248 - The Horned Owl Princess and the Owl Spirit 2
After staying in the capital for about a month, I feel like I'm finally getting used to the new environment. Hermine's afternoon lessons are the same as always, but during my free time, I've gained enough peace of mind to work on bobbin lace and embroidery. I no longer station myself at Leonardo's side from morning till night outside of lesson hours, and Leonardo seems a little relieved about that too. The fact that my shyness didn't show itself so much around Felicia was also a big factor. If I may add, while observing Felicia, I've also been studying how to maintain shallow but broad relationships with people. I can't say I'm perfect at it yet, but I think I can at least offer a polite smile and greet someone I'm meeting for the first time, without hiding behind my guardian (Leonardo) anymore.
...I do feel like I want to try something beyond coasters and ribbon-like things soon, though.
I inspect the bobbin lace I've been making - ribbons I can now weave with good quality thread without struggling - and tilt my head alone. If Aurelia, who taught me bobbin lace, or Kalisa, who's already started mastering bobbin lace to a degree I can't even compare to, were here, I could ask for advice, but I don't have much confidence in my own judgment. I wonder if I'm ready to move on to the next step.
...But honestly, I feel like I've done enough ribbons, you know?
I no longer make mistakes operating the bobbin that leave the surface bumpy, and the patterns are woven in beautifully. Simply put, I've started wanting to try more difficult patterns.
"Maybe I should make a really wide, big ribbon and present it to Felicia-sama?"
I've seen photos in my previous life where someone used a ribbon to cover their private parts. The kind of gift-wrapping ribbon for the joke known as 'the present is me.' The ribbon in the photo had a satin-like gloss, I think, but what I can make is either embroidery or bobbin lace, and in terms of covering things, it would be see-through - but for Felicia, who's fine with being fully nude, satin and lace probably make no difference.
"If I were to wear something like that, my beautiful body would be hidden away!"
When I brought the giant ribbon idea to Felicia, she knit her willow-leaf brows, saying that covering her own body with a ribbon would be a loss of beauty. It's more of a puzzled face, like she's saying 'what a troublesome child,' than an angry one, but even now that I'm used to her, she's so beautiful I can't help but be captivated.
"...I think there are times when not being able to see is more beautiful, though..."
"I'd like you to teach me how one is supposed to adore something they cannot see."
For Felicia, who has absolute confidence in her own beauty, arguments like 'you should have some modesty' or 'at least cover your private parts' don't work. The only thing that might be the barest compromise Felicia can accept is that her crotch is covered by a fig leaf. She thinks hiding her beauty is an insult to the gods, but she also doesn't want to be scolded incessantly by Alfred and Christoph about wearing clothes.
"This is about my past memories, but..."
Starting with that preamble, I talk about a famous artwork from my previous life. The statue that came to bear the name of the goddess of beauty, with both arms missing, was actually one of a group of statues, they say, or that it held an apple - there were various theories. Among those various theories, there was also a question and explanation about why a broken statue could bear the name of the goddess of beauty, and I've heard that the statue is beautiful precisely 'because it has no arms.' Hands are apparently symbols of human desire - grasping, catching, stealing things. It's said that the statue is beautiful because both arms have been lost.
...Well, even if someone gave me such a highbrow explanation, it's hard for a commoner like me to understand.
But if I rephrase it a little, it suddenly becomes an explanation I can sympathize with and understand.
...What's hidden is more exciting! The peek-a-boo aesthetic is justice!
I can't sympathize even one millimeter with the idea that it's beautiful because it lacks arms, which are symbols of human desire. But if you rephrase it as 'what you can't see stimulates the imagination,' I can understand that terribly well. What kind of hands were at the ends of those missing arms? Did it really hold an apple? Was it a statue reaching out its arm to someone, rather than standing alone? Because the arms are missing, each viewer imagines a different previous form for the statue. That should leave a stronger impression on people's memory than if it had been excavated in perfect condition. Stimulating the imagination is a strength in itself.
"Henrieta is certainly beautiful as she is, but by intentionally covering that up, you stimulate the imagination about how beautiful the hidden parts might be, enriching the viewer's heart more..."
