Rough Road to Travel

They were traveling for two hours now and the road leads further and further away from the prosperous city. They should be going to the mountains based on the direction they're heading.

Seems like this indoor activity will become a survival contest.

Does he want them to make clothes out of plants like primitive people? Or does he want them to hunt for animals and skin them for fabrics?

There are many things going inside Yue's head. She can't even sleep since the road is unfamiliar.

Everyone was noisy at first but now they're all sleeping, even Kei had his eyes closed. But he can't fool her. Based on his breathing he was awake the whole time.

This man had yet to tease her today. Yue hopes he can maintain it for the rest of the competition.

Yue remembered the report sent by Assistant Yi.

Kei was an illegitimate child of the Éclair family. His mother, the only daughter of the Head of the family, fell in love with a foreigner while she was studying abroad.

When the family learned about it, she was already 5 months pregnant. It's too risky for an abortion since her health was not good in the first place, so the family let her carry the baby but decided to kill him once he was born. But his father was actually a local noble and he managed to use his connections in order to get the custody of Kei.

The family can only bring back Kei's mother and force her to marry her fiancé.

But now there arise the problem.

Even after many years of marriage, Kei's mother never once got pregnant again.

Apparently, she took some medicine that made her infertile in order to avenge her hatred for the family.

The Head had no choice but to seek for Kei in order to inherit the Éclair family.

There are lots of intricacies associated in that situation and Yue had yet to read the full report.

However, that doesn't explain why he joined the competition.

But as long as he doesn't pester her, she wouldn't care.

The road began to feel bumpy for another half an hour before stopping. But afterwards, they had to transfer to an ATV.

Just how far this competition is going to be, it's not as if they're in some kind of a variety show.

Such a treacherous road, Yue can't help but feel a bit nauseous. They had to go along all kinds of angle and pass through two rivers which is beginning to form ice.

After such a torturous ride, they finally reached their destination.

It was a tiny village which obviously stood through long history.

Houses are made from woods with distinct thick and steep thatched roof.

On the shed, you can see tools and dyeing vats, and on the yard, rows of colorful fabrics are hanging.

The place is closely surrounded by frozen trees. If during summer, it could partially hide the village with its lush foliage.

Before leaving, the organizer finally gave the instruction for the contest.

They were given five days to complete their design, a couple of days away from the celebration of National Banquet, when the next Royal Designer would be announced.

These five days would be very crucial as it was just the bare minimum time to finish a decent haute couture clothing. However, they were not in an ideal environment. The unfamiliarity with the tools, absence of assistants, vague criteria for judging, will greatly affect their performance.

This will be a great avenue to test the not just the skill but the attitude of the designers.

Condition of being the Royal Designer is not all glamorous. You will be faced with lots of unexpected situation and deal with unpredictable people, hence, you need to have a strong mentality that can withstand any circumstances.

Not all fashion designers can sew, but all candidates for this round are known to have such skill.

Ages also didn't exceed 30 years old. The Royal Designer would like for his successor to be able to work with the Royal Family for a long time.

They didn't explain why they had to be in this village, but based on the materials Yue have seen, she already has an idea. But she is too tired to think further, so she'll have to leave these things for the next day.

The organizer introduced them to each family that would accommodate them. Some families accepted two candidates, while Yue was lucky enough to be by herself.

"Hello, I'm Yue. Please take care of me for the following days" Yue politely greeted the owner of the house. She is in her late 70's but she's still energetic.

"Oh my, what a good child. Let yourself be comfortable around the house, it's just me and my granddaughter Nisa living here" the owner was generous and was obviously fond of young people.

"Yes, thank you" Yue smiled with such warmth.

"Very well. Nisa, show Ms. Yue to her room so she can rest" the owner called her granddaughter and give further instruction.

"Hi Ms. Yue, please follow me" Nisa led her through a short hall and through the back door. They provided her with a separate room. Based on the style of it, it used to be a storage area that was converted into a living space.

Large windows are installed and the room is well lit. The interior is simple but cozy.

The owner had been considerate.

"Ms. Yue can now rest; I'll be back to call you for dinner" Nisa encouraged Yue to rest knowing how complicated the travel is.

"Sounds good. And please just call me Yue" Yue had a good impression for the owner and her granddaughter and didn't want her stay to be aloof.

"Alright Yue, you can also call me Nisa. Then, I'll see you later" Nisa waved her hand and gently closed the door on her way out.

Yue decided to take a quick shower and hit the bed.

Then she felt all the exhaustion of the day and immediately fell asleep.