novelCan I come to Debita Street? (2)
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Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Can I come to Debita Street? (2)
Lard's eyes narrowed a bit.
"Do you hate this kind of fragrance?"
"I don't like it that much. By the way, what do you mean by Jerus Orchestra?"
In response to her question, who noticed his frowning, he gave an answer that was neither positive nor negative. But she was convinced he didn't like sweet fragrance. She smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time.
"Let me accompany you to the Jerus Orchestra as you requested, but I have to ask you a favor before I accept it."
Schroder, with his eyes fixed on the vase containing Sevendron petals, raised his head suddenly. His eyes staring at her pressed her to continue.
"As you know, I'm not the kind of woman that befits such a luxurious event. There are lots of stuff for me to prepare to go to such an event. Every event requires a formal outfit suitable for it. The problem is that none of my clothes fit there. This is a big obstacle for me even if I want to accompany you."
"...If your clothing is the issue, let me prepare it for you. Can I send you someone here?"
"No, I have no time to go through such a cumbersome procedure. Isn't the concert two days later, right? Women, unlike men, have quite a lot to prepare. So, I would like to stop by a boutique right now. Of course with you!"
She made a furtive smile. It was a very beautiful smile, but he seemed to flinch at the moment because of its hidden meaning.
"Please understand this is a big decision for me...."
"... Okay. Can I come with you right now?"
Wendy, nodding gracefully, stood up without any delay. Lard, who was famous for being swift and nimble, seemed sluggish at that moment.
As if she read his mind, she stepped out of the shop with a pleased expression. But when she left the shop, she ran into a rather difficult situation because she had not thought about how to get there with him.
"Why don't you call a wagon even now?"
Lard said, holding the reins of the horse he had been tied up in front of the flower shop.
Watching his actions a bit, she shook her head.
"No, I don't want to delay here anymore."
As she didn't want to draw his attention by delaying anymore, she reached out with a chic expression. She signalled to him to help her get on his horse. She was now determined not to act like a tired, noble lady in front of this imperial knight. Of course, a real noble lady would not be bold enough to mount an imperial knight's horse.
"...Are you okay?"
"Sure. Please get on it first. Let me ride behind you. I will have to hurry if I can come back before the sun goes down."
She spoke in a tone, as if to tell him to shut up since she would allow him to ride in front of her.
He once again stopped and looked at her face.
"Hold on tight."
As if he was resigned to the situation, he helped her onto the horse then climbed in front of her without difficulty. After she hesitated a little before putting her hands around his waist, he began to move his horse.
"Where can I go?"
"Please go to Devita Boulevard."
There were many traditional boutiques on Devita Boulevard, but all of them were suffering from sluggish business because of the explosive popularity of new boutiques near the palace. It was her intention to go to the boutique in Devita and avoid others' unnecessary attention.
There were not many customers at boutique shops around this time, which was past noon, because young ladies were enjoying tea after lunch. She was pleased that she picked a good time, hearing the bell of the clock tower from afar.
After riding the horse for a while, the two reached Devita Boulevard, which was filled with antique gray-white buildings. She chose one boutique without hesitation. Handing the reins of the horse to a porter waiting in front of the shop, he soon followed her.
"Please come on in. What kind of clothes are you looking for?"
A woman wearing a deep-colored jade dress approached them. She looked up and down Wendy as if to check her social status and family. But for Lard Schroder in the imperial knight's costume behind her, she would have scrutinized her more carefully.
"Show me a dress to wear in a nice place, suitable for my measurements."
Wendy decided not to say much. Although her voice was never arrogant, it was not timid, either. Wendy told her she wanted a dress that would make her look tall and plain.
"Got it. Can you wait a moment?"
The woman skillfully guided them to their seats and then had another clerk bring some tea.
After sipping bitter tea, the two sat silently for a while. As if the choking silence between them didn't set them on edge at all, they didn't say anything to each other. It was only a moment later when the woman came back, accompanied by several staff members with dresses in their hands, that their silence was broken.
"I chose several dresses that might suit you. Look at them one by one. Well, this one was designed based on the motif of the dress made famous by Princess Adrian Freschlongt in the neighboring kingdom. Although it covers the breasts intentionally, it reveals your back a lot. You don't like it? Hum...How about this? This is a nude-toned dress designed to closely fit the body and enhance the beauty of a woman. It's suitable for a decent place, but you can show off your charm fully. I think the knight will like it very much."
The woman's gaze turned to the knight and shook her head as if asking for his consent.
Her staff, who showed her dresses one by one as the woman explained, looked at Lard's face.
"... Do you need my opinion?"
Lard, who had somehow felt the pressure, responded, looking at the woman sharply.
As if she was sick and tired of men's reaction like this, she continued despite his cold gaze.
"Sure. Isn't it the reason you came here with here? I think you don't know how she feels.
How about this dress?"
"... Well, I don't like it very much."
Only then did he put forward his opinion.
Wendy furtively smiled after hearing his blunt voice. Wendy was displeased with the woman's comment that he didn't know how she felt because it implied that she wanted to look beautiful to him. However, his disapproving look was very pleasant to Wendy.
She also liked his belated response because it meant his angst would continue for the moment.
"Oh, I think you want a little antique design. How about this dress? This dress stands out with chest decoration, along with its soft indigo color. Oh! Let me also recommend this dress. This is a dress using embroidery fabric. As for this embroidery..."
The two went through several more dresses and she tried them in the fitting room and picked three of them. Lard quickly acted when she said she couldn't pick the right one.
As if he couldn't stand it any more, he asked the woman to pack the three dresses. He rejected her request to shop around at other boutiques.
Although she felt angry with his unilateral decision, she soon stopped being angry after seeing his face turned more pale than when he entered the shop.
"Would you like to take the dress right away?"
The woman asked, putting the dress in a paper box and placing the box in a cloth bag embroidered with the shop's mark.
"Sure. Please give it to this knight here."
Wendy left the shop after bowing gently, without looking at the bag that the woman gave her.
Taking the bag with the dress before he knew it, he followed her with his hands full.
"I have to go see my shoes now."
Of course, Wendy was not mistaken when she confirmed that his face turned pale. She walked to the next shop with a satisfied face.
"Come on in! Are you looking for shoes for the lady to wear? Oh! You bought a Tameslin-style dress. Can I recommend shoes that match your dress? There are plenty of shoes to satisfy you, so make yourself at east and take your time!"
The salesman was a middle-aged man who had a nice mustache. Unlike his seeming gentlemanly appearance, he showed an overwhelming desire for sales when she entered the store. As if he already checked the dress bag in Lard's hand with his own eyes, he pretended to know the signatures of the boutique on the bag. In her eyes, however, the salesman's attitude was highly commendable.
"Please show me the shoes that match my dress."
As she said, looking at the dress bag in his hands, the man approached the knight with a happy face. Lard's eyebrows were wiggled at his aggressive sales pitch. He took the dress bag from Lard and pulled the dress out carefully. As there were three dresses, he was busy trying to find the shoes to match the dresses.
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