After Mother's chilling warning, the dining hall fell so silent that not even breathing could be heard—only the occasional clink of cutlery broke the hush.
It was only natural. The second-in-command of the estate was sitting there, radiating clear displeasure.
"Hic..."
An uncomfortable family meal.
The servants' faces grew paler by the minute, and poor Emily—who had unwittingly taken the brunt of Mother's anger from the closest seat—was stifling cute hiccups while her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.
I couldn't just leave her like that, overly tense as she was. So I set down my fork and, careful not to let Mother see, gently took Emily's hand.
"Eek..."
Her body jolted, and a tiny whimper escaped her.
It wasn't loud enough to reach Mother, but Emily shot me a glare full of reproach, biting her lip.
"..."
I chuckled softly and met her eyes, but Emily primly turned her head away and shook off my hand.
Was she a little mad?
Still, she seemed less tense now, which was a relief.
I'd dragged her here myself, and I could tell she felt awkward under everyone's scrutiny—like she was dying inside.
"All done eating?"
"Ah, sorry."
Mother glanced at me sidelong as she speared the last piece of meat with her fork, her lips twitching.
Her pointed look screamed stop fooling around and eat, so I picked up my fork and resumed my meal.
-Clink!
"..."
Mother popped the final bite into her mouth, set her fork and knife on the empty plate, dabbed her lips with a napkin, then crooked her finger to summon the Head Butler standing behind her.
The Head Butler approached and knelt, lowering his posture.
"You called, Madam?"
"I need to speak with William alone. Everyone else, out."
"Yes, Madam."
With crisp precision, he placed his right hand over his chest, bowed, then retreated while gesturing to all the remaining servants in the dining hall to convey Mother's command.
Even Emily left, leaving just the two of us.
Even after everyone was gone, Mother fixed me with a sharp gaze in silence for a long while.
Ah... I hadn't even finished half my food...
"..."
Eating under that stare felt like it'd give me indigestion, so I cautiously set down my fork and knife.
"Do you know what you've done?"
"Um... Eating breakfast late?"
"No."
"Staying up all night?"
"That's not it either."
"Running noisily down the halls?"
"Close, but no. Don't make me out to be the kind of mother who scolds her grown son over childish nonsense."
"Mm... Is it because of Emily?"
"Now that's an answer I like."
Mother smiled coldly, like some romance novel's northern grand duke, then raised her left hand and extended three fingers.
"Dressing Emily in clothes she's never worn before."
Her thumb folded down.
"Holding hands all friendly-like."
Her index finger folded.
"And dashing around the estate like you wanted the whole territory to gossip."
Finally, her middle finger tucked in, forming a fist. Mother clenched her left hand tight and rested her chin on it.
"What do you think of that?"
"Total asshole move."
Mother's lips curved into a gentle smile.
"Good to know you realize it. If you didn't, I was ready to kick you out of the house."
"Haha..."
"Nothing to laugh about. She's a maid, but one I cherished. And thanks to someone, that cherished girl's marriage prospects are ruined. It's infuriating—enough to drive me mad."
"Uh, I'll take responsibility somehow..."
"How?"
"Well... If push comes to shove, I'll just marry her and live with her."
"Ha—"
Mother let out a hollow laugh, narrowing her eyes.
"Your attitude's flippant, but that boldness is refreshing."
"Haha..."
"I'll let today's mistake slide as a one-off. But if it happens again, I won't hold back. Got it?"
"Yes, Mother..."
I nodded, my voice meek.
Mother dropped her chin from her hand, crossed her arms, and scowled as she posed a new question.
"Anyway, what possessed you to cause such a ruckus? If it's some late-blooming rebellion phase, that'd break my heart."
"It's not that."
"Then?"
"Well... I made Emily some new clothes, and they turned out so pretty, you know? I just wanted to show everyone."
"What an idiotic reason to stir up trouble, you foolish son."
"Haha..."
"Ugh, so frustrating."
I scratched my cheek with an awkward grin.
Got too carried away bragging about our pretty Emily and ended up doing something stupid.
Mother looked at me pitifully, then let out a deep sigh from the bottom of her chest, lightly patting it a couple of times.
After rubbing and patting her chest for a while to calm her anger, she leaned back against the chair, her expression drained and languid as she spoke.
"So, what did you mean when you said you wanted to put those clothes you're so proud of on the maids?"
The hellish scolding finally over, Mother asked the one question I'd been dying for.
I flashed a reflexive smile and fired back an answer.
"I made some clothes as practice, and the results came out pretty good. So I thought, why not have the other maids wear them too?"
"Clothes? You tried that as a kid and gave up. What wind blew this way again?"
"Because of what you said at the last banquet."
"Explain in detail. I told you to mingle more—how'd that lead to making clothes?"
"Mother, I hate people's clothes. They're an eyesore."
"William, you're not harboring some pagan notion of nudity, are you?"
Mother paused, at a loss for words, then furrowed her brow with worry in her voice.
"No! That's not why I hate them!"
I panicked at her offhand remark, raising my voice and shaking my head vigorously.
Mother lifted one corner of her mouth teasingly.
"Just kidding."
"Ugh..."
My stomach twisted.
A few days ago, she'd joked about me being impotent or gay, blurring lines between jest and truth—so this really gave me chills.
"So?"
"Sigh... Anyway, the clothes are uncomfortable, so meeting people is tough. Corsets make everyone look like hourglasses, and all that flashy, cluttered decoration makes them look grotesque."
"Hourglass, huh? What an odd way to put it."
Mother chuckled at the word and nodded.
"Yeah, I just wanted to toss them all in the trash. I started craving clothes with less fuss, no forced figure-flattery."
"Hmm... I share that wish a bit. Dresses are so darn expensive."
"Right?"
Seeing Mother glance at her own dress and shake her head in exasperation lifted my spirits a little.
We had a common gripe about current fashion, even if the degree differed.
As I daydreamed of a hopeful future, Mother looked away from her dress, tilting her head quizzically.
"But why maids' clothes specifically? From what you're saying, it sounds like you want to overhaul noble attire."
"Think about it, Mother."
"...?"
"Even if I make clothes, will nobles wear them?"
"Oh..."
Mother gasped in realization, clapped lightly three times, then crossed her arms again.
A cynical smile crept onto her face.
"For someone who went nuts first thing this morning, you grasp your place well. That's reassuring."
I shrugged.
I might turn into a lovesick fool around Emily, but I'm no idiot.
"So I pondered what could build results with minimal backlash, and maid uniforms seemed perfect. Personal taste too."
"Taste?"
"I like clean designs. Like what you just saw."
"I see..."
Mother nodded faintly, closing her eyes in thought.
Arms crossed, she tapped her forearm with her index finger, sitting quietly for a moment before speaking.
"I get why you suddenly want to make clothes."
"Yes."
"But why specify servants' uniforms? Is there a reason?"
A reason, huh...
Rather than blurt it out, I wanted her thoughts first.
"Why do you see it negatively?"
"Maids aren't ladies-in-waiting or valets. They're not front-and-center like butlers. They rarely appear in public, and even then, only the Head Maid shows her face. So why bother making uniforms for maids no one sees? And do you even know how many maids we have? Have you calculated the cost to outfit them all?"
Very reasonable points.
"Ha."
I couldn't help but laugh.
I'd worried she might just dismiss it out of hand, but she was voicing my anticipated concerns exactly.
"Of course I've—"
"It's not my money, but yeah, I did."
"You did?"
Mother's eyes widened like a startled rabbit.
I met her gaze with a relaxed smile.
"Reason or finances—which should I explain first?"