<Episode 15>
Just as the wolf knights, pressed close to the wall, approached with a subtle air of menace, someone squealed, "Kyaaa!"
It was Mrs. Weila, the female designer at the very front, who was gazing at me with enraptured eyes.
"What a truly lovely young lady. I will tailor clothes for you with all my heart."
As she rejoiced, her husband, Mr. Weila, standing beside her, was also delighted.
"If my wife says so, then I will do my best as well. It is an honor, Miss Gridwolf."
Hmm, wolves. They really only have eyes for their wives. Lord Jackal was always close by Lady Caris's side, though he always wore an indifferent expression.
The rest of the design team behind the designer seemed to like me, but I wasn't going to let my guard down; they might just be following the Weilas' lead.
I'm still small, so I must look like a toy to the wolves. Of course, the Gridwolf family cherishes me, but there was no guarantee that other wolves would be the same.
"Well, then… may I call you Lady Kittia?"
"Yes, that’s okay!"
When I answered, Mrs. Weila patted her husband's shoulder and stomped her feet, exclaiming, "The doll can talk! I mean, she's talking!"
Me? A doll? I'm a cat with fangs the size of rice grains! They clearly haven't learned how scary cats can be.
Mrs. Weila knelt in front of me and carefully took my measurements with her tape measure. I helped her by spreading and lowering my arms as she instructed.
"Measurements are all done. I will show you samples of clothes that would suit the young lady’s, um, petite? figure.”
A petite figure. She must have been struggling with how to say I was small without being rude.
I was in human form now, but I was definitely smaller than wolves of my age. I also couldn't eat much, which didn't help...
"Thank you, Mrs. Weila."
Mrs. Weila patted her husband's shoulder again, then, noticing Lady Gray and the knights, apologized for being too boisterous.
Soon after, three large trunks arrived, along with some orange juice for me.
The Weila couple swiftly began unpacking the clothes from the trunks and displaying them. I sipped my orange juice and watched the scene.
"Wow… Lena, look at those. They’re so cute!"
Lena told me those were doll clothes sets Mrs. Weila had made as a hobby. She made them using real jewels and expensive fabrics and tried to sell them to wealthy people, but it didn't work out well, it seems.
"But a doll that fits those clothes would be too big for me to carry around. The doll would be as big as me, right?"
Lena took the empty orange juice cup from me and gave me a gentle smile.
"Mrs. Weila wants you to wear those clothes, young lady. I thought it was just a suggestion, but seeing these pretty clothes makes me think differently."
Just by looking at the dainty decorations and elaborate embroidery, I could tell how much love and care Mrs. Weila had put into making those clothes.
It felt a little silly to wear clothes made for dolls, but this time, I was glad I was small.
Just as Mr. Weila was finishing up the clothing display with neat hands, Mrs. Weila came in front of me and lowered her posture.
"Young lady. How about trying on all of these clothes?"
"All of them?"
"You would look so lovely...*in all of them.*"
Mrs. Weila couldn't take her eyes off me, wearing the same enraptured smile that Theo and Deon had always given me.
"Young lady. Do you have any preferred designs? How about pants? It's fashionable among ladies these days to have riding breeches made."
I imagined myself in pants. They would be comfortable and good for everyday wear, but imagining my tail popping out by mistake was a disaster.
‘If I wear a skirt, I can hide my tail inside, but not with pants!’
If my tail popped out while I was wearing pants, my bottom would look all puffy, like a duck's!
I shook my head.
"I'd prefer a skirt. The frillier and more voluminous, the better."
That way, it would be easier to hide my tail. I should also buy a hat to cover my ears, which could pop out at any time.
Fortunately, Mrs. Weila treated me with respect. She let me touch several fabrics and choose the material I wanted, and she carefully asked about my usual activities.
"Young lady, do you have a favorite color?"
"I like the color of a ripe peach."
"Oh my, how perfect... you even like the color of a ripe peach!"
"……?"
"Ahem, I apologize. Then, how about velvet with this kind of feel… Kyaa!"
As I was examining the velvet, I accidentally brushed Mrs. Weila's hand, and she let out a delighted gasp.
"Young lady, your hands are so soft! You would look so cute wearing white lace gloves or red knitted gloves."
"Thank you for the compliment, Mrs. Weila."
"Young lady is really— Oh my."
