The Professor|| Sylus

Dress

Mei looked at Sylus, her heart giving in to the overwhelming trust she now felt for him. No more second-guessing. She trusted Sylus with her life. As they moved on to the mall, Mei couldn't help but feel out of place. The stores were all high-end, their windows displaying luxurious items with price tags far beyond anything she was used to. She stood there, feeling like she was drowning in opulence, her mind racing with thoughts of her modest allowance.

Sylus noticed her spacing out and asked, "Is there any problem?"

Mei gave an awkward smile, shrugging. "Not really, it's just... all of this is way out of my league." She immediately questioned her choice of words, feeling even smaller.

Sylus let out a low chuckle. "Sweetie, I'm very expensive."

Mei's eyes widened as she snapped back, a little too quickly, "And you got yourself a cheap-looking one, huh?" referring to herself. She immediately regretted it, feeling self-conscious.

But Sylus didn't miss a beat. He turned to her, his tone serious but with a playful edge. "I never choose anything that doesn't suit my taste, remember that," he said, brushing off her self-doubt.

Mei pouted, realizing she couldn't argue with him—not when he put it that way.

As they walked through every shop, Mei browsed designs, touching dresses, accessories, and footwear to inspect them. Each time she did, Sylus ordered her to try on those clothings, and if it suited his liking, he paid for it immediately. This was the sixth store they had gone into, and Mei was starting to feel overwhelmed. She wasn't sure if she should feel grateful or completely incredulous at how much was being spent. The sheer extravagance was making her anxious.

Mei tapped Sylus on the back as he examined more dresses. When he turned around and leaned down to ask, "Did you find another dress for yourself?" Mei blurted out, "No! Uhm, but—" She held up the five shopping bags she had been carrying around. Sylus, seeing them, assumed, "Oh, you're tired? Let me help you with those."

Mei quickly shook her head and hissed, pulling the bags away from him. "No, that's not what I meant."

Sylus looked at her, genuinely clueless. Mei realized he had no idea what she was trying to say, so she decided to go straight to the point. "Isn't this enough for tonight? Seriously, I don't want you to overdo your spending!"

Sylus paused for a moment, then let out a soft, amused laugh. "Sweetie, have you already forgotten? Didn't I tell you we were going shopping?"

Mei huffed, "Yes, but that was supposed to be for beauty products and tonight's gown, right?!"

Without missing a beat, Sylus smoothly took the bags from her hands, despite her protests, and said, "I don't mind spending money on you... especially when I see a loose kitten eye-balling items she couldn't seem to let go of."

He playfully held up one  of the items, teasing her about her obvious interest. Mei looks away, knowing he wasn't entirely wrong. Deep down, she really did want them.

As they carried on, Sylus led Mei to an unusual store. The entrance had an emblem beside it that closely resembled the feathered pin she had seen earlier. Curious and a bit anxious, Mei followed him inside, where they were immediately greeted with formality. "Welcome back, Mr. Sylus, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Mei's curiosity piqued *he must've visit here often*, she thought. The store had an air of mystery, like something straight out of a dark fantasy novel. The decor was old-fashioned but rich, and the gowns displayed around the shop were unique, beautiful, and extravagant, far beyond what Mei had seen in the previous stores.

She had already made up her mind not to look too closely at the dresses, worried that Sylus might end up spending even more on her. Instead, she chose to listen to their conversation.