I Became a Clothing Designer in Another World - Chapter 16

"Young Master, please have some tea while you work."

As I was embroidering a hair cap similar to those worn by maids, Emily approached with a tea tray, gently placing a teacup and a plate of cookies on the table, and whispered softly.

"Uh-huh."

I answered vaguely, my eyes fixed on the cap. I pushed the cookie, which left crumbs on my fingers, back to Emily, lightly wet my lips with the tea, and put the cup down.

Then, frowning at the sweetness of the tea, I looked at Emily.

"It's sweet..."

"You're finally looking this way."

"Emily, how much sugar did you put in this tea?"

"I put in five sugar cubes."

"Why?"

"Would you mind looking around?"

"Hmm..."

Following Emily's finger pointing to the floor, I shifted my gaze.

At my feet was a dress adorned with frills and ribbons; on the armrest of the chair, a handkerchief embroidered with flowers; at Emily's feet, a large knitted sock big enough to fit a head; and under the cookie plate, a knitted coaster. Finally, the entire floor was littered with scraps of fabric.

A room so chaotic it looked like it had been ransacked by thieves.

I scratched the back of my head as I looked at the room.

"Um... it's a little messy, isn't it?"

"A little?"

"It's very messy..."

Emily glared at me and retorted in a chilly voice.

Sensing a faint murderous intent in her voice, I immediately corrected my minor slip of the tongue and bowed my head deeply.

"Sorry."

"There's no need to be sorry, but from now on, please ask for things to be cleaned up before they pile up like this."

"Okay..."

"If you don't say anything, Young Master, I don't know what I can't touch when I try to tidy up, so I can't do anything. It'll only take a moment, so please just tell me what to clear away."

"Alright."

I placed the hair cap I was embroidering and the box containing the thread and needles on the table and stood up.

"You can clear away everything except what's on the table."

"Ugh... it's too messy."

"I'll help you."

"Haa... Young Master, just stay still. I'll get scolded if I'm seen having you work."

"Oh... okay..."

Emily frowned and waved her hand, refusing my help.

Thanks to that, I awkwardly sat back down and watched Emily clean the room.

"By the way, Young Master, you've been making a lot of strange things since you made stockings for Miss Hayes, haven't you?"

"Ah, that? I'm just trying things out for practice, because I think my hands are a little slow."

"Pardon?"

Emily, who was neatly folding the dress, opened her eyes wide and stared at me.

"Slow hands? You? You'd get an earful if you said that anywhere else."

"It's just a personal disappointment."

"If you're disappointed twice, you might even make a sewing machine."

"I thought about it, but I gave up because I don't know the principles."

There are already engines, motors, and weaving machines that weave fabric, so if I knew the principle, I could make a sewing machine.

In my past life, hand-cranked sewing machines came out in the 19th century, but unfortunately, I was a liberal arts student in my past life...

So, I immediately dropped the useless thought and changed direction to train my hands to move faster.

"It's even scarier that you thought about it."

"Thinking is free, so I can do it as much as I want."

I shrugged, watching Emily, who was making a disgusted face.

Speaking of Hayes, isn't it about time for Hayes to go to the baronet's house?

"By the way, was Hayes going to the baronet's house tomorrow?"

I asked Emily, sipping my tea lightly.

Emily looked at me as if I were saying nonsense and tilted her head, answering.

"That's today, isn't it?"

"Today? Then she must have already left?"

"Yes, she departed early this morning by carriage."

"Time flies~"

"Isn't that because you don't look at the clock, Young Master?"

"I've been busy practicing lately... haha~"

"Personally, I wish you weren't so busy."

"She'll be doing well, right?"

"Since it's Miss Hayes, she'll be doing well. She'll be more reliable than you when it comes to meeting people, Young Master."

"I guess so..."

There was no need for an 'outsider' like me to worry.

_

As the atmosphere of the banquet matured, and I gained an opportunity to approach the young lord and have a light conversation, I was gauging the timing to execute my plan.

Quite coincidentally, an opportunity to be alone with the young lord came to me.

This was because I suddenly felt dizzy, thanks to the corset being tightened more strongly than usual and the champagne I had been sipping throughout the banquet.

"Haa..."

A pale face and blurred vision.

As I sighed and gently held my forehead, the gaze of the young lord, who was standing nearby, turned to me.

"Lady Hayes, are you alright?"

"Ah... Young Lord Lennox, it's nothing much, just a little dizzy... I'll be fine soon, so don't worry."

I forced a smile, raising the corners of my lips with difficulty, but I couldn't hide my ragged breathing.

"You don't look well. You should rest for a while..."

"Hehe~ Thank you for your concern, but I'm really fine... Ah..."

While pretending to be fine, showing that I didn't want to leave the young lord's side.

Suddenly, I felt my body floating up, and my vision went dark for a moment. Then, I lost my balance and started to fall sideways.

