#745 A Troubled Seamstress

My name is Batemy, a demoness residing on Lord Saint’s farm.

Lately, my companion Belena has been garnering more attention than me, leaving me in the shadows...

After all, Belena is more adept at administration and negotiation, making her a more valuable asset.

There was a time when she seemed lost and uncertain, illustrating just how low her self-confidence was. 

She once served as an aide to the former Heavenly Four Astres, so she should have continued to stand firm!

...Ahem. Enough about others; for now, let’s focus on me.

Even to this day, I continue to make clothes.

Coming from a family of seamstresses, I have a long history of sewing and making clothes. To make ends meet, I joined the Demon King’s Army, living through blood-soaked days but never ceasing to sew whenever I could.

Engaging in clothes-making, a job that was in demand when I arrived at the farm, is the greatest fortune of my life.

Not only can I lose myself in my dream job, but I also get to handle the finest and rarest fabrics that can’t be found anywhere else. It’s pure bliss.

How many hundreds of garments have I crafted using these extraordinary fabrics?

My clothes are popular on the farm and have also been sold outside, where they are exceptionally well-received.

I am truly grateful to see the clothes I made being so warmly received...

I’m glad I persisted in making clothes even when I was being pushed around by Miss Astres, becoming numb to both joy and sorrow.

You could say that my current situation is proceeding quite well.

Now, I’m working on creating a wedding dress.

You’re probably thinking, “Again?”

I’ve made numerous wedding dresses in the past, for my former superiors Miss Astres and Lady Glasya, for Lady Platy, Lord Saint’s wife, and even for the mermaids Lady Puffer and Lampeye.

This time, it’s for the mermaids Lady Zoth Syra and Lady Carp.

As they joyfully prepare to wed, I am crafting ceremonial clothes for them.

Both of them seemed hesitant, trying to weasel their way out of the situation...

“No, no, no...! Even if we’re going to be together, I’m already of a certain age, and celebrating with pomp and circumstance will only embarrass me! It might bother Orkubo as well, so maybe we should just exchange vows without any fanfare...?!” one said.

And the other mermaid...

“I have dedicated half of my life to being an educator! I don’t need a grand ceremony! I just want to quietly and modestly declare my love for Sir Gobukichi! If I make a spectacle of my love, my students will mock me later on! I can’t tolerate that...!”

Yet, despite their protests...

“Nevertheless, I’m a bit intrigued by this ‘dress’ I’m supposed to wear for the vow ceremony. Since the Witch of the Abyss will wear it, it must be overwhelming, instilling fear! How about adding skull motifs? And some creepy frills, like those of deep-sea fish, could be nice too. Making it semi-transparent would be fantastic!”

“As an educator, I need to project an image of integrity and orthodoxy. I wish to convey my unyielding resolve not to be swayed even on the most special day of my life. A design that exposes the chest, shoulder, or anything seductive is out of the question! Oh, but it would be nice to have something with offensive capabilities in case I need to protect my husband on the spot. Something like a gauntlet would be nice.”

...Despite claiming they don’t need it, they’re inundating me with requests.

And all of their requests are impractical. Wedding dresses don’t need to be creepy or rigid.

They definitely don’t need offensive capabilities, either.

Ultimately, it seems they’re swept up in the excitement of their first wedding.

It might feel odd to marry after their friends’ children have already married and started families...

But it’s bound to be the happiest day of their lives, so why not just relish and enjoy it?

Regardless, I continue crafting wedding dresses, disregarding the wearer’s demands.

But, well... Who am I to talk?

How many more wedding dresses must I stitch, none of which I will ever wear?

Time, if you have it, passes leisurely, and before you know it, I could find myself in a situation similar to Lady Zoth Syra or Lady Carp.

In reality, during the Human-Demon War, Varlina, who held the same rank as me, is now a feudal lord’s wife and has been blessed with children.

...Isn’t this concerning?

Lately, this sense of urgency has been growing more apparent day by day.

But, having said that, it’s not like I don’t have any plans for marriage.

I do have someone with whom I can share my future... someone essential for marriage.

He was my equal when I served as a deputy in the Demon King’s Army, and even though we belonged to different factions, we often had to collaborate on the battlefield.

...We found ourselves cooperating even more due to our shared frustrations with our superiors.

