READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 100.2
The Adults Have A Hard Time Dealing With People
The openly flamboyant one was extremely assertive toward the mostly unmotivated men. The meticulous one never compromised on appearance. They knew the two would halfheartedly wrap things up if left unchecked. Leopold was poked in the back by Yuuri, who asked as he turned around.
“What kind of outfit are you wearing, Leone-san?”
“Oh, are you curious about my outfit?”
“Yes. Since Ali-san and Brook-san’s are cool, I figured Leone-san’s must be cool and beautiful too.”
“You’re such a sweet child, Yuuri-chan.”
He pulled Yuuri into a tight hug, making him let out a confused “Huh?”. Yuuri had no idea what had made Leopold so happy. Incidentally, it was the offhand “cool and beautiful” that thrilled Leopold. The key wasn’t just “cool” but how “beautiful” was also tacked on. However, Yuuri himself had merely spoken what came to mind.
“Mine’s basically the same as Ali’s. No jacket—just a vest with a stole draped over it.”
“Not a jacket, but a stole?”
“Indeed, darling. Wearing a jacket would just make it look like standard male formalwear, wouldn’t it? This stole is custom-made—an ethereal, translucent rainbow hue.”
“That’s amazing!”
Even when Leopold casually mentioned something impressive, Yuuri hardly reacted. In his mind, he pictured Leopold in a white shirt, black vest, black tie, and a shimmering rainbow stole. …It suited him. Perfectly. Even though it was based on Ali’s outfit, just adding one stole transformed it completely into something befitting Leopold. What a formidable item, that rainbow stole.
“Are you wearing pants on the bottom?”
“Technically, yes. But they’re tailored with a flared cut, so when I stand with my feet together, they appear skirt-like.”
“Ah… Sort of like a long version of culottes?”
“Culottes? Do people from your hometown wear such garments, Yuuri-chan?”
“They’re half-pants that flare to look like skirts. Girls used to wear them.”
“How delightful.”
A soft laugh from the beautiful man, who was smiling brightly. Just between these two, the atmosphere became strangely serene. Watching them, Ali and Brook—faces exasperated—had quietly perfected their own outfits. The eyepatch Ali wore was the same black as usual, but upon closer inspection, it was intricately stitched with gold thread. Within that gold, tiny shards of clear gemstones sparkled. Small diamonds, to be exact. Even the strap securing it had black fabric entwined with gold and silver threads—a purely ornamental eyepatch, extravagantly crafted and clearly not to Ali’s taste. Brook, on the other hand, wore a narrow, stiff-looking hat with a cape draped from his shoulder to his elbow. The cape was deep green, matching his outfit, and so was the hat. Around the brim of the hat glinted gold, and on its front was an embroidered crest in black and gold, appearing like a simplified dragon to Yuuri’s eyes.
“Wow! That’s so cool!”
“Yeah, looks like everything’s in place. Seriously, wear it all properly from the start.”
“…”
With Yuuri’s excited expression and Leopold’s satisfied nod, Ali and Brook sighed. Their disinterest in these outfits was obvious. More than that, their faces clearly said they didn’t want to attend the bothersome soirée. Nobles’ gatherings held no appeal for them. On the other hand, Leopold’s enthusiasm was due to these events being part of his work—a chance to connect with elite clients purchasing custom perfumes. …The highly skilled perfumer was quite the businessman as well.
“By the way, why do nobles keep inviting you all to soirées?”
“Uh…face connections?”
“Probably proof they’ve got control over you.”
“Or, simply, they just want to meet us.”
“Huh?”
In response to Yuuri’s question, the answers came from the exasperated Ali, equally unenthusiastic Brook, and the somewhat amused Leopold—all different, leaving Yuuri utterly perplexed. With Ali too annoyed to bother explaining further, Leopold stepped in to simplify things for Yuuri. This openly flamboyant man still had a soft spot for Yuuri.
“Long ago, an important person had a connection with Ali, and since he’s so skilled, they use their relationship as leverage with others.”
“If Ali-san is skilled, why is that a problem?”
“People tend to scramble to pull someone talented into their own ranks. But Ali just kicks them all away, so they flaunt their ‘friendship’ to say, ‘Don’t interfere; he’s ours,’ you know?”
“…Ali-san really is incredible…”
“Not really. I’m just an ordinary appraiser.”
Staring with admiration, Yuuri received Ali’s response, delivered with visible annoyance. Once Ali confirmed with Leopold that there was nothing else, he and Brook retreated to change out of their stiff attire. Watching them leave, Yuuri absentmindedly thought, “If only I could’ve taken a photo with my phone,” since the two had looked so impressive—like models or celebrities.
“Ali-san is amazing, isn’t he?”
“Yes, truly. There are many appraisers, but few with Ali’s skill. …So make sure you learn all you can from him.”
“Yes!”
The earnest response came with a bright, innocent smile toward the gently smiling Leopold.