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Becky was a slender middle-aged woman.

“You called for me, Madam?”

Cecilia, seated on the sofa, gestured with her hand.

“Come, sit here.”

“Yes, Madam.”

On the sofa table sat a box made of golden wool.

At Cecilia’s signal, a maid lifted the lid.

Becky’s eyes widened in astonishment, and she let out a gasp.

“Oh my. What is this?”

“Golden wool.”

“Ah… so this is golden wool. I’ve only ever heard about it.”

‘Even the people of Lagos don’t see this often.’

“I want to use this wool to make a coat for myself.”

“If it were up to me, I’d make a quilted coat.”

Cecilia was taken aback by Becky’s direct expression of her opinion.

It seemed she would need more time to get used to the way people in Lagos spoke so freely.

“A quilted coat… you mean, constructing the garment in two layers and stuffing the wool between them to make it thicker?”

“Yes, yes, exactly.”

But that design wouldn’t showcase the golden wool’s beauty.

The wool’s distinct, dazzling brightness would be entirely hidden beneath the outer fabric.

‘Not that I have anyone to impress here. Besides, I could always remove the wool later and turn it into a cloak.’

She wasn’t making this coat for style.

Its primary purpose was warmth.

She had heard that golden wool was more than sufficient for making a coat warm enough to endure the cold outdoors.

She wanted to see the snow-covered landscape with her own eyes.

“What kind of design would this quilted coat have?”

“Pardon? Well… it’s just a quilted coat.”

“Is it loose-fitting?”

“Of course. It needs to be roomy so you can layer several thin garments underneath.”

“I heard this golden wool is so insulating that layering isn’t necessary.”

“In that case, I’ll make it more form-fitting.”

‘No… that’s not it.’

Cecilia realized it instantly.

Becky did not understand what she wanted.

Even if this coat was for warmth, Cecilia had no intention of sacrificing style.

It had to fit her figure well, accentuate her curves, and exude sophistication at a glance.

No matter how skilled Becky was at sewing, she likely lacked the aesthetic sense Cecilia desired.

After all, she had never seen the elegant attire worn by the fashionable noblewomen of the continent.

Cecilia rose from the sofa.

“Follow me.”

She led Becky to one of her dressing rooms.

When Cecilia had traveled to Lagos Castle, she had brought six wagonloads of clothing.

More than half of her luggage had likely consisted of clothes.

And even then, it was only a fraction of what she originally owned.

Having heard that Lagos was cold, she had left behind all her thin summer dresses, and instead, she had commissioned numerous additional winter dresses and coats.

Her clothing collection occupied two entire rooms, which were located directly across from her bedroom. It had taken the maids a full fifteen days just to organize all of it.

Expensive dresses that needed to maintain their original shape were hung on mannequins, preserving the silhouette as if they were being worn. Naturally, this took up a lot of space.

The rest were arranged on long wooden racks, creating paths like corridors lined with walls of clothing.

“Oh my…”

Becky followed behind Cecilia, her eyes darting left and right in amazement.

The room was filled with lavish designs she had never seen before in Lagos—it was like stepping into another world.

Becky had a deep interest in clothing.

On the day Cecilia had arrived in Lagos, most people had been entranced by the new madam’s beauty.

But for Becky, the first thing that caught her attention was the dress Cecilia had been wearing.

Continental dresses had multiple layers of petticoats, giving the skirts a voluminous look.

The skirts were adorned with lace at the hem, designed to trail elegantly along the floor.

The waist was cinched tightly to emphasize an hourglass figure, and the neckline was cut deep, revealing the collarbones.

It was entirely different from Lagos clothing, which existed solely to ward off the cold.

When Cecilia first arrived at Lagos Castle, there had been no clothes prepared for her, but she had told Hoffman that there was no need to prepare any.

She fully intended to continue wearing continental clothing.

She was used to it, and Lagos’ practical clothing lacked any aesthetic style.