CHAPTER 8

HEARING HIM CHUCKLE MADE me blush. Why did I even tell him my name when he wasn't asking for it?

"Then please call me Rin." His eyes formed into small crescents as he smiled at me. "Pleased to be your acquaintance, Lily," he added, offering a hand to me.

"Yeah." I glanced at it reluctantly before shaking his hand.

It was a little weird when I felt a cold energy infiltrating through my hand, but as soon as it entered my body, the cold energy evaporated, as if fire had taken care of it.

His energy doesn't feel threatening, but there's no harm in being cautious. I carefully pulled my hand from him and hid my hand inside my cloak.

We both fell silent, and I took that chance to throw a quick glance at the man behind him. They were about the same height, but Rin's body looked bigger than the other man. I mean, that's just based on the cloak wrapped around him.

What the hell?

I could feel my cheeks heating up with the sudden thought that crossed my mind. I immediately turned around to look for Scarlet.

"Please excuse me," I muttered then marched to where Scarlet was.

It isn't quite right to think like that with the person you just met. Your brain's bad enough. And what's with the 'Lily'? Only mother should call me by that nickname!

Scarlet looked puzzled when I suddenly hooked my arm around hers. "Don't mind me," I whispered while pretending to look at the daggers as well.

I've already seen them last time, but I'd be more than willing to look at them again than to stay beside that man. I really don't understand why I'm feeling this sort of clumsiness around him.

Scarlet was a bit stiff as I kept my arm around hers. And looking at the daggers again made me forget about the piercing stare burning holes on my back.

The more I looked at the glass-looking dagger placed on the corner section of the cabinet, the more I got myself distracted. I had forgotten when I released Scarlet's arm. The fire that radiated inside the blade sparked the curiosity in me.

Despite my attention focused on the dagger, I could still sense the familiar presence coming closer to me.

"Do you know what stone was used for this dagger?" The question flew out of nowhere.

I think Rin smiled before he answered me. "That's a blue fire opal. It looks beautiful, but it can kill anyone with just one stab."

Woah. I glanced at him; my eyes filled with amusement. "That's cool," I mumbled. I should give this as a gift.

"My lady, your orders are complete," the owner announced, cutting off my time with the opal dagger.

I smiled at Rin and mouthed a thank you before dashing to the counter. I really was thankful for his additional information. The owner handed me the receipt, and I quickly paid him.

Before I grabbed the bag filled with my orders, I leaned closer to the owner and whispered to him. "Owner, do you know any tailor or any dress shop that needs a customer? Or maybe a shop who needs help with their business?"

The owner laughed softly then he wrote something on a small piece of paper. "Visit these two shops. I think that is what you are looking for," the owner said as he handed the paper to me.

I smiled at him as I added an additional payment. "That's payment for the information you gave. You must keep this a secret, alright?" I whispered again then patted his shoulder. "See you again, old man."

I gave the bag of my orders to Scarlet then we bid our goodbyes to both the owner and Rin, who looked confused.

The names of the shops weren't too hard to find. It was a little close to the shop we just visited. The first one that we visited was 'La'Rose,' the tailor shop located near the plaza.

"Will you be getting your dresses here, my lady?" Scarlet asked as we stopped in front of the small boutique.

I looked at her and smiled. "Probably."

The shop looked a little empty because of the few dresses displayed in the front window. And when we entered the shop, we only saw one person, either the owner or some caretaker watching the shop.

But I assumed that she was the owner because of her green dress filled with small pins and a measuring tape on her shoulder.

She was a fine woman who looked like she's in her early 30s. "How can I help you, dearie?" And her gentle voice suited her innocent face.

"I'm looking for a dress," I said then proceeded to look around the few dresses displayed inside her shop.

Surprisingly, the clothes in her shop looked elegant enough to match those of the boutiques for the nobilities. Even if she lacks materials, the designs and the style still look dignified enough to wear.

I guess this will do it.

I tasked Scarlet to continue checking the other dresses while I approached the woman. "Excuse me, are you the owner of this place?"

The woman stopped with the measuring she was doing with the mannequin to look at me again. She fixed the small pair of glasses hanging on her nose line.

"I am. Is there something I can help you with?" She asked curiously.

And instead of answering right away, I took out the folded sketches I hid in my cloak's inner pocket. They were sketches of dresses I made beforehand. "Will it be possible for you to create dress designs like these?"

I finally piqued the woman's attention with the designs I showed to her. No dress shops had already done something so revolutionary. And I wonder if she'll be up for this challenge.

"Oh, my," she mumbled, eyes fixed on the sketches she was holding. "They look fresh and new. Did you design them?" She asked, her gaze falling back on me.

"I did. Will you be able to make them?" I asked her again.

The dresses were based on the modernized vintage style I remembered back then. They had lesser frills and ribbons and focused more on laces and intricate designs. And instead of the many layers you wear, they will only need three: the inner clothes, the petticoat, and the actual dress.

