I'm Just a Nameless Side Character in a Vampire Romance Novel

Chapter 28 - The clothes make the man

Sleeping in was truly blissful. It is the single most important thing one could do in their lives, aside from eating. Today was the last day I would be able to sleep in as much as I pleased.

Instead of classes, I met with several designers Misa had vetted. In high society your clothes were your battle armor and it was important that I find someone soon. Since I had released the new requirements, fewer had been coming. Now, only the best names in the Empire dared enter my palace. They were men who had already risen to the top but had yet to be contracted privately to any royalty. Misa's eyes twinkled at the chance to meet her idols.

Each designer was dressed in their richest fabrics and silks, donning rare patterns and colours to showcase both their talents and connections. To add to this, they wore copious amounts of jewelry to showcase their stock. They all looked like peacocks in my opinion. They had very auspicious ideas of the kinds of men style clothing I was looking for. Giant plumes of frills and lace and brightly coloured fabrics were paraded in font of me. So far, no one had met my standards, and none of their designs caught my eye.

"I think I understand what you might be missing Madam." Misa sighed as we left the designer to pack his things.

"Oh? And what could that be?" While my style was very nuanced, I still respected Misa's instincts and expertise when it came to fashion.

"Perhaps what you're missing is the kinds of styles common in Tyrra. I've heard since the humans' lives are so quick their fashion trends change every few years rather than here where it can take decades, if not centuries." She had a point. The fashion I was used to in my world was a 'humans' sense of fashion. Since the Empire's races were long lived, if not immortal, it could be the reason they were so resistant to change. On top of this, this was a world full of magic and strange beasts. Perhaps a Tyrran would help.

"How long did you say it would take for a Tyrran designer to come?"

"About three months since they'd need to travel by boat." I let out a frustrated sigh as we walked towards the next designer. We could pay for an airship for each one, but I didn't want to waste such expenses on someone I may or may not like.

"Let's meet with this last designer. If I'm not satisfied, we'll put a hold on this search until some Tyrrans arrive."

The room set aside for the final designer was strangely empty and the man before me looked nothing like his predecessors. His suite was impeccably well tailored and accented his physique perfectly. It was elegant in its simplicity and reminded me of the tuxedo's I was used to. What little jewelry he wore complimented his clothing without taking your attention away. The materials were richly made, but there was purpose in how he used them. I liked it. His brown hair was long, held up in a braid and his brown eyes were sharp. I couldn't quite place what race he was though.

Misa was beaming beside him. It seemed she had noticed my look of approval. "This is Ethan Claire Madam."

Ethan bowed low in the same style used in Tyrra. "It is a pleasure to meet you, your highness." He had an ambitious look in his eyes, as if he were staring at the best opportunity he'd ever been presented. Claire... It wasn't a name I was familiar with, neither mentioned n the novel nor in my classes.

"I'm curious about the man who would take such a strange request of mine." I gave him a perfectly practiced smile. This world put a huge emphasis on the clothing you wore and the name of the designer behind it. For anyone to become my designer I needed to ensure they were trustworthy.

"As am I, curious about the nature of a princess who wishes to be so daring in her attire." He smiled and I realized, unlike the other designers who flattered and attempted to butter me up, Ethan was refreshingly forward. "Why don't we talk about it over tea?" It was an odd approach. Normally, they'd lead with their products and connections and brand. Was he not confident?