Erencia had been holed up in her room for several days and hadn't come out.
She pondered how to multiply the 500 silver coins. In a way, 500 silver coins was a large sum of money.
Considering that the weekly salary of the Empire's administrators was 25 silver coins, it was a whopping five months' worth of salary.
However, it was a laughable amount for the nobility. If you calculated what the nobility ate, drank, and spent daily, there was more than 500 silver coins left over.
With this money, can I lend it to the nobles while showing off?
They'll probably snort.
"How do you make money?!"
Erencia, who had no particular talent other than the art of spending money, despaired.
Unless one was the head of the household or had been raised as an heir from a young age, taking an interest in making money was unbecoming of a noble.
The same was true for Erencia.
If I had known this would happen, I would have at least learned knitting!
She didn't even learn embroidery, which noble ladies practiced as a hobby.
Why bother embroidering and hurting your eyes and fingers?
You can just hire someone else with that money.
Because she was a woman with such an extremely aristocratic mindset.
"Miss, Designer Andre has come to see you."
While Erencia was pondering how to somehow accept the situation and find a solution, the door opened.
The person who entered without a sound was Agnes.
"Agnes, knock."
Erencia pointed out Agnes's behavior. Although she has been on good terms with Agnes since the regression, barging into the master's room is still not a good idea.
"Oh my. Didn't you hear, young lady?"
Agnes opened her eyes wide.
"How many times do you know? Since there was no answer, I came to check if you were asleep. A guest has arrived, you see. Miss, do you think I am some kind of maid who lacks basic manners to open the master's room without knocking?"
Agnes raised the end of her sentence as if she were hurt.
"No. You mean a guest?"
After making a brief excuse, Erencia quickly changed the subject. Agnes seemed to have something more to say, but perhaps not wanting to keep the guest waiting indefinitely, she answered promptly.
"Yes. Designer Andre has arrived."
The clue to solving Erencia's dilemma was in an unexpected place.
***
While Erencia was holed up in her room, the capital was buzzing with talk of her dress.
At first, she didn't believe it. However, as Andre spoke passionately, spitting as he spoke, she couldn't help but believe him.
"You mean everyone likes my dress?"
Erencia asked back for confirmation.
It was only natural that it was hard to believe. This was because Erencia's dress was not the kind of thing young ladies would prefer.
At best, it was a dress that would have been nice to wear at home before going to bed.
Of course, the fabric, decorations, and draping were excellent, but they were the exact opposite of the long, voluminous dresses that were in fashion in the empire.
"Yes, young lady, people are going crazy. More than ten people visit our shop a day. They're asking if we have Miss Erencia's dress."
Erencia leaned back on the sofa and looked at Andre.
“So?”
"I would like to sell this dress under your name, young lady."
Andre leaned forward. His usually high voice grew even higher with excitement.
"You're saying you want to sell dresses under my name?"
Andre rubbed his palms together vigorously like a fly.
"Yes, Miss. Based on the design of the dress you wore, I slightly changed the fabric and the drape pattern..."
"Will that dress sell?"
Erencia recalled the young ladies she had seen at the banquet hall. The ladies who, without exception, had their mouths gaping open, not knowing how to react, and who hadn't even spoken to her.
Everyone looked fed up.
"It is selling. Already, more than fifty noble ladies and young ladies have come to see me, saying they want to buy the dress the young lady wore."
Wow. You have unique taste.
Erencia quickly crossed her legs. She moved naturally, but Andre was greatly surprised.
'You don't have a petticoat?'
Andre was actually a little disappointed when he saw Erencia's outfit today. This was because her skirt was hanging limply like a wet broom.
He wondered how cheap the petticoat was that the hem hung down so miserably, but it turned out she hadn't worn it at all.
'I thought you were sitting so comfortably.'
It was a posture that was possible because she wasn't wearing a petticoat.
"Will you never wear a petticoat again?"
Andre quickly began to think of a dress design with the petticoat removed. Erencia's arrogant and cocky demeanor was awkward, but he was convinced. Everything Erencia did would become a trend.
"Yes. It’s uncomfortable to move around in, after all. The skirt is also uncomfortable because it rides up like a mountain when I sit down, and it’s heavy."
For some time now, Erencia has not worn a petticoat even when staying at home.
Agnes rushed to put a petticoat on her, saying her skirt was flat and she looked like a wet chicken, but Erencia shook her head.
Thanks to this, you can comfortably cross your legs and wiggle your feet exposed beneath the hem of your skirt.
It was the arrogant pose that Erencia practiced in front of the mirror at night.
"So, Andre, you're saying that you were able to sell the dress thanks to me?"
“Yes.”
Erencia's ears perked up.
Is this going to make money?
Erencia pretended to be uninterested and asked.
"So you mean you want to sell it by saying it's my dress?"
"That is correct. I would like to sell this in Miss Erencia's name."
Erencia let out a nasal hum, rested her elbow on the armrest, and propped her chin on her hand.
Erencia stared intently at Andre in a crumpled sack-like pose.
This guy has pounced on her to do business right now. But for someone who came to ask for a favor, his attitude is a bit rude.
"How much are you going to give me?"
