“Viscountess Portman has sent a gift.”

“Herbs sent by Mrs. Zilehan have arrived.”

Rubica was now getting so many gifts. The most troublesome of them were dresses for a pregnant mother, baby socks, and towels. At least Rubica could eat and share the food and herbs for pregnant mothers, but it wasn’t like she could give away baby clothes embroidered with the emblem of the family.

“The duchess has extremely sensitive skin and can only wear dresses made by Madam Khanna, and she will get baby clothes after discussing with her husband.”

Ann, who was feeling responsible for all this, came up with an excuse. That news spread very quickly and dresses for pregnant women vanished from the gift list. However, Ann took the baby clothes and stored them well without Rubica knowing about it as she believed they will be useful one day. She also knew what was necessary for that.

‘That nightdress the duke liked.’

She had to order it. Ann called Elise, thinking it would be better not to arouse suspicion. However, she was so busy sorting the gifts and preparing letters in return that she couldn’t take part in the conversation between Rubica and Khanna.

“Elise, could you go to serve Her Grace and ask Madam Khanna to come and see me when it is time for her to leave?”

“Yes, Mrs. Taylor.”

So, she asked Elise instead. She thought about sending her away after that, but then she called the girl again.

“You have to speak to her when Her Grace isn’t watching.”

Unlike her arrogant and pouty appearance, Elise was quite simple. Without specific instructions, she would say, “The housekeeper wants to see you,” in her clear and loud voice to Khanna in front of Rubica. Moreover, Ann would be in trouble if Rubica asked why she had called Khanna in secret.

“… okay.”

It didn’t feel right, but Elise nodded. She just thought Ann must have a reason for that and went to Rubica who was with Khanna.

Currently, Khanna was officially the Claymore’s designer, so she could meet Rubica in the sewing room instead of seeing her at the reception room. Rubica then greeted her on a comfortable chair.

“Your Grace, congratulations.”

Khanna was so excited and congratulated Rubica’s pregnancy, but it made Rubica feel very ashamed. However, it wasn’t like she could confess the truth.

“You should be careful, of course, but you should also take walks regularly to give birth to a healthy child. Staying inside might make you feel depressed, so it would be better to go out sometimes.”

Khanna was raising four children of her own, so she advised her out of her experience.

“My belly hasn’t swollen yet, so I don’t think there’s a need to get dresses for a pregnant woman.”

“Yes, dresses that are loose will be enough for a while, but your belly will pop up in a month or two.”

However, that was not going to happen. Rubica then leafed through the sketches of dress designs for a pregnant woman in the early stages. She was planning to order just enough not to be suspicious. It was good that those designs were not that different from what she was normally wearing, so she could have them fixed after wearing them for a month or two or give them to someone who was really pregnant.

“This one and this one.”

“Okay, okay.”

Rubica just picked a few designs without much enthusiasm. Khanna then marked the designs she pointed and waited, but Rubica didn’t say anything more.

“Your Grace, what about embroidery and laces? Should the decoration around the collar be in the matching color of the dress itself? How about using the same lace?”

“Oh, um, just get what you think is right.”

Khanna was really surprised. Just get what you think is right? That should have never come out of Rubica’s mouth. When ordering dresses, she always offered her opinions about this and that like a canary singing. She never neglected even a small pattern. And now, she wanted Khanna to ‘just get what she thought was right?’ That wasn’t like Rubica at all.

“Then I will pick a few that will be good. Oh, and what about fabrics?”

Khanna brought out the fabrics. She had bought many good imported fabrics with the money she had been paid by Rubica rather than hiring an assistant.

She wanted to buy good materials and let Rubica, her practically only client, wear pretty dresses.

But Rubica, who would have exclaimed at seeing those fabrics in any other time, didn’t show any reactions today. She was even looking somewhere else.

“Huh? Oh, sorry. I was somewhere else for a moment.”

“Oh, you must be very tired these days. How about this fabric?”

