I became a clothing designer in another world

Given permission to touch her body under the condition of finishing quickly, I found the measuring tape and opened the book I’d bought previously, preparing to take measurements.

It might seem silly to call it ‘preparation’ for something as simple as measuring with a tape, but since this was my first time making tailored clothes, I wasn’t entirely sure which parts needed measuring.

Referencing the book, I marked the measurement points on a rough human figure sketch I’d drawn on a sheet of plain white paper. Then I stood up, stretched the tape measure, and approached Emily.

“Ready?”

“…”

Emily, her eyes wide with determination as if she’d made a heroic decision, nodded with a solemn expression.

“Could you spread your arms slightly? Just enough to fit a fist under your armpit.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll start with your hips.”

After some deliberation, I decided to start at the bottom.

I looped the tape measure around her hips and pulled it tightly, reading the numbers where the ends met.

Ideally, the tape should rest lightly against the skin, but since I was measuring over her clothes, I had to pull it tighter to avoid making the garment too loose.

“Huh…”

As I tightened the tape and my hands lightly pressed against her hips, a faint, breathy sigh escaped Emily’s lips.

Reading the numbers on the tape, I tried to sound as neutral as possible.

“It’ll be over soon, so bear with me a bit.”

“Young Master, your touch is rougher than I expected.”

“Uh…”

I was at a loss for words.

It was true, I hadn’t been particularly gentle, leaving no room for excuses.

As I gawked at her, fumbling for a response, Emily smiled softly and spoke playfully.

“Hehe… I’m just kidding. But it does tickle a bit, so I’d appreciate it if you were gentler.”

Her gentle laugh and calm tone almost made me believe she was truly at ease.

But her restless, fidgeting fingers and ears, glowing red as if they might burst, betrayed the embarrassment she was trying so hard to conceal.

“Hmm…”

This is dangerous.

Her attempt to act unfazed despite her embarrassment made my chest feel strangely ticklish.

I thought my blunder would create an awkward atmosphere, but instead, an unexpected turn of events brought danger right from the start.

What began as a situation where I needed to finish quickly for Emily’s sake had shifted into one where I needed to finish quickly for my own sake.

“…I’ll be careful.”

Suppressing the trembling at the corners of my mouth, I hardened my expression and released the tape measure.

Even though the heat burning my ears and neck made hiding my expression feel pointless, I decided it was better than blatantly showing my unease. I jotted down the measurements onto the paper.

_

“Hah…”

With the final measurement taken at her left wrist, I exhaled a breath so warm it felt almost scalding.

As the tension released, fatigue and dizziness washed over me.

Five minutes.

It had only taken five minutes to measure from her hips to the last point, but it had felt like fifty, stretching endlessly in my mind.

“Is it over now?”

As I straightened my back, tossing the tape measure and paper onto the desk and rubbing my neck, Emily, who had remained silent since her earlier chuckle, finally spoke up.

Her face looked just as exhausted as mine.

I gave her a wide grin as I looked at her.

“Yeah, I’ve got everything I need.”

“I see. Good work.”

“Good work? No, you’re the one who worked harder, putting up with my insistence.”

“…Haha.”

Emily’s eyes wavered slightly as she let out an awkward laugh, quickly glancing away.

“…”

I watched Emily with a bitter smile.

As my mind cooled, I became painfully aware of how boorish my behavior toward her had been today.

The guilt hit me late but hard.

“Click…”

I clicked my tongue softly and opened the top drawer of the desk.

Amid the clutter was a simple cloth bundle.

I picked it up and closed the drawer.

“Here, take this.”

“Pardon?”

“I said take it.”

I placed the bundle into Emily’s hands as she stood there, looking puzzled.

“What is this…?”

“Cookies.”

The contents of the bundle were the cookies my mother had handed off to me yesterday, saying they were too sweet for her.

I had originally planned to have them during tea time, but I figured giving them to Emily as an apology would be a better use. After all, I didn’t need cookies to enjoy tea.

“Share them with your coworkers or eat them all by yourself, it’s up to you. I just wanted to apologize for everything today.”

“Still, this is…”

“Don’t refuse, just take it. Otherwise, I’ll feel even worse.”

“Thank you.”

Emily nodded politely, tucking the bundle into her pocket.

I thought I’d feel better if she acted more aloof, but the more polite and gracious she was, the more unsettled I felt.

“So, is there anything else you need me to help you with today?”

Scratching my cheek awkwardly, I stayed silent for a moment before Emily glanced at the desk and broke the silence.

