"Letty, we're not looking for an asassin ... but a tailor. You're aware of that, right? "
I asked anxiously as my loyal minion led me into a very dark alley.
"Don't worry Miss… Who we need, is Felicia!"
"Who is Felicia?"
"Actually, she's my cousin."
The girl stopped in front of a shabby wooden door.
"You know, she's one of the tailors in the La Flerra clothing salon… and she's used to designing at home, because the owner basically doesn't allow anything other than templates to be made for the general public… and… I think she's exactly what we're looking for."
"Okay, I trust in your judgment… but I'm just saying, if I die here, I'll haunt you like a ghost in our next life."
I grumbled and then we entered the small apartment.
"Felicia! Are you home? "
Everywhere in the room, pieces of material, inches… sketches of beautiful clothes… practically the embodied chaos has welcomed us. A lady ran downstairs, with needles protruding everywhere from her apron, and the top of her head looked more like a haystack than her hair. She pushed up the huge glasses that drooped on her nose, and jumped around Letty's neck with a smile.
"Letty! It's been so long since I last saw you!
"Felicia! I'm so happy for you! "
During the big hug, the host spotted me as I stumbled in the doorway.
"Who…?"
She asked as she adjusted her glasses.
"Oh, Felicia, I'm introducing my mistress, Ashley Kerrington!"
Letty stood away, allowing me room to move closer.
"Kerrington…?"
Felicia didn't want to believe her eyes at first, then when she identified me, she almost fell to her knees.
"Ms. Kerrington! What an honor! I'm sorry…. please forgive me…for this mess… "
She tried to make room on a dilapidated couch in confusion.
"Can I offer you some tea?"
"No, thank you."
I waved kindly and took a seat.
"But how can I, a humble person to serve such a prestigious lady?"
She inquired, adjusting her glasses.
"Well ... dear Felicia… I'm about to change wardrobe, and the birds are chirping that… You're really talented…"
I smiled as I put a small purse of gold on the table.
Needless to say, Felicia couldn't speak at first, and then she cried like a baby.
She took off my dimensions and found out that I had the exac same mesurments as the manikin, on which she made her dresses. It was a huge fortune.
"Now, I'll buy all the work you've done so far right away!"
"How? But these are just practice pieces Miss… "
She panicked. In fact, the moment I entered her home, it became clear that Felicia's sense of style was better than mine… she was a full-time tailor in one of the most popular clothing stores… it was pretty convincing to me… needless to say, anything is better than my current clothes, but for real … Even a bag of flour…
"Does not matter! Pack everything! "
I put another purse of gold on the table.
"And all the clothes you make in the future, I also want to buy them. Among all the things, what you will sew for the Day of Light ball. "
It was the first ball, where Kelsey met with the audience.
I smiled contentedly. I didn't understand much about the clothes, I mostly bought my clothes in Chinese shops or supermarkets… but it was clear that the stolen "scrap materials" that Felicia worked with, were very good quality… plus the sewing wasn't loose anywhere, no threads were hanging anywhere… and given how tight the budget was, it was the best deal I could make.
I got richer with 3 sets of clothes, 4 blouses, 2 skirts and a little jacket.
'That's enough for me to start school with confidence.'
As we headed for the jeweler, I had the opportunity to admire the shops on offer… and it was a robbery I did with Felicia. A set of clothes costs as much as everything I bought from her today.
'It was a really good deal.'