“Please convey this to Her Highness the Princess.”

Madam Lauren stared directly at the princess’s secretary and spoke firmly.

“There are many dressmakers in the world, but there is no designer in this world who can replace me, Madam Lauren.”

Madam Lauren straightened her back and walked out of the reception room with confident steps.

Even at the age of over forty, she insisted on wearing high-heeled shoes and never ran at any moment.

Being of commoner origin, she had acquired her current demeanor through painstaking efforts to deal with the nobility. That included a noble-like lofty pride.

She could have knelt and begged, but her petty pride wouldn’t allow it.

“To Lancaster Manor.”

As she rushed out of the palace, she called out to the coachman.

Edgar Lancaster Lancelot was not someone one could meet by simply showing up unannounced. Especially not a mere dressmaker who had betrayed his trust.

Edgar was not in Sir Lancelot’s office, but in the executive office of the Lancelot Hotel.

The sunlight that had filled the first-floor lobby now touched the pointed toe of Madam Lauren’s shoe.

It was an intentional neglect. A blatant turning away at the door, but if she had given up and turned back every time this happened, the current Madam Lauren would not exist. She was someone who knew when to discard her petty pride when necessary.

By her standards, waiting five hours was enough. Madam Lauren took out a notebook and fountain pen from her tan leather bag.

After scribbling something, she tore off the paper and folded it neatly. She approached the front desk clerk with dignified steps.

“Please deliver this to Chairman Lancelot.”

The clerk, tilting his head, waited for the manager to arrive and then handed over the note to the manager who had appeared.

The manager took the elevator and disappeared, and until he came back down, Madam Lauren stood firmly in her place. After about ten minutes had passed, ding! With the bell sound, the elevator door opened. It was Edgar’s secretary.

“You seem to have quite a talent for blackmail.”

Edgar smiled, gesturing with his eyes at the note on the table.

“Anne Julbert. It seems Miss Blanchet doesn’t know about the fact that you rented her.”

“I’ll give you ten minutes.”

The face that had wiped off its smile said coldly.

With eyes deepened with regret, Madam Lauren opened her mouth.

“My mother was a chambermaid in a noble house. I started helping my mother with sewing from the age of ten. From that young age, I made clothes while pricking my hands with needles.”

It seemed he had given too much time after all.

“If you’re not expecting my tears, let’s get to the point.”

Edgar interrupted the unnecessarily long introduction and stared at Madam Lauren with narrowed eyes.

“I’ve risen to this position from the bottom.”

His disinterested gaze at the trite story turned to the wall clock behind Madam Lauren.

“Royal exclusive designer. This title was my very self. At least until now.”

“So. What do you want to say?”

Edgar, bored with the predictable flow, cut her off.

“I’ve been put in a difficult position because of you, sir.”

“And I’ve been put in a difficult position because of you.”

Edgar said indifferently while fingering the edge of the ice-melted, moist glass. A sneer escaped as he recalled Anblyn mentioning that damned necklace.

“We’ve lost our biggest customer at our atelier. Soon, the ladies of high society will stop coming.”

“So. You want compensation for the losses?”

“No. As you said, I also leaked customer information, so I won’t make such a one-sided request.”

Madam Lauren firmly denied Edgar’s words.

Edgar’s eyes narrowed. As he had heard, she was indeed a fox, but not the shameless kind. But the next moment, Edgar canceled his hasty judgment.

“Please have your company acquire my atelier.”

Edgar laughed at the sudden proposal.

Acquire, really.

“Why should I do that?”

“Miss Blanchet was troubled because of the necklace. I will reveal that it was your intention, sir.”

“You would lie.”

What Edgar had asked of Madam Lauren was only one thing: ‘Make it recognizable as Olivia Blanchet to anyone who sees it.’

The two locked gazes tensely.

“I never mentioned that necklace.”

“Whether she believes it or not is up to Miss Blanchet’s heart. But in my opinion, she probably will believe it. And.”

The cunning woman played with her emerald ring, stalling for time. Quickly raising her lowered gaze, Madam Lauren spoke in a threatening voice.

“This is just my speculation, but I wonder if the scandal was also your work, sir.”

“So.”

A sharp gaze was directed at Madam Lauren.

“Unfortunately, Miss Blanchet seems unaware.”

What an act, as if she had caught some great weakness. Edgar laughed hollowly at her natural and skillful blackmail.

“That mere dressmaker’s shop.”

Edgar’s voice was lowered.

“Which do you think would be easier, acquiring it or destroying it? What do you think?”

Blackmail for blackmail.