Even I'm starting to wonder what I'm saying, but I try to provoke Felicia by exaggeratingly linking wearing clothes and beauty - not just a little, but quite a lot. If Felicia, who seems to have absolute values when it comes to beauty, thinks she's narrowing others' possibilities, she might become willing to wear at least a single piece of cloth.
"...I had always thought that beautiful things should not be hidden, but should be equally exposed to the eyes of the people. I believed that was the repayment and duty for this beauty the gods bestowed upon me... but to think that by continuously exposing beautiful things as they are, I've been narrowing the people's potential to perceive beauty..."
"I didn't go that far. Henrieta is a beautiful woman, easy on the eyes."
Felicia's face had shifted to one of shock, and even though I was supposed to be persuading her to wear clothes, I unconsciously retract my own statement, thinking she's fine as she is. I realized it's not only men with ulterior motives who end up being gentle with a crushed beauty. No one can leave a drooping beauty alone. If there are such people, they're an extreme minority.
"...Very well. I, Felicia Christoph Everina Angela Ivisia, shall bear the wrath of the gods upon this body without regret, if it is for the sake of the people."
Felicia lifts her face with an expression of solemn determination, as if declaring she will don cloth. I find myself captivated by her dignified, beautiful face, but if you strip away the words, it's just 'I'll stop being a nudist.' It's not the kind of declaration that moves you with how cool it is.
"However, that being said, I will not wear cloth that detracts from my beauty. It must be a design that is beautiful, and that also heightens the people's sensitivity... If the ribbon Christina speaks of turns out well, I shall consider wearing that as well."
"Um... I am deeply grateful, I suppose?"
...Is that the right thing to say in this case? Tell me, Hermine-sensei!
She stares at me with determined eyes, and I instinctively want to step back. But since both my hands are firmly grasped, I can't escape.
"With that decided, let us call for a tailor. ...Oh, I don't seem to have any favorites, do I. Well then, Christina's favorite shop will do."
"I've only just arrived in the capital, so I don't have any favorite shops."
I'm glad she's suddenly become enthusiastic, but it seems Felicia, who has lived as a nudist until now, has no exclusive or personal shops. Apparently, when appearing in public, she was forcibly dressed in clothes prepared by Alfred and his mother. I don't want to dampen her spirits when she's finally become willing, but I have no shops to recommend either.
"I wonder if my sister's (Claudine's) favorite tailor is in trouble now that she's gone?"
Felicia's lady-in-waiting is sent off to check with Nadine. I had felt sorry for the princess who was stripped of her status after an impulse purchase of five thousand gold coins, but it seems Felicia was properly worried about what came after. Certainly, shops that had a loyal customer suddenly disappear would be in trouble.
The next day, the tailor who arrived through Nadine's arrangements first expressed gratitude for Felicia's keen insight and kindness, then promptly began work. The fact that they thanked her right after the greeting suggests that Claudine's downfall really was a major blow to the shop.
As for Felicia, she still seems to have resistance to hiding her beauty with cloth, and unlike many noblewomen, she doesn't seem to favor using cloth lavishly. This seemed to trouble even the designer the tailor brought along, who was at a loss.
...Princess Claudine, whom I saw before, had completely opposite tastes in clothing, didn't she?
Claudine wore a modest dress that used plenty of cloth. Expecting that tailor, who had been her favorite, to immediately make clothes to Felicia's taste would be unreasonable. However, Felicia seemed to have no complaints about the quality of the cloth they handled, and she selected several fabrics with pleasant textures.
"...Tina, do you want some clothes made too?"
"I can still wear the clothes from last year, you know."
I have my favorites, so I nip at Leonardo, who whispered to me not to increase them further. Felicia doesn't stir any desire in Leonardo, but his urge to dress me up seems alive and well. The large number of fabric samples and design drawings brought in seem to have made him want to make clothes for me.
"...You'll need winter clothes. The clothes we brought from Grenore are just a few summer and autumn outfits."
"It's fine if you call the shoemaker, isn't it?"
I hint that custom shoes would be acceptable. I heard it takes a month one way to get to the capital, but unexpectedly I've ended up staying for several months. Clothes can be fixed a little and worn for a while longer, but shoes can't be helped. If I'm going to continue using custom shoes, I need to find a shoemaker in the capital who'll take my orders.
