Silver Lining Yesterday - Chapter 15
“Madame is said to be the most famous tailor in Satin, right?”
The thin, shabby Madame gripped her skirt tightly, looking nervous.
“Indeed, I trust that Madame, having dressed the citizens for decades, will fulfill my request to my satisfaction.”
The steel fortress, a place often visited at the Duke’s command, now appeared brighter than ever before.
The curtains that had once covered the narrow windows were all ripped away, and the hearth, which had always been cold, now crackled with burning wood.
Madame, feeling as though she had been invited to a foreign place, lifted her gaze with difficulty.
In a corner where piles of old clothes seemed to have been rifled through, a slender woman stood upright.
Her deep, ocean-like blue eyes glistened freshly.
“Would you please make our clothes?”
* * *
Fashion that symbolizes an era is diverse.
For instance, during the Biblical period, tunics wrapped in large pieces of cloth were common, and in the ancient Galayeta period, the toga worn over a tunic was fashionable. Later, in the medieval period, dresses adorned with coats such as the cotehardie and stomacher, perfectly tailored to the body, appeared.
In the age of monarchy, corsets tightly bound around the waist and petticoats puffed up to exaggerated sizes were essential features.
However, with the revolutionary era, remnants of the past were completely discarded, and new, original styles began to emerge.
In the world of fashion, this marked a return to the distant past.
A time when there were no kings, no rulers.
Wise dragons gave advice like the rumblings of the earth from their mountaintops, and visionary leaders who performed miracles ascended to the sky and became stars.
The Biblical era, where all lived equally, was no longer a distant dream. It could once again be realized in a country that had overthrown its king.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the fashion world’s desire to return to the past was driven by the people’s yearning for a beautiful utopia.
This trend that was sparked by the revolution’s leadership, was symbolic in many ways.
Years after the revolution had ended, at the World’s Fair held in the capital of Orsant, a color photograph was revealed.
The public, who had only lived in a world of stark black-and-white photos, marveled at the sudden appearance of the vibrant, colorful photograph.
The first color photo that the public saw was none other than a full-body shot of Jean Rohrbach and Ernest Garland.
Unlike Ernest Garland, who was called the lover of the century and followed by endless rumors, Jean Rohrbach, who despised the fiery spirit of the press, never left behind a proper photo.
The only evidence were the testimonies of people who had seen her speak while traveling the cities or participating in the revolution from afar.
The poetic expressions calling her a sea fairy or a star from the heavens failed to touch the public’s indifferent sensibilities.
However, a single color photograph released later vividly proved the once seemingly absurd testimonies.
Her naturally flowing black hair cascaded like waves, and her dazzlingly white skin was flawless.
Her large eyes, deep and mysterious, were a striking blue, perfectly complementing the rich dark blue dress that gently draped her delicate frame.
The dress, without the elaborate decorations of an embroidered stomacher, a tight-laced corset, or a petticoat that exaggerated the skirts, revealed her soft curves—something never seen before.
Historians that were keen on exploring the past, soon realized where the inspiration for this dress had come from.
It was from the tunics of the Biblical era that was never recorded in history books.
Jean Rohrbach, looking as though she had stepped out of an ancient legend, captured the public’s heart instantly with her ethereal beauty.
A name that represented the revolution, yet one shrouded in mystery.
A chilling sorceress who had buried eight thousand kingdom soldiers with her fragile body.
But then, one day, the woman shrouded in enigma disappeared, leaving no trace behind,
The numerous epithets surrounding her became accessories to her already beautiful features.
Perhaps, as the feverish heat of the revolution began to wane, her actions that were blinded by love and betraying the greater cause, became detached from the breathtaking beauty that had been revealed later.
Even those who had once raged at her name could not deny her appearance.
Naturally, people began to envy her beauty. The desire to emulate her image from the vivid color photograph swept through Alderon society.
The dress she wore, which subtly glowed with the deep blue of her eyes, added an air of mystery and became the ultimate fashion.
After much investigation, the anonymous tailor who made the dress was revealed and quickly rose to the ranks of great artisans.
Despite numerous offers, she stayed in Satin, accompanying her hometown through its period of revival, until she passed away some years ago, leaving everything to her daughter.
The artisan was forever known as ‘Madame Aubert.’
* * *
‘Madame Aubert’ exhaled with trembling breaths.
Was it her vision wavering, or the ground beneath her shaking? She couldn’t tell.
The figure from her past suddenly appearing was enough to shatter her sense of reality.
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