「You seem to be in a good mood.」
「Yes!」
It was getting dark already outside. Only the howls of the owls and the rattling sounds of the wheels were heard. But inside the coach which is driving back to Polta’s territory, everyone can see how Aurora was brimming in good mood.
Sitting diagonally across her is Felix, who just got back from work. As soon as he got back home, he was caught by his sister and mother without giving him any chance of changing clothes so he can accompany and send her fiance who had been visiting his home. Aurora was about to hum a song when Felix leaned and askedー
「What happened? Weren’t you expecting a tailor today?」
「Yes, it’s Emma of Maison Balladur.」
Maison Balladur is one of the best tailor shop in the royal capital. It is also well known for its traditions and formalities, but it is a famous shop with a reputation for being excellent at the cutting edge of fashion. Among them, Emma is a big-time designer who is important to the owner, and there is a rumor that she has never incurred loss on what she has tailored, so she always has lots of reservations are always a few months ahead. Although she is a peasant woman who works for nobles, she is even said to prefer walkin guests.
Speaking of which, Felix remembered that along time ago, Emma was once Luna Mare’s servant. Although it was normal for a noble lady to call tailors in their houses, his sister would often jump right into the tailoress’ shop whenever she finds a bright idea for a new dress design. He was a poor younger brother to be sacrificed in the name of being an attendant while incurring an absence in military academy.
「I didn’t expect that a day woukd come to my life where I could have a chance to look closely at the embroidery of my dress at the Maison Balladur.」
「She sure had… Both my sister and mother as her shop’s patron.」
「It was a friendly atmosphere.」
Aurora chuckled and laugh. Felix who gazed at her figure for a bit. It seems that she enjoyed today more than yesterday when they took their measurements, dressed up in their sample dress and confirming of quite a lot of designs
「Aren’t you tired?」
「I would be lying if I were to say I’m not tired but… Today, we successfully designed a new dress. And so, they left the embroidery to me. I never thought that Emma would approve it! Oh, it’s the first time I’ve embroidered a dress!」
「Embroidered? You?」
「Yes! Ever since I heard Clavis-sama’s fortune-telling yesterday, I couldn’t shake off the image of the gray thrush’s image.」
Aurora mused happily, describing the circumstances of the matter. As soon as they got to the matter of white dress, Felix only anseered curtly as he used to do.
「ーand so, the Duchess and Emma were the ones who came up eith the plan for the design of the dress but they left the embroidery of the chest to me. I’m glad to be born into the house of an Earl because I knew that it would be impossible to pursue the work of embroidery as a business.」
Aurora, forgetting neither manners nor etiquette, sat back opposite of Felix. Not even worrying about their knees that’s touching each other, she had her hands on her chest. Her mind had already flown back to the embroideries in her own house, with a rapturous look upon her face. The House of Polta has a room dedicated solely for Aurora’s embroidery.
「I see, I’m glad you enjoyed it..」
「Yes!」
Felix murmured along with a rare smile. On that subject, Aurora came to take the matters into consideration on why she was entrusted with embroidery, when she started to do the needlework all night longーit was so fascinating that she couldn’t come to stop herself. The whole thing was due to his foretelling of the rose and the bird which would bring her a better luck. And it is the truth that his divination of the gray thrush brought good luck to Aurora.
「Clavis-sama’s fortune-telling was right on the mark.」
When she muttered this reflexively, Felix looked at her dubiously.
「Yesterday’s fortune-telling? That maybe just a coincidence.」
「Perhaps, it might be but the gray thrush indeed brought me happiness. It’s a big success for me!」
Thank you! She lifted her head and said in a prominent tone, Aurora bowed at him with huge smile and a mottle of blush on her cheeks. Those smile stopped Felix’s breath.
It felt as if he had found a humble little rose in the forest of early summer.
Translator’s Note:
♪＼(^ω^＼)Happy New Year!( /^ω^)/♪