I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

I was angry about something a while ago but calmed down a little by the clerk’s hospitality.

“I need clothes to change right now.”

At my words, the clerk who examined my dress gasped. 

“Oh my gosh… You must have had a rough day today. Come this way, please. The clothes you can change into right away are displayed here.”

When the clerk came out of the counter to guide me, I was finally able to see his whole appearance. He wore plain-looking clothes without much adornment, but I felt something different. The clerk looked tall, slim, and stylish enough, even though he wasn’t very tall. I was confused about the reason, then understood after taking a closer look at his shirt.

“A shirt without frills.”

The clerk replied with a smile as if he was happy to hear my words. “Ah, you recognized it. It’s my design. I’m making practical and sensible clothes rather than following the trend.”

“Practical?”

What is the relationship between the frillless shirt with practicality…? The clerk explained to me, who was deep in thought.

“First of all, it’s nice that the clothes aren’t bulky. Also, for someone who is not tall like me, puffy sleeves can make them look shorter. And most importantly…”

“Most importantly?”

As the clerk stretched his words and paused, I urged him as I was curious, and he said with a wink of one eye.

“That’s a cost reduction.”

“Ah!”

“Yes, it’s like that. You need much more than twice the material to make puffy sleeves. If you’re not into fashion, you can fit more functional clothes at a lower price.”

It was a valid statement. Even so.

“I can’t help but to ask. Why is a man running a dressing room?”

To my direct question, the clerk readily answered without showing any sign of displeasure.

“That is because I have an aesthetic sense and talent for embodying images in my head.”

Talent. It wouldn’t have been easy to keep going ahead with just talent.

“Look at Lady too. It’s like you’re being buried in a big pudding, right? Ah, I apologize.”

The clerk went on to say, with a face that wasn’t very apologetic. “You can see it on the street. It’s all the same. Whether you’re fat or thin, tall or short, everyone wears the same clothes? How desperate is this situation for me?”

Well, he was at the point of despair.

“I can make clothes that highlight your strengths and hide your flaws.”

“That’s what you’re saying. I doubt it.”

The clerk tilted his head at my words. “What do you mean by doubting it?”

“You might say that to fill your selfishness, but it might be an excuse for seeing and measuring a woman’s body, right? Ah, I apologize.” I said with a face that wasn’t sorry at all.

The clerk smiled and answered. “I can’t deny it. First of all, since Lady is in a state like that, let me do my job quickly.”

The clerk picked out some dresses from the display. My eyes stood out as I looked at the dress he was showing me.

“Overall, there are not many frills. It’s not puffy sleeves or skirts. I will try this on for now.”

The clerk’s eyes widened for a moment when he saw the dress that Arianne pointed to, but he soon managed his expression and led her to the changing room.

Who the hell is that lady? Jacob recognized at once that she was no ordinary person. No women came in even after looking at the sign of his dressing room. It wasn’t rare, but none at all. They came in by accident but ran away in amazement when they were surprised that the owner was a man. But this lady was different.

Today was the same day as always, spending a boring day standing at the counter waiting for customers who never came. But a woman stopped in front of his dressing room just a moment ago and looked at the sign. He couldn’t see her closely because he was far away, but at first glance, he felt like he saw the corner of the woman’s mouth go up.

They will laugh at me again. He turned his attention, thinking she would disappear soon because it wasn’t something he had experienced once or twice. However,

Rattle.

The sound of the door opening? Did the woman come in? She was a dazzlingly beautiful woman. She wasn’t surprised or running away in amazement when she saw him. Rather, a smile was on her lips as if she was discovering something interesting.

Her dress was stained with dirt, and she said she needed a change of clothes with a casual look on her face. He almost laughed at her attitude as if it was just a nuisance that her dress, which women valued as their life, became dirty. Still, he was confident in managing his expression, so he naturally guided her. The woman didn’t even laugh when he talked about his design philosophy.

Isn’t she… a noble?  Her tone and behavior were noble, but her attitude wasn’t noble. He became curious about her identity.

