I Became a Clothing Designer in Another World - Chapter 34

"I can't choose."

"Uh..."

I didn't expect this.

I hastily smoothed out my face, which was about to contort, and hurriedly asked Lady Rachel.

"Perhaps you don't like either of them? If there's anything strange, I'll try to fix it as much as possible."

"That's not it, they're both well-made, but..."

Lady Rachel trailed off, hesitated, then slightly furrowed her brow and continued.

"I'm worried it might create a bad impression."

"What kind of bad impression are you referring to?"

"His Majesty the Emperor has allowed women to join the Knights, but the perception is still not good."

"Yes."

"If we wear skirts, they'll end up belittling us as just women, not knights, and if we wear trousers, they'll gossip that we don't even know how to wear formal attire."

"Yes."

"That's why it's hard to choose; whichever we pick, I can already picture us being the only ones getting pointed at..."

"I see..."

Even if the aversion is severe, His Majesty the Emperor has directly proclaimed it, so is this okay?

Even the knights, the highest dignity of the empire says it's okay, so I don't know why there's a need to be mindful of other people's opinions.

It seems like His Majesty will live a long and healthy life, so we should just act with impunity, but why are they so scared...

"Well... does it matter?"

I couldn't understand at all, so I tilted my head slightly and asked again.

"Pardon?"

Lady Rachel slightly parted her lips and seemed flustered.

"Lady, think about it, those people will demean and criticize you no matter what you do. Didn't you hear anything when you wore the same formal attire as the male knights?"

"... I did, a lot actually."

I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders.

"Then what does it matter? Lady Rachel is already being criticized even without doing anything, so what does it matter whether it's a skirt or trousers? If you're going to be criticized anyway, wouldn't it be less unfair to be criticized for a choice you made yourself?"

To my words of why not just be shameless, Lady Rachel narrowed her eyes and said in a reluctant voice.

"... I don't think that's as easy as it sounds."

"Well... that's true."

I nodded at Lady Rachel's words.

It's easy to say, but if everyone could easily say "I don't care," there wouldn't be a need for the saying "the courage to be disliked."

"Hmm..."

I let out a faint groan and fell into thought.

I need to say something to encourage Lady Rachel...

I diligently racked my brains, looking for something to talk about.

"Tch..."

As I smacked my lips, wondering if I should just ask her to wear anything, a rose in a vase on the table caught my eye.

Rose...

"... Roses have thorns."

"Yes...? That's right."

I just blurted out whatever came to mind.

Lady Rachel, with a dumbfounded expression as if wondering what the hell I was talking about, nodded.

"And lily of the valley and monkshood have toxins deadly enough to kill a person, but they are often used as ornamental flowers because of their beautiful appearance."

"I... didn't know that."

"Also, it is commonly believed that beautiful and colorful mushrooms are deadly poisonous... but in reality, there are more poisonous mushrooms among the plain and insignificant ones. Because of this prejudice, people often become careless and die."

Misinterpreting things due to prejudice has been common since ancient times.

Even though it's the same tiger, treating a white one as a sacred animal.

Or when cute cats were the symbols of witches due to their unique prickliness and strange movements, and were the object of fear and contempt.

Or how seemingly docile hippos are actually incredibly violent and can slice people in half.

"The important thing is not the appearance; Lady Rachel's actions, clearly showing that beautiful flowers have thorns, are important. If you act confidently, they will eventually look at you properly."

Even a cute puppy becomes scary if you get bitten a few times, and even a rude cat suddenly looks cute if it fawns over me a few times, and knights are no different.

"If Lady is a knight of His Majesty the Emperor, you must prove that His Majesty's choice was not wrong. Why are you scared of those underlings who aren't even His Majesty?"

Of course, things might not go as planned, and you might fail, but the backing is His Majesty the Emperor, so if you fail, it's the fault of the imperial knights.

"... Please give me a little more time to think."

Lady Rachel, who had been listening to me quietly, looked at the floor with a dark expression, as if her head had become complicated.

I smiled as I looked at Lady Rachel, who seemed troubled in many ways.

"You can tell me by tomorrow morning, so please think comfortably."

"Thank you."

_

Lady Rachel, who was already a person of few words, became so quiet when she was in thought that I wondered if she was even alive, and continued to ponder until morning.

