Chapter 44: She Turned and Walked Away, As If She Had Made Up Her Mind
“What kind of clothes need two people to wear them?”
Peiya looked confused, and Elise leaned closer to explain.
“It’s a kind of matching evening dress set. Do you want to try it?”
“I… I can’t! Wearing something like that would feel too awkward. How about you wear it, Elise? I’ll just watch.”
“That won’t work. It has to be two people together.”
Elise shook her head, took the catalog from Nair, flipped to the right page, and showed it to Peiya.
Peiya only took one quick look before quickly covering her eyes. The design Elise showed was a bit too revealing, and the poses of the two girls were… very intimate.
“Does it really have to be two people? Can’t you make an exception?”
“No, this kind of outfit only looks good when worn by two people. I can even pay extra!”
Nair looked full of hope, she was completely serious.
She truly believed that with these two, the result would be perfect.
She was willing to pay any price.
After all, the sight of girls being close together was priceless!
Praise the gods!
Peiya quickly waved her hands.
“It’s not about money. I… I’ve never worn something like that before. And why does it have to be the two of us? Miss Nair, are you choosing people on purpose?”
Peiya started to sense something strange, like everyone was trying to push her toward Elise.
In the morning, President Maya gave her a form but handed her a marriage registration by mistake.
Then a maid told her Elise talked in her sleep and even gave her that dangerous Tianlan wood perfume.
And now, Nair was asking them to change into clothes together.
And not just any clothes, but a matching set for two people. No matter how she thought about it, it felt strange!
“I don’t mind, but in the end, it depends on whether Miss Peiya likes it. Her opinion is more important than mine.”
Elise gently placed a hand over her chest, as calm and gentle as always.
Her gaze fell on Peiya like warm sunlight through tree branches, soft and comforting.
At this point, Peiya felt it was hard to refuse anymore.
She didn’t want to be the one who ruined the mood.
And honestly… she was a little curious to see what Elise would look like in a beautiful dress.
After all, she wasn’t blind. She knew Elise was very pretty, exactly her type.
It’s just that wearing matching dresses together still felt a bit strange.
“Why push it onto me? You’re both insisting, if I refuse, won’t I look like the bad person?”
Elise shook her head and gently placed a hand on Peiya’s head.
“No. If you don’t like it, you can just refuse.”
The way Elise spoke so softly made Nair’s heart melt on the spot.
She really spoiled her so much.
Please, more moments like this!
Nair wished she could record this scene of them caring for each other.
So sweet~
Peiya turned her head away a little, feeling shy. “It’s not completely impossible… but what about the clothes afterward?”
“You can keep them. I can always make another set. They’re brand new, so don’t worry.”
Nair patted her chest confidently. She was also a painter, maybe she could even capture a perfect moment on canvas later.
She was getting more and more excited.
At this point, Peiya finally made up her mind. Seeing everyone looking at her, she stopped hesitating and nodded.
Fine, let’s do it. Who’s afraid!
“Alright then, Elise, let’s go.”
Gathering her courage, Peiya followed Elise into the fitting room, returning there once again.
Her feelings were hard to describe.
At that moment, Nair brought in the outfits. Two light beige court-style long dresses, with fabric that felt very soft to the touch.
The skirt was much longer than a normal evening dress. The upper part was made thicker, and it felt very soft to the touch. As for how it would feel when worn, that was still unknown.
“How about you? Do you know how to wear it?”
Elise placed her own dress on the table first. She was more concerned about Peiya.
To protect Peiya’s pride, Elise spoke very softly.
She didn’t know what Peiya had gone through before, nor what challenges she would face in the future.
But at this moment, she knew she had to do something to ease the tension.
After all, growing up in that kind of environment, Peiya probably had never even touched a royal-style dress before.
Peiya nodded and skillfully spread the dress out, placing it neatly on the small table.
“I’m fine. To be honest, I’ve read books about court etiquette before, so I’m familiar with this kind of clothing. I just didn’t expect that one day I would actually wear it. Don’t just look at me, go change too. And don’t peek later, p-please…”
Peiya pulled the curtain over to cover herself.
Elise couldn’t help but smile, shaking her head as she laughed.
“If I really wanted to look, I wouldn’t have stopped at just asking you to lift your shirt earlier.”
“What? So you really did it on purpose! But I’m not blaming you… I just mean, you weren’t like this before. You’ve become a bit bad now.”
Peiya remembered that Elise used to be quiet and reserved. Why had she suddenly become so talkative?
“I don’t know. Let me tell you a story. There was once a girl whose only companion was a toy rabbit that others laughed at. People around her always stayed far away. She had many things she wanted to say, but no one was willing to listen…”
“...She was like an item in a display cabinet, people would praise her from a distance, but if she moved, they would look at her with fear. So, not wanting to bother anyone, she could only keep holding onto her worn-out doll. Day after day, until she thought she might just live like that forever…”
“...Then one day, someone quietly entered her world and told her that everyone has their own hobbies, and liking dolls was totally fine. That little girl was so happy because of that. She carefully kept writing letters to that person, even making grammar mistakes at first…”
“...Later, she waited every day for those letters. But three years ago, she fell ill. People around her began to leave again, and her world returned to just her doll. Everything went back to how it was before. People kept their distance politely, and doubts filled her world again…”
“...But just when she was about to lose hope, a letter appeared again, just like before. It told her that things would get better. And even if they didn’t, she should still look at this beautiful world.”
Peiya listened, feeling confused. Somehow, the words sounded familiar.
“I-it sounds like something I said…”
“That’s right. But compared to this world… I think I care more about you. So, I also have a small request, can I look at you a little more?”
Peiya was startled, her expression turning shy.
“W-why are you suddenly saying something so cheesy? It’s like you won’t be able to see me tomorrow or something. Don’t say things like that. Fine, look if you want. Look wherever you want—wait, I haven’t changed yet! Let me finish changing first!”
Seeing that Peiya had started changing, Elise’s lips curved into a small smile.
Silly…
No matter what you wear, you look good.
Behind the curtain.
Peiya didn’t know where she got the courage from. She stopped worrying about whether it was “women’s clothing” or not.
In some ways, her past was similar to Elise’s, from piles of scrap, to old houses in ruined districts filled with smoke, and then to the people in the Dawn Guild.
She had been to many places, but none of them truly felt like home.
Like a drifting plant on water, she had nowhere to take root.
She could feel something stirring inside her. For some reason, she didn’t want to disappoint Elise.
It wasn’t some deep or complicated feeling.
She just wanted to protect that smile.
After going through hardships, she wanted even more to see the beauty after the storm.
Quickly putting on the dress, Peiya quietly encouraged herself.
She turned around, as if she had made up her mind, and reached out to pull open the curtain.
The moment her eyes met Elise’s, she quickly looked away in nervousness. But soon, she raised her head again, her voice trembling slightly.
“I-it’s done… Please… please look at me properly.”