Then he was captivated by her in an instant. The biggest reason was because of the dress she chose. I can’t believe she picked that out of all the dresses.

That dress could be called as Jacob’s masterpiece. But the dress that no one would wear, which wasn’t acceptable in this era, became just a piece of cloth. He just took it out of the display and showed it to her just in case, but it just happened to be picked out. I don’t know if she has good eyes or is not in her right mind, but… He couldn’t help but feel better.

While he was lost in his thoughts, Arianne, who had changed her dress, called him.

“I’m all dressed. Can you help me with my back?”

“Yes. Excuse me.”

Jacob felt overwhelmed with joy just by the sight of her standing with her back to him. After opening the button behind the dress with a slightly trembling hand, he guided her to the mirror.

“Ah…!”

Jacob’s eyes widened. Arianne in the mirror was really beautiful, exactly the same as what he had always imagined while making that dress. A dress that was neither too much nor too short, slim, and stylish.

Since he was single and didn’t have a woman to be a model for him, that dress was made to fit the body of a woman whom he thought was the most ideal in his imagination. That dress fit perfectly on her as if it had met the right owner.

“I like it. I like it because it’s light and not stuffy. Although it’s a bit short.”

Looking at her blankly, Jacob came to his senses and said, “Because Lady is so tall… I’m glad you like it. Lady is very beautiful.”

Is there anyone who doesn’t like compliments? Looking at Jacob’s expression in the mirror, I could tell he meant it. Feeling better, I raised the corners of my mouth and laughed.

I asked Jacob, just in case. “By any chance, can you make me a coat?”

“Ah, Lady, I don’t make menswear. I’m sorry.”

Jacob politely refused, thinking the coat she meant was for her husband.

“No. I’m asking you to make a robe for me.”

“Huh? How does Lady ask for a coat? You won’t have a place to wear it. No way… are you an actor?”

The most reasonable thought Jacob could think of was that she needed the robe for her play.

I raised my chin and said proudly, “I’ll wear it at my title ceremony. Well, you’ll find out soon enough. It’s a week later… Can you make it on time?”

Jacob was embarrassed. What did she mean by a lady at the title ceremony? No woman had ever been crowned in the empire’s history.

Is she a mythomaniac? How could she be a bit out of her mind when she looks so normal? What happened to this young lady… Jacob looked at her pitifully.

Seeing Jacob’s expression like that, I was moved to tears.

“What? What’s wrong with your eyes? It hasn’t been announced yet, but there will be a title ceremony soon. So are you going to make me a coat or not?”

Jacob thought about it for a while, but there were no customers anyway, and the only thing left was time. For some reason, he thought it would be fun to make a robe for this woman.

“It’s tight… but I will make it for you. Then I need to take your measurements. Is that okay?”

“Well, I already showed you my back. And it’s about the same size.”

I felt like flying when I was finally able to fit my coat. It was so refreshing, as if the disgrace I had suffered all day was washed away at once.

“Then six days later, by morning, send it to the Kaien Duchy.”

“Yes. I under—!”

It was only then that Jacob knew the woman in front of him was the famous Arianne Bornes. She was a beautiful woman, as the rumor has it. No, he thought the rumor underestimated her beautifulness. She was as pure and strong as a daffodil soaked in morning dew and as noble and unrelenting as a white lily rising straight up. He had never seen or heard of such an attractive woman.

When Jacob paused while answering, I tilted my head, saying, “What’s the problem?”

“I understand. I will make sure to finish it and deliver it to Lady six days later.”

Satisfied with Jacob’s definite answer, I paid in advance and left the dressing room with a light step.

A strange smile hung around Jacob’s mouth as he turned around after seeing Arianne off. The rumors seem to be true. Rumors have raged since the imperial hunting competition that she would be crowned.

There was no time to make a coat in six days. It wasn’t enough, even if he stayed up all night. Jacob buried his feelings and hurried to work, vowing to make a coat that would make her stand out more than anyone else

It was the starting point of Jacob’s dressing room, which would beat Gaveniel’s dressing room and stand as the best brand in the empire.