Khanna unfolded a fabric that was clear blue. It had a great gloss and changed color under the sunlight. Rubica exclaimed at seeing it. This lady was weak to pretty things. She had been distracted only because Khanna’s designs weren’t good enough to catch her attention, so Khanna made up her mind to study even harder.

“I’ve never seen such a color.”

“Yes, the dye that brings out this color is extremely expensive and only royals could use it till a while ago. That is why it is called royal blue.”

It was like it had been made only with the deepest and the most beautiful blue from the deep ocean. Rubica picked it up and waved it lightly. It left a deep blue afterimage as it moved. It was too pretty to be made into a home dress or dress for strolls. A dress made with such a beautiful fabric was for balls. The lively blue would flood out every time the wearer moved under the lights and impress so many people. They would praise the beauty throughout the kingdom and try to describe it. The fabric was too good to be just worn in the Claymore Mansion and receive a few comments like, ‘Today the duchess wore a really pretty dress.’

“I think it would look good on Elise.”

Rubica blurted out her true thoughts.

“Excuse me?”

Elise was surprised to hear her name called so suddenly.

“… I think so as well.”

Actually, when Khanna saw that fabric that had arrived after crossing the faraway desert and ocean, she had first thought of Elise. The color would look beautiful on anyone, but it especially fitted Elise.

“Yes, right?”

Rubica got up and put the fabric on the surprised girl’s shoulder. Her white skin and the blue fabric looked amazingly good together. It was like a goddess inside the painting of a famous artist had just walked out into the real world.

“I think there should be lots of splendid chest decorations here. How about putting pearls in cross stripes and using red rubies as buttons in the middle?”

Elise freaked out. Her mistress was at it again.

“No!”

“But I think it would look so good on you… you look better in dresses that have a deep color and many ornaments than in plain dresses.”

Elise knew that as well. She had eyes of her own. When she wore and did as Rubica and her capable maids said, she became amazingly beautiful. However, the cost of that beauty was too much.

“But the fabric itself is expensive, so adding such ornaments would be too much.”

“I’ll buy. I must go to balls when the society season comes. It’s not like I skip them just because I don’t want to go.”

Actually, Rubica was planning to go to every party that would take place. How beautiful would the balls in the capital be? Her heart beat fast just imagining it.

“And, you do know you have to come with me, right?”

“… yes.”

“If you wear the same dress to every ball you go, I will become a laughingstock.”

That was definitely right. She was Duchess Claymore, and not even making sure her own ladies-in-waiting wore proper dresses would make people call her stingy, and she really wanted to avoid that.

Rubica knew about Elise’s situation. She couldn’t afford to get dresses for balls on her own. Moreover, taking care of the people around her was her duty and privilege as a noble lady. Rubica wanted to give Elise many splendid dresses so that people would look at her beauty at each ball.

“So, giving you a dress is also for me, Elise. So please, do not say no.”

What she was saying was harshly pointing at Elise’s sad reality. That was why she was trying to say it as nicely as possible, and it made Elise give up.

She nodded, “But this one has a color too splendid color and too many jewels.”

“Do not worry about money. Everyone puts at least this much ornaments on their chest. Look at this design. Although there are many pearls and rubies, they are not that big. Plus, they were buttons so they can be put on other dresses.”

Rubica passionately argued. Still, the girl couldn’t brighten up.

“Such a dress, with so many jewels, isn’t right for me. I like plain dresses.”

Now there came another obstacle. Rubica looked at Elise wearing a dress that was in the color of a mouse. She didn’t look that bad. Compared to her initial self with a timid character and slouching shoulders, she had achieved a great transformation. However, she could be even prettier. She had just started to bloom and Rubica wanted to make her shine even more, but what was she saying she looked better in plain dresses that weren’t right for her?

Well then, there was no other way for Rubica to be as stubborn as she was.

“Elise, why are you so sure it wouldn’t look good on you when it hasn’t even been made yet? I want you to wear this so much, and you will look good in it. I guarantee it, everyone will praise you when they see you in it. You can come to protest to me if that doesn’t happen.”