The Duke of Hermont’s Male Mistress
Chapter 19
“Welcome!”
Leo, the young tailor of Drapin, turned around with a bright, welcoming voice.
The instant he recognized the face entering the doorway, he nearly screamed aloud.
“W-What kind of attire are you looking for?”
“I need a tailcoat for a banquet next weekend. Can it be done?”
“Yes, of course! I’ve only been waiting for Your Grace to visit. Allow me to guide you this way.”
Recognizing him at once, Leo steadied his trembling voice and led the way toward the VIP parlor at the back of the hall.
“Please wait just a moment.”
Feigning composure, he showed the man to the sofa and turned calmly away, though his legs shook beneath him.
‘Is that really Vitor Hermont? Right here, right now?’
The hero of the Battle of Puraren. The Admiral of the Storm.
A living legend in the flesh!
Leo had once caught sight of him while working as an apprentice at Espadang, the capital’s finest menswear boutique.
Back then, he had not dared utter a single word, only stealing fleeting glances through the gap in the fitting room curtains.
And now, that very man had walked into his shop to have clothes tailored. His heart surged like wild waves.
‘I was right to quit and return to my hometown!’
Memories flashed by of nights spent running the sewing machine until dawn, desperate to earn recognition in the capital.
Yet his skill had been dismissed solely because of his commoner birth, and he had suffered under the jealousy of his peers.
Driven out, he had almost abandoned his dream of being a tailor when he left Espadang.
Resolving to try just once more—and quit for good if it failed—he had returned to his hometown and opened Drapin.
In the end, opening Drapin had been the finest decision of his life.
Clareville was in the countryside, but because it served as a summer retreat for the nobility, demand for bespoke gentlemen’s wear was high.
Furthermore, tailors capable of crafting proper menswear were virtually nonexistent in the area, leaving him almost entirely without competition.
Thanks to that, word had spread among the nobles, and Drapin had quickly established itself as the most renowned menswear boutique in Clareville.
‘And now, that very man is standing before me…!’
He had heard rumors that the Duke had received the Imperial Family’s summer villa as a reward for his victory and was staying in Clareville, but he had never imagined they would cross paths so soon.
Tailoring an outfit for Vitor Hermont had long been Leo’s dream.
Though Vitor wore modest daywear, the sheer majesty radiating from his frame could not be concealed.
His physique, honed by years of military life, was solid yet impeccably balanced, and his chest possessed firm muscle palpable even beneath the fine fabric.
From his upright posture and every disciplined movement, one could sense both the grit of a hardened warrior and the grace of a high nobleman.
How could such a flawless physique exist? He was the sort of man who would look like heavenly radiance even clad in rags.
Without even taking measurements yet, Leo already felt a masterpiece in the making. His drive, dormant for so long, flared to a rolling boil.
Nothing but the finest fabric would do. He would craft the ultimate garments. He would drape a flawless body in flawless clothes!
Forcing down his soaring excitement, Leo took up his measuring tape. He moved immediately to the VIP parlor accompanied by his assistants.
“We shall take your measurements first, Duke Hermont. Would you mind stepping onto the platform?”
“Not for me. The clothes are for this man.”
“Pardon…?”
The words fell like a bolt from the blue. Leo blinked in sheer bewilderment.
The figure standing behind Vitor peeked their head out. Leo had certainly caught a glimpse of them when they entered, but assuming the youth was merely an attendant, he had paid no mind at all.
‘B-But… what is this?’
As if by instinct, his gaze naturally drifted over the young man’s features.
Silver hair, large and clear eyes with slightly upturned corners, and soft, plump crimson lips.
Despite being a man, the face was pretty enough to steal one’s gaze at first sight.
Though on the shorter side, the limbs were exceptionally long, lending to marvelous proportions.
Even in rather shabby attire, that face and physique could carry any outfit like a model.
‘Why would he tailor clothes for an attendant, though…?’
Of course, there were masters who occasionally tailored clothes for subordinates. But it was hardly common.
Rather, for a man with looks of this caliber, it almost certainly meant that sort of relationship…
Without realizing it, Leo cautiously read Vitor’s expression.
“Is there a problem?”
Vitor asked with a picture-perfect, dashing smile. That smile sent Leo’s heart plummeting.
“N-No! None at all, sir. Please, right this way.”
Flustered, Leo ushered the young man toward the fitting room.
They said his looks could enchant even other men—he really was into sodomy…!
