TWOTCL༘ ೀ⋆｡

XXlll

⭑. ݁ ˖₊˚✩.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊˚✩.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭

“Unless you buy seven dresses here, I’m not leaving. One for each day. A week’s worth.”

With a quick grasp of the situation, the designer moved swiftly, but Hadeon mischievously added.

Elysia’s lips tightened.

“My, my, my!”

Leaning back lazily against the chair, Hadeon watched the designer excitedly hold up various clothes to Elysia’s body.

“Is there any woman luckier in the Empire today than Lady Pearlman? Look at this waist, barely a handful! And her hair, gleaming like golden wheat under the sun!”

Hadeon relaxed in his seat, watching the designer enthusiastically guide Elysia into the fitting room. But then, his jaw clenched.

“Ada. I, I….”

What’s going on? Noticing her discomfort, Hadeon leaned forward towards the fitting room. Inside, he could hear her struggling.

“I can change by myself. Really, I’ll manage.”

“I’ll help you, my lady. Look at the buttons on this dress. If you try to do it alone, you won’t finish by dawn.”

No matter how much Elysia protested, the female assistant, Ada, insisted on helping her with the fitting.

Hadeon found himself frowning as he saw Ada forcing her unwanted assistance on the obviously uncomfortable Elysia. This wasn’t about the gender of the personal shopper. It irked him to see her distressed by another beastkin. Reluctantly, he had to admit, it bothered him.

“Really, Ada, I can do it myself.”

Elysia gently pushed Ada’s arm away, her hands encased in gloves she always wore when out.

Why is she acting like this?

Suddenly, Hadeon realized the cause of his odd sense of déjà vu. Perhaps Elysia’s wrapped-up attire wasn’t just a matter of taste, but a shield because she found physical contact uncomfortable. He recalled her shy confession from before.

“My skin excites beastkin.”

Finally, it all made sense. Her head-to-toe covered appearance might not just be a preference but a defense mechanism.

Hadeon rose unconsciously.

“I’ll do it.”

He saw Elysia’s body stiffen even more than before. Ada, eager for gossip to share later, happily stepped aside for Hadeon.

As the impeccably dressed man entered the small space, Elysia held her breath. With slow, deliberate movements, he drew the curtain, closing them off in a private space. Hadeon knew that if he took another step, Ada would quickly shut the shop’s door to protect any ‘privacy’ that might ensue.

But Elysia seemed different.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Her innocent eyes, wide with fear, looked up at him. She stepped back, but there was nowhere to go in the narrow space.

“I’m here to serve you. What? Don’t you like your new servant?”

Hadeon enjoyed her reaction.

“Ada will misunderstand. Leave immediately.”

“That’s not a problem. That was the intention from the start.”

Hadeon watched her golden eyelashes widen in astonishment.