Ever since Jeongjin had arrived in this world, he had never expected anything more complicated than staying up all night to memorize the magic dictionary. He has then put it into practice until he dropped from lack of energy. However, he was mistaken.
Still, he did his best to endure for that long for the sake of the eight hundred thousand dinars he could cash out this very afternoon.
I just have to endure this for another half a day. Hang in there. After all, he who endures until the end wins.
Everything was just fine until the moment the tailor took his measurement. At first, Clayo only felt some embarrassment, but then the horrifying time arrived. A series of fitting for a plethora of clothes that he wasn’t sure he needed, hit him like a brick.
Clayo’s common sense that he brought from the other world thinks he should only need one or two suits. However, Dione’s common sense was different from him. She wanted more clothes for Clayo’s wardrobe. From long jackets for day’s outing, matching trousers and vests, formal tailcoats for the evening, light-gathering suits, tweed suits for sports, and six shirts. She wanted everything.
Moreover, she also constantly asked him about the fabrics, collars, sleeves, pockets of each garment, and so on so forth. Then all of a sudden, she would change her mind about something and started picking again from the beginning, nearly driving Jeongjin crazy.
Urgh, I’m turning crazy over this, really… Jeongjin silently thought to himself.
Then once his attire was done with, Dione started to pick out his handkerchief. However, Clayo couldn’t stand it anymore. He was exhausted, so he melted on the sofa and ignored his surroundings, choosing to take some rest. But before he could indeed do that, a tailor came to him and asked him to choose.
And after being forced to choose which color and shape would match better with what outfits for around 100 times for clothes that looked the same in his eyes, he couldn’t help his sarcasm when he next spoke.
“It will cost much money to do fitting in this particular shop. Is this my father’s will too?”
I could remember that last time Baron mentioned that my school uniform was worth two thousand dinars.
Dione, who finalized the order, handed it over to the tailor and staff after 3 hours and 40 minutes of selecting. Then, she firmly replied to Clayo’s sarcasm with a reasonable answer.
“Yes, it is his will! Before I went to your school, Mr. Baron had reminded me that you need to go through some functions during vacation. Hence, we need to find a suit for those occasions.”
“No, men’s suits are fine. Why should we look at so many different kinds of fabrics…”
“Do you mean what you’re saying, sir?”
Dione’s perpetually polite expression turned cold as she started to lecture the boy.
“Young master. Your father isn’t always right, but on this occasion, he knows exactly what he’s doing. When people meet someone, they will first look at the clothes, ornaments, and attitudes of that person. It is after the outer shell is judged that people look into the person’s inner qualities.”
“Really? But I don’t have any business meetings to attend, so why should I need this much clothings?”
“No, young master. It seems you’re not familiar with this kind of clothes, but typically, you ought to wear them from now on.”
‘Ugh.’ Jeongjin complained.
Dione’s personality was predictable to some extent, but her sudden speech that came from heart certainly shocked him.
“I see you’re speechless. Well, although I know you’re young, I have never thought that you’d be this young. You did a good job of pretending to be an adult that it even fooled me, Dione.”
What the hell is this woman, who’s ten years younger than me, talking about?! Really…
Despite his feelings and thoughts, Jeongjin endured as he thought of the eight hundred thousand dinars cash he would be able to withdraw after this was over.
“Anyway, let me ask you an easy question. Why do you think Baron Asser enrolled you, his second son, to the Royal Capital Defense College using all means at his disposal?”
“Wasn’t it because of mother’s will?”
“Do you really think he’s such a sentimental person? Do you honestly think he would pour out millions of dinars for his son’s schooling for that reason alone?”
“… No.”
Her question led him to think about this matter more deeply, and a little vague notion formed at the back of his mind. While it was nice to feel that he did everything because of ‘his love for his dead wife,’ Jeongjin knew that Baron Asser was not such a romantic person even if he only met him once.
From the circumstances of the school in question, the mansion that was prepared to hold formal dinner in it, to the private tutor exclusively made for Clayo. All these facts pointed out to one thing.
Baron Asser was preparing his son to enter politics.
I didn’t think it was going to pan out considering Clayo’s personality, so I didn’t know much about it… but was that his aim? Does that man even know his son? What is he doing, trying to push a timid and shy kid into a mess like that?!
“You should understand it a little by now. Unlike your eldest brother, Vlad, your father had never taught you anything about business. Instead, he enrolled you at a school where the next generations’ cabinet and military leaders are taught.”
Yeah, it is a school completely closed off from the public.
Clayo’s face, that up until now, was only showing exhaustion, soured by the 32-year-old Korean man’s prejudice. Jeongjin had never expected this to be Baron Asser’s plan for Clayo since he didn’t grow up as a member of a wealthy family. So, he didn’t know of the fact that when a person had plenty of money, they would begin to want power.
“Then, why doesn’t he do it himself? Why does he place his vain expectation on his son, who is not as good as him?”
“If you keep on saying dim-witted stuff, I will hit you. Bear in mind that your father was born as a commoner and earned his title as a baron through his industrial exploits. He had no social networks nor noble acquaintances to speak of, but he became a member of councilors. Despite that, would those highly esteemed nobles choose someone like your father to become the Secretary of Commerce? That’s only possible for his son, who goes to Royal Capital Defense College!”
Upon hearing those words, he realized that indeed this was truly a different world.
“How do you throw a party without at least an inherited mansion and a wine cellar? Those people with high-rank would never consider people who just appear for the first time in the circle as their colleagues. So, it’s faster to groom your children as a part of the next generation leaders than anything else to save their vested interests.”
In Jeongjin’s democratic mind, it was complete bullshit. Yet, it was a common problem with society that was segregated by their class. It wasn’t all about money, but about whether you inherited something from your ancestor or not.
It was the circumstances surrounding him when he strived to become upper-class that mold the Baron’s personality to the current one. But what should I do now?
Although it was a severe struggle for Baron Asser to climb to higher strata, to Clayo, it was someone else’s business.
Baron had two sons, and he wanted them to do well. But why should I be the one torn apart by his ambition?!