Even though worries were piling up, even though work was heaped high, time didn't kindly wait. Regardless of Hilda's concerns, there was always much to do, and just handling those tasks one by one made each day pass quickly.
She devoted her mornings and afternoons to educating the seamstresses, and worked on her own projects in the evenings. In between all this, she asked Cardia about Lucy's situation. After all these daily routines ended and she entered the bedroom late at night, drowsiness poured over her. Thanks to this, Hilda fell asleep each night without realizing it while listening to Raymond's gentle voice.
As time passed this way, the seamstresses' understanding of patterns also improved to some degree. Of course, there were difficulties here and there. Since these were things they were encountering for the first time.
"There are things to observe when cutting fabric too."
"What?"
At Hilda's words, everyone asked back with expressions of not understanding. They hadn't considered cutting that important to begin with. They had made clothes by sewing to fit the body and cutting off leftover fabric.
"Fabric has direction too. Look at this once."
Hilda said this while pulling the fabric she was holding horizontally and vertically with her hands. Everyone watched with bewildered expressions.
"Can you see what's different?"
When Hilda asked, Abyss answered without confidence.
"The first pull seemed to stretch a bit more."
"That's right."
Hilda nodded with a pleased expression. Then Letia made an "oh no" expression. Probably, she had also noticed that part. She just didn't have the courage to speak up.
'One person is cautious, and one person has quick reflexes.'
Hilda smiled and began explaining while placing the made pattern on the fabric.
"You need to be mindful of this direction. That way, when making clothes, the fabric will stretch less and you can make it as intended."
Hilda explained what properties the fabric's direction had while saying this.
"Until now I only looked at the fabric's color or quality, but I'm ashamed that I never thought to examine such aspects."
"Just as Master Abyss says. How do you think of such detailed points? Your Highness's insight is always amazing."
The group of artisans following Abyss competed to add their words. Of course, that wasn't only when Abyss spoke. When Letia got the correct answer, the group following Letia would say such things. Since they couldn't put Hilda down, they seemed to try to make themselves stand out by praising her instead.
'How can they get along better?'
Hilda worried. But forcibly mixing them together didn't seem like a good method either. It needed to be natural above all...
'The best would be an external enemy... perhaps?'
Hilda thought carefully and recalled someone she could involve in this matter. Of course, they would need to accept the proposal. While thinking this, Hilda felt sorry toward Letia for no reason and looked at her. Then she met eyes with her, who seemed to have noticed something. Hilda just brushed it off with laughter.
After work at the sewing workshop ended that day, Hilda began her work as usual. This time she was aiming for a total of three sets of clothes. As always, it was hard to say the schedule was leisurely, but it wasn't impossible.
'His Highness, me, and Cardia.'
Thanks to Cardia becoming her maid, the range of clothes she could make had broadened. That alone was satisfying. Hilda habitually picked up Raymond's clothes first and began sewing.
This time she planned to make clothes using purple fabric. Purple was not easy for the wearer to pull off. But Hilda was certain Raymond would definitely wear it with elegance.
She also took out gold thread she hadn't used since the Founding Festival. If she embroidered with gold thread on purple, the luxury would surely double. Moreover, however Trigo had dyed it, the purple was pretty without being tacky.
'It's really beautiful too.'
Hilda looked at the fabric she was about to cut with enchanted eyes. Just looking at it, she could feel it was high-quality fabric that was difficult to obtain.
"Your Highness, are you going to use that fabric this time?"
"Yes."
At Lucy's question, Hilda nodded with a satisfied expression. She had even sharpened her scissors cleanly for cutting. It was that good.
When Hilda lifted the scissors to cut the fabric, Lucy smiled softly.
"Why?"
"I remembered Prince Aidan's expression on the day Your Highness chose that fabric."
"I felt like I had become a villain."
"Oh no, that can't be."
Hilda cut along the drawn pattern with scissors while recalling that day with Aidan. Though collaboration with Trigo wasn't completely decided, there was no country that produced better quality fabric than Trigo.
As soon as Aidan heard about the spring festival, he put in a visit request. He presented Hilda with even more fabric swatches than last time.
"Thanks to Your Highness's wedding, fabric orders have increased greatly."
"That's fortunate."
"Especially thanks to the ramie dress you wore at the reception. Until now, ramie wasn't well known, and it was fabric rarely ordered unless someone had special taste. Especially in this season."
Hilda nodded at his answer. Originally ramie was mainly fabric used when making summer clothes.
"Please take care of us again this time."
"Are you going to give it for free again this time?"
"That would be difficult, but if Your Highness wishes, I'll give you a special discount of about 30 percent."
Aidan spoke with a merchant-like attitude.
'Well, they did say Trigo was a big country through trade.'
Moreover, Aidan wasn't even Trigo's crown prince. The position of princes who weren't heirs was obvious. If they couldn't prove their value, they could be exiled, become monks, or at worst, die.
"Thirty percent..."