Mrs. Weila, who had been clasping her hands together like when praying, discovered something and hurriedly stood up.
Lord Jackal and Mr. Elliot, carrying a pile of documents, were walking towards us from afar.
Lord Jackal had Theo and Deon in tow – they had said they couldn't come out of their room because they had to study, but...
To be precise, it was Theo and Deon who were holding onto Lord Jackal's arms and wouldn't let go.
"Father, that’s unfair!"
"You’re making us study and then you’re trying to watch the Kitty fashion show alone!"
"She's my daughter. If you're jealous, go get married and have your own."
Lord Jackal, after receiving greetings from the designers, sat down on the sofa more confidently than anyone else. Theo and Deon also took seats.
With the three of them sitting side by side on the sofa, the mannequins wearing men's suits suddenly looked shabby.
"Theo! Deon! And Lord Jackal too!"
I waved my hand and greeted them. At that moment, Mr. Weila, who was watching me, suddenly brightened. 'Of course! You must try on some gloves...'"
While the Weila couple was giving instructions to their assistants, I got to look at the accessory samples.
They were all for adults and looked very expensive with large brooches and decorations attached.
The employee guarding the accessories didn't seem to be very close to the Weila couple, as instead of joining their hurried discussion, she was staring at me intently.
When our eyes met for about three seconds, a pretty but cold smile touched her lips.
‘That look is…’
I could instantly recognize that smile – the smile of someone ambitious but powerless. I'd seen Jerian's wicked smile enough times to know.
The employee, who had eyes similar to Jerian, spoke in a gentle voice, but I could easily guess what she was thinking.
"Hello, young lady? Are you interested in accessories?"
"This hat is really pretty. It’s for adults, so I can’t wear it, though."
"Oh, don't say that! Try it on. The brooch is the real centerpiece, you see. We can remake the hat to fit you perfectly, and then attach the brooch."
The employee kindly showed me the hat. Looking at her turning it around and touching it, it didn't seem to be poisoned or anything.
I shuddered, remembering a cat who'd worn shoes Jerian had given it – it had gotten poison ivy on its paws, and the poor thing's jellies had hardened. Jelly health first, jelly health second, I reminded myself. I have to be careful.
The employee put the hat on my head and lifted the brim so I could see. The pink sun hat suited me very well.
"It’s really pretty!"
"Oh my, thank you. Young lady, you have an eye for beauty. The jewel on the brooch is top-grade pink peridot. It’s real. Thanks to that, the price is a bit high, but…"
After showing me a price tag with many zeros, the employee glanced at Lena. Lena seemed busy introducing the Weila couple's works to Theo, Deon, and Lord Jackal.
"If you like the hat, why don't you mention it to Lady Gray? I'm sure the Gridwolfs wouldn't spare any expense for their daughter."
"Hmm…"
"You won’t be able to find a brooch decorated with a pink peridot this big anywhere else."
I blinked, looking back and forth between the employee and the pink jewel.
The employee kept mentioning 'Gridwolf,' trying to pressure me.
‘Is it because I’m small?’
Besides, thanks to the document sorting Jerian made me do, I was confident in calculating numbers.
But the employee lowered her posture and whispered to me.
"It’s just right for Gridwolf’s dignity."
"Umm…"
"Add some gray feathers, and even a little mouse would feel as grand as a Gridwolf."
I looked at the employee's eyes reflected in the mirror. This person might have noticed that I wasn't a wolf.
‘Even if she knew I was a cat… trying to pressure me into buying something.’
I wasn't that young. I was six, practically an adult!
It seemed better to leave before the employee tried to recommend more things to me.
Just as I was about to turn away, the employee covered one zero on the price tag with her fingertip.
"I’m giving you a little discount because you’re cute, young lady. The previous price might have been too much to ask you to ask for."
I smiled faintly and met the employee's eyes as she dangled the peridot in front of me.
"Thank you for the compliment. But you need to take away three more zeros."
"What do you mean?"
"I know that what’s embedded in the brooch isn’t a real peridot, but colored glass."
"……!"
For a moment, a crack appeared in the employee's smile.
"So, you're not giving me a discount because I'm cute. And taking off just one zero? My cuteness is worth way more than that!"
Good. That big word, 'overworked,' should have scared her.
Feeling very clever for copying my brother, I tossed my head and trotted over to Lena.
