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Where there are shadows, there must first be light. During the day, Requitas had a fairly respectable shopping district—a place where the street rats collected ‘protection fees’ to keep the peace.

Sirien and I ventured out to the shopping district alone. We needed to buy some clothes.

Right now, Isha was borrowing Sirien’s clothes, which left Sirien short on outfits.

Sirien already had to carry her holy garments, so she was always running low on spare clothes.

After lending some to Isha, she didn’t even have anything to wear tomorrow.

We had agreed to cooperate with Isha until we found her father.

We were intrigued by the information that the rats had their eyes on her, and Isha’s life was in immediate danger.

The rats’ eyes were everywhere outside, so we needed to gather the necessary supplies for her.

Fortunately, Isha’s build was only slightly smaller than Sirien’s.

If we bought clothes that fit Sirien, they would be decent enough for Isha to wear too.

“Wow. There are so many clothing stores here.”

“Why are you acting like you’ve never seen a shopping district before?”

“Because I haven’t? When would I have come here?”

“You had plenty of clothes in the castle.”

“Yeah, but why would I come to a place like this back then? They’d come to me to make my clothes.”

“Oh…”

I was at a loss for words. Maybe this was what you’d call the difference between commoners and the elite in modern terms.

It was only natural that Sirien had a lot of clothes in Rehaim Castle.

I’d never once questioned where all those clothes came from.

During the day, I was busy training with the knights, and by the time Sirien came to visit, she’d be showing off a new outfit.

So, I just assumed that clothes were something you bought at a store.

But I guess for someone like Sirien, the daughter of a grand duke, it was only natural that she wouldn’t wear anything from common shops.

Sirien, who had been glancing at each of the clothing stores, pointed to one. It was a store called ‘Fairy’s Thread.’

“Let’s start with that one.”

She grabbed my arm and led the way, a smile playing on her lips.

I followed her into the store without resistance.

‘Fairy’s Thread’ was much larger inside than it appeared from the outside.

There was a wide variety of clothes, from fancy dresses that seemed to mimic high society fashion, to fairly luxurious casual wear.

A stern-looking woman inside noticed us and brightened up immediately.

“A pretty young lady has come in. Welcome. Which of you is looking for clothes?”

“I’m looking to buy a few casual outfits. I didn’t bring many clothes with me.”

“Would you also like to buy undergarments?”

“…Yes, for now.”

Sirien began to examine the clothes one by one, guided by the shopkeeper.

Meanwhile, I sat in a chair that the attendant had brought over, watching Sirien pick out clothes with a newfound sense of wonder.

In the Empire, the law defined adulthood at sixteen. But in Korea, where I was from, adulthood began at twenty.

If we counted by the same method as here—by international age—it was nineteen.

In my eyes, Sirien still had the look of a girl who hadn’t quite shed her youthful innocence.

She was at an age where she should be focused on adorning herself. And Sirien had grown up in a place where she could have as many expensive jewels and extravagant dresses as she wanted.

Yet, she had lost everything she once held in her hands. As if that wasn’t enough, she’d been wandering the battlefield with me for years now.

Thanks to her efforts, Hibras had managed to gather a small but growing number of believers, and we had a few comrades—or should I say companions—within our mercenary group with whom we shared our meals.

But still, Sirien’s hands were devoid of any decent jewelry.

Lost in thought, I noticed that Sirien seemed to have made a decision.

The silver-haired, red-eyed girl stood before me in a new outfit.

“How about this one? Does it suit me?”

She was dressed in a pure white dress, with a wide-brimmed hat atop her head, and delicate lace trimming that fluttered at the edges of the fabric, giving her an ethereal appearance.

Her flawless, fair skin and long silver hair complemented the outfit perfectly.

As they say, it’s the face that completes the outfit, and Sirien could pull off anything with ease.

“It looks good. White has always suited you.”

“Really? Then I have to get this one.”

My compliment seemed to hit the mark. Sirien grinned and turned away, clearly pleased.

Even from behind, I could tell she was in a good mood. Despite trying to act indifferent, our lady of the house had a surprisingly easy-to-read side.

While Sirien went off to choose more clothes, a shop attendant happened to be waiting beside me.

