# 11
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Episode 11
* * *
There was silence in the fitting room.
Ayla, an elegant noblewoman who exuded the delicate scent of flowers, was measuring a common assistant herf.
For fear of making a mistake with the woman the Duke was interested in, Ruelia almost couldn't breathe.
At that moment, Ayla clapped her hands,
Breaking the silence.
“Oh, your lower body proportion is better than I expected. You chose a really nice dress.”
Ruelia's cheeks turned red.
She had never received this kind of praise before.
"truly?"
“Yes, you chose the dress that best suits your body. With my dress, you will be the most glamorous at the party, I guarantee it.”
“Thank you for the compliment, Miss Emil.”
“Rather, I am the one who should be thanked.”
Ayla smiled brightly.
She was a really charming person. Her smile is enough to melt anyone, along with her soft and gentle voice, without losing her elegance.
Ruelia understood why the Duke had fallen in love with her at first sight.
That's why she was more worried.
'Is it because he didn't care about love before that he became more obsessed with his first love? To the point where a sane man loses his mind?'
Someone like Kyles, who imposes strict standards even on himf and lives a rigid life, may be more vulnerable to this. Perhaps for him, passionate love is the greatest adventure of his life.
Without realizing that he is burning himf.
Just as a sigh was about to escape from her heavy heart, Ayla took Ruelia’s hand and brought her face close, her eyes shining with excitement.
“To be chosen by Luitelross to make your first dress, what an honour!”
"What? Honor? This is too much."
“Oh, I'm serious. I've always wanted a chance to be friends with you.”
This was not just a compliment. It was an expression of genuine admiration.
'Okay, let's make good use of this.'
A spark of hope flashed in Ruelia's eyes.
She thought the future was bleak, but maybe it wasn't completely dead.
"truly?"
“Of course. So, if you have any request, tell me. I will fulfill any request for you.”
Ayla smiled so sweetly that Ruelia almost fell under her charm.
“So, can you save me?”
She threw the bait with straightforward honesty.
Ayla's eyes widened in surprise, then she carefully checked her surroundings and whispered.
“Miss Ruelia, is Duke Abert threatening you?”
"What?"
“I was wondering. Is that why you left the Bellona Guild and went to the Cruel Duke’s Palace?”
Ruelia blinked her eyes softly. It felt good to see a face that genuinely cared for her, but…
'Why such a harsh assessment?'
People's opinion of the Duke was not good anyway.
But this is a bit embarrassing. If the relationship starts out full of biases and prejudices, the future will be difficult.
“No, the Duke’s Palace is a wonderful place. The pay is high, and the benefits are excellent. If I could, I would want to work there for the rest of my life.”
“Then why did you ask me to save you?”
“It's about the dress. If it's not made on time, my recommendation for this place will lose its meaning.”
Of course, the request also had a real saving meaning.
It is not wrong to say that her future depends on the woman in front of her.
“Oh, you don't have to worry about that. I'll save your face.”
"Thanks."
Ruelia smiled sweetly.
Ayla winked with one eye, with a meaningful smile.
“Okay, then, in the name of our cooperation, can you call me by my name?”
“What? If I do, then...”
It will damage Ayla's reputation.
If she mixes freely with the public, everyone will look down on her. This is the world of nobility.
This was a clear feeling from her days in the Bellona Guild until now.
Ruelia slowly shook her head.
“I want to maintain a long relationship with you, Miss Emil. Therefore, I will politely decline anything that might harm you.”
Ayla lowered the corners of her eyes for a moment, as if feeling frustrated, but she quickly smiled brightly.
“As you expected, I'm good at evaluating people. I really want to work with you.”
Whether it is a compliment of courtesy or sincerity, it does not matter. If she could use this to show the Duke well, that would be enough.
“I'm sorry, but I have already sworn allegiance to my lord. Duke Abert is the noblest and most wonderful noble I have ever seen.”
“Oh, if Miss Ruelia says so, the Duke must be a really great man.”
Well, positive sign.
Ruelia seized on the momentum and showered the Duke with compliments.
“So I would never think of leaving the Duke’s Palace, haha.”
When the praise came to an end, Ayla's eyes filled with regret.
“So, there's no way I can work with you?”
This was the expected response.
Ruelia raised her chin proudly.
“There is a way.”
“What is it? If you don’t leave the Duke’s Palace, ah…!”
As expected, Ayla is an intelligent woman.
'Yes, you can become a duchess. This is how you can be my lady!'
Ruelia encouraged her with eyes shining brighter than ever, urging her to say the answer.
“If I become one of the Duke’s henchmen?”
I forgot.
The world Ruelia lives in is a world within a book. The woman in front of her is the heroine.
The heroines, as usual, are oblivious to emotional matters.
* * *
Kyles approached the fitting room. The sounds of laughter and chatter that had begun to be heard a moment ago bothered him.
Why are they so close?
“Are you two finished?”
Kyles knocked on the fitting room door forcefully.
The internal laughter suddenly stopped.
“We're done, wait a minute.”
But the person who came out was not Ruelia.
She was that annoying woman with a face full of joy.
Cales immediately raised his spikes.
“Why didn’t Ruelia come out?”
“Miss Ruelia is getting dressed.”
"You took off her clothes? What did you do to Julia?"
“Haha, my lord Duke, when tailoring a dress, you must measure it in the same position in which it is worn.”
He should have been embarrassed by his misunderstanding, but the Duke, instead of admitting his mistake, sharpened his thorns even more.
Ayla immediately realized that the Duke hated her.
She thought she knew why without having to say it.
“I envy you, Sir Duke.”
Kyle's eyebrows twitched at her sudden words.
This scene was strange. When he met her at the Count's house, he did not budge no matter how much she tried to provoke him.
“Miss Ruelia says there is only one master to whom she wants devotion.”
Kyle's thorns immediately calmed down.
“Isn't that obvious?”
Arrogance, or perhaps arrogance?
Whatever it was, it was humiliating for Ayla, who was defeated before she could even begin the attack.
In such cases, a small revenge must be taken.
“By the way, Miss Ruelia talked about something interesting.”
Ayla began writing the price of the dress on the invoice.
"What?"
“That is a secret between Miss Ruelia and me.”
Ayla put her slender finger to her lips in an elegant movement.
The Duke's face distorted. Seeing the arrogant duke's mask break was somehow satisfying.
In this sense, Ayla presented the bill to the Duke in a cheerful mood.
“Here's the bill.”
“200 thousand gold?”
Caelus realized Ayla's trick. It was a common trick among merchants.
Inflating prices.
Cales's eyes and the corners of his mouth hardened in reaction to the provocation.
The half-sitting staff of Luitelros shuddered at the Duke's terrifying aura.
Ayla was the only one who could resist his aura and stand firm.
“I think I've already explained it. If you think the price is too high, you can go to another salon, Sir Duke.”
Ayla answered without hesitation in a formal tone.
At that moment, Ruelia came out of the fitting room smiling, then suddenly stopped.
'What's going on?'
She deliberately delayed her exit to give Ayla time to talk to the Duke, but the Duke was getting into an unnecessary fight.
'That's why his first love ends with one-sided love.'
I suddenly felt hopeless.