While waiting in the back room of the clothing store, Charlotte looked at the oil paintings on the wall with great interest, while her maid focused on the clothing samples piled up in the corner.
Cathy brought over two cups of fruit tea, bowed, and said, "Countess, I'm very sorry, my master is currently handling some matters and will be here shortly."
Charlotte waved her hand, indicating that Cathy didn't need to worry about it.
Watching the other person hurriedly go about their business, Charlotte took out a design sketchbook from the bookshelf in the lounge and sat down on a strangely shaped sofa in the room.
The countess was startled when she sat down on the soft, supple leather sofa. She jumped up immediately, turned around, touched the sofa, and examined it carefully.
Charlotte quickly became deeply addicted to this comfortable feeling, completely unable to extricate herself.
Charlotte lazily opened the design drawings and looked at them over and over again. Apart from the trendy and eye-catching clothing concept drawings, what interested Charlotte the most were a few strange sketches.
One is a huge room with many square boxes displaying images, a pile of round crystal chips that shimmer with light, and many strange, unidentified machines.
The second image shows a crystal dome beneath a five-story open-plan building connected by staircases. Each floor contains countless interconnected small rooms, each with a counter selling different items.
Turn the two drawings over to their reverse sides; the former is inscribed with "Between Creation" and the latter with "City of Commerce".
Just as Charlotte was still wondering what these things were, Mary pushed open the door and walked in.
The Countess stood up from her chair and rushed over to embrace Mary: "Mary! It's so good to see you! I was so worried about your safety before I heard about the trouble in the Silver Ring Kingdom and received your letter!"
Faced with Charlotte's enthusiasm, Mary was a little flustered and could only comfort her while sitting down.
Charlotte listened to the women arguing outside the door about prices and styles, and said to Mary with a smile, "Ever since I became your royal etiquette instructor, you've always managed to surprise me."
Mary looked somewhat tired, with faint dark circles under her eyes, and her voice was a little weak: "Mrs. Charlotte, please forgive me for only contacting you two months ago."
"You look like you haven't slept all day. It's good to be busy running the shop, but forgetting to sleep is a woman's worst enemy!"
Mary looked at the serious-looking Mrs. Charlotte with amusement. The woman's obsession with beauty, etiquette, and clothing could only be described as stubborn. But who would have thought that this noblewoman, who looked only twenty-five or twenty-six, was actually nearly forty?
“I’ve been having some insomnia these past few nights, but it’s not really related to opening the shop, and I didn’t get to have coffee this morning either…” Mary’s voice trailed off.
Charlotte leaned forward a little and asked, "Coffee?"
“Ah, no, it’s nothing.” Mary pulled out a few sketches and placed them in front of Charlotte: “Teacher, in addition to the design sketches I sent you last time, I recently designed a few more summer outfits, adding some ‘Byrantz’ and ‘Gothic’ elements. Please take a look.”
After glancing at the blueprints briefly, Charlotte turned her gaze back to Mary's face, her voice soft and helpless: "The Silver Ring's stage has come to an end."
Mary's hand froze.
“Those past events have long since vanished into the mists of time.” Charlotte lowered her voice even further: “And so has your husband, the former king.”
Mary lowered her head and closed her eyes.
“God took a rib from man and created woman so that we would always remember our destiny.” Charlotte looked at the other’s forlorn expression and sighed softly: “Women should ultimately find a man in this world full of suffering to lean on and support each other, and walk through the trials set by fate.”
Mary shook her head, clearing her mind of these chaotic thoughts: "Teacher, since coming to Twilight City, I have never felt like I've been wallowing in misery. On the contrary, I've experienced a more fulfilling and joyful life than ever before. The humble person who used to be subservient to her father and husband is now dead in her cage. I'm learning and enjoying every moment, experiencing the vitality and satisfaction that new things bring. This is the first time I've truly felt alive."
Charlotte smiled.
She reached out and touched Mary's head, her expression and gesture like that of a mother encouraging her child to get up after falling down while learning to walk.
“Child, tell me, why did you write to me asking me to come? I will not refuse if I can help.”
Mary clutched the stack of design drawings to her chest, her eyes sparkling: "I want to turn Twilight City into the world's art and fashion center!"
——————————————
"What? Say that again?!"
Ulysses rubbed his forehead vigorously, looking incredulous, and asked the man in front of him loudly.
Sitting opposite him was a confident, portly businessman who held up a duckbill clip in his hand and said to the patent registrar across the table, "This thing in my hand is a groundbreaking invention of epoch-making significance. It will be recorded in history and remembered for generations to come..."
Ulysses interrupted loudly, "No, no, skip the introductions. Just repeat what you think this thing is for?!"
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