Merilda, as usual, was talkative—but this time, she seemed to have caught a rhythm, and her chatter was endless.
Everyone had their eyes lit with excitement because of the upcoming ball and contest.
Not only the students, but the teachers, the internal staff, and even the invited guests from outside were all the same.
Merilda didn’t stop there—she spilled all kinds of miscellaneous stories as well.
Recently, the demand for dresses had sharply increased, and Royal Street had become even {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} more bustling.
“Because of that, every famous luxury designer has their eyes wide open.”
“And why is that?”
Bruno, who had just swallowed the mashed potatoes on his plate, asked curiously.
Merilda raised her index finger and waved it.
“You gentlemen probably don’t know this, but Seorn’s ball is extremely symbolic. You’ve seen how many guests came for the Magic Festival—Seorn’s own grand celebration.”
Ludger and Bruno exchanged glances, then shrugged in unison.
Merilda shot them a half-lidded glare.
But, thinking about it, it wasn’t surprising.
Ludger, who juggled being Planning Director and a teacher, was an extreme workaholic, and Bruno was always buried in his mechanical golems full of oil and steam.
There was no way they would understand the fervent longing this kind of ball inspired in women.
“I should explain it nicely so you two can understand just how much attention Seorn draws.”
The Magic Festival alone brought in key figures from various countries, high-ranking nobles, and all sorts of people.
The same would be true for the upcoming ball.
“Think about it—Seorn’s patrons, who pour in enormous sums every year, will spare no expense for an event like this. Naturally, there will be people eager to catch their eye, right?”
“You mean the tailors.”
Ludger nodded in understanding. He had already guessed as much when the topic of dresses came up.
Merilda clapped her hands.
“Exactly. Famous tailors, designers, luxury brand owners. And do you think they’d turn down the chance for greater fame?”
“So holding a contest is essentially like planning a fashion show.”
With the added bonus of advertisement value.
No wonder it reeked of business—so this was the reason.
“Famous brand designers will do whatever it takes to present their masterpieces to the public. They have to elevate their prestige. And they’ll want a model worthy of it.”
“A model?”
“People who can attend the ball. Those willing to accept sponsorship—students and teachers.”
Ohhh.
Even Bruno, sitting beside Ludger, let out an admiring sound as he finally understood.
“In other words, this ball isn’t just for the students’ enjoyment—it’s a massive stage where people’s ambitions and interests intertwine.”
Merilda seemed to know absolutely everything.
Seeing the fire in her eyes, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was staking her life on this ball.
‘Why is she so passionate about this?’
Ludger and the other teachers couldn’t help but find it puzzling.
But Merilda didn’t care about such looks.
‘This contest is very important.’
She pictured herself—
Appearing at the ballroom in a beautiful dress.
‘The spotlight shines on me, and all around, people murmur their admiration.’
She could clearly imagine handsome gentlemen in fine suits and tuxedos approaching her, eager to strike up a conversation.
And then, as if she had been waiting for it, she would respond with dignity: “Ah, I’m a little busy right now,” with a slight, playful smile.
Men, restless with impatience.
Just imagining it—what could be more delightful?
That daydream crept onto her expression.
Ludger saw the desire-filled smile and inwardly grimaced.
‘What the hell is she imagining?’
When he glanced at Selina beside him, she simply wore an innocent expression.
He felt a small sense of relief at that.
Well—people differed, after all.
Then Merilda, regaining her focus, spoke again.
“Anyway, this ball is very important. From getting the dress to deciding on a partner.”
“I see.”
“Back to the point—have you decided on your partner, Professor Ludger?”
“I have no plans.”
Ludger’s answer was consistent.
Selina’s slightly expectant expression turned sullen.
* * *
Thanks to Merilda’s wholehearted persuasion, Ludger began to think about the upcoming ball more seriously.
If so many vested interests were involved, it seemed worth giving it some attention.
‘Besides, with all the tailors gathering, it’s not something I can just ignore.’
News from the Lumenis Church in the capital or from the elven trackers was not something he could get immediately, even if he wanted it now.
It would take time, and in the meantime, there was nothing else that required his urgent focus.
So Ludger headed for Rederbelk at a leisurely pace.
This time, not as Ludger Cherish, but as Oliver—the owner of Royal Street.
“Owner. You’re here.”
Violetta, having been notified in advance, greeted him.
Her public position was as the manager of [House of Verdi].
She was also the designer currently making the biggest name for herself.
“Business going well?”
“Yes. Things are running smoothly. Sales are steadily rising, and thanks to word of mouth, customers keep coming in.”
Violetta answered while glancing at the now-thriving street.
But there was a faint note of concern in her voice.
Ludger caught it immediately.
“If you have something on your mind, you can ask.”
“Well... it’s just...”
“Is it because of the ball at Seorn?”
Violetta’s eyes widened.
There was no point in asking how he knew—he was her boss and a Seorn teacher.
“...Yes, that’s right. Lately, there’s been a lot I have to keep up with because of it.”
“Obviously, it’s about the dresses for the ball.”
