News of its completion had somehow leaked, and he’d been inundated with queries from people stopping by his shop daily. It was a dress he had never shown, using all kinds of excuses.

‘They don’t deserve it.’

As was noted next to the dress, the shoulder area was set to be adorned with pink diamonds, said to be mined fewer than a hundred times per year worldwide.

Those who came seeking it couldn’t pay its proper value.

But what about the Duke’s family? A highranking family said to possess an incalculable fortune.

For the sake of his shop’s reputation, Basil didn’t even sell items to families unless they were highranking.

There were other highranking families in the capital, of course.

But their wealth quickly dissipated in taxes and was hampered by all sorts of royal restrictions in terms of business expansion.

However, the Duke’s family who owned Hesera was different. Hesera was land in a somewhat ambiguous position regarding its belonging to the empire.

Being called a cursed land where people couldn’t live, it bordered the empire’s changing regions but received neither protection nor governance from it.

Naturally, the royal family had no reason to impose restrictions or demand taxes.

Even if the royal family forced a reason to impose restrictions on the Duke’s family, it wouldn’t have been easy.

In short, the Duke’s family had the capacity to easily handle the value of even thirty pink diamonds.

Moreover, though he hadn’t recognized Her Highness at first, didn’t she have fair and clean skin that would perfectly match the pink?

“She would look absolutely beautiful in it.”

Seizing the opportunity, Basil cautiously started to flatter Her Highness.
Basil sighed in relief to himself, seeing that the young master did not particularly object.

Meanwhile, Diane could only gape as she read the description of the dress.

“Pink diamond? Is there such a thing?”

Upon closer inspection, small text below indicated that fewer than a hundred of these jewels had been mined worldwide.

Reading the description, Diane’s face paled, and she shook her head vehemently.

“No, no.”

“Is that so?”

Clemens’s tone subtly changed. Noticing this, Basil hastily pointed to another dress.

“Uh, what about this one, young master?”

The dress Basil pointed to was entirely white, featuring layers of delicate lace along its hem.

‘This could also be considered one of my masterpieces!’

It was a design he had worked on back when he had a bit less experience than he does now.

It was a time when he was pursuing more free and original designs. Back then, he had considered himself lacking in skills and couldn’t complete the piece.

He kept looking for areas of improvement, finding fabrics and jewels that would suit the dress… until he finally found the key to truly completing it.

‘The finishing touch must be sapphires.’

The lace part of the skirt would only be completed if it was generously studded with sapphires.

Naturally, there were not many families that could afford to attach dozens of sapphires to a single dress.

Some families had even asked if it would be possible to sell the completed design without the sapphires.

But perhaps due to the creator’s greed, it didn’t satisfy him unless it had the sapphires as he wished.

Yet, the House of Crustel Duke wouldn’t bat an eye at affixing a few sapphires, would they?

“Are all of these jewels?”

“Yes, young master, you have a keen eye.”

Basil had not expected Diane, who was only four years old, to have read the description next to it.

“Do you like it, Diane?”

“No, that one too is not very…”

Diane’s subsequent words made Basil feel as if the sky had fallen, but that’s beside the point.

“Why, why, young master? Why, my work is…”

“Don’t you have something else?”

The color drained from Basil’s face.

“Well, I wasn’t prepared for…”

“Hm, it seems your taste has dropped, Madam.”

Clemens uttered coldly.

“I overlooked your previous rudeness because I believed you could create dresses worthy of my sister.”

At these words, Basil fell to his knees in despair.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please give me another chance!”

Only Diane was surprised at this. In her shock, she asked Clemens.

“Why, why? I’m fine, tell her to get up.”

“Hm? No, my dear. There’s no need for you to worry. She deserves punishment.”

“What punishment?”

“The crime is attempted assault on a noble; she tried to hurt you.”

“But, but I said I’m fine!”

“Sweetheart, don’t be alarmed. There’s no need to be concerned about such things.”

Clemens explained kindly.

“The reason she’s been able to cling to life so far is because she could make dresses to your liking. If she can’t even do that, there’s no reason for her to continue living.”

At a light gesture from Clemens, the knights who had been waiting outside stormed in, appearing ready to drag her away. Diane shouted out in haste.

“I like all of them!”

At Diane’s words, the knights immediately stopped. The servant standing in front quickly unfolded the catalog.

“Young master, what do you like?”

“All of it! They’re all so pretty! It was hard to choose because they’re all so pretty!”

“Is that so?”

Clemens said, unfazed.

“Then buy all of these.”