Chapter 19 - Transformation (The Clothing Store)
Driven by her greed as a magical toolmaker, Dahlia found herself starting a trading company. The following day, she returned to the Merchant Guild.
This was because Tobias had not shown up while she was there the previous day, causing the re-registration of the compact magical stove to be delayed until today.
If he still hadn’t come, there was a chance the Merchant Guild might take action.
Picking up her pace slightly, Dahlia ascended the stairs to the second floor.
"Good morning, Dahlia-san. Tobias came in after you left yesterday and terminated the profit contract for the compact magical stove."
Relieved, Dahlia returned Ivano’s greeting, who had preemptively explained the situation.
"Thank you, Ivano-san."
"I’ll fetch the documents now. Dominic-san will be here around noon, so you should be able to complete the re-registration today."
"I appreciate it."
The re-registration process was straightforward, involving only a few documents.
Dominic, the notary public, simply needed to verify Dahlia’s name and prepare the certification documents. Her presence wasn’t required for this step.
This ensured that Tobias wouldn’t face any penalties on his record as a magical toolmaker. However, rumors within the Merchant Guild were another matter.
As Dahlia reviewed the documents, a group of five or six men entered the meeting room adjacent to the office.
It seemed to be a discussion among representatives of the textile trade. With a latecomer among them, their conversation veered into casual gossip.
"Speaking of, I heard downstairs that the second son of the Orland family swapped fiancées just before his wedding."
Little did they know that Dahlia, the subject of their gossip, was seated at the far corner of the office, just within earshot.
Pretending not to notice, she continued flipping through her documents, unable to block out the conversation.
"The Orlando family’s second son? Ah, Tobias the waterproof cloth man. He hasn’t gotten married yet?"
"He was engaged to Carlo’s daughter, right? Tanya, was it? Well, she’s his mentor’s daughter, so he probably couldn’t refuse at the time."
"The new girl works as a receptionist at the trading company, I heard. I've seen her, she’s young and cute."
"Poor Tanya. If Carlo were still alive, none of this would’ve happened."
Rumors often twisted the truth.
Was Tobias the waterproof cloth man? And was her name Tanya? Dahlia inwardly corrected their inaccuracies and stayed composed, though her fingers started to feel icy.
"...The old sparrows sure are noisy, aren't they?"
When a tap on her shoulder made her turn, she found Gabriella standing there.
Gabriella wore a lavender dress accented with lace of the same hue. Her ivory hair was elegantly pinned up, adorned with a silver barrette embedded with blue stones that sparkled in the light. As always, her attire was mesmerizing.
"If you’re free, why don’t you join me?"
"Don’t you have work?"
"I’m on a break today. My husband’s away, so I’m just killing time here."
Sensing Gabriella’s gesture was either out of consideration or for a discussion about her company, Dahlia agreed.
Outside the guild, a carriage was already waiting.
"Well then, Dahlia-san, let’s have you learn how to act more like a proper head of a trading company."
"But I’m the only one in my company..."
"Exactly. That’s why you should look the part, so you aren’t underestimated."
Gabriella smiled like a cat eyeing its prey.
・・・・・・・
The first stop was a clothing store that catered to commoners but sold fairly high-quality attire.
Compared to her previous life, Dahlia felt clothing in this world was considerably more expensive.
Nervously, Dahlia clung to Gabriella’s sleeve.
"Um, Gabriella, about the budget—"
"Don't worry. If you're short, my husband's wallet—since he's your guarantor—will cover it."
Gabriella’s cryptic assurance was followed only with a smile when Dahlia tried to protest.
"Welcome, we’ve been expecting you."
As soon as the clerk greeted them, Dahlia found herself swiftly stripped of her usual dark gray outfit.
Amidst her flustered state, measurements were taken, and both the clerk and Gabriella reprimanded her for wearing poorly fitting undergarments.
Explaining that her weight hadn’t changed since her school days and she’d simply continued buying the same size without trying them on only earned her further scolding.