But she knew well that he wouldn't readily nod at the initially proposed amount either. That's how bargaining worked. Especially since Hilda had experienced such situations many times before. There were often times when she went to buy fabric in place of her grandmother.
'But here, large orders aren't necessarily profitable yet...'
Rather, if you said you were buying in large quantities, prices would jump. This was because everything from spinning thread to the final process was all handwork. While examining the fabric swatches, Hilda recalled what Aidan had just said.
'That increased ramie fabric orders were good means...'
There would be things left over that were made but didn't sell. Hilda picked several fabrics she really liked from the swatches, then smiled at Aidan.
Since the word "thirty percent" she had just muttered was definitely not in a welcoming tone, he was nervous.
"Your Highness, I heard that Trigo's trade volume has increased greatly in the past month."
"That's right."
Aidan answered with a smile, but swallowed inwardly. He looked at Jerfel standing behind Hilda. Somehow he felt like the culprit.
"I didn't hear exact amounts or scale, but it seemed certain it was an exceptional amount compared to normal years. I heard there's even a shortage of Trigo goods."
"That's right. It's thanks to Your Highness."
Aidan knew he shouldn't say this but couldn't help it. Hilda smiled satisfyingly at that answer.
'They say spouses come to resemble each other...'
No, rather she was one step above, he thought. Unlike Raymond, she felt like she was pressuring him more directly in a different way. From now on, Trigo would have to utilize Lumina, no, Crown Princess Hildegard somehow.
'And she seems to know that very well.'
That was surprising. Most other countries except Trigo tended to stop at trading raw materials. This was partly because few countries were commercially developed, but also because they didn't know how to promote products made using raw materials.
'Truly amazing.'
Aidan was truly envious of Raymond. He was jealous to the point of stomach ache that he had gained a partner with such sense.
"There would be others besides ramie, right?"
"What do you mean?"
Still, Aidan tried playing dumb. But Hilda wasn't someone who didn't know. Even getting only a 30 percent discount wouldn't be such a losing business. Especially in the current situation where Trigo products were causing shortages.
'Still, the one who's anxious wouldn't be me but Your Highness.'
She was almost certain. Hilda smiled and spoke lightly to him.
"I could make other fabrics like that for you, not just ramie."
"..."
Hilda said this while picking the least troublesome fabric to make from the ones she had chosen.
"What do you think, Your Highness?"
"..."
Aidan looked at the fabric Hilda had chosen. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the fabric. He had an expression as if calculating various things in his head. Only after some time passed did Aidan nod.
"How about 40 percent? Instead, on the condition that you definitely make clothes using the fabric we provide free of charge."
"Good."
Hilda readily nodded. His noticeably relieved expression was visible. But strong attacks always came when one was at ease. Hilda launched consecutive attacks at him.
"And about 10 yards of this fabric too."
Aidan could be felt swallowing momentarily. But that wasn't the end. Hilda finally chose purple fabric with a very fine color and even subtle patterns, and spoke to him.
"And 10 yards of this too. That's possible, right?"
"..."
Aidan thought in his head that she was definitely a demon. But he had already opened his mouth. Jerfel was standing beside the Crown Princess. If he backed down, it would surely reach Raymond's ears and he'd be teased endlessly. Aidan swallowed sadly and nodded.
'Should I think it's fortunate that it barely breaks even?'
He had to comfort himself by thinking she would help dispose of malignant inventory.
Aidan's drooped shoulders as he left with the order form that day still came to mind. Hilda smiled and continued cutting.
"Your Highness seems to handle scissors extremely well, not just sewing."
"You say I'm good at everything."
"Really! I followed Your Highness around the workshop too, didn't I?"
"You did."
"The seamstresses there said so, didn't they? That Your Highness has amazing skill with scissors too. You just didn't know because you were concentrating, but everyone watched with these eyes whenever Your Highness cut with scissors."
Lucy said this while staring intently at Hilda's scissors. That sight felt cute, so Hilda stopped cutting briefly and laughed.
"Really."
"I believe you, I believe you."
"Hey, it's really true."
Lucy seemed to think Hilda didn't believe her because she answered playfully. To Hilda, that really didn't matter. Rather...
'Looking like this, it really seems like nothing happened at all.'
Recalling the stories she heard through Cardia, it was more amazing that Lucy could be in such a bright state. Of course, she was an orphan and from commoner origins. She might not be as smart as other noble young ladies. But that wasn't her fault. At least when it came to serving her, she was more sincere than anyone.
Along with the seamstress work, Lucy's matter also needed to be resolved now. It was worse than expected. It wasn't something that could be resolved by Lucy doing something. Hilda had heard sufficient information from Cardia and judged it wasn't something to leave alone.
"Lucy."
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"How much have you practiced writing?"
Right after hearing that story from Cardia, Hilda had her learn the refinement necessary as a maid. Writing was one of them.
"I've finished about half of the textbook Your Highness gave me. I've had Cardia check it whenever I had time."
"Good, then..."
Hilda turned around while putting down the scissors she had finished cutting with.