"Huh...?"

I didn't expect to collapse this quickly...?

My dizziness worsened more quickly than usual because the corset was tightened too much.

"Lady Hayes!"

As my body tilted halfway, the young lord's urgent voice pierced my ears, and I felt his hands firmly gripping my back and shoulders.

The darkened vision slowly returned, and like what happened on the terrace before, the young lord's face, looking at me with a worried expression, slowly came into view.

"Ah... Young Lord Lennox, thank you... I'm always receiving your help..."

"It's nothing. More than that, you don't look well, so I think it would be best to rest for a while."

"I think I should... If it's not too much trouble, could you guide me to a place where I can rest?"

"Of course. I'll guide you."

"Thank you."

With the young lord's help, I was able to stand up straight. I slightly bowed my head towards the young lord, who offered to guide me to a place where I could rest, and expressed my gratitude.

The young lord gently took my hand and gestured forward with a smile.

"Then this way."

"Yes..."

As I was led by the young lord's hand, and took a step forward.

"Ah!"

"Lady Hayes?"

I collapsed to the ground with a strange groan from a stinging pain in my ankle.

To the young lord, who was squatting down to meet my eye level and asking urgently, I smiled awkwardly and pointed to my ankle, which was hidden by the dress.

The young lord, looking at where my finger was pointing, frowned and asked with a serious expression.

"Can you walk by yourself?"

I shook my head at the young lord's question.

"It's impossible on my own."

"I see..."

And he answered with a gloomy expression and a dejected voice.

"I'm sorry, Lady Hayes. Excuse me for a moment."

"Yes...? Kyaak?!"

The young lord suddenly apologized, then unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves.

As I was blankly staring at the young lord, not knowing what was going on, the young lord supported my thighs and back with his arms and lifted me up like a princess.

"Y, yo, Young Lord, w, what is this...!"

"I'm sorry, this was the only way I could think of to move you... It may be embarrassing, but please bear with it for a moment."

"Ugh..."

The surrounding gazes are focused on me and the young lord.

To be embraced like a sweetheart in a place with so many people!

My face felt like it was about to explode, and the corners of my lips were about to soar to the sky.

"Then I'll move you to a room right away."

"Yesh..."

Regardless, to the young lord's notice given to me, I answered with a very loose tongue and shyly nodded my head.

_

"Haa... haa..."

Being held in the young lord's arms and carried like a precious princess had a very bad effect on my heart.

It made the champagne I had been drinking during the banquet rise quickly.

It made my dizzy head even dizzier.

It gradually tightened my stuffy chest and made my breathing rough.

The urge to grab the young lord's collar and press my lips against his was slowly rising.

"Lady, we have arrived."

The room that I barely managed to reach, suppressing my impulses with the very little reason I had left.

The young lord came into the room and carefully placed me on the sofa.

Then, kneeling on one knee on the floor and carefully holding my hand, the young lord looked up at me and said in a gentle voice.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"......"

Seeing the young lord's brown eyes capturing my appearance, I felt like my breath was stopping.

I opened my mouth, staring at the young lord's eyes as if possessed.

"Then, Young Lord..."

"Yes, please speak."

"My chest is too stuffy... Could you loosen the laces of my corset a little?"

"......"

At my request, the young lord widened his eyes and moved his lips a few times.

Then, he carefully opened his mouth.

"Lady... are you alright? I am a man, you know..."

"Haa... It's alright, please."

The young lord hesitated at first, but when I exhaled with difficulty and asked again, the young lord moved behind the sofa and loosened the dress and corset laces with delicate hands.

As the sensation of tightening my chest weakened, and space was created to breathe, the stuffiness disappeared, and my panting breath gradually stabilized.

"Haa... Thank you... I feel much better now..."

"... I'm glad your complexion seems to have improved."

I turned my head towards the young lord and smiled bashfully.

Then, the young lord blushed slightly at his ear and avoided my gaze slightly.

A strange atmosphere hovered between me and the young lord.

I stared silently at the young lord, and the young lord slightly avoided my gaze, and a silence continued for a while.

"Ahem! Well... it seems that your complexion has improved to some extent, so I will now call your lady-in-waiting and maid."

I slightly frowned at the young lord's appearance, trying to end our time together, and carefully examined the young lord's face.

A mixed expression of regret, anticipation, and a slight excitement and tension.

Ah, the young lord too.

The young lord was also anticipating.

Time with me, time alone together.

"So now, please rest..."

"Young Lord."

Realizing that, I cut off the young lord's words and gently grabbed the young lord's hand.

"Young Lord, could I ask you for just one more favor?"

"... Yes."

"My ankle has been throbbing so much since I almost fell earlier."

"I, I see."

"So please."

I looked up at the young lord with a captivating smile.

"Could you take off my shoes?"

Gulp.

The young lord, who swallowed, stared silently at my skirt with eyes full of heat.