The cold-blooded hazel eyes turned cold. Madam Lauren drew in a breath at the relaxed yet threatening gaze, like a predator cornering its prey.

As expected, the opponent was not so easy.

If she backed down here, it would be ruin. The grand six-story building of Eve Lauren Boutique with its gold trim would disappear into history.

She didn’t want to meet her old age as the owner of a small dressmaker’s shop in some rural backwater, as Edgar had put it.

Wasn’t success about getting up one more time than the number of times you fall?

Something hot rose up from deep in her chest.

“It won’t be a losing business.”

“I thought you just said all your deals were cut off.”

“The highest quality at reasonable prices, mass-produced and sold.”

Madam Lauren continued in a calm and persuasive tone.

“That’s the motto of the newly born Lancelot Lauren.”

“You’ll make ready-to-wear clothes.”

It meant massive investment was needed. From factory facilities to a sales network covering the entire kingdom. To make such a brazen business proposal for a dressmaker’s shop that was about to go bankrupt. Indeed, a fox was a fox.

“We’ll target the affluent middle class.”

Times were changing.

“Something that even commoners can dream of. I’ll make clothes that every woman would want to wear at least once in her life.”

Of course, that included Princess Anblyn. Naturally, her pride wouldn’t allow her to wear Lancelot Lauren, but still, she wanted to make her crazy with desire to wear it. To make her regret today.

“We’re in the same boat. I don’t know how to swim.”

But apart from such petty sentiments, she had awakened to a new desire. In the carriage coming from the Brit court to Lancaster Manor, and from there to the Lancelot Hotel, she had envisioned a new future.

Not just a mere royal exclusive designer, but a designer for the people of the Brit Kingdom.

With the wings of Lancelot, already a national company, there was nothing she couldn’t do.

“Whether my lips become heavy or light depends entirely on you, sir.”

Madam Lauren showed a meaningful smile.

“Whether Lancelot Lauren thrives or fails also depends on you, sir. The decision is yours.”

Madam Lauren stared directly at Edgar with a confident expression, smiling silently.

Have you ever seen such a fox?

She was as excellent a negotiator as she was a dressmaker. Also, by giving Edgar the decision-making power, she not only established his authority but also neatly shifted the enormous responsibility for any potential business failure.

The silence lengthened as they smiled at each other.

Edgar turned his head towards the window. Beyond the glass, it was already fully evening. Among the lights illuminating the city, the brilliant lights of the Leopold Hotel, about to open soon, caught his eye.

The fashion industry, huh.

It was the first time he was entering a field ahead of Johan. A strange sense of challenge stimulated him.

“Bring me a business plan. We can’t embrace losses and sink.”

“Of course. Times are changing. Lancelot Lauren will definitely succeed.”

Fighting spirit blazed in Madam Lauren’s eyes. She couldn’t let the golden tower she had built up for nearly thirty years crumble because of one arrogant customer. Even if that customer was the princess of Brita, there were no exceptions.

As Madam Lauren was preparing to leave, satisfied with the result, and adjusting her attire,

“That necklace.”

“You mean Anne Julbert?”

“Let’s acquire it together.”

Madam Lauren was taken aback by the sudden proposal.

“With all due respect, that’s classified as my personal asset.”

“That’s why. I’m saying I’ll acquire it together this time.”

This time, the decision-making power returned to Madam Lauren.

“I should set one condition too, to be fair, shouldn’t I?”

Edgar’s smiling gaze turned to the wall clock. It was just past six-ten.

Olivia visited the International Bank again with Anne.

“It’s an honor to serve you.”

The employee who jumped up as soon as he saw her greeted Olivia with a polite bow. Having realized through the previous incident how big a client Olivia Blanchet was, his changed attitude seemed almost servile.

Olivia had keenly felt the need for a safe due to Count Blanchet’s attack. After quickly scanning the personal safe application form handed to her by the bank employee, Olivia carefully filled in the blanks.

It was the fortune she had protected while once again becoming the subject of gossip with Edgar, even before the scandal of the Rose Ball had fully died down. Fortunately, she had avoided the misfortune of becoming penniless, but she couldn’t be entirely happy about it.

‘There’s a condition.’

‘……’

That day, in the carriage where he asked for identity verification, the man showed a strange smile while saying these words.

She had only stated her wish as the prize for winning the bet against him, but the man had attached a condition to that wish. It was unfair, but Olivia decided to hear him out for now.

‘Please speak.’

No matter how outrageous the condition might be, Olivia was not in a position to refuse. He must have known this fact very well too.

For now, Edgar Lancaster Lancelot was her only salvation.