Hearing her question, I shook my head.

“No, nothing else. Could you come back tomorrow morning?”

“Yes, I’ll need to change your bedding anyway.”

“Thanks.”

“It’s nothing.”

Emily lifted the corners of her lips into a gentle smile.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

“Alright. Sorry for troubling you.”

“If you’re sorry, please be more careful next time.”

“I will.”

“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow, Young Master.”

“Yeah.”

Emily left with a polite farewell, closing the door behind her and disappearing from view.

As soon as she was gone, I leaned against the door for a moment, then turned toward the desk and picked up my pen.

“Hmm~ Time to get started…”

I need to work hard for Emily’s sake!

_

“… …”

A soft voice whispered near my ear.

At first, I thought someone was trying to wake me, but the voice was so gentle it only lulled me further into sleep.

Maybe it’s okay to use that voice as a lullaby and fall back asleep.

“…!”

“Ugh… huh…?”

A voice tinged with irritation.

Then, soft hands gripped the nape of my neck, and I hastily swallowed the drool dripping from my mouth as I opened my eyes.

“You’re finally awake, Young Master.”

“…Emily?”

Standing next to me, looking down and gently massaging the back of my neck, was Emily.

I hadn’t called for her, so why was she here?

Blinking my bleary eyes, I stared at her in a daze. Emily let out a small chuckle, bent her knees slightly, and met my gaze as she spoke.

“Yes, it’s Emily.”

“Why… why are you here so early? It’s still dawn…”

“Because it’s morning now.”

“Morning…?”

I turned my head toward the window.

The sun was fully up, and the clear blue sky greeted me.

“What the?”

“Young Master, when did you go to bed last night?”

“Well… I laid my head down for a moment as dawn broke, blinked, and suddenly you were here.”

“When I called for you and got no response, and you didn’t show up for breakfast, I decided to come find you.”

“Breakfast?”

If it was breakfast time, I must have slept for at least two hours.

“Oh no… this is bad.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I was planning to take a short break and fix the odd parts, but I ended up falling asleep…”

“…?”

Emily and I both looked toward the desk.

There, lying neatly atop it, was a black dress, a crisp white apron, and a headband, all carefully stacked.

“…Did you make this in just one night?”

“Yeah, I rushed it, so some parts are a bit rough, but it’s wearable.”

Even I had to admit it was a bit impressive.

I hadn’t expected to finish something wearable in just one day.

“That’s unbelievable…”

With a satisfied smile, I glanced at Emily. She mumbled in disbelief, carefully picking up the dress and inspecting it piece by piece, turning it this way and that.

Her meticulous examination of the seams, sleeves, and hem was so thorough, it reminded me of a soldier searching for landmines.

Watching her with amusement, I casually offered. 

“Want to try it on?”

“Pardon?”

“Since you’re here, you might as well try it on. That way, I can adjust any parts that don’t fit, and we can save time.”

“…Me?”

Emily blinked like a broken machine, her mouth opening and closing as she tilted her head in confusion, pointing at herself like a clueless puppy.

I was pretty sure I’d already told her the dress was for her, but she was acting like she’d never heard that before. Did she think I was joking?

This was a bit annoying.

“Come on, try it on.”

“Uh… it’s just that this is all so sudden, I…”

“You know where the dressing room is, right? Go change there.”

“Young Master?”

Ignoring whatever Emily was about to say, I bent down and pulled out a box hidden under the desk.

Brushing off the dust, I opened the lid and took out a pair of black flats and white socks.

“Change into these shoes. Are you barefoot right now?”

“Why would you ask that…?”

“If you are, wear these too.”

I stacked the flats and socks neatly atop the apron and handed them to her.

“What are you waiting for? Take them.”

“Can’t I try it on later? The Master and Madam are waiting for me in the dining room.”

“If you don’t change quickly, my parents will be really angry.”

Emily flinched, clutching the dress tightly to her chest.

I felt a little bad, but I knew that if I skipped breakfast and pretended nothing happened, it wouldn’t just be me getting scolded.

Hierarchy is inherently unfair, when someone of higher status makes a mistake, those below them often get punished too.

My mother might only lecture me, but the head maid wouldn’t let Emily off so easily.

“My arms are getting tired.”

“…Understood.”

Smart as she was, Emily surrendered quickly.

Folding the dress carefully and balancing the other items on top, she trudged toward the dressing room.

I can’t wait to see how she looks.