Chapter 135: Not Every Crown Is Worth Wearing

The reason Taeha refused Louis Vuitton’s global ambassador offer was simple.

Louis Vuitton had brought up an unexpected—and frankly absurd—condition.

“You cannot wear that outfit.”

Their proposal followed soon after.

They wanted Taeha to model for a new collection that reinterpreted traditional Japanese clothing in a modern style.

Naturally, it was an offer Taeha could never accept.

Taeha was Korean—someone who cheered for the Republic of Korea during the World Cup. Moreover, his drama, which directly dealt with the story of the Imjin War, was being streamed worldwide through television and Netflix.

Because of that, he couldn’t understand why Louis Vuitton had approached him with such an offer.

That didn’t mean he disrespected their vision. Taeha acknowledged the artistic value in reinterpreting traditional Japanese clothing in a modern way.

But that was entirely different from wearing it himself and promoting it as a global ambassador.

So Taeha drew a clear line.

Louis Vuitton’s response was visibly perplexed.

“This new collection is one of our most ambitious projects. Under these circumstances, we cannot sign a global ambassador contract with someone who cannot wear the collection.”

Taeha didn’t waver.

“Then it would be best to call off this matter.”

For a moment, Louis Vuitton was taken aback by his firmness.

“That’s unfortunate. We had hoped to appoint a celebrity with strong influence in Asia.”

Taeha replied calmly,

“The unfortunate part is that Louis Vuitton, while aiming to dominate the Asian market, cannot even read Asia’s political sensitivities. There’s no point continuing this discussion. Let’s end it here.”

Without hesitation, he stood up.

And in truth, Taeha felt no regret.

Yes, he wanted to become a global ambassador for a world-renowned luxury brand. But not at the cost of his identity as a Korean.

To him, a global ambassador title was like a trophy—a symbol proving his rising international recognition.

But if that trophy had a flaw, there was no reason to accept it.

There would always be another opportunity.

He would continue writing, continue acting, and eventually reach that stage again.

So the failed deal with Louis Vuitton left no lasting emotion.

But—

“Wow. What kind of bastards are they?”

The moment they left the meeting, Im Chan-hyung exploded.

After venting his anger, he quickly apologized.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve checked more carefully. I got carried away just hearing ‘global ambassador.’”

Taeha shook his head.

“How is that your fault? I’m the one who keeps talking about becoming one. Anyway, it’s already done—no need to rush things. There are plenty of other ads besides Louis Vuitton.”

And that was true.

The drama, which had surpassed 10% viewership in just three episodes, continued its unstoppable rise. It recorded 11.7% in episode 6, 12.3% in episode 7, 12.5% in episode 8, and 13.1% in episode 9.

It had also held the number one spot on Netflix’s non-English and overall rankings since episode 7.

With a cumulative viewing time of 380 million hours in just four weeks, it ranked fourth all-time in TV simulcast dramas.

At this rate, breaking the all-time record didn’t seem impossible.

Naturally, advertising offers poured in.

So many, in fact, that Taeha began to worry about the work-life balance he had sworn to protect—even at all costs.

Im Chan-hyung, aware of this, nodded energetically.

“Right! Let’s forget about Louis Vuitton. I’ll secure even more contracts so you can completely forget it!”

Taeha immediately frowned.

“Don’t. I’m already struggling.”

For Taeha, protecting his work-life balance was a battle in itself.

***

Meanwhile, Milan

“Not good. Is this really the best option to wear my clothes?”

A sharp voice echoed through the room.

Sweating nervously, the employee across from her replied,

“Paul Jacobson is currently one of Hollywood’s most promising actors. He fits Prada’s traditional image and is expected to gain strong support—”

“Traditional?” she scoffed.

“Have you forgotten how Prada survived its crisis? When everyone insisted bags had to be leather, we made them from Pocono nylon—and succeeded. Do you not know that?”

“I—I do.”

“Then how dare you talk about tradition?”

The employee fell silent.

The woman before him was Camilla Prada—the chief designer who had led Prada to its current glory.

When she first took over, Prada had been on the brink of bankruptcy. High-quality leather was hard to obtain, and the brand was struggling.

That was when she noticed Pocono nylon—a waterproof material commonly used in military equipment like parachutes and raincoats.

She turned it into fashion.

At first, the market rejected it.

But soon, it sparked a massive trend.

The material worked perfectly with both formal suits and casual outfits.

From there, with the support of her husband and business partner Claudio Bertelli, she expanded Prada into shoes, clothing, and more.

She also founded Miu Miu, which captured younger audiences and helped propel the brand worldwide.

Camilla Prada’s success came from pursuing bold novelty—often criticized as “bad taste”—while maintaining restraint.

As she once said:

“Prada succeeds because it whispers, not shouts.”

And that was exactly why she was dissatisfied now.

“Creating what you like is easy,” she said. “But that becomes boring. We must pursue novelty within our own rules. The same applies to choosing a global ambassador.”

“…Understood. I’ll look into other candidates.”

“Do that.”

The meeting ended, and the employee hurried out.

Left alone, Camilla Prada sighed.

Selecting a global ambassador was no less important than designing a collection. It could define the brand’s value.

And so far, Prada had fallen short.

That wouldn’t happen again.

This time, the ambassador must have real impact.

Fatigue washed over her as she stood.

After days of relentless work, even she felt the toll.

I must be getting old…

She left the office.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

After a brief pause, she answered,

“The Padiyorne Museum of Modern Art.”

Art had always been her way to reset her mind.

But today, something felt off.

Even surrounded by new works, she couldn’t focus.

After just thirty minutes, she gave up.

What’s wrong with me?

She returned home, took a shower, swallowed an aspirin, and went to bed.

***

She woke at two in the morning.

Her husband’s snoring made it impossible to fall back asleep.

Eventually, she went to the living room, turned on a reading lamp, and picked up a book—only to put it down moments later.

Boring.

Is it impossible to keep enjoying the things you once loved?

After sitting in silence for a while, she turned on the television.

It was something she rarely used.

A moment later, a drama began playing on Netflix.

And for the first time that day—

Her attention was finally caught.