* * *
The atmosphere felt strangely off. Should she really have come inside?
Standing with arms outstretched, Roy did her best to ignore the tailor’s sidelong glances.
As the tailor called out measurements, the assistants jotted them down beside him, their eyes subtly scanning Roy’s face and the lines of her body as well.
‘This is far more embarrassing than I expected. Is it always like this? And having them touch me is a bit…’
No matter how carefully the tape was placed over the clothing, it was impossible to measure without direct contact.
To make matters worse, with every measurement taken, the tailor’s expression grew increasingly subtle, filling her with a sense of foreboding.
“15, 33… 21…?”
Measuring the shoulders and chest, the tailor tilted his head, and upon measuring the waist, his tone rose in blatant bewilderment. The assistant recording the numbers paused his pen, finding it strange as well.
With narrowed eyes, the tailor rechecked the markings on the measuring tape. He then offered the assistant a quiet nod.
As if confirming that he had heard correctly.
“…”
The bandages binding her chest felt as suffocatingly tight as a corset.
“Phew…”
“Why do you look so drained?”
Vitor, seated on the sofa, asked as she stepped out of the fitting room.
“I was just a little nervous. It’s my first time doing something like this…”
Seeing the curves of her body beneath the loose clothing, had they caught on to her secret? Had she stoked needless suspicion? Her heart felt anxious and uneasy.
Though the staff withdrew without saying anything out of the ordinary, alarms blared through Roy’s mind. Fortunately, Vitor chuckled lightly, seemingly taking her word that it was merely nerves.
“How about this fabric? I think this color would suit you well.”
He held up a fabric swatch he had selected while Roy was being measured.
“I wouldn’t know. Could Your Grace please choose for me?”
“Then let us use this slate blue for the outer fabric and ivory silk for the lining. A white linen shirt with a stand collar. For shoes, dark brown patterned leather. A bit of texture would suit you better than something too sleek.”
The assistant jotted down the steady stream of specifications Vitor rattled off.
“Match the belt to the shoes, and bring out a few suitable cravats. Something with a bit of weight.”
“Yes, Your Grace. I shall prepare them at once.”
Vitor chose without hesitation, and the staff bustled about without a moment’s breath. They swiftly and accurately selected items that would complement Roy.
He seemed remarkably adept at the process.
Then again, before becoming a soldier, he was the scion of a noble family.
From birth, he had consumed only the finest things and gazed only upon beauty. Not only was his eye impeccable, but he was also well-accustomed to directing subordinates.
Roy looked upon Vitor with a hint of unfamiliarity.
“Would the fitting in two days work for you?”
“Yes. We shall come by then. Roy-ssi, the time works for you, right?”
“Yes.”
Everything was settled in an instant.
Roy could only nod in dazed bewilderment.
In any case, it had ended without major incident. Now all that remained was to leave…
“It seems they sell ready-to-wear garments here as well.”
Yet Vitor, whom she expected to pay and leave immediately, headed toward the displayed mannequins.
“Pick out a few more outfits. We can buy them now so you can wear them out.”
“No. Truly, no more…”
These hardly seemed like clothes meant for the banquet.
When Roy shook her head and moved to leave, Vitor gently took her by the shoulder and guided her back before the mannequins.
“Earlier was for business, but this is a real gift.”
Vitor whispered in a lowered voice near her ear.
“I truly do not need more clothes. I have neither the time to wear such things nor anywhere to wear them to.”
Even if they were ready-to-wear, the pieces sold at Drapin were far too sophisticated to ever be worn for manual labor.
“You can wear them when you’re with me. Besides, I’m buying these because I want to see Roy-ssi dressed in pretty clothes, so technically it’s for my own need.”
“How can you be so unreasonable…?”
Giving Roy no room to escape, Vitor pointed toward a mannequin for the clerk. As if anticipating the command, the clerk swiftly fetched an identical design in Roy’s size.
“There are quite a few buttons, which might prove cumbersome, so allow me to assist you with undressing.”
With that, the clerk naturally moved to follow her into the fitting room. Roy waved her hands in sheer horror.
“No! I can put it on myself! I’m fine!”
Hurriedly snatching the clothes, Roy darted into the fitting room like an arrow. Pulling the curtain shut, she quietly listened for any presence outside.
Fortunately, no one had attempted to follow her in.
‘I’m going out of my mind…’
The male favorite of Duke Hermont.
