight, not a woman. Compared to those two, she was nothing…

“Dame Uriel? Are you feeling unwell?”

She was too lost in thought. Uriel shook her head firmly.

“No, Lady Eileen. I was just thinking about the Count’s past wrongdoings.”
“But he showed a different side of himself today, didn’t he?”
“That’s right, Lady Eileen. I’m also curious about why the Count suddenly changed today… That’s why I wanted to ask you, Lady Eileen. The way he showed consideration for Otto, a commoner, was different from his usual self. He even admitted his past mistakes.”

At Uriel’s words, Eileen’s expression became thoughtful again.

Eileen was also puzzled by his actions today. Even if she made a big concession, today’s events could also be explained as Julian’s whim.

He had shown a surprising side of himself by considering a commoner’s situation, but that could also be one of Julian’s eccentricities.

However, there was one thing that bothered Eileen.

‘What was that brilliant suggestion?’

In Eileen’s judgment, Otto’s clothing store had more value than the people of the Essenmunt territory and Rheinheim thought.

Otto’s tailoring skills, which were close to perfection, were amazing, but what could be evaluated even higher was his son Philip’s design sense for clothes.

Eileen had personally attended to Julian at Pantheon last year. So, she had seen countless outfits that were considered fashionable among the high-ranking nobles in the Imperial Capital.

However, she hadn’t seen any clothes with designs that surpassed Philip’s sense.

‘My fallen homeland, Gloria, worshipped the God of Art, Hesos, as our national deity. So, as a princess, my sense of beauty was second to none.’

That’s why she knew. Julian’s aesthetic sense was a complete mess.

The bizarre designs he created as art were rags that even traveling troupe clowns would throw away in disgust.

‘That Young Master suggested that he would personally wear and advertise the clothes from Otto’s clothing store?’

That suggestion definitely had amazing potential. Enough to create a new growth engine for the Essenmunt territory.

If his consideration for a commoner and his readily admitting his past mistakes were also due to his foresight…

Young Master Julian might have a greater sense as a lord than Eileen had thought.

Eileen said to Uriel,

“I’d like to know the reason too.”

In this way, the two women in the barbershop had different thoughts about Julian.

---

And back inside the rickshaw.

The women’s clothing store wasn’t far from where they had departed, so they would arrive soon.
Eileen checked Julian’s mood again.

‘He’s quieter than usual. Could it be… that ‘omen’?’

Very rarely, there were times when Julian acted normal or became docile.

It was a time when the mansion’s staff were incredibly happy, but it was also the time they feared the most.

Because after that temporary state passed, he would transform back into an even fiercer tyrant than usual.

To prevent that natural disaster, Eileen always diligently attended to Julian’s needs.

‘He should have calmed down enough with the carriage service… Could it be that it wasn’t enough?’

Since he had shown a much more intelligent and sensible side of himself today than usual, he might already be on the verge of exploding.

‘I was too lost in my own thoughts. I should have attended to him… even in this rickshaw, as a temporary measure.’

It was true that she was happy to see his intelligent side, but on the other hand, her anxiety grew even stronger. If he caused some unexpected trouble at the women’s clothing store they were heading to…

Especially since it was Rheinheim, the heart of Essenmunt, another bad rumor might erupt.

‘This won’t do… If I have even a little time at the women’s clothing store…’

The latest clothing stores in Rheinheim had fitting rooms, just like Otto’s clothing store. In that space, temporarily hidden from the eyes of others,

She could appease the Young Master’s anger in advance with her service. Then…

She might be able to observe the Young Master’s changed behavior a little longer for the rest of the day.

---

I couldn’t calm down from the delusions that kept flooding my mind in the rickshaw.

I hadn’t thought about it until now, but my current situation suddenly dawned on me.

‘I’m wearing luxury clothes and I’ve gotten all dressed up at a high-class barbershop. And now…’

I was on my way to go shopping with a heavenly beauty I had already slept with. And it was to buy a present for Eileen.

This situation was like the kind of popular people’s lives I had never experienced before…

‘Could this be what they call a date?’

