That Butler, New Face

That Butler, In Disguise

"Oh, my dear Chêne!♥ What has he done to you?" Nina cried when she saw how tight Chêne's uniform was, glomping her before she could dodge.

"I'm only pregnant," Chêne said wryly, sweat-dropping. "And please keep your hands on my upper back!" she added with a vein throbbing on her head, chagrined when Nina took advantage and copped a feel. She wrenched herself out of Nina's grip.

"Yes, but childbirth can be dangerous, you know," Nina said, looking genuinely concerned. "Also, there's a chance your <merveilleuse> figure might be ruined! It might never recover."

"I guess that's a chance I'll just have to take," Chêne said, sweat-dropping. She really hoped that didn't happen, but there was nothing she could do about it now. "Anyway, what I need is a new version of a maid uniform, dresses, nightgowns, and a robe that I can wear as I get bigger. Also, I'd like to request that they all be something I can wear without a corset, because I think wearing one would be bad for the baby. Ah, speaking of which, I almost forgot that I'll need new undergarments, too."

"Ah, right. Those wonderful 'brassieres' you came up with should offer even more freedom of movement than the liberty bodice, but I'll make you some of those, too, since they're designed with buttons along the bottom that petticoats and a skirt can be attached to, so that the entire torso can support the weight of the petticoats and skirt, not just the waist. I'll include extra fabric in the seams so you can let it out as you grow," Nina said.

"Thank you. I think that should work," Chêne said.

They went to Chêne and Sebastian's room, and Nina took her measurements and made some guesstimates on how much fabric she should use to allow room to grow. Nina took Chêne's request for that seriously and designed long, wide, loose-fitting dresses with plenty of pleats to gather the extra fabric in front and give the dress some form, so it wouldn't just look like she was wearing a tent. Her favorite was made with mint green fabric that had a floral pattern with a collar, bow accents, and trimming on the sleeves in emerald green. Her new maid uniform also had pleats in front with a variation of her usual apron that tied just under her bust and hung loosely around her waist.

"Thank you very much!" she told Nina with a grateful smile as she walked her to her carriage. It had taken quite a while for the tailor to finish making everything. "These should be perfect."

"Of course they will be,♥" Nina said proudly. "Take care of yourself, Chêne." She gave Chêne a peck on the cheek as they parted. Chêne waved goodbye to her and went back inside to put away her new clothes. She found Lacey in her room, examining the mint green dress.

"Hmm... So this is what Victorian maternity dresses look like..." Lacey mused.

"Well, they're what mine look like," Chêne said as she started putting her new underwear away. "I think most women usually just wear wider versions of the usual fashions with a corset underneath."

"That part about the corset sounds really unhealthy," Lacey said.

"Well, there are laces so it can be let out as the baby grows, but I don't trust it," Chêne said.

"You should wear what makes you comfortable," Lacey said. "It's hard enough being pregnant as it is."

"Yeah," Chêne agreed, sighing tiredly. She wasn't as exhausted as she had been, thanks to Sebastian's blood, but her fatigue hadn't completely disappeared. "How was it today? Did everyone behave themselves?"

"More or less, though there's a stain in one of the carpets that I'm not quite sure how to get out..." Lacey said.

"What kind of stain?" Chêne asked.