“Do you sell accessories here by any chance?” I asked.

“Are you looking for a gift?”

“Yes, for that person over there.” I nodded toward Sirien.

The attendant smiled knowingly. For some reason, women tend to get genuinely involved when picking out gifts, even if it’s not for themselves.

“A bracelet might be a good choice.”

“As it happens, we just got some new ones in. Would you like to take a look?”

“Yes, please.”

“Just a moment.”

Soon, the attendant returned with a cart, displaying several luxurious boxes while whispering to me.

“Take your time choosing. The manager won’t be able to watch us right now. She’s probably brushing someone’s hair as we speak.”

“That’s good. Can you recommend something that might suit her?”

“Of course. How about this one?”

The bracelet I was recommended was interwoven with silver threads, with rubies embedded between them.

Silver and red—the colors that symbolized Sirien.

While using hair and eye color as a personal color might seem common, true beauty often lies in how well the obvious can be executed.

“Since her frame is quite slender, I think a finer thread like this one suits her better than something thicker. I’ll show you a few more options.” the attendant said.

She showed me several other bracelets afterward, but none of them felt quite right.

There were some with densely packed gemstones or intricately woven gold threads, but they didn’t resonate with me.

I doubted Sirien would prefer something so flashy.

Rather than overwhelming the eye with a clutter of accessories, it was better to let her own presence shine.

The most valuable masterpieces often exude a calm, sophisticated beauty.

In the end, I decided to purchase the first bracelet I had chosen.

Even though it made a significant dent in my funds, I didn’t regret it at all.

After all, it was money I was allowed to spend personally, and I wasn’t in a situation where a few coins would make me struggle.

“She’ll be back soon, I assume? Shall I take the cart away?”

“Thank you.”

“Not at all. I hope you two have a wonderful relationship.”

“Yes?”

We’re not like that. I mean, there’s nothing like that—yet.

Before I could respond, the attendant had already walked away, pushing the cart with her.

After waiting a bit longer, Sirien returned, dressed much more boldly than before.

This time, she wore a black evening dress that revealed her shoulders and collarbone.

Her hair, neatly brushed, cascaded softly, with one side delicately braided to accentuate her look, making her appear irresistibly beautiful.

Her collarbone, sculpted like a piece of art, held a soft, pale hue. Her chest rose and fell with her breaths, the contours of her body shifting subtly with each movement, radiating a sensual allure.

Sirien could be seductive just by exposing her arms, shoulders, and neck.

Although I had seen her face countless times, it felt like I couldn’t breathe just by seeing her dressed up a little.

Her cheeks flushed a deep red as she shyly looked down.

“H-how is it? Does it look a bit too empty? With my shoulders exposed, it feels a bit bare... If you don’t like it, I can change into something else right now.”

“No. No, it’s fine. You look beautiful. It really suits you. Yes, it suits you perfectly.”

Sirien suddenly became talkative, and I stuttered, my words coming out in fragments.

My mind was overheating, and I couldn’t think straight. There was no way I could stay calm.

I tried to look away, thinking I was staring too much, but I couldn’t help but glance back at her.

Luckily, our eyes didn’t meet. If Sirien and I had made eye contact at that moment, I might have been teased for life.

“Re-really? Then maybe I should get this one too? I actually picked out a few others earlier, but I wanted to show you this one. I also did my hair a bit differently. Normally, I just leave it down.”

“Y-yeah… let’s do that. Since we’re here, you should get everything you like. Do you want me to carry that bag for you?”

“Mm, thanks.”

Sirien’s expression softened. Her cheeks, blushing like apples, seemed to quiver with a faint smile.

I noticed it but didn’t dare to point it out.

It was a relief that Sirien was too flustered by my compliment to look at me properly.

I couldn’t even look at her directly, unlike usual.

So, I used the excuse of paying for our purchases to turn away.

Our little farce was brought to an end by the shop attendant’s mischievous comment.

“You two haven’t been dating for long, have you? You’re so cute together.”

“N-no no no, it’s not like that!”

“Oh, my apologies. Not yet, then? You just look so perfect together.”

“Hic-”

Sirien hiccuped.

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