Dahlia found herself firmly held in place by the clerk, who proceeded to take precise measurements before having her try on new undergarments.
All the while, the clerk sternly repeated, "Wearing properly fitted lingerie is absolutely essential for you!"—a declaration Dahlia heard no less than three times.
In the end, she was persuaded to purchase three sets of newly fitted lingerie.
Next, the clerk draped various fabrics over Dahlia’s face to determine which colors suited her and which did not. The chosen color swatches were affixed to a piece of paper and handed to her, indicating she should select her preferences from them.
When asked about her clothing preferences, Dahlia simply replied, "Something easy to move in, colors that don’t show stains, and fabrics that are easy to wash." Her response left the clerk speechless and prompted Gabriella to press her palm against her forehead.
Soon after, Dahlia was ushered into a fitting room, where the clerk entered carrying an overwhelming pile of garments.
"Please try on all of these."
Unsure of what to say to the shop clerk with the intimidating smile, Dahlia turned to Gabriella for help. However, Gabriella entered the fitting room carrying nearly twice as many clothes as the clerk.
While the two of them selected outfits, Dahlia was left to the endless task of putting on and taking off clothes. After an exhausting series of fittings, about ten outfit combinations—roughly 20 pieces—were arranged neatly on hangers.
When told to choose at least three patterns, Dahlia instinctively went for the least expensive ones, only to have her strategy immediately exposed.
"Dahlia-san, let me explain. Clothes like these serve as your ‘introduction letter’ to others. As the head of a company, you need to inspire trust when meeting with clients or having business discussions. First impressions matter, and clothes play a big role in that."
"Yes, exactly! Clothes are crucial! You must switch to styles that suit you better!"
Reluctantly, Dahlia agreed to their reasoning. However, she admitted she had no idea what kind of outfits conveyed trustworthiness or left a positive impression. She also confessed that she was too unaccustomed to such clothing to even tell what looked good on her.
After seeking advice, the group finally settled on two primary patterns.
The first was a lustrous lamp-black dress paired with a vanilla-beige jacket.
The second was a refreshing hyacinth-blue ensemble matched with a navy long skirt adorned with subtle lace accents.
"Loose, ill-fitting clothes ultimately restrict movement. Nowadays, we have fabrics with excellent stretch, especially those blended with unicorn hair—they’re incredibly comfortable."
As she hesitated over the third option, Dahlia couldn't help but look up at the mention of "unicorn" by the store clerk.
After some hesitation, Dahlia decided to add a pair of olive green long pants to her selection. Of course, they were made from the most stretchable fabric, with unicorn hair blended in.
To complement this, she decided to purchase a white-lily summer sweater with a faint greenish tint and a crisp white shirt.
This marked the first time in her memory that she had purchased white clothing in this life.
The clerk insisted they also find shoes to match all her outfits. Dahlia firmly declared she would only buy two pairs, but this led to extended deliberations between Gabriella and the clerk, followed by an endless cycle of trying on different styles.
Eventually, they settled on two pairs: beige shoes that complemented Dahlia’s skin tone and glossy black shoes with low heels for practicality and comfort.
By the time the ordeal of selecting clothing and shoes was over, Dahlia felt utterly drained, as though she might crumble into ash.
Adjustments for the dresses and pants were made in-store, where a professional tailor was conveniently available.
While waiting, Dahlia prepared to settle the bill only to see the clerk hand the invoice directly to Gabriella instead.
"Dahlia-san, do you have five large silver coins on you?"
One large silver coin was roughly equivalent to ten thousand yen in Dahlia’s estimation.
Considering she was purchasing seven quality garments, three sets of undergarments, and two pairs of shoes, there was no way the amount would suffice.
"I’ll pay for it myself. It definitely costs much more than that, doesn’t it?"
"In that case, save your funds for the next store."
Dahlia felt like her head was spinning.
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