[AFYC] Chapter 94

Like a nobleman casually perusing the day’s news, Abel sat with one leg crossed and idly inspected the suits. His sophisticated manner impressed the staff, who hurried to escort him to the fitting room.

“With winter approaching, nothing beats an Atun Mountain cashmere suit. It suits you splendidly.”

As the luxurious fabric of the suit clung to his body, the memories of the past few days vanished from Abel’s mind. And as those memories faded, the habits he had honed over months resurfaced as naturally as breathing.

“Darling, how does it look?”

Abel’s body froze mid-turn as he realised what he had just said.

It was as if, in the middle of making love, he had accidentally called out the name of a previous partner. For a moment, he stood there, holding his breath, and glanced at Seo Ah to gauge her reaction. She tilted her head slightly, unsure if he had spoken to her.

At that moment, a middle-aged woman who appeared to be the store manager approached Seo Ah, whispering something in her ear.

“He looks absolutely splendid, doesn’t he?”

Seo Ah, still confused, hesitated before nodding slowly.

“Yes, it does suit you.”

“You’re very fortunate to have such a dashing companion,” the manager added.

Seo Ah’s face was now etched with confusion, but she nodded again, apparently deciding that it would be too strange to disagree.

Abel’s pause gave way to a wide grin. His mind raced as he looked at Seo Ah, tilting his head slightly. He felt like he had just stumbled upon a foolproof way to completely ensnare this naïve foreigner without her even realising it.

Vieux Department Store.

It was the first department store to open in East Norfolk and quickly became the largest and most profitable in the region. However, it hadn’t always been so successful.

Initially, the Vieux Department Store struggled to attract customers. Many of the older nobility avoided it, believing that they couldn’t wear or use goods bought in a place open to anyone.

But about a decade ago, the Marquis of Luxen invested in the failing store. At the time, the nobility gossiped, saying that the young Marquis, who had never even attended an academy, had overreached himself after establishing a successful steel company.

However, shortly afterwards, news spread that the steel company had acquired a railway company, and the existing rail network began expanding rapidly. The connection between the store’s investment and the rail expansion wasn’t immediately apparent to the nobility, who paid little attention at the time.

The nobility’s interest was piqued when new and unique items, previously unheard of, began appearing in the store, transported by the newly expanded railways.

Even rare Luha Mountain raspberries, which had to be consumed within a week of harvesting, could be found at Vieux.

New and unique products.

The young aristocrats of Vieux, particularly those with a taste for the arts and culture, were drawn to the store, and soon it became fashionable among the younger nobles to visit it regularly.

While most trends burned out as quickly as they flared up, some endured. Those that persisted became ingrained in the culture.

The Marquis’s mother, who had initially disapproved of her son’s decision, became one of the store’s most frequent visitors.

The VIP lounge hosted an exhibition on the store’s top floor to celebrate the festival. Of course, the seats of honour were reserved for Charlotte von Luxen, the Marchioness, and her daughter, Sabine von Jerome. Sabine had stepped out for a moment, leaving the Marchioness surrounded by a cloud of noblewomen.

“Marchioness, I’m thinking of purchasing that piece. What do you think?”

Charlotte glanced at the sculpture the woman was pointing at while sipping her champagne.

“Where do you plan to place it?”

“The right side of the main floor seems rather empty.”

“The right side of your main floor….” Charlotte trailed off for a moment before her tone became decisive. “I’d place it in the centre of the staircase landing instead.”

The noblewoman who had asked the question seemed to mentally picture the arrangement, and then, with a small clap of her hands, she smiled, clearly pleased with the solution.