I believed our ties were severed when I left the Demon King’s Army, but certain circumstances led us to reconnect. Since then, we’ve frequently met whenever the opportunity arose.

And... He even acknowledged me as his lover.

Regardless of our distance, I can reach him instantly using teleportation magic, enabling us to plan dates on his days off.

My professional life is fulfilling, and my personal life is as satisfying.

Even though my life appears smooth sailing, I must always stay vigilant.

The happiness that seems eternal can crumble unexpectedly one day, as my own life has demonstrated more than anything else.

However, I’ll spare you the details.

In any case, it’s unwise to believe that current happiness will continue indefinitely.

Danger lurks everywhere.

For instance, the disparity in our status.

My lover... his name is Olba, and he hails from a noble family.

He’s a young scion of a noble family in the Demon Kingdom and is rumored to have secured a position as an aide to the Heavenly Four due to his connections.

However, the strenuous task of aiding the strongest of the Demon King’s Army, the Heavenly Four, can’t be accomplished merely through noble birthright.

His connections might have supported him, but his competence is undeniable.

...I digress.

The problem, as you might deduce from his noble birth, is this:

Being a noble, Olba has a duty to continue his lineage.

Even though his family doesn’t possess the prestige of the holy sword inheritors, their noble history of service and warfare necessitates an heir to ensure the Demon Kingdom’s continual prosperity and maintain the royal demon lineage.

Currently, Olba is working diligently as an assistant to a Heavenly One, but eventually, he must return to his family, assume leadership, marry, and raise the next generation.

That is the duty of a noble.

It’s a story that doesn’t concern a commoner like me...

Yes, that’s why it’s a major issue for us both.

It seems utterly cliché for a noble and a commoner to fall in love, a plotline found in countless romance novels...

First, Lady Glasya, the Demon King’s second consort, came from minor nobility, a class barely even acknowledged within the royal castle.

Then there’s Lady Puffer, the current Mermaid Queen of another kingdom, who was not merely a commoner, but a former criminal.

Compared to these unconventional figures, my background as a high-ranking officer in the Demon King’s Army, even as a commoner, should make it just marginally acceptable to marry into a noble family.

Just marginally.

However, in our case, there’s another issue...

It’s my current job. It poses a significant obstacle when it comes to marriage.

Living and working on a farm, sewing clothes – it’s such a blissful life.

But if I were to marry him, I would inevitably have to leave this place.

After all, I would be transitioning to the role of a noble lady.

It’s not just about getting married.

As the lady of the house, I would have to support my husband, manage our social affairs, and bear and raise our children, likely many of whom will be the heirs.

I would have to dedicate all my time and abilities to fulfill the responsibilities of a noble lady.

I suppose it would be impossible to play the role of a noble without being fully committed.

If I were to marry him, I would have to abandon my position at the farm and the career I have painstakingly built as a tailor.

Can I really do that?

Can I, who has always dreamed of a career in tailoring, and who has always felt joy since realizing that dream, truly do that?

Even though a considerable amount of time has passed since our reunion, while others like Lady Puffer and Lady Zoth Syra are moving forward, I’m the only one hesitating to get married.

There were women like Lady Puffer and Lady Lampeye who easily surrendered their farm life to marry their loved ones.

And then there’s Lady Zoth Syra, who balanced her status and marriage due to her extraordinary abilities.

I don’t think I can follow in either of their footsteps.

I’m just too attached to both love and work.

And because of that, I feel like I’ve been dragging out the status quo.

But time is unforgiving and keeps moving forward. Soon, Olba might be summoned back to his family home and pressured into officially assuming his title.

When that happens, it will mark the end of our relationship.

That’s why I need to make a decision as soon as possible, yet here I am, sewing someone else’s wedding dress.

I should be focusing on resolving my own situation, not crafting dresses!

Despite saying that, I still don’t know what to do.

It feels disrespectful towards Lady Zoth Syra and Lady Carp, who will be wearing the dresses I’m sewing while I’m in such a state of emotional turmoil.

But what should I do...?!

Just then, with a loud bang, someone came crashing in.

What on earth...?

“I have sensed the turmoil of a maiden in love...!”

Well, I’m probably a bit old to be referred to as a maiden.

The intruder seems to be a person since they can speak our language.

But do people usually barge in through walls at such speed?

“Let me solve your problem. I, Bloody Mary, the future Gwynn Dragon, will show you how!!!”