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His eyes widened slightly in surprise at that, then he chuckled and replied.
"That's a pretty name. I'm a prince."
"A prince?"
"Yeah. You know, like the ones in fairy tales?"
I, who had been silently listening to their conversation, stared at him with bewildered eyes.
'Judging by his position and looks, he really is a prince...'
Why is he so subtly annoying?
Idris just gave me his usual mischievous smile at my gaze.
And the little girl seemed to believe him.
"Then is she a princess?"
"Since she's the prince's lover, you could say so."
Before I could explain that wasn't true, Idris cut me off.
I was flustered and whispered a protest to Idris.
"How can you lie to a child?"
"Are you going to shatter her innocent dreams?"
"That's..."
When I met the child's sparkling eyes, I couldn't bring myself to say no.
'But the title of princess is still a bit much!'
I was worried about disappointing the child's expectations of a princess.
I didn't affirm or deny the princess comment, just gave an awkward smile, and then cleared my throat and changed the subject.
"Did Aria's mom make her dress?"
"No. Dad made it."
"Your dad?"
"Yeah. Mom's clothes, my clothes, all the clothes here! My dad made them all."
I was inwardly surprised by the child's answer.
'A male fashion designer?'
Unlike modern times before my reincarnation, in this world, clothes and makeup were strongly considered a woman's work.
The prejudice was rampant that men shouldn't care about their appearance like women, and that men shouldn't design clothes.
'Especially since most of the clothes in this store are for women and girls, I naturally assumed the designer was a woman.'
Even more so because of the considerations for the wearer's convenience.
For example, the cloth covering the zipper on the back to prevent hair from getting caught, or culottes for girls.
I felt ashamed for naturally thinking with the prejudice that "a male designer would have difficulty making women's clothes."
"Aria and her mom must be happy. Her dad makes such wonderful clothes."
"Yeah, Mom liked them too."
'Liked?'
Just as I wondered about the past tense, a man came down from the second floor.
"It's not the best tea, but I hope it suits your esteemed palates."
"The aroma is wonderful. I'll enjoy it."
Despite the man's worries, the tea suited our tastes well.
After wetting my throat with the tea, I looked around the store and casually asked.
"The clothes are all so pretty and seem to be in high demand. How did you end up with the debt?"
The man hesitated for a moment while holding his teacup, then carefully began.
"...Last winter, my wife's illness required a large sum of money. So I ended up borrowing about 300,000 gold."
"Then your wife..."
Instead of answering, he lowered his head with a dark expression.
As I was searching for words of comfort, Idris made a sharp observation.
"But didn't you say the debt was 500,000 gold earlier?"
"I did... Now it's 500,000 gold with interest."
"...Almost double the interest in just half a year?"
"At first, I was told I could pay it back slowly over three years, but suddenly they said their situation wasn't good, so they urged me to increase the monthly payment."
Idris and I frowned simultaneously at the man's story.
It was the story I expected.
After considering it for a moment after hearing the story, I brought up an idea that suddenly came to mind.
"I might be able to help you with that problem."
The man looked at me with a questioning look, as if wondering what I meant.
"What's your name... oh, what's your name?"
"Amon."
"Okay, Amon. I like your clothes. Would you like to collaborate with me?"
"Collaborate as in...?"
I smiled confidently.
"Join hands with me and do what you're good at. I've been looking for a talented fashion designer."
Amon's clothes showed care and affection for the person wearing them.
Not just pretty packaging, but also considering the wearer's convenience.
I thought this person was the right person to work with on my business.
'And this person has the desperate motivation to cling to this job right now.'
A young daughter and debt.
I assumed Amon would accept my offer.
But...
"I appreciate you liking my clothes and giving me such a generous offer, but I regret to say that I cannot accept it."
Shattering my expectations, Amon declined.
I was so taken aback that I jumped up from my seat.
"W-why?"
"If I belong to a company, there may be times when I have to make clothes I don't want to make, or when I have to leave the clothes I designed in someone else's hands."
"So, are you saying you're rejecting my offer because of perfectionism? Even though you know it's a chance to solve all your problems?"
"If the person who designs and the person who makes it are different, there are bound to be gaps in the design or product during the process."
"I suppose that's inevitable."
"That's why I'm rejecting your offer. My personal circumstances shouldn't be a reason for me to pass on unsatisfactory products to customers."
Amon's eyes held an unwavering determination as he spoke.
'Well, it's not like I'm going to miss out.'
Even if Paydan is getting in the way, there will be plenty of designers who will work with me if I pay them enough.
But I wasn't planning on letting this person go.
"Not because you're rejecting my offer, but to be blunt."
"..."
"As an artisan, you're a wonderful person who shows craftsmanship for the sake of your customers, but as a father, you're a selfish father who is betting your daughter's life on that craftsmanship. You know that, right?"
I saw Amon's firm gaze waver for a moment at my realistic words.
But he still didn't seem to want to accept my offer.
However.
'That firm belief is what I wanted.'
I smiled with a sense of triumph and continued.
"But coincidentally, I was looking for someone with that kind of unwavering artisan spirit."
"...Huh?"
"You can make the clothes you want to make. You don't have to entrust your clothes to an assistant."
Amon didn't seem to understand what I wanted or what I intended.
I smiled and added an explanation.
"A few clothes, bags, and shoes that an artisan puts his heart and soul into making without going through anyone else's hands in a month."
"..."
"Clothes that aren't just money poured into them, but clothes that make the person wearing them feel as if they are being treated with the same care."
"..."
"I want to make clothes like that."
The business I was trying to start wasn't just a clothing business.
It was a luxury business.
Taking advantage of Idris, who is both feared and admired, and my image as his lover.
"I think Mr. Amon is the right person for my business."
"..."
"Would you like to work with me?"
Amon's eyes began to waver with a different light than before.
Like someone who has found light in the darkness.
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