Free Web NovelChapter 50: Chapter 50: Suits You Better
Chapter 50: Suits You Better
—ARIA—
The longer I stood in front of the empty lot, the more my brain refused to calm down.
No.
Actually, "refused to calm down" was an understatement.
My thoughts were already sprinting.
I could practically see possibilities forming directly in front of my eyes while the empty property transformed itself inside my imagination piece by piece.
A building here.
Large windows there.
Warm lighting.
Elegant displays.
Second floor balcony.
Magic lamps.
Soft music.
Beautiful fabrics.
Fashion.
Cosmetics.
Hair styling.
Jewelry maybe?
My breathing quickened slightly.
Oh no.
Oh this was becoming dangerous!
Because unfortunately...
I was getting excited.
Like genuinely excited.
Such excitement I had not felt since transmigrating into this cursed novel world.
I slowly stepped farther inside the property while staring around thoughtfully.
The lot itself was larger than I initially realized. Uneven grass spread across most of the ground while old stone pathways remained half-buried beneath dirt and vines. Toward the back stood remnants of what looked like an older structure long demolished years ago.
And somehow...
Instead of looking abandoned, it looked unfinished.
Like the place had simply been waiting for someone stubborn enough to claim it.
I continued staring around the property while ideas multiplied aggressively inside my head.
Because unlike everyone else here...
I came from an entirely different world.
And I finally realized that could become an advantage instead of merely an existential crisis.
This world had magic.
But its businesses?
Its architecture?
Its fashion industry?
Honestly...
They were beautiful, but limited.
Most noble boutiques focused almost entirely on elaborate gowns and traditional tailoring. The common markets sold practical clothing, but not innovation.
And beauty products?
Primitive.
Painfully primitive.
I slowly turned toward Ren with growing excitement.
"Ren."
He immediately straightened.
"Yes, my lady?"
"What if," I began carefully, "I built something completely different?"
His brows furrowed slightly.
"...Different how?"
I pointed dramatically toward the empty lot.
"A lifestyle empire."
Silence.
Wind passed quietly through the street behind us.
Ren stared at me for several seconds.
"...I regret asking."
I ignored him completely.
"No, listen carefully because this is genius."
That sentence alone made him look more worried.
I began pacing across the lot while speaking faster now, unable to stop once the ideas started flowing.
"A two-story establishment," I declared while pointing around excitedly. "The first floor will be the main boutique. Elegant but modern. Bright interior. Open displays instead of overcrowded shelves. Mirrors everywhere."
Ren blinked slowly.
"...Mirrors."
"Yes."
"That already exists."
"Not like modern mirrors."
He looked deeply confused.
Meanwhile, my excitement only intensified.
"The first floor will sell clothing for both noblewomen and men," I continued. "But not only formalwear. Casual fashion too. Comfortable clothing. Layered styles. Travel outfits. Seasonal collections."
I paused dramatically.
"And cosmetics."
Ren stared.
"...Cosmetics."
"Yes."
"My lady wishes to sell powder and perfume?"
"No no no. Better cosmetics."
My mind immediately flashed through memories from my old world.
Tinted lip products.
Skin care.
Hair oils.
Layered makeup techniques.
Eyebrow shaping.
Hair styling.
Fashion coordination.
Jewelry matching.
God.
This world was not prepared for beauty consumerism.
I slowly placed both hands against my face in realization.
"...I could become terrifying here."
"My lady already is."
"Thank you."
"That was not admiration."
I ignored him again.
Because now my thoughts had fully escaped containment.
"What if," I continued, growing increasingly animated, "we combine modern aesthetics with magic?"
Ren immediately looked alarmed.
"Those words together concern me."
"No! Think about it!" I insisted. "Magic mirrors that adjust lighting automatically. Temperature-controlled fitting rooms. Enchanted fabric displays. Floating accessory shelves!"
Ren looked like he was trying extremely hard to keep up mentally.
Meanwhile, I had already moved on to the second floor.
"The upper floor will be private," I said more thoughtfully now. "My workspace. Design room. Production area. Maybe living quarters too."
I paused briefly.
Then smiled slowly.
Because suddenly...
I could see it clearly.
A place entirely mine.
