Free Web NovelChapter 60: Chapter 60: Ideas
Chapter 60: Ideas
—ARIA—
The moment I stepped out of Father’s study, I immediately clenched both fists in victory before throwing them into the air.
"Hell yeah!"
A laugh escaped me afterward as I spun once in the middle of the corridor like someone who had just won a political war through emotional damage and psychological intimidation.
Because technically...
I had.
Not only did I successfully terrify Duke Valen into reconsidering his entire life, but I also managed to secure the possibility of financial support without directly humiliating myself by begging for it.
Which meant...
Money.
Freedom.
Business plans.
My future!
I nearly skipped down the hallway afterward, unable to stop the growing excitement bubbling inside me now that everything finally seemed to be moving somewhere.
A week.
I only needed to survive one more week inside this household.
Then hopefully...
Goodbye family problems!
Hello entrepreneurship!
"My lady!"
I stopped immediately upon hearing Ren’s voice echo through the corridor behind me.
Turning around, I found him hurrying toward me with visible urgency. He finally stopped several feet away before bending slightly, one hand resting against his knees while catching his breath.
"I have been searching for you everywhere," he said between breaths. "Where exactly did my lady disappear to?"
I stared at him for a second.
Then immediately grabbed his wrist.
"Come with me."
"My lady–!"
"Hurry."
Before he could question me further, I dragged him straight down the corridor toward my room while several passing servants turned to stare at us in growing confusion.
One maid nearly walked directly into a decorative vase.
The moment we reached my room, I pushed the doors open, pulled Ren inside, and shut them behind us before locking both doors with the seriousness of someone preparing for illegal negotiations.
Ren blinked slowly.
"...Should I be worried?"
"Yes," I answered immediately. "But in an exciting way!"
That did not seem to comfort him.
I spun toward him afterward with growing excitement.
"So," I asked eagerly, "where are the fabrics?"
Ren silently raised one hand and pointed behind me.
I turned around immediately.
And froze.
An open chest rested near the sofa beneath the windows, overflowing with folded fabrics stacked carefully on top of each other like a luxury treasure hoard.
Silk shimmered beneath candlelight in shades of sapphire, emerald, cream, and silver. Velvet fabrics spilled softly over the edge of the chest while delicate embroidered lace rested folded neatly beneath heavier materials.
For several seconds, I simply stared.
"Oh..."
I approached slowly before crouching beside the chest carefully.
Then touched one of the fabrics.
Soft and expensive enough to make me nervous.
I lifted a dark sapphire cloth slightly into the candlelight and nearly gasped at how beautifully it reflected against the room.
"Ren," I whispered reverently, "this fabric alone probably costs more than my monthly salary."
Ren stood nearby watching me quietly.
"You do not have a salary, my lady." He flat-out corrected.
How could I ever oppose that and tell him I am a working woman back in my world?
"Also, the butler allowed access to unused estate materials," he explained. "Most came from retired seasonal decorations or damaged noble wardrobes."
I immediately looked back at the chest with renewed excitement.
Retired decorations?
Damaged wardrobes?
No.
This was opportunity.
My brain instantly began calculating possibilities faster than survival instincts.
Winter evening gowns.
Elegant traveling capes.
Tea dresses.
Formal layered skirts.
Soft sleeves.
Decorative outerwear.
I could build an entire collection from this alone.
A dangerous amount of ambition suddenly entered my bloodstream.
I slowly stood afterward before turning toward Ren dramatically while clutching the sapphire fabric against my chest.
"We are about to financially dominate noble society."
Ren blinked once.
"...Congratulations?" freewebnøvel.coɱ
"I need more paper."
"There is already paper everywhere."
I looked around my room.
Right.
Sketches covered nearly every available surface. Several crumpled drafts littered the carpet while unfinished designs rested across the sofa and table. One paper had somehow ended up beneath a candleholder.
Ren bent down quietly before picking up one of the scattered sketches near his feet.
His eyes paused there slightly longer this time.
Unlike the heavily structured dresses common throughout noble society, the design in his hands looked softer.
Elegant, but lighter.
Refined without appearing restrictive. The waistline still emphasized shape, but the silhouette allowed movement instead of forcing stiffness.
"It looks comfortable," he murmured quietly.
I pointed at him immediately.
"Exactly."
Ren glanced up.
"That," I declared seriously, "is the entire point."
He studied the sketch again.
"My lady wishes to change noble fashion?"
"I wish to change women’s clothing and save them ladies from unnecessary suffering."
The corner of his mouth twitched faintly.
Encouraging.
