Having obtained permission to touch her body on the condition that I finish quickly, I looked for a tape measure and opened a book I had bought earlier, preparing to take her measurements.
It might not seem like there's much to prepare when all you're doing is measuring lengths with a tape, but this is my first time ordering something custom-made, and I only vaguely know which parts need to be measured.
Referring to the book, I checked off each area to measure on a roughly sketched human figure drawn on a sheet of pure white paper. Then I stood up, pulled the tape measure out to its full length, and approached Emily.
"Ready?"
"..."
Emily widened her eyes and nodded with a solemn expression, as if she were making some grand, nation-saving decision.
"Could you spread your arms a little? Just enough to fit a fist under your armpit."
"Yes."
"I'll start from your hips."
After briefly wondering where to begin, I just chose the lowest point.
I wrapped the tape measure around her in a wide circle, then pulled it tight and read the number where the ends met.
Normally, you're supposed to lay it gently against the skin, but since I was measuring over her clothes, I had to pull it tight—otherwise the clothes would end up a size too big.
"Ahh..."
As I tightened the tape and my hand lightly pressed against her hips, a faint, delicate moan mixed into Emily's breath.
Keeping my tone as indifferent as possible while reading the number, I said, "It'll be over soon, so just bear with it a little."
"Young master, your touch is rougher than you look."
"Uh..."
I was at a loss for words.
There was no room for excuses—I really had been a bit rough.
As I stood there with a blank expression, mouth opening and closing without finding anything to say, Emily smiled faintly and teased,
"Hehe… I'm joking. But it is a little ticklish, so I'd appreciate it if you were gentler."
For a moment, her soft smile and calm voice were so natural that I almost thought she was truly unbothered.
But her restless fingers and ears flushed red as if about to burst clearly revealed the embarrassment she was trying to hide.
"Mm…"
This is dangerous.
There was something heart-tickling about the way she acted composed despite being embarrassed.
I'd thought the mood might turn awkward because of my mistake, but instead, an unexpected counterattack put me in danger right from the start.
What had begun as something I needed to finish quickly for Emily's sake had suddenly turned into something I needed to finish quickly for my own safety.
"...I'll be careful."
Suppressing the trembling at the corners of my lips, I stiffened my expression and loosened the tape.
My ears and the back of my neck were burning, and I doubted hiding my expression would help much—but it was still better than openly showing how flustered I was. I copied the numbers onto the paper.
"Phew..."
After measuring the last necessary part—her left wrist—I let out a long breath that felt warmer than warm, almost hot.
As the tension drained away, fatigue and dizziness washed over me.
Five minutes.That's all it took from starting at her hips to finishing the measurements. But it felt more like fifty.
"Is it over now?"
As I straightened up, tossing the tape and paper onto the desk and rubbing my neck, Emily—who had remained silent since her earlier smile—finally spoke.
She looked just as exhausted as I felt.
Grinning at her, I said, "Yeah, I got everything I needed."
"I see. You worked hard."
"Worked hard? You're the one who had to go along with my insistence."
"...Haha."
Emily's eyes trembled slightly as she let out an awkward laugh and averted her gaze.
"..."
Watching her, I gave a bitter smile.
Now that my head had cooled down, I realized all too clearly that I'd acted like a complete brute toward her today.
Guilt washed over me belatedly.
"Tsk..."
Clicking my tongue lightly, I opened the top drawer of my desk.
Amid the miscellaneous clutter sat a small cloth bundle.
I picked it up and closed the drawer.
"Here."
"Pardon?"
"Take it."
I placed the bundle into Emily's puzzled hands.
"What is this...?"
"Cookies."
They were cookies my mother had handed over to me yesterday, saying they were too sweet for her.
Originally, I'd planned to have them with tea, but giving them to Emily as an apology seemed like a better idea.
It's not like I can't drink tea without cookies.
"Share them with your coworkers or eat them secretly by yourself—your choice. I did a lot of things I should apologize for today, so this is my way of saying sorry."
"Still, I can't..."
"Just take them. If you refuse, I'll feel even worse."
"Thank you."
Emily slipped the bundle into her pocket and bowed her head politely.
If she'd shown even a hint of coldness, I might have felt better. But the more courteous she was, the more uncomfortable I felt.
"Then is there anything else I can help you with today?"