"I can," the woman answered. "However, this would cost a fortune for a small boutique like mine." I could see regret in her eyes, as if it would be a loss for her to let go of a chance like this.

But I already made my calculations for that. I know that materials are expensive, but it's good that she didn't say that it will be impossible for her to sew them.

I took the pouch of gold that I brought with me and placed it on the table beside us.

"I'm willing to pay in advance just to have them tailored for me," I declared.

The payment I gave would be enough to make one dress for each design I handed to her, and it would be enough for a sample.

"But what if you dislike the outcome of these dresses?" She asked, an unquestionable thing, really.

"I have checked the dresses displayed in this boutique, madam, and honestly, I liked the way they were sewn. They do appear to lack materials, but the dresses still showed dignity."

The woman still looked a bit hesitant. This seemed like the first real project she'd have based on the way her eyes wavered. I don't really know how to convince her, but I wouldn't want to push her to do something she doesn't want.

"I really liked your dresses here. But it's alright. I wouldn't want to push you into making something you're hesitant about," I said, showing the saddest smile I could ever pull off.

"I-I'll do it," she stuttered. She still sounded doubtful but hearing her accept it was better than nothing.

"Oh, my! I greatly thank you!" I exclaimed, holding her hands together.

We soon sat down in the mini office she had in her shop. We needed to discuss some things before she completely accepted my request.

"I'm Quinzette Lacrosse, but you can call me Quin. This is my first big request from a client, so it made me doubtful of my skills," she said. Her hands clasped together on top of the desk, as if a way to calm herself.

"You can call me Elisse, Miss Quin," I introduced, only using my first name. "And the money I handed to you; you can use that to start with the project. I only need one dress for each sketch as reference before I request a whole set. I will still pay you and let you know if the samples won't fit my taste."

The hesitation she felt before seemed to be replaced with something different. As if this has become more of a challenging thing for her.

"I understand! I won't let you down, Miss Elisse."

I smiled at her then placed the spare pouch of money I brought with me on the table. "And please ring all of the dresses displayed in your shop. I'll have someone pick them up for me."

I badly need new sets of dresses anyway, plus I really liked the designs of the ones displayed in her shop. Truly incomparable with my previous fashion sense.

She looked surprised that she had to repeat my words, and instead of answering her again, I turned my attention to Scarlet and ordered her to help Miss Lacrosse in packing the dresses.

It only took a couple of minutes before they finished. "We'll be going now. I'll have someone pick them up by my name. See you soon, Miss Lacrosse," I said as I waved at her.

Scarlet followed me behind silently. We were supposed to head to the next shop listed by the owner, but unfortunately, it started raining.

"The weather was just fine earlier, I wonder why it suddenly rained," I mumbled to myself.

We were a little drenched when we reached our carriage. And Ruderick was more worried than ever. There were no towels kept in the carriage we used, so we had to travel back to the estate in this condition.

Scarlet stared outside of the window, and I couldn't help but notice how cold her eyes appeared from the reflection on the window glass.

Were her eyes always like that? Now that I think about it, I only know a few things about my new maid. Not that I'm worried about her betraying me. However, we still need to build a connection.

"Scarlet, do you trust me?" I asked.

Scarlet peeled her gaze from the rainy weather outside and directed it to me. "I don't know what trust means, my lady," she answered. "But I'm doing my best to be of use for you."

Her and Marina were different in terms of this. This girl can answer me directly without any hesitation, as if she had been waiting to be picked up by someone to prove her usefulness.

A small smirk formed on my face. "That's some answer you have there," I said. "To be honest, loyalty is the very thing I want, Scarlet. Trust without loyalty is a lethal weapon that can kill me. And the thing I want to avoid the most is disposing of the people I started trusting with my life."

The next few minutes of the ride were filled with silence. Should I learn the 'Art of Manipulation' for them to start offering their loyalty to me? I only need those for some time, just until I get the things I need before I leave.

"We have arrived, my lady," Ruderick announced.

"Scarlet, inform the head butler that my new set of dresses needs to be picked up at La'Rose boutique."

"Yes, my lady."

I didn't wait for the coachman to come back with an umbrella. I was already wet, so I headed inside the manor, enjoying the feeling of the cold rain kissing my skin.

And this heavy set of clothes hanging on my body. Ugh.

I was drenched with rainwater as I walked upstairs. I might've caught a few servants' attention with the way I looked, but I ignored them. It's not like they are worried about me.

My dress was starting to feel heavier. This is why I hate the number of layers on them. I clicked my tongue as I dragged my dress along the path to my room.

"Here, use this to dry yourself," Eclipse, who passed by out of nowhere, said as he handed a clean towel to me.

I stared at him for a second before taking the towel from him. That's odd. "Thank you," I muttered then continued to walk to my room.

Now I need to change clothes and prepare for dinner. I still need to wait a few more hours before I can do my next summoning. I have no more time to waste. A few more days and the annoying Kaiser will arrive home.

Ah, I'm so excited. I could feel my stomach churning from excitement.