“We’ve had more custom orders, but even more than that, our competitors are paying a lot of attention to us.”
Just recalling it made her shake her head.
“Rederbelk is our home ground, but our rivals are master tailors from famous brands. Compared to them, we’re still newcomers. This is our chance to rise—but the wall is high.”
Master tailors. Famous fashion designers.
People whose names appeared in newspapers and who made bespoke garments for high-ranking nobles.
All of them were gathering for Seorn’s ball.
It felt very familiar to Ludger.
‘It’s just like Mystic Night.’
Mystic Night was where mages gathered to share and compete with their knowledge.
Naturally, such heated competition also made rivals bare their fangs at each other.
For Violetta, the Seorn ball was the same.
“Is it difficult to win with clothing alone?”
“They’re all formidable. Everyone well-known in the industry is there. Matching their level is already tough.”
She spoke frankly—she had clearly been worrying about this for some time.
Looking closer, there were faint dark circles under her eyes.
She hadn’t been sleeping much lately.
“I have plenty of ideas, but so do they. And you can’t win on sudden flashes of brilliance alone every time.”
Her talent was innate, but that didn’t mean others were lacking.
Sometimes, someone she’d thought inferior could create a masterpiece from a moment’s inspiration.
That was the nature of this industry.
“And as you know, the hanger is as important as the clothes. Even the same outfit will get vastly different reactions depending on who wears it.”
“True.”
Clothes on an ordinary person and clothes on a tall, high-ranking figure left completely different impressions.
If it was a celebrity, just wearing it provided extra advertising value.
That was the root of Violetta’s worry.
“So everyone worth asking has already paired up.”
“Yes. You know many of Seorn’s students are of noble birth. But we have no way to reach them.”
“Why didn’t you ask me for help?”
Ludger was a teacher there.
If she’d mentioned it earlier, he would have gladly agreed—this street was his creation, after all.
At his question, Violetta bit her lip slightly in guilt, but her eyes held a firm, unyielding light.
“You’re busy, and I didn’t want to bother you over something like this. You’ve already done so much for me—it would be shameless to ask for more.”
Her voice was steady—it was sincere.
She had already received a debt she could never repay.
To ask for help again over this would be brazen.
“I can’t always lean on your help. We have to stand tall on our own strength.”
“I respect that. But sometimes, there are things one can’t do alone.”
That was why Ludger had built Owens.
He couldn’t shoulder everything alone.
So he found comrades he could trust and rely on.
“That’s why I help you. You don’t only take when you’re given. The opposite is also true—you can just help each other. That’s what comrades do.”
The warmth in his words brought a faint moisture to Violetta’s eyes.
But she didn’t let it fall—she had promised herself she would never cry again.
“Thank you, Owner.”
“So, what do you need?”
“As I said, we need someone to wear the dress.”
“No need for a suit?”
At that, Violetta smiled softly.
“That person is sitting right in front of me.”
“I see. Then the priority is finding the person first.”
“Yes. I need to see who will wear it before I can imagine the design.”
No matter how beautiful or ornate a dress was, if the wearer couldn’t carry it, it meant nothing.
It was far better to choose the person first, then make the dress for them.
“But all the nobles already have fixed partners, so we’ll have to avoid that—they won’t leave an opening.”
“And the teachers?”
“Same. In fact, competition is even fiercer among them.”
“So, a commoner student, then.”
He didn’t even bother to mention looks—it went without saying.
Ludger crossed his arms, deep in thought.
Violetta quietly watched him.
The fact that he was thinking this seriously was already more than enough to fill her with gratitude.
‘The Owner truly means it.’
She had felt it when he first showed the people of the slums his vision for the street—Ludger didn’t take things lightly.
On top of his magical prowess, he excelled in other fields.
At this point, she felt nothing but reverence.
Then, as if finished thinking, Ludger spoke.
“Violetta.”
“Yes, Owner?”
“What do you think about performance?”
“Performance?”
“Ah—you might not know.”
Realizing he’d been vague, Ludger gave her a brief explanation.
The sharp-minded Violetta understood immediately.
“Amplifying the image with external elements and devices... But would that be possible at a ballroom?”
It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of something like it.
But such performances still depended on who was wearing the clothes.
The wearer’s social status and looks decided the effect.
“So make it possible. In a way only you can.”
“And what’s that?”
“Magic.”
At his firm answer, a stunned look crossed her face.
“Magic...?”
It was impossible—she almost said it, then closed her mouth.
Her eyes swept over Ludger.
“The magic you used before—it took the form of clothing, didn’t it?”
Ludger nodded silently.
This time, she fell into her own thoughts.
But the spark in her eyes showed her mind was bursting with ideas.
A dress imbued with magic—there were too many possibilities.
Given the time left, she could only make one.
She couldn’t do it alone—she’d need help.
But if she could make it—
And show it to the world—
Then...
“Owner.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’ll decide after I see the model. The best model for the best dress.”
Ludger rose from his seat at once.
“Going now?”
“If we’re going to bring in Cinderella, we should move immediately.”