Chapter 64
Lady Irang, ignoring my pleas, munched on the zombies!
“Estella! Don’t go near her!”
I ignored the young master’s warning.
He was busy channeling magic into the magic circle from afar, so he couldn’t move. This was my chance to disobey him! I had always disobeyed him, but this time, I could be even more disobedient!
The last spot where I had to draw the magic circle happened to be right next to Irang’s claw. I approached her cautiously, holding the vacuum cleaner.
“Lady Irang!”
The dragon lowered her massive body and looked at me. Her golden eyes reminded me of Castor, although they were much larger, and her pupils were vertical slits.
“I’ll clean you up after this is over!”
I carefully traced the magic circle on the ground, overlapping it with her claw.
“You’re going to be in trouble later!”
The young master shouted as he activated the spell. Someone grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the magic circle just in time. The spell activated. It was similar to the one he had used on Lund earlier. Giant chains appeared, rising as high as pine trees, and wrapped around the dragon. Every time she struggled, the chains rattled and vibrated, making a loud booming sound.
“Young Master!”
I turned around and saw Lund holding me. The young master was straining to maintain the spell, his face pale with exertion.
“Is he alright?”
Lund nodded, pushing me back.
“Count Zepetto isn’t an ordinary human. He’s stronger than you think.”
The magic chains tightened, constricting the dragon. She began to shrink. Lund hesitated for a moment, then ran towards Lady Irang, who was slowly returning to her human form. I clearly heard his words before he ran.
“And unlucky.”
That’s right. Our young master had a talent for attracting misfortune. I gave Lund a thumbs-up and then ran towards the young master.
“Young Master!”
“Hey!”
He scolded me, but then pulled me into a tight embrace.
“Good job.”
“Did I draw that well?”
“The drawing doesn’t matter. I’m glad you’re not hurt.”
I looked down at my legs. My pants were torn from being hit by pebbles, but my legs were unscathed. I stretched my legs, showing him my flawless skin.
“See! I’m not hurt at all. Good job, right?”
He pressed his hand against my leg and nodded.
“Don’t do that in front of other people.”
“Are you jealous?”
“I’m embarrassed. Embarrassed that this… is my doll.”
“Oh.”
As I basked in his affection, I looked back and saw Lund draping his coat over Lady Irang.
“Human relationships are so complicated.”
The young master just shrugged.
While we waited for Lady Irang to wake up, we were treated to luxurious accommodations, thanks to Lund. We were given the best room in the fortress and enjoyed an unexpected vacation.
Even on vacation, a maid couldn’t rest! I was determined to make the young master’s vacation wonderful, but…
“Deep red suits you. Navy too. Gold accessories look nice as well.”
He had me lying on the sofa while he sat at the low table in front of me, filing my nails. I had never cared about my nails when I was a human maid. I just acknowledged their existence.
He meticulously shaped and polished my nails. Was this the attitude of a true artisan?
Lying there, forced to receive a manicure, I felt restless. I wanted to walk around, clean, and open all the cupboards!
“Are you done yet?”
“It’s not over until I’m satisfied. What do you think? Should I add a touch of pink? Lavender would give a more subdued look. But it doesn’t suit your personality…”
“I don’t mind.”
“Be more enthusiastic. This is important to me.”
He seemed determined to play dolls all day. After the manicure, several designers arrived at noon. I was excited, thinking they were there for him, but I was wrong.
They were there for me.
Wasn’t that nice? It was, but it wasn’t. I was a maid, so I had to wear a maid uniform most of the time. I couldn’t clean in an evening gown.
I liked dresses, but what I needed were practical work clothes!
Oblivious to my feelings, he carefully examined and compared the dress samples hanging on the rack.
“Greetings, Lady Estella! I’m Rachel, the chief designer of Mirage Boutique. Do you have any preferred styles?”
“Mirage Boutique?”
I couldn’t help but be surprised. It was the most renowned boutique on our continent. And the chief designer?
“What are you doing here?”
Dragon’s Waist was far from Sdirco. Even we had to take a wyvern. Had the boutique staff packed their bags and come all the way here just because the young master had summoned them?
“Of course we came if Count Lupin Zepetto summoned us!”
“Really? Did you bring all this luggage all the way here?”
I gestured towards the numerous samples the designers had brought. There were so many dresses, gowns, and riding habits that I couldn’t even hug them all. They were being brought in on racks, like a train.
Rachel smiled and said,
“Mirage Boutique has a branch in Dragon’s Waist!”
“Ah…”
She and the young master then held up various fabrics against me, discussing them with serious expressions. Red this, crimson that, scarlet something…
“Aren’t those all the same color?”
I asked, and their expressions changed instantly. They both glared at me.
“Estella, be quiet. Only speak when I ask you to choose between two options.”
“Every color is different. The ambiance, the emotion, the temperature, they’re all different. No two cherries on the same tree have the same shade of red.”
“Right…”
The fabrics he chose looked luxurious and high-quality, even to me. So I said they were all nice, and he scolded me for being unenthusiastic.
So I tried rejecting a few based on my intuition, and he scolded me for having no taste.
Then he shouldn’t ask me in the first place.
“Bring some matching accessories as well.”
“Of course. We have necklaces, earrings, tiaras, bracelets, anklets, brooches, belts…”
At first, I didn’t understand, but I started to enjoy the process. He seemed to like it when I was enthusiastic. It was strange, but his face brightened when I playfully said I wanted this and that.
“I’ll buy you everything you want. But let’s stick to the best ones for everyday wear.”
“Okay! Can we spend all day choosing clothes?”
“We have plenty of time. We’re free until Irang wakes up.”
I actually just enjoyed spending time with him. He probably didn’t understand.
“You’ve chosen five dresses and ten gowns, so how about we choose about thirty pairs of shoes?”
“That many…?”
It was nice, but I would rather be with him than choose clothes!
With the designer’s help, I tried on various outfits. Each time, he would scrutinize me with a serious expression, as if dealing with an important political matter.
He would then request adjustments, telling them to shorten this, lengthen that, and puff up something else. I didn’t understand any of it, but the designer nodded and took notes, as if struck by enlightenment.
Was there some hidden meaning behind this clothes-choosing process?
Was this also part of the zombie extermination plan? I asked him excitedly,
“What difference do these adjustments make?”
“They make you prettier.”
His answer was simple.
He seemed to particularly like some of the outfits. I could tell because he would stand up, adjust the clothes himself, and brush my hair.
He seemed to really like this one. He stood up with a faint smile on his face. It was a red velvet dress with an off-the-shoulder neckline.
He attached a brooch the designer offered to my chest and styled my hair. The surrounding designers quickly helped, pinning up my hair and adding accessories. After adding a hair ornament and earrings, I was done.
“I like it. Estella? Look in the mirror.”
He led me to a full-length mirror. I saw a beautiful young woman, more like a noble lady than a maid.
A vibrant face and a beautiful dress. Someone who looked perfect beside him.
“It’s so beautiful.”
I stepped closer to the mirror. I knew Estella, his creation, was beautiful, but she truly shone when dressed up.
Would I look like a narcissist, obsessed with my own beauty? So what. I was beautiful.
“Don’t we look good together?”
I asked, taking his arm. He chuckled and replied, “Do we?” The surrounding designers chimed in, “You’re so beautiful, like a fairy, prettier than a real girl.”
At that moment, I felt like the world had stopped. And the young master’s face suddenly looked incredibly annoying.
The woman in the mirror wasn’t me. It was Estella.
“I… don’t like it.”
I frowned and pushed everyone away.
“I don’t like any of it.”