Volume 2 - CH 75

A few days later, at the ice cream shop on a holiday. Employees gathered for an emergency meeting.

It’s not an exaggeration to say, but it’s the usual members: Alme, Ena, and Jayla.

In addition to that, there is another person, Falk.

He has already recovered from magic fatigue and had free time to rest.

He wanted to try the new product, a popsicle, so he had to eat it, and he also had to attend the meeting.

And so the meeting began, with the four of them nibbling on popsicles.

Ame placed a flier from Campbellina’s shop on the table and briefly explained the situation.

“So I went to check out the area the other day and found a new shop with the same name as our ice cream shop…It seems that Miss Campbellina Desmond is involved with the shop over there. She is the daughter of a rich aristocratic family.”

“That Campbellina is the person who came to Alme’s shop before and forced cut-off money on you, right? She’s a lady like storm, so it’s going to be troublesome…”

“The opening is next month. Let’s just get in there when it opens. To fight a war, you must first observe the enemy!”

“The shop over there seems to have a dress code. It seems that commoners are not customers, so they chased away passers-by. Even if you want to get in, you’ll be turned away at the door.”

While crunching on the popsicles, they were all worried. Falk then gave his opinion.

“Then why not just wear clothes that fit the dress code?”

“Oh, a disguise. That’s good! If you dress like a noble, you can enter.”

“Then, how about putting on a dress, applying makeup, and changing your hairstyle? Alme always wears her hair down, so just putting it up will change her impression considerably!”

“Wait a minute, you’re assuming that I’m the one going in!”

Everyone’s eyes naturally turned to Alme. She couldn’t help but pull her mouth into a tight line.

“Rather than us going, it would be better for the owner to get in and get more information, right?”

“I’ll go with you. It is more natural for a man and a woman to enter a prestigious shop together.”

“For now, all you need is a dress!”

“D-dress… How much will it cost? First of all, I don’t have an appropriate dress to even go dress shopping…!”

The conversation went by quickly. Alme managed to twist her voice to keep from being swept away.

But Falk swept it away in an instant.

“There are a wide range of dress shops from top to bottom, so you don’t have to be so uptight. Let’s look for a place that is easy to get into. Let’s go take a peek on your next day off, shall we?

“Hah… no, but buying a dress just for disguise is kind of a waste…”

Alme doesn’t go out to evening parties or public events, so she felt reluctant to buy a fancy dress.

Once she finished inspecting the ‘enemy situation’, she wouldn’t have a chance to wear it again… When she thought about it, her frugal habit tingled her heart.

With such a brusque reply, Alme took a bite of the popsicle. Looking at the stick that came out, she unconsciously uttered.

“Oh, I won!”

“Oh, congratulations! You’re in luck! With your good luck, I’m sure your disguise will work!”

“Now that we’ve got a good idea of what to expect, I think it’s decided that Alme will be the one to go in.”

“I think the God of ice cream has your back, too.”

“… Everyone, you’re making too many convenient interpretations.”

She didn’t want to complicate things with the ‘win’ of an ice cream stick, which is nothing at all…

Despite Alme’s thoughts, the noble lady disguise operation was decided.

When Campbellina’s ice cream shop opens, Alme will disguise herself as a noble and go to inspect the enemy situation, and with that concluded today’s meeting ended.

In her previous life, there was a culture called ‘Cosplay’, but she never thought that she would make her debut in this life.

She would try her best to make the ‘Noble Lady Cosplay’ somehow tangible…

After a few business days, they immediately went to look at costumes for the aristocratic daughter cosplay. Falk was quick to help her find an affordable shop.

His research was too fast, and Alme wasn’t prepared to be pulled out of the house.

Alme and Falk went down a street a short distance from the main street and entered a dress shop.

It seems to be a ready-made clothing shop with hanging dresses. Compared to custom-made clothing shops, the price range seems to be much lower, but from Alme’s point of view, everything looks expensive.

“Come on, let’s go inside.”

“Thank you…but it looks expensive, is it really okay?”

“It’s okay. Let’s just take a peek for now.”

Falk opensed the door and respectfully escorted Alme inside.

Seeing this, the clerk glanced at her with a welcoming greeting.

The clerk was a woman in her mid-forties – the manager of this shop. Seeing a male-female pair of customers who came to the shop, she immediately began analyzing them in her mind.

(Two guests, a man and a woman… their vibe doesn’t seem to be relatives, so they’re a couple. However, they both behave moderately to each other. Perhaps not in a committed relationship yet.)

Based on her long experience working in a dress shop and seeing various customers, the manager guesses the relationship between this man and woman.

(The woman is dressed like a commoner. The man is also dressed like a commoner, but his manners are elegant and he appears to be used to escorting ladies politely. He seems to have a certain status and with his good looks,……, there seems to be no shortage of women. He must be a nobleman who plays around with commoner ladies.)

The shop manager let out a sigh of disappointment so as not to be seen by the customers.

The ‘Aristocrat’s Commoner Game’ is a game in which a nobleman calls on a local girl and treats her like a princess to make her happy.

It is a game to satisfy a nobleman’s sense of superiority and desire to rule by playing with a maiden and enjoying the feeling of being a prince.

When the nobleman got tired of the girl who played the role of a princess, discard her and make another girl a princess. This commoner female customer must have ended up being cast in such a nobleman’s “princess play”.

She felt indescribable when she thought of the future that is coming for her. But of course she didn’t show such a thing on her face.

The manager put on a customer service smile and called out.

“How can I help you? If you have a favorite color or an image of a dress, please let me know. I have some in the back and I would be happy to bring them out to you.”

