I'm Done Being Your Best Friend

Among Chloe’s group, the one who was most interested in fashion and beauty would definitely be Count Cruz’s daughter. Because she was quick to follow the trends, whenever a new product or design came out, she would always be the first to buy it.

She liked to go shopping, so I went along at her suggestion.

“I’ve really been trying to refrain from ordering a dress this time since I just had one tailored recently, but I still can’t help it.”

However, as I was heading to a boutique with her, I heard something unexpected.

“I went to check out the bags yesterday and saw lady Moore. She came with the young lady of Baron Manson.”

Lady Manson was the girl who mocked Logan with Daisy at Count Beth’s ball. Didn’t she hear what Duke Grint said when her parents had the same stance as Daisy?

I might have exposed her personality, but not all nobles cared about it. It was because of the Moore county’s power. Although earl Moore had not entered the jewelry business yet, in a few years he would reach out to jewelry, and they would become even more powerful.

Compared to that, our family was too ordinary. We neither had too much money, nor too little… The last time when Heidi ran away at night, if it wasn’t for Logan, I would have been in grave trouble.

As expected, it is needed. Money is required in whatever I want to do.

Since I had memories of the past, I should be able to make more money than before… The problem was that it was difficult to jump into the business because I had never started on or  done any investment.

“Come in, lady Nelson.”

As I was lost in thought, lady Cruz led me to a dress shop. It was Madam Ford’s boutique. lady Cruz was very excited.

“I wonder how beautiful the fabric is.”

“Why so impatient? You’ll know once you see it.”

Lady Cruz spoke confidently and opened the door to the clothing store.

“Lady Cruz!”

As we entered the shop, Madam Ford immediately greeted lady Cruz. She must have been a regular.

After the brief greeting, without much delay, lady Cruz spoke to Madam Ford.

“I’ll go with the fabric you once mentioned then.”

“Wise choice. There’s only one piece of that kind now. The young lady arrived just in time.”

The woman then went to her collection and brought out a piece of blue silk. It was the same blue as the hair colour of lady Cruz. No, the one of the fabric is a bit lighter?

She had been talking about the fabric she once spotted all the way here, and I thought I knew why now.

It was then that another voice intervened.

“Wait a minute, didn’t you say you would sell that to me?”

When I turned around, I saw the young lady of Viscounty Watson looking at Madam Ford indignantly.

Does lady Watson also want to take Madam Ford’s last piece of cloth?

As she enter, Watson’s maid closed the door that she had left wide open.

I stood still for a moment, then quickly came to my senses.

“How nice to see you here, lady Watson.”

“Nice meeting you too, lady Nelson.”

But her business was elsewhere. Lady Watson, who lowered her head, quickly ended her greeting, and said to Madam Ford in a questioning tone.

“Didn’t you tell me two days ago that you’re going to sell me that piece of silk?”

What do we have here? I looked at them alternately with interest. Before I knew it, the face of Madam Ford, which had been hung with a business-like smile during the talk with lady Cruz, darkened.

Did something go wrong?

And I was right. Madam Ford said with disapproval.

“Well, there was a mistake. I forgot what I had told lady Cruz…”

It was a duplicate order.

Lady Cruz, who was watching the situation, smirked.

“Thought what. Anyhow, you’re saying I’m still first, right?”

“Nonsense. I refuse to understand it.”

But lady Watson wouldn’t give up. She immediately retorted at lady Cruz’s words. Her eyes were fierce.

There’s going to be a fight…

Seeing that, Madam Ford was at a loss.

“I will make a new dress with the same design as this one for lady Watson. The colour will be blue as well!”

“No. I need clothes made out of this fabric.” Lady Watson frowned.

Why does it have to be this fabric? I carefully looked at the piece of cloth in question. When I touched it, the texture was no different from the others. Isn’t it plain silk?

The only difference was that white gypsophilas were embroidered here and there on the blue silk.

Is it because of this part? I then asked Madam Ford.

“Is it difficult for the Madam to embroider the flowers by yourself?”

“It is difficult to do the exact same.” Madam Ford responded.

While standing between the young lady of Cruz and the young lady of Watson, she looked down at it.

“As you can see, the embroidered flower patterns are not of a commonly used thread. Among the threads we have, there is no such thread. It will be difficult to find even if you go to other clothing stores.”

“Where did you get this fabric from?”

“It was sent as a gift from my younger sister who works in the empire. She said that she had difficulty obtaining the fabric to be supplied to the imperial family. This is the last one left…”

It was going to the imperial family? The rarity of the fabric had been further raised.

In other words, this wasn’t the kind of fabric one could get easily just by going to the empire.

Even if I ask the Madam’s sister again, there was no guarantee that I could get it.

According to Madam’s words, it was clear that the young lady of Cruz was prioritised, but the young lady of Watson was not thinking of giving up either.

“Lady Watson, you know that too? So that must be why you’re insisting on taking this fabric.”

“Didn’t lady Cruz also run into me like this last time? Why don’t you just give it to me this time?”

The war of nerves between lady Cruz and lady Watson was still ongoing. Caught up in between, Madam Ford, who had caused it all, seemed to be getting smaller and smaller.

An aristocratic lady and an employee in the store, who were taking measurements, also stopped what they were doing and turned to look at us.

It’s rare in the Empire, and was even harder to find in the Beland Kingdom. I checked the fabric once again.

I also tried touching the part of thread where the embroidery was placed. The thickness was constant and moderate, it was also very soft. As if the gypsophilas popped up, it further accentuated the fabric’s volume.

Something seems familiar though…

Even as I was contemplating while looking at the fabric, the war of nerves between the two showed no sign of stopping. Lady Cruz spoke assertively.

“I will pay the bill right this instant.”

“Ah yes!”

“Wait! Madam, are you really going to be like this?”

Leaving behind lady Watson’s words of displeasure, I continued to be lost in thought.

It’s a small amount, but it’s definitely of high quality. Something like this isn’t distributed in the Beland Kingdom?

If it was a high-quality thread like this, shouldn’t the County of Moore have brought it in a long time ago?

“Ah…!”

At that moment, something came to my mind.

It’s not like they hadn’t brought it into Beland, rather, they hadn’t come to know of its existence yet, so they couldn’t bring it in.

Only then did I know the identity of this thread.

Six more years must pass from now until this got to enter Beland Kingdom.