Not the Valen Estate.
Not noble society.
Not a prison disguised as luxury.
Mine.
Somewhere I could work peacefully without constantly monitoring everyone’s emotions and hidden agendas.
Somewhere fate could not easily corner me.
Somewhere outside the original story.
The realization settled strangely warm inside my chest.
Ren watched me quietly afterward before finally speaking.
"...My lady truly likes this place." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
I looked around with a smile.
The empty lot no longer looked abandoned to me now.
It looked alive already.
"I do," I admitted softly.
Ren’s expression shifted slightly at my answer.
Then his gaze drifted toward the property as well.
"If my lady truly wishes to build something here," he said carefully, "then I will help however I can."
I immediately interrupted.
"No."
The answer came out so quickly that Ren visibly froze.
For a brief moment, genuine confusion crossed his face before looking disappointed.
Oh no.
The expression in his eyes looked so unexpectedly wounded that he genuinely resembled some abandoned puppy standing in the rain after being told to go home.
My conscience immediately suffered.
"I mean..." I corrected quickly, waving both hands in front of me. "That is not what I meant."
Ren lowered his gaze slightly.
"...I understand."
"No, you clearly do not," I said immediately.
He looked unconvinced.
And somehow that made the guilt worse.
I exhaled before softening my voice.
"Ren," I said more gently this time, "I want you to enroll at the academy next week."
That finally caught him off guard completely.
His eyes widened faintly.
"...Next week?"
"Yes."
"But my lady–"
"So I need you focusing on yourself now," I continued firmly. "Not following me around while I attach myself to business."
Ren stared at me silently.
Meanwhile, I smiled proudly at my own maturity.
Honestly?
Look at me growing as a person.
A few weeks ago I probably would have dragged Ren into every reckless decision purely because I was terrified of being alone in this cursed storyline.
But now?
Now I was thinking responsibly.
Probably.
Mostly.
"I can handle this myself," I told him with more confidence than I actually felt. "This time, I want to do something properly."
Ren still looked troubled.
"My lady," he said quietly, "serving you is already my responsibility."
"And living your own life should be yours."
The words made him go silent.
Ren looked genuinely uncertain.
As though he did not know how to respond to someone asking what he wanted instead of simply ordering him what to do.
That realization made something ache faintly inside my chest.
Because Ren had probably spent so much of his life surviving that nobody had truly asked him to imagine a future for himself before.
I stepped closer toward him slowly.
Then, before he could react, I took his hand lightly in mine.
That immediately startled him.
"My lady–"
"Ren," I interrupted softly, "thank you."
He went completely still.
"I know I can be difficult," I continued honestly. "And reckless. And dramatic."
"...That is an understatement."
"I am trying to have an emotional moment here."
"...Apologies."
I narrowed my eyes briefly before continuing anyway.
"But despite all that, you stayed beside me." I smiled faintly. "You protected me even when you did not have to."
Ren looked away for a second.
His ears had turned slightly red.
"You deserve more than spending your entire life trapped as someone else’s servant," I told him quietly. "So sending you to the academy is the least I can do."
His fingers tightened slightly beneath mine.
"But my lady," he murmured carefully, "what if I do not wish to leave your side?"
Ah.
There it was again.
That strange heaviness beneath his words lately.
It made me feel like we were accidentally having two entirely different conversations at the same time.
Unfortunately for him, I remained oblivious.
I smiled brightly instead.
"Then become powerful and come back afterward," I declared proudly. "Someday you will return as some incredibly important figure everyone respects."
Ren looked at me quietly.
I continued enthusiastically before he could interrupt.
"You will wear expensive clothes, attend noble events, intimidate terrible people with a single glance..."
"That already sounds exhausting."
"...and then," I ignored him completely, "you will visit my future business regularly."
His expression softened faintly despite himself.
"You are already planning to exploit me financially?"
"Of course." I nodded seriously. "You will become my favorite customer."
"Your favorite?"
"Yes. You must bring all your academy friends too. Rich ones preferably."
Ren stared at me for several seconds before a helpless laugh finally escaped him.
And somehow that felt strangely rewarding.
"There it is," I said immediately, pointing at him triumphantly. "That expression suits you better."