“Oh, yes, thank you. I haven’t decided yet, so is it okay if I look around the shop?”

“Of course. Please take your time in making your selection.”

Gently pulling back, the woman showed a relieved expression. The female customer must be unfamiliar with this kind of shop, and she must be the type to get nervous when the staff serve customers.

When dealing with such customers, it is counterproductive to be overzealous. It is best to watch them from a distance.

The male and female customers began to make their way around the shop, whispering and consulting with each other.

“What color dress would you like to wear, Miss Alme?”

“I didn’t think about it at all, but I don’t like colors that are too cute, like…yellow or pink. Oh, and red, orange, and other flashy colors are also tough.”

“‘Is that so? I think a red dress would look good with your black hair. Since you are going into the enemy camp, a bright red dress, like a firestorm, would be a good choice. It looks strong.”

“I can’t do something like a villainess in some play…! I’ll lose to the costume. A more relaxed dress like this…Ah, navy blue is lovely. It feels safe.”

The female customer, called Alme, was looking at a navy blue dress on a human-shaped display.

Without delay, the manager approached and made a suggestion.

“If you don’t mind, I have another navy blue dress, so would you like me to bring it to you?”

“Uh, no, um…”

“The navy blue dress looks good on you, Miss Alme. Why don’t you try it on? You should try on various styles. I’d like to see you as a villainess, so please take a red one too.”

“… Mr. Falk, you must be confusing me as something else… Am I a dress-up doll to you?”

“Then, I will show you to the fitting room.”

The woman’s name is Alme. The man’s name is Falk. While writing the customer’s information in a memo in her head, the manager guided them to the fitting room.

With several other clerks, the manager invited the female customer into the fitting room. The male customer is left to the other clerks to deal with.

They entered the carpeted room and quickly put on the dress. Quickly finishing up, the manager guided her in front of the full-length mirror.

“Wow, beautiful. I’ve never worn a dress like this before. I feel like a princess. I’m so embarrassed.”

The navy blue dress has a puffy skirt and a design that reveals the shoulders. The subdued hue suits her mood well.

Perhaps it resonated with her maiden’s heart, and her eyes sparkled when she saw herself.

The manager couldn’t help but feel pain in her heart when she saw that innocent face…

The daughters who are caught up in the common people’s games of the nobility all make this kind of face when they see themselves as princesses.

In most cases, the purchased dresses are sold within a year or so. An abandoned daughter, with her haggard face, comes to sell the dress and exchange it for money.

Someday the dress she chose will also be lined up in a shop somewhere as second-hand clothes.

When the manager thought about it, she had mixed feelings… but at least for now, she would help this customer with her short-lived dream.

“Customer, it suits you very well!”

“Isn’t this a bit too fancy for me?”

“That’s not true! It’s so lovely, I’m sure your companion will be delighted!”

“Is that so?”

The manager smiled brightly. Avoiding seeing the young lady’s pitiful smile, she guided the customer to the male client who was waiting, to show off the dress.

This is the darkest moment.

The moment when the nobleman who plays the role of the prince smiles when he sees the princess he has made. It’s the moment when a man’s distorted pride and greed are satisfied, and a man leans back.

The female customer stepped in front of the male customer.

“I tried it on. What do you think…?”

The manager expected an obnoxious smirk on the man’s face, but surprisingly he put his hand over his mouth and let out a loud, deeply emotional voice.

“Oh, it’s the best!!”

The male customer’s voice resounded and all the clerks including the shop manager widened their eyes in surprise.

(the best…!?)

……Where did the atmosphere of an elegant nobleman until just now go?

The male customer’s eyes lit up and he began to look around at the dress from various angles.

The female customer who looked indescribably austere, had a faint blush of embarrassment on her cheeks.

While the shop assistants were dumbfounded, the male customer gleefully picked up another dress.

“Your usual outfit is cute, but this dress looks different and wonderful! You should try on some dresses in other colors, too!”

“No…! I said no flashy colors…!”

“It’s just trying it on, so wear it, please!”

“The word, please, doesn’t make the situation negotiable…ah, don’t bring it over!”

“Come on” the male customer forced a dress into her hands.

With the help of several clerks, she returned to the fitting room with a large number of dresses.

The female customer made a solemn face and let out a low groan.

“Excuse me… please help me… stop him… if he’s like that, I think I’ll never be able to leave the fitting room for the rest of my life.”

Where did the shy face from earlier go? In a complete turn around, the female customer had a serious face in a cold sweat.

A pitiful girl who got caught up in a nobleman’s play among the commoners, what a ridiculous misunderstanding.

This woman is not an unfortunate daughter being played with by a nobleman, but an unfortunate daughter who has taken him captive.

Although she appears to be perturbed, the manager was sure she would have many happy hardships in the future. Just like now. What an enviable misfortune to be forced into a fitting room with a handful of gorgeous dresses…

But, although it will be difficult for her, the manager was grateful for it.

If she was a ‘play princess,’ the prince would be reluctant to recommend styles, but now with the situation changed, the manager felt happy to assist.

The staff surrounded the female customers with big smiles.

“Well, customer. Since it’s a great opportunity, why don’t you try on all of these dresses? No, it’s rude to call you ‘customer.’ Please let me call you ‘madam’.”

From the way he is into this woman, that male customer is likely to be a superior customer. Basically, the clerks are a superior customer’s ally.

The manager felt sorry, but she couldn’t help in this situation.

The young lady must try on all the dresses and then purchase one or more.

And all the clerks, with a heartfelt smile, would say, “Thank you for coming to our shop.”