Luxury often ignites a deep yearning desires in people's hearts. Especially among the wealthy, whoes thirst for it exceeds beyond of what one can imagine. A privilege that they are born into yet it's true value remains elusive.
Fashion is a word, which is fenced in with the concept of luxury. People bill out millions of money in the name of luxury. Letting the so-called industry ramp them off of their gelt.
One of them is 'Sar'a boutique'. As Arya's ride halted in front of the boutique, the building loomed into view—a split-level structure with an olive-green door beckoning customers. Upon entering, the attached bell chimed. Contrary to its exterior, the decor inside didn't match its reputation; it revealed a different tale altogether.
Madam Fredeca greeted her warmly, "Welcome, Lady Arya. I'm delighted you accepted my invitation," she said, her smile polite yet broad.
"Hello, Madam Fredeca," Arya replied with a nod, glancing around. The entrance room boasted the finest furniture, vases, and mannequins adorned with luxurious dresses and jewels—a tempting trap for a lady of fashion cravings.
Madam Fredeca adorned herself with a measurement tape draped elegantly around her neck, a testament to her meticulous craft. A vibrant pincushion graced her left wrist, a colorful accent to complement her attire. She exuded grace in a pristine white shirt paired with boot-cut pants of azure blue, reminiscent of tranquil waters reflecting the sky's brilliance.
"Did I come at the wrong time?" Arya grinned mischievously as she asked. "You seem busy."
Shaking her head in denial, she replied, "We're always like this. Besides, we always welcome our valued customers," with a wink.
'Valued customer... huh? These days, I keep hearing the word 'customer' more often,' she thought, a sigh escaping her lips.
"Let's head inside, shall we?" she said, leading Arya to the second floor. Madam Fredeca's office was on the second floor, where she primarily handled her business deals.
As they entered the room, unlike how she appeared, it was a mess. Looking around, Arya saw the left corner was rather neat and clean from the rest of it; a set of Chesterfield sofas was placed there.
The tea table was prepared with tea and various snacks. Arya looked at her, Fredeca looked troubled, showing an embarrassed smile while scratching her cheeks with a finger. 'so she can look embarrassed too', a smile made it way into her lips. After that, they sat on the sofa. Madam Fredeca told her assistant to leave them alone.
"I'll cut my word short. I want to do it," Madam Fredeca said, looking all serious. Arya tilted her head in a questioning gesture. "The deal you offered is still available, right?" she added.
"Are you done thinking about it? Are you certain about this?" Arya asked, putting down the teacup.
"I will be honest then; your designs are to bring a new era to fashion; of course, I would like to be part of it, too," she answered.
"Alright, then shall we discuss this further?" at Arya's question, she nodded in affirmative.
"As I said before, I will provide you with the designs. And the profit you make from that will be divided into 40. 60" looking into her eyes, arya added more. "You will keep the 60 percent, and the 40 percent will go into my account." She also added, "You can't pressure me into doing overtime; of course, I will try my best to assist you with the catalog."
"My lady, you know that your designs are more exceptional than the others, so why take only 40 percent? I do not think that that's a fair deal. That effort does not equal the amount," Frederica said.
"Madam, as a designer, are you putting a price on my work?" With a heavy tune, Arya questioned.
"No, lady. That's not what I meant. I just.." before Fredeca could finish, she spoke up, "I know my role very well, madam. But the people behind the curtains, their efforts are not less valuable than mine. So the commission I will receive is not a loss for me", as she continue, "Don't worry, I do not make deals that are not profitable for me," I said with a smirk.
"What are your trams then, madam?', Arya further ask her.
She sighed and asked, "Should I send the money to the duchy?"
"No, for now, keep them to yourself; I will come to get them when the time comes," Arya replied.
Her eyes lock with Arya's, a hint of firmness in them,"Lady, you can't sell your designs to others after making a deal with me," she said, adding," And the name? Will it be your real name, or have you thought about it, lady?" she asked.
"Oh, do not worry, madam, I'll only do this deal with you, not with others. And as for its name, I think I'll go with "Eva." So are you not going to say your trams?" Arya asked again. Yet Fredeca smiled gently and asked, "Shall we sign the contract then? "
~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~
Fredeca
"Madam, I do not understand. Why would you make such a deal, even with a girl who did not go outside her house?" her assistant asked. "She is so young, who clearly look like an amateur, lady Dragun does not know the first thing about fashion; how can you be so reckless?"
Holding the contract paper in hand, Fredeca looks at her assistant. "Do you know the designer who designed those?" pointing her finger at the tea table; there were some designs that Arya made. "What do you think of these?" she asked.
"These are exceptional, madam. The details are so clear. And once it's made, the noble ladies will go crazy about these; it will sell at a high price." Eyes glued on the design, she added, "It is not time-consuming to make. Also, it will be comfortable since there's no corset; it will not hurt the backbones." She complements those designs.
Adding, she comments, "Hmm.. whoever made these, they had many thoughts in mind. Where did you get this from?"
"The child you said who does not know about the fashion," Fredeca said,
with a crescent smile on her face, showing how proud she is.
Anna's eyes widen, and she loudly shouts, "WHAT!" astonished, she asks, "No way, then the design you are working on is hers? "
"Never judge a book by its cover, sweetheart," Fredeca teases her.
"That child may have been confined in her house, but the world could not hinder her. She knows how the world works. She respects others for their jobs, unlike some noble ladies I know," she said sincerely. "I look forward to the change that this child will bring," looking at the way Aray had left.
-•°•-•°•-•°•-•°•-•°•-
Ivan
Ivan lay in his office, drown in his thoughts. 'What happened back there? When she disappeared from my sight, anxiety overwhelmed me, fearing the worst. Only one thought echoed in my mind as I searched for her - 'find her.'
Furrowing his brows, "No, she's a basilisk; I can't hesitate now. I must push forward with the process to summon her (the female lead). Only she has the power to end this." Yet, his heart struggled, "But why can't I shake off this feeling that things are going awry?"
On our wedding night, she was enjoying herself sipping on wine without a care, unlike her past self, who would eagerly await my arrival. And how she startled upon seeing me, as if she didn't expect me to come at all. The way she demanded that I stay and how easily she accepted the contract, she was not like the Arya I knew at all.
Her demeanor changed from demure to brazen, now she's able to voice her thoughts unlike her past self, who was meek, scared, and obedient. She's now fearless, with a fire burning in her eyes, demanding yet righteous, and helps others when needed, but she knows when to draw the line. She doesn't hesitate to fight for what's right, no matter how dangerous it may be.
She changed, but how can a person change so dramatically? There is no sign of her past self as if the soul inside her has changed. The body of her is like a shell, but not the soul within. However, is such a thing even possible?
She became so complicated yet so childish. At the festival, she was like a three-year-old; little thighs brought her such joy. She jumped in excitement when she came across various things like she had never seen those before. The face she made at the café puff cheeks full of sweet like a squirrel, round sparkle eyes looked so…cute.
I thought I knew her more than anyone else, yet here she is, like a stranger whom I knew nothing about.
"Arya Basilisk, what are you trying to do, corner me like this?" He muttered, realizing how juvenile he sounded.
"You mean Arya Dragon, right, my friend?" Stefan leaned down, his annoying smile hovering just above Ivan's face.
______•°•°•°•______