Thinking that way, my heart pounded unconsciously. For the past few days, and even just today, I had tasted unimaginable sex.

But I had skipped the steps of a relationship that a man should take steadily.

‘No. But I can’t be a fool and act like a virgin with no relationship experience, no, a virgin who’s lost his virginity. Since I’ve decided to treat Eileen, I’ll take the lead.’

As I organized my thoughts, another delusion flooded my mind. The word that had been lingering in my mouth a while ago, fitting room. The lewd sex secretly done in fitting rooms that I had seen in porn in the past…

It came to mind unconsciously.

Lost in that agony, I unconsciously shut my mouth and remained silent. Meanwhile, the rickshaw arrived at its destination.

“We’ve arrived. Please be careful getting off!”

Eileen and I entered the women’s clothing store. It wasn’t as large as Otto’s clothing store, but it didn’t seem bad.

A friendly-looking female clerk greeted us.

“Welcome. Oh my, a handsome gentleman has come with such a beautiful lady.”

Unlike Otto, this clerk didn’t seem to know who Eileen and I were. Then, she saw Uriel standing behind us and grasped the situation.

“Oh my. Please wait a moment!”

If someone was accompanied by a maid and an escort knight, she must have guessed that they weren’t of ordinary status.

Soon, someone who seemed to be of higher rank than the previous clerk, probably the owner of the store, a middle-aged woman with an elegant air, greeted us.

“It’s an honor to welcome such esteemed guests. Please enjoy your time here.”

She was very perceptive. This owner seemed to have recognized who I was.

The owner personally explained the store’s clothes to Eileen and me.

“Although our store is located in Rheinheim, we keep up with the latest trends in the Imperial Capital…”
“Wait. Keep the explanation brief. I’m here to buy a present for this maid. Not clothes for commoners, but clothes that noble ladies would wear.”

And I added,

“I want to shop in peace, so I’ll rent out this place for a while. I want to choose a present calmly.”
“Understood, Count Julian.”

Eileen seemed more surprised by those words than I was.

“Did you say a present, Young Master?”
“That’s what I said. Is it strange?”
“No. Perhaps you’re planning a new play… no, you must be conceiving a new work of art.”

I could see Eileen changing the subject because of the presence of others.

‘It stings a little. To be honest, I’m not not expecting it… But for now, it’s also a present for Eileen, who has suffered greatly because of Julian.’

I hid my ulterior motives for now and hurriedly purchased a trait from the system.

This time, it was a trait worth 50GP. Considering that the previous Common Noble Offspring was 10GP, it was five times more expensive.

‘Perhaps it’s because Julian’s aesthetic sense is so bizarre. Even though it’s a B-grade trait, it’s classified as an advanced trait.’

But it wasn’t a waste since it was a trait that would be useful in the future.

Based on this trait, I diligently chose clothes for Eileen. Looking at the clothes through the trait, this store was definitely a high-class clothing store.

I carefully selected clothes, mainly dresses, that noble ladies commonly wore.

‘It’s good to prepare in advance. When attending noble parties at the academy, Eileen would be looked down upon if she wore her usual maid uniform.’

In other words, it was a present for Eileen, but also a preparation for the future.

With the Eye for Beauty trait, I was planning to have Eileen try on all the clothes I chose.

‘And if possible… I’d like to go into the fitting room with her using that as an excuse.’

Just as I barely managed to suppress my surging dark desires, I noticed that Eileen’s expression was different from usual.

It was a somewhat urgent and anxious expression.

“What’s wrong, Eileen? Is the present a burden to you?”
“N… No, Young Master. But…”
“But? What is it? Tell me.”
“I have a favor to ask.”

Suddenly, Eileen gently grabbed my sleeve and led me to a corner of the clothing store. Then, she pointed to a dress hanging in one corner.

“I know it’s an unreasonable request, but… could you buy that for me?”

I looked at the dress Eileen was pointing at.

It was a black dress with a very revealing design, something a salon prostitute might wear.