After a while, Erencia spoke.
“Yes. Huh?”
"I'm asking how much you're going to pay. You're not asking me to lend my name for free, are you?"
Andre blinked his eyes quickly.
Andre was speechless when he saw Erencia shamelessly making a financial demand.
As Andre came to make a proposal to Erencia, he expected two reactions.
The first is getting angry, saying that he is rude.
Nobles highly valued their names and considered anyone who tried to use them to make money to be unnoble.
That is why he thought that Erencia might refuse and get angry as soon as she heard what he said.
The second is willingly lending.
However, he thought that in this case, she would accept it, considering it a matter of upholding her honor.
He didn't expect her to ask for money.
But Erencia.
"Did you try to get away with it?"
She demanded money in a manner unbefitting of a noble.
She even scolded Andre, a businessman, for not being able to calculate properly.
"Think carefully. I prefer not to lend my name. But you don't. You said you absolutely need my name, didn't you?"
Andre merely blinked at Erencia's nonchalant attitude, which subtly pressured him to propose a negotiation amount.
However, Andre is a businessman. Suddenly snapping back to reality, he quickly began to count on his abacus.
The dress will sell by word of mouth even without putting Erencia's name on it.
However, if you put her name on it, it will sell like hotcakes at a higher price.
Trends have their time and season. The saying 'row the boat while the tide is coming in' didn't come about for no reason.
If you just think of it as sharing a little profit...
"No, not at all. Of course I intended to pay you."
Andre slyly concealed his embarrassment.
"How much should I pay?"
"This.”
Erencia spread out three fingers.
"You mean three silver coins? Of course I'll give them to you. That's nothing..."
"No. I am asking for 30 percent of the net profit."
“Eh?”
"If you sell a dress for 250 silver coins, the net profit is usually 100 silver coins."
So far, Andre has kept all the money for himself.
But you're saying we should split it?
It was not welcome to Andre.
"10%."
Andre is a seasoned businessman. He attempted to negotiate first.
"30%"
“20%.”
“Go out.”
However, negotiation is only possible on an equal footing.
Andre was in a position where he was unilaterally making a request to Erencia.
The situation he was in was very unfavorable for him to steer the negotiations in his favor.
And so, Andre...
"Alright. 25 percent."
He tried to haggle the price down a little more, but...
"30 percent. Agnes, make sure to see them off well on their way."
Andre was frustrated by Erencia's sharp rejection.
"I'll do it for 30 percent, Miss!"
Only then did Erencia smile broadly and take her chin off her hand.
"Since we're doing it anyway, let's make sure we do it right. Call the portrait, Agnes."
***
“What is that?”
Euclid opened his eyes in the paperwork for the first time in a very long while. His eyes were bloodshot. Was that it? The person looked strange.
“What are you talking about?”
Frederick, who was also looking at documents, raised his head. Frederick rubbed his neck as Euclid looked at the place pointed to.
It's definitely Erencia. She's lost so much weight in just a few days. She looks absolutely emaciated.
"Yes. She's really as thin as paper... Huh? That's paper, isn't it?"
The carriage passed the object that Euclid had mistaken for Erencia. At Frederick's words, Euclid leaned out the window and stared for a long time at the object that had passed.
Fluttering, fluttering, Erencia was swaying in front of the dressmaking shop. To be precise, it was the painting of Erencia.
***
"It's a huge hit. A total jackpot."
Andre swayed his body, not knowing what to do with himself with joy. His shoulders swayed even as he walked, as if he was barely holding back his urge to dance out of happiness.
Erencia smiled bitterly.
She felt conflicted as she watched her portrait fluttering outside.
It is her own suggestion, but seeing it being passed around like that makes her feel a bit sorry for herself...
Several people have secretly asked him if they could have that painting. They said they would pay whatever price was asked.
Andre whispered.
"They are mostly men, Miss."
Ugh. Erencia barely managed to hold back the urge to throw up and instead let out a sigh.
It was Erencia herself who came up with the idea to hang a life-size portrait in front of the dress shop.
The first reason was that she made the suggestion hoping for good business, and the second reason was that she wanted rumors to spread that a noble lady had sold her face and body for money.
And to be precise, the second reason is bigger.
However, for some reason, she is frivolous. There was no rumor that she was obsessed with money.
The portrait painter who painted Erencia is screaming with joy as orders pile up, and Andre's dressmaking shop is bustling with activity.
"Please give me the dress drawn on Lady Erencia's portrait outside!"
"Since there is only one set left...”
"I came first, please give it to me!"
Fights often broke out.
Erencia pulled her hat down low.
For some reason, she had a strong feeling that she shouldn't let her identity be revealed here.
"Let's go, Agnes."
She tugged at the collar of Agnes, who was busy counting the money she had received from Andre.
"What is it, Miss Erencia?"
"Agnes, your voice is too loud."
Erencia waved her hand as if to tell Agnes to be quiet.
"Lady Erencia?"
Erencia froze like a stone. Cold sweat ran down her back.
Did I just hear Lady Erencia's name?
"Is she here right now? Where? Where is she?"
A group of women looked around searching for Erencia.
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