"I will go with the skirt."

And she came early in the morning to tell me the answer.

Fortunately, there's plenty of time to prepare.

"May I ask, what is the reason for that?"

I asked Lady Rachel with a gentle smile.

"We are the most beautiful and sharpest swords of His Majesty the Emperor; the one word His Majesty said on the day he accepted women into the Knights has become our slogan."

"That's a wonderful slogan."

"That's right, but I didn't like it very much; a beautiful sword, I thought it was no different from a decorative sword."

Lady Rachel paused for a moment and continued with a bitter smile.

"Until now, it was just a phrase I memorized because His Majesty said it. Isn't that how slogans are? Something you reflexively shout because a superior said it."

"That's often the case."

"But after hearing your words, I thought that His Majesty might not have said it lightly."

Lady Rachel clenched her fist and looked at me with upright eyes.

"I thought that the skirt was more beautiful and best suited the image of the imperial knight that His Majesty intended, for the Emperor's sword that hides its sharpness with beauty."

"Oh..."

I purely admired Lady Rachel's words.

A sword that hides its sharpness with beauty.

It was more suited for a spy than a knight, but I felt it wasn't bad.

A level that would be okay to say in front of His Excellency the Grand Duke or His Majesty the Emperor.

"That's a very, excellent reason."

"Did you also intend for this, sir?"

"Um..."

I didn't intend any of that, I just wanted to make it because it was pretty and I wanted her to wear it, so I added a reason.

"I'll leave that to Lady Rachel's imagination."

I was too embarrassed to tell the truth, so I awkwardly smiled and mumbled my answer.

And I quickly turned my head and looked at Emily, saying.

"Emily, help Lady Rachel change."

"Yes."

Emily and Lady Rachel, holding the clothes from the desk, moved to the dressing room.

_

"Indeed, as you said, sir, it feels different when I wear it, it's even more beautiful."

Lady Rachel, who had entered the dressing room with Emily, revealed herself wearing the pure white formal attire, black silk stockings, and low-heeled shoes.

The sophisticated feel unique to a suit with a perfect fit.

The neatness that white brings.

And the color combination of the gold decorations on the coat and the black stockings was really nice to look at.

Unlike Emily, whose chest ruins the line a bit, Lady Rachel, with her slender figure, had a clean line and a smooth curve, so it wasn't burdensome.

"It suits you very well, more than I expected."

"Thank you."

Lady Rachel smiled at my compliment and slightly bowed her head.

And as she slowly approached me, she shook her arms and legs, bent her knees, and then opened her mouth, looking down at the clothes she was wearing with a surprised look.

"This is, easier to move in than it looks."

"I paid a lot of attention to various things."

Since it's formal attire, I couldn't completely eliminate the discomfort, but I paid a lot of attention to the fit, such as giving the knee-length skirt a small side slit and leaving some space without feeling baggy.

Because no matter how pretty the clothes are, if the wearer looks uncomfortable, it feels awkward somewhere.

"... You really have monstrous dexterity."

"Haha, you flatter me."

A smile naturally popped out at the compliment Lady Rachel gave me as she stared at me.

Even I thought the thread was winding smoothly this time, and I was happy that the person wearing it felt the same way.

"Is there anything uncomfortable about the clothes?"

"Yes, it feels awkward to reveal the stockings like this, but... other than that, it's okay."

"How did you do it before? You would have worn stockings with your formal attire."

"There are many people who dislike us revealing our stockings, so we completely covered them with boots and trousers."

I frowned and asked.

"Did His Majesty the Emperor say anything?"

"His Majesty the Emperor, of course, said it was okay to reveal them."

"I find it hard to understand."

"You and His Majesty are unusual."

I pouted, openly showing my discomfort.

Why are you making me cover up something so precious?

Like those crazy old fogeys.

I don't know why you hate the beautiful world so much.

"Sigh..."

I let out a small sigh and looked at the box next to the desk.

"Emily, have you packed everything?"

"Yes, I've put everything in the box as you said."

"Good job, ask Charles to load the box, and let's leave now."

"Yes."

Emily nodded and hurried out of the room.

"Hoo..."

Now that I'm done preparing, it's time to meet His Excellency the Grand Duke.