"Christina, don't you have any interesting designs?"
Apparently, Claudine's designer didn't suit her taste. Since it doesn't match her preferences, Felicia turns to me, suggesting I might as well come up with something outlandish.
"I've never designed clothes before..."
"It doesn't have to be from scratch. Think of something you know, Christina, that might suit me."
"Something that would suit Henrieta... with your beauty and figure, I feel like anything would suit you, but..."
"But you can tell that Claudine's tastes wouldn't suit me, can't you?"
"Ah, yes. That's certainly true."
I think she's a beauty who looks good in anything, but clothes designed to suit Claudine probably wouldn't suit Felicia. I understand that she's vaguely asking me to come up with interesting ideas from my past life memories, so I ask the designer for paper and try drawing a few pictures.
"Felicia-sama has a slender build, so lines that show off her figure would be lovely... ah, but I'd want to show off her beautiful legs."
I try drawing a simple dress that emphasizes her figure, then voluntarily discard it. A long dress would inevitably hide Felicia's attractive legs.
"Isn't there something? Something that would make Felicia-sama's tempting limbs stand out even more..."
When I think of alluring costumes with little cloth worn by beautiful women with great bodies, I think of evil female executive types or body-hugging bodysuits. Putting aside my preconceptions about princess dresses, I draw a few evil female executive costumes that look like nothing but cosplay outfits. I've never studied clothing design, so they inevitably end up as imitations of anime or something, but several designs get completed. I try to show them to Felicia, but the design drawings are taken away, and I'm made to stand up, surrounded by several seamstresses.
...Huh? Why am I being measured?
I said it wasn't necessary, but wondering if it was Leonardo's doing, I glance at him just as he looks up from the design drawings that Felicia had rejected, and our eyes meet. When I stare at him with a suspicious, squinting gaze, he indicated Felicia with his eyes, as if to say he's innocent.
...Felicia-sama?
The designer was showing the design drawings I'd drawn to Felicia, who had paper and pen. I can see Felicia occasionally giving some instructions, but her face looks somehow satisfied. Japanese evil female executive costumes are specialized in making female bodies look alluring. It seems they were also close to Felicia's tastes, which is for the best.
...So why am I being measured?
Surely they're not going to make matching outfits. Evil female executive costumes only look good when worn by beautiful women with great bodies - not by a little girl with a flat chest and flat bottom. Well, how should I refuse? While I'm breaking into a cold sweat worrying about it, the meeting between the designer and Felicia seems to have ended. Felicia hands the design drawings to the designer, then comes over to me carrying white fur.
...Fluffy?
I wonder why fur in summer, but I let her do as she pleases. For now, none of the designs I drew seemed to involve fur. Which means, since she's applying fur to me, it seems I won't end up wearing those evil female executive outfits. Thank goodness.
...Ah, I see. It's an owl. She's planning to have me cosplay as an owl spirit.
After placing the fur on my head, she holds colorful feathers against my body. It seems she's now comparing the feathers to the size of my body. She must be seriously planning to make me look like an owl.
"Larger feathers would be more showy, wouldn't they."
"We could make them from now if you'd like, but..."
"Indeed. I wanted to use real feathers, but considering warmth and the finish, it can't be helped. Make the feathers artificial."
"Very well."
Something seems to have been agreed upon between Felicia and the designer, and the fur placed on my head is returned to the box by the seamstress's hands. As I vaguely watch this movement, Leonardo informs me that as thanks for drawing the costume designs, Felicia has decided to make me one winter outfit. This winter, it seems I'll be a white owl instead of a black cat. And winter clothes will indeed be necessary, Hermine is brought in to persuade me, and Leonardo cheerfully orders clothes for me.
Of course, he doesn't forget to arrange for the shoemaker either.
Though Felicia-sama was dissatisfied with having somewhat more cloth than she'd like, she was swayed by the thought that since the clothes were designed based on Tina praising herself in her mutterings, well, it's probably fine. Tina, who got Felicia willing to wear clothes, will apparently be unknowingly thanked by Kris Tofu-sama at a later date.