I immediately dropped back onto the carpet near the table before pulling another sheet toward myself and resuming sketching.
"Every noblewoman in this empire looks exhausted," I continued while drawing rapidly. "The dresses are beautiful, but nobody looks comfortable wearing them."
Ren sat nearby now, quietly organizing some of the scattered sketches into cleaner piles.
"The corsets alone look medically concerning," I added.
"That bad?"
"Ren, these women are one staircase away from death."
A quiet sound escaped him suspiciously close to laughter.
I narrowed my eyes.
"You think I am exaggerating."
"I would never dare."
Liar.
I resumed sketching anyway.
The ideas flowed more naturally now that the fabrics sat directly in front of me. Touching them made everything feel real somehow. Not just daydreams or desperate escape plans anymore.
Actual possibilities.
"If I introduce designs that remain elegant while secretly prioritizing comfort," I explained slowly, "women will become obsessed with them."
Ren lowered another sketch thoughtfully.
"Would nobles not resist something unfamiliar?"
"They would if I presented it as practicality."
I pointed the pencil toward him again.
"But sophistication?" I smiled slowly. "Nobles worship sophistication."
Understanding flickered briefly across his face afterward.
"So my lady intends to disguise comfort as luxury."
I slapped the table once.
"Exactly."
The candles flickered slightly from the force.
"This society does not reject comfort," I continued thoughtfully. "It rejects anything that appears ordinary."
I leaned back slightly afterward while staring toward the ceiling.
"But if I convince noblewomen that ease and refinement are the newest standards of elegance..."
My smile widened slowly.
"Then they will willingly abandon their own suffering."
The realization felt strangely terrifying.
Because fashion truly was manipulation.
Beautiful manipulation.
Women did not simply buy dresses.
They bought confidence.
Identity.
Status.
A version of themselves they wished to become.
And once that desire took hold...
It spread quickly.
Ren looked at the growing collection of sketches surrounding me before speaking quietly.
"My lady has already thought this through far more than I expected."
"Of course I have," I answered proudly. "I am fighting for women’s rights."
He blinked once before speaking again, quieter this time.
"...Though, has my lady considered how you intend to introduce these designs to noble society in the first place?"
My pencil paused mid-sketch.
Slowly, I lifted my head toward him.
"What do you mean?"
Ren carefully lowered one of the scattered drawings back onto the table before answering.
"Nobles do not trust unfamiliar products easily. Especially noblewomen." He paused slightly. "Fashion within aristocratic society relies heavily on reputation and appearance. People purchase what they see admired first."
I stared at him silently.
Then slowly lowered the pencil completely.
"...Go on."
Ren glanced toward the overflowing chest of fabrics beside us before continuing.
"If my lady suddenly releases these designs publicly without recognition attached to them, many may simply dismiss them for being too different."
Fair.
Noble society really did function like a giant circle of wealthy people judging each other.
"But," Ren added calmly, "if there exists one design capable of attracting attention first... then curiosity will naturally follow afterward."
Something clicked sharply inside my brain.
A centerpiece.
A signature piece.
Not merely a dress...
THE dress.
I slowly sat upright.
"...A firstborn product."
Ren nodded faintly.
"My lady requires something capable of representing your designs before the rest are introduced."
He was right.
I immediately stood up afterward before pacing across the room again while my thoughts spiraled at dangerous speed.
Of course.
Throwing multiple designs into society all at once would overwhelm people. Nobles hated sudden change unless other nobles validated it first.
Which meant, I needed visibility and recognition.
A memorable first impression strong enough to force people into paying attention.
My pacing slowed slightly afterward.
"...No," I murmured thoughtfully. "Not merely recognition."
Ren watched me quietly.
"Desire."
If noblewomen desired the dress first, the business would follow naturally afterward.
And suddenly, another realization struck me.
I stopped walking entirely.
Then slowly turned toward Ren.
"...Someone needs to wear it."
Ren blinked once.
"My lady?"
"The first design," I clarified while growing more excited by the second. "People need to see it worn properly before they understand its beauty."
I pointed dramatically toward the sketches scattered around the room.
"These designs focus on movement and comfort. Nobody will understand that from sketches alone."
The more I spoke, the clearer the idea became.
The dress needs to be worn by a model.
Women needed to see how naturally it flowed while walking. How graceful it looked without appearing stiff or painfully structured.
And then, my mouth slowly fell open.
"Oh my God."
Ren looked mildly concerned now.
"I have to model my own product."
"...My lady intends to advertise the designs personally?"
I pointed at him immediately.
"Yes!"
