“Selina came out shopping this time to prepare a dress for the banquet the day after tomorrow, right?”
Qiluo asked, while also sizing up Selina.
Her appearance was perfect, at least within the Imperial Capital, she was outstanding.
Her personality was almost flawless—gentle and virtuous.
Just for that meal, Qiluo would give her an eleven out of ten.
Authenticity… maybe six out of ten.
How could there be such a perfect person in this world… most are just wearing masks of hypocrisy.
The other four points were only because it was Qiluo herself who took a liking to her.
In this world, who can truly be fully trusted?
“Even though you say that, there’s no time for custom tailoring now. I’ll have to buy a ready-made one,” Selina said.
She silently prayed the dress price wouldn’t be too high.
Although she had been in the Imperial Capital for some time, her goal had never changed.
Even if she had to spend a lot for this goal, it would be worth it.
That was easy to say, but when it actually came time to spend, it still hurt. ╯▂╰
She sighed inwardly, and then under Qiluo’s guidance, the three of them entered a rather upscale-looking clothing store.
Though she couldn’t let down her kindness, when she saw the diverse styles and exquisite, luxurious dresses, a chill still ran down her spine.
She should have brought her savings too…
However.
“Congratulations, dear customer! You are our store’s 9,999th customer. All clothing is 90% off, and custom orders too~”
The welcoming shop assistant flashed a bright smile.
Selina was startled; for a moment, she sensed a considerable magic aura from the shop assistant.
Given the high-end store’s setup, it didn’t seem that strange.
The Imperial Capital was full of hidden talents; a waiter at rank four or five wasn’t unusual.
‘I hope I’m just overthinking this.’
“Um, I’d like a ready-made dress, the kind I can wear to a banquet.”
“Then you must try this one! Made entirely by hand by Master Herman, a crafted Night Glass Dress. The phrase ‘colorful black’ describes this dress perfectly. It’s figure-hugging, breathable, easy to put on and take off. When facing your beloved, just pull the knot at the back, and instantly— (BEEP BEEP BEEP, censored by the heavens)”
“Show me something normal,” Hajime said.
Her death glare was already fixed on the shop assistant.
The shop assistant was so frightened she stepped back a few paces, trembling.
‘Captain, I’m just reading the script lines! ╯▂╰ It’s not my fault!’
“Mei, don’t bully her. If you don’t like it, just pick another one,” Selina said.
She tugged at Melrose’s collar.
‘Thank you, Sister-in-law for your mercy! I’ll never forget this kindness in this life!!!’
At that moment, Mei didn’t know what her subordinate was thinking, and turned her gaze to other dresses.
“Too flashy, too plain, poor quality, bad style, too revealing, too conservative, too outdated.”
Hajime eliminated them one by one, making Qiluo somewhat unable to hold back.
‘Is it you going to the banquet or her?’
Selina was helpless and could only walk deeper into the store.
At the very end, her eyes caught a dress with nun’s clothing characteristics.
The overall color scheme was black and white, but the patterns on it were very delicate.
A touch of gold trim added a bit of luxury to this simple garment.
Overall, it was still very understated, but those with sharp eyes could see its extraordinary quality.
The hidden high slit design for the legs was refreshing among the other dresses, somewhat resembling a qipao, and the bustier was relatively conservative.
In short, Selina took a liking to this dress at first sight and directly told the shop assistant she wanted to try it on.
When she came out of the fitting room, everyone present felt as if a saint had descended beside them.
Selina looked in the mirror and was also amazed by herself.
‘It fits a bit too perfectly… I hope I won’t be silenced after the banquet.’
But the fabric was soft and comfortable, very much to her liking.
She just didn’t know if the price would be reasonable.
She had just seen several dresses priced in gold coins.
Even with a discount, she might not be able to afford it.
As a last resort, she could only borrow from the two in front of her.
“Um, how much is this dress?” Selina asked with a nervous heart.
At that moment, Qiluo behind her kept winking at the shop assistant.
Although she couldn’t understand the meaning, it was basically to give as big a discount as possible.
“Ahem, what a coincidence, dear customer. This one happens to be leftover from last year. So on top of the original discount, we’ll take off another 10%. The final price is!”
She paused, then started counting on her fingers.
“One five is five, two fives are ten, three fives are fifteen…”
‘Sweatdrop… The shop assistant’s arithmetic doesn’t seem very good.’
Qiluo seemed unable to bear it anymore.
She took a silver coin from her purse and tossed it to the shop assistant.
“Keep the change. Send the dress directly to her home.”
“Yes, your h… um, esteemed customer.”
The shop assistant blinked, staring at the silver coin in her hand in disbelief.
Then Qiluo took Selina’s hand and walked out of the store.
Until they left the clothing store, Selina’s gaze remained fixed on that silver coin.
“Um, should I pay you back for this?”
“No need. This is the Imperial Capital. A silver coin is worth nothing.”
Selina thought for a moment, then still placed a silver coin from her own pocket into Qiluo’s hand.
“Lend and repay, then it’s easy to borrow again~” she said to Qiluo with a grin.
Qiluo paused, then put the silver coin in her bosom.
She rather liked that saying.
If only certain lords would follow it, the empire’s finances wouldn’t be so strained.
Soon it was noon.
Selina opened the bundle she carried and took out three lunch boxes.
Originally, she had planned to buy the dress and then have no money to eat at a restaurant, so she made bento boxes for lunch.
Although plans changed, the prepared bento couldn’t go to waste.
Besides, the empire’s craftsmanship was better than she imagined—the lunch boxes were insulated.
The three sat on the grass of a park, enjoying their bento while basking in the sun.
Hajime had no reservations.
As soon as she got her bento, she began devouring it without any table manners.
Selina, on the other hand, clasped her hands and silently prayed to the goddess.
Qiluo watched Selina for a moment.
After confirming she wasn’t paying attention, she placed her bento behind her.
Soon a hand took the bento away, and after a minute, it was put back.
It seemed she could rest assured.
Just as Qiluo eagerly opened her lunch box, seeing the contents, she couldn’t hold back for a moment.
‘Wait, where’s my food?’
‘Why is there only half left?’
She looked toward the grass beside her, and there were three thumbs up sticking out.
Looking at her own food, then at her troublesome minions, Qiluo resolutely…
‘I’ll deduct their wages when I get back. Absolutely.’
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