As I scratched my cheek awkwardly and kept my mouth shut, Emily glanced at the desk and asked.
I immediately shook my head.
"No, that's all. Could you come again tomorrow morning?"
"Yes, I have to come change the sheets anyway."
"Thanks."
"It's nothing."
A gentle smile curved her lips.
"I'll be going now."
"Yeah. Sorry for bothering you."
"If you're sorry, please be more careful next time."
"Got it."
"Then, young master, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Mm."
Leaving a polite farewell, Emily closed the door behind her.
As soon as she disappeared, I turned away from the door, walked to my desk, and picked up my pen.
"Hmm~ shall we begin..."
For Emily's sake, I'd better work hard!
"... ..."
Someone whispered softly by my ear.
At first, I thought they were trying to wake me—but the voice was so gentle it only lulled me deeper into sleep.
Maybe it'd be fine to drift off with that voice as a lullaby.
"...!"
"Ugh… huh...?"
An annoyed voice.
Then a soft hand gripped the back of my neck. I hurriedly swallowed the drool slipping from my mouth and opened my eyes.
"You've finally woken up, young master."
"...Emily?"
Standing beside me, looking down at me while kneading the back of my neck—was Emily.
I never called for Emily, so why is she standing here?
Blinking my bleary eyes, I stared at her blankly. Emily let out a small chuckle, bent her knees slightly to meet my eye level, and said,
"Yes, it's Emily."
"Why… why are you here already? It's still dawn…"
"Well, it's morning."
"Morning…?"
I turned my head and looked out the window.
The sun had fully risen, and a clear blue sky filled my view.
"Huh?"
"Young master, when did you go to bed last night?"
"Uh… I dozed off around daybreak… I just blinked for a second, and you were here."
"You didn't respond when I called, and since you didn't show up for breakfast, I came to find you."
"Breakfast?"
If it was already breakfast time, then I must have slept at least two hours.
"Oh no… this is bad."
"What's wrong?"
"I was going to fix the awkward parts after a short rest, but I ended up falling asleep…"
"…?"
Emily and I both turned our gaze toward the desk.
There, neatly piled up, were a black one-piece dress, a pure white apron, and a headband.
"…Did you make this in a single day?"
"Yeah. I rushed it, so the finishing is a bit rough, but it's wearable right now."
Honestly, even I had to admit it was pretty impressive.
I didn't think I'd manage to make something wearable in just one day.
"No way…"
With a proud smile, I glanced at Emily. Muttering in disbelief, she carefully picked up the dress and began inspecting it from every angle.
The way she meticulously examined the seams, sleeves, and hem was so solemn it was almost like watching a soldier searching for landmines.
Smiling contentedly at her, I casually threw out a comment.
"Want to try it on?"
"Pardon?"
"Since you're already here, you might as well try it on. That way we can adjust anything that doesn't fit and save ourselves the trouble of doing it twice."
"…Me?"
Emily opened and closed her mouth like a broken machine, then tilted her head like a confused puppy and pointed at herself.
I'm pretty sure I said I was making this outfit for her. Why is she acting like this is the first she's heard of it? Did she think I was joking?
That's a little annoying.
"Come on, try it on."
"Uh… well, Young Master, this is a bit sudden…"
"You know where the dressing room is, right? Go change there."
"Young master?"
Ignoring whatever she was about to say, I bent down and pulled out a box I'd hidden under the desk.
I brushed off the dust, opened the lid, and took out a pair of black flats and white socks from inside.
"Change into these shoes. Or are you barefoot?"
"Why are you asking that…?"
"If you are, then wear these too."
I neatly placed the shoes and socks on top of the apron and held them out to her.
"What are you doing? Take them."
"Can I try it on later? The lord and lady are waiting in the dining hall."
"If you don't change quickly, my parents are going to be very angry."
Clutching the dress tightly to her chest, Emily's shoulders flinched.
I felt a little sorry for her, but if I skipped a meal and pretended not to know any better, I wouldn't be the only one getting scolded.
The class system was terribly unfair like that—when someone above makes a mistake, those below get scolded too.
My mother would only scold me, but the head maid would be a different story.
"My arms are starting to hurt."
"…Understood."
Emily was smart—she surrendered quickly.
After carefully folding the dress and stacking the other clothes on top, she accepted everything and trudged toward the dressing room.
I can't wait to see how she'll look when she comes out.