Staring at the mansion gates before her, a flicker of hesitation crossed Togawa Sakiko's face before she pressed the doorbell.
Before long, a servant who had already been notified hurried to the entrance and opened the gates for her—
"Good day, Lady Togawa Sakiko. Welcome to the Sakura Mansion."
The maid leading the way bowed to her.
"The young lady is waiting for you in the drawing room. Please follow me."
"Mm... this is for you."
Sakiko handed the servant the gift, which was specially packaged in a thermal bag.
"Just give it to her at a time she's comfortable with."
"I understand."
The servant accepted the gift from Sakiko with a smile.
"In that case, I will deliver it to the drawing room for the young lady to taste."
"..."
She had specifically told the servant to choose a time to give it to Sakurakouji Luna, yet the servant still chose to present it to her in person...
Did that mean this servant hoped the not-so-forthright young lady would give her thoughts on the gift on the spot?
...Never mind. More important than this small matter, she had another, very important reason for visiting the Sakura Mansion today.
With an exceedingly serious heart, Sakiko followed the servant through the gates of the Sakura Mansion—
...
When Sakurakouji Luna received Sakiko's gift, a rather surprised expression appeared on her face.
"Hm? A fruit tart from [QuiryMaisonFaitBon]?"
Next, she nodded to the servant to dismiss her before looking at Sakiko with a hint of novelty in her eyes.
"A rather sincere gift. In terms of etiquette and the bearing of a young lady, I should indeed learn from you."
"...Spare me the sarcasm. I never expected you to treat me with the same courtesy."
Sakiko shook her head, her tone quite calm.
"This is simply a matter of my own self-discipline. You may do as you please."
"I thought I was quite the one to hold a grudge... but it seems I'm no match for you."
Faced with Sakiko's cold response, Runa sighed first, then spoke to her with great sincerity.
"I admit, my assessment of Chihaya Tetsuya that day was too presumptuous. Especially after recently learning about three-dimensional tailoring from Yachiyo, I have become even more aware of the narrowness of my words that day... Please rest assured, I will not make such superficial remarks again."
"!"
Sakiko was taken aback. She stared at Runa for a long moment before speaking.
"I didn't think you would actually reflect on it so seriously..."
"I am not the type to twist right and wrong. Due to a certain unpleasant experience, I subconsciously treat others with hostility. I have always been well aware of my own rudeness and eccentricities, but I still can't seem to change it right away... just as you, who was once a caged bird like me, cannot easily let go of your past."
"...You have a point."
Hearing this, Sakiko's eyes widened slightly before she gave a small nod.
"On that matter, the two of us should have endless common ground."
"Exactly. And that is precisely why I sought you out to discuss this matter again—"
Runa paused for a moment before continuing.
"Next spring, I want you to enroll with me at [Filia Girls' Academy/School(?)] as my companion student."
...
[Filia Girls' Academy, Japan Branch] was a noble girls' school founded by the world-renowned young designer, [Jean-Pierre Stanley]. It aimed to vigorously cultivate female designers and planned to accept its first batch of students the following spring.
Due to its founder's immense influence and good connections in the fashion world, its faculty and teaching resources were considered top-tier, even on a global scale.
At the same time, because of these superior conditions, its admission standards were also quite high. In addition to the exorbitant tuition fees, it had a much higher threshold for the design skills of its new students than other art schools—
"If you truly want to go further on the path of a designer, then... your current learning environment is absolutely insufficient."
Runa said.
"Perhaps your talent and aptitude are excellent, but compared to those professionals who invest all their time and energy into clothing and design, the effort you're currently putting in is far from enough to support you in becoming Chihaya Tetsuya's aide. But I'm sure you've already sensed it yourself, haven't you? Although he has always praised you, there is still an insurmountable gulf between you."
"...That's right."
Sakiko nodded with a bitter expression.
"And the more I learn about the clothing industry, the more I can feel the gap between Chihaya-nii and myself."
Just as Runa said, if she truly wanted to go further as a designer, then Haneoka, being a regular school, was a complete obstacle to her further development.
And according to Runa's and her own research, this [Filia Girls' Academy] was indeed the most suitable art school that she currently had the opportunity to access.
"At your current level, the high threshold for ordinary noble ladies is practically non-existent for you."
Runa asserted.
"I confirmed it with Chihaya Tetsuya. At that band's concert... the outfit that transformed using zippers and the fabric's elasticity was your handiwork, wasn't it? A designer who can accomplish such a design is absolutely qualified to enroll at Filia. So for you, the only limiting factor is the high cost of admission..."
At this, she glanced at the high-end fruit tart gifted by Sakiko before continuing.
"Perhaps the salary Chihaya Tetsuya offers you is far beyond that of a typical apprentice, but even so, it's nowhere near enough to enroll. Therefore, I highly recommend that you enroll with me as a companion student."
Because it was a school for nobles, [Filia Girls' Academy] had a very special policy: each student could choose a personal servant to be their companion student. In addition to enjoying the same educational resources, these students could enroll with their employer without paying any additional fees—
"I don't have many peers... and most of them are young ladies from prominent families, so there's no one suitable to be a companion student. At the same time, I personally admire your talent and personality. Compared to finding an outsider whose background I don't know, you are clearly my most ideal candidate."
"So, what do you say, Togawa Sakiko?"
Seeing the hesitant expression on Sakiko's face, Runa once again extended a sincere invitation.
"Are you willing, as my companion student... to enroll at [Filia] with me?"