“Wow.”
“Pretty.”
“What’s pretty is the dress.”
“Hehe… It was a bit sudden, but I worked hard on it. What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful.”
“You can tell she’s not just any princess handing it out.”
I had seen dresses worn by nobles during Kyle’s debutante, but this one looked definitely prettier.
No, saying it was pretty wasn’t enough.
“Shop Owner, it’s the best.”
It was mainly black with beautiful white patterns in the middle.
The corset around the waist was also black, matching the overall colors, giving it a slightly sexy vibe.
“Do you want to try it on?”
“Yes.”
I hadn’t paid much attention to fashion, but this one was definitely worth a try.
It wasn’t revealing, so I felt no embarrassment wearing it.
I just showed off my shoulders.
It wasn’t much different from wearing an off-shoulder top.
Sure, the skirt was a bit shorter back then, but now it was long, so I’d say it was completely different.
“Uh, Duke? Could you help me put this on?”
“Sure.”
Kyle helped me with the dress at the shop owner’s request.
“Wait!”
There was a problem.
A huge problem.
The shop owner clearly misunderstood our relationship.
She probably thought we were close enough to not mind showing each other our bodies.
That’s why she asked Kyle to help me put on the dress.
“Uh… let’s just wear it loosely for now… and then call you back.”
“?”
“Showing my body is a bit too embarrassing…”
I had to wear smaller underwear than usual and the dress, and showing that off… was way too embarrassing.
Really, really embarrassing.
The shop owner nodded and momentarily left Kyle alone with me.
After I changed out of my clothes, I put on the underwear meant for the dress.
While undressing, I felt slightly embarrassed since the shop owner seemed to be looking at my big chest… but I brushed it off.
Her chest was much smaller anyway…
“Uh…”
“Uh…”
“Let’s just try on the dress, okay?”
“Ah, yes.”
After I finally said something, the shop owner moved again.
She pulled out the dress and loosely draped it on me.
The corset wasn’t fastened properly, she really just tossed the dress on.
And Kyle walked in.
“Uh, Duke, could you please loosely fasten the corset in the back? If it’s difficult, I can do it.”
“No, I’ll do it.”
“Okay~”
I stood completely still, trying not to move since it would mess up the dress.
I remained between the shop owner adjusting the dress and Kyle behind me.
“Oof…”
“Is it painful? Should I loosen it a bit?”
“No, it’s just…”
While Kyle was fiddling with the corset, a sound escaped my mouth.
As he tightened the corset, he assumed I made the sound because it was too tight.
“My breath… keeps hitting my neck…”
But that wasn’t why I made the sound.
Kyle was behind me, and his breath touched my nape.
That’s why.
“Ah.”
“Could you step back a bit? I know I’m amazing, but I can’t just keep having you that close while I’m trying on the dress.”
“Sure.”
Kyle, who was completely stuck to me, stepped back and began to adjust the back of the corset and dress.
“Hmm…”
One thing was certain: corsets were uncomfortably restrictive.
They were meant to tighten the waist and enhance the chest; it was unavoidable.
Of course, I didn’t really need that, so I just did it loosely.
Just enough to make the dress look pretty.
“Phew…”
“Why are you sighing?”
“I’m jealous.”
Suddenly, the shop owner said she was jealous.
What was she jealous of, I wondered?
Ah, maybe jealous of me being with Kyle?
That made sense.
After all, I was just a commoner dating Kyle.
Though it was temporary.
“How can you have big breasts but a tiny waist…”
“Ah.”
Oh, that wasn’t it.
I thought every girl would be interested in a guy like Kyle.
Thank goodness.
“Haha…”
“Why was I born with this flat chest…”
“…”
The shop owner’s expression darkened.
Her expression changed, and she suddenly began to mutter.
“I’m not only flat-chested, but I’m also narrow. Is it because I’m narrow that my breasts are small? If I had a good personality, would my breasts have been bigger? No, that can’t be it; my mom and grandma had small breasts too. Why did I have to start this job and be sad every time I look at customers’ breasts? If I had known, I would’ve opened a vegetable shop instead of a clothing store. No, to be precise, I didn’t want to recommend strange outfits when Her Highness the Princess came, eliminating any chance of meeting someone with big breasts…”
“…”
“…”
The sudden rapid-fire monologue from the shop owner left Kyle and me silent.
We felt that saying anything strange here might get us stabbed…
Of course, before that, Kyle would solve it brilliantly.
“Ah, I’m sorry. So, how is it?”
And the shop owner returned to her normal self.
Seeing her back to normal, I felt relief mixed with fear.
Her transitions were too quick…!
“It’s beautiful.”
Anyway, it truly was beautiful.
I thought that the whole time I looked in the mirror.
I hadn’t realized before trying it on, but now, it felt anything but boring.
If anything, since it didn’t show much, it felt even prettier.
“Kyle, what do you think? Isn’t it really pretty?”
I spun around in the long skirt.
This is kind of fun.
With the skirt twirling, it lifted…
“It’s beautiful.”
“Right?”
Kyle also said it was pretty.
Yeah, this is definitely better than some revealing dress, right?
I didn’t ask directly, but I’m sure Kyle agreed.
A dress like this is way prettier than something indecent.
“Sophia.”
“Huh?”
“The dress is pretty, but you look even prettier wearing it.”
“…”
What was I supposed to say to that all of a sudden?
I felt a mix of embarrassment and joy.
It was natural to feel happy being complimented, but it was a bit embarrassing since it was said in front of the shop owner.
“Ah, is that not enough?”
“No… it’s just…”
I didn’t think I broke any rules.
It was just that I was a bit embarrassed and stayed silent about it.
“Am I really that beautiful…?”
I was just curious and asked again.
To me, the dress seemed prettier.
“Yes.”
And Kyle answered without changing his expression.
That made me realize he wasn’t lying.
Was that why?
I felt my face getting hot.
How could he express his feelings so easily?
I didn’t even know my own feelings well.
“…”
“Sophia.”
“Y-yes?!”
Kyle suddenly called me, and I was startled.
Not really suddenly, but I was lost in thought, and I got shocked.
“Um… could you try on another dress?”
“… You mean that one?”
“Yes.”
The dress Kyle requested was undoubtedly the risqué one.
He had a slightly cautious expression.
He probably sensed I was hesitant about wearing that dress.
But… right now, I felt really good.
In many ways, I felt good.
“Um, Shop Owner? Can I try it on right away?”
“Of course!”
The Shop Owner said it would be ready instantly.
She made it sound nice, as if it was a favor.
Not that she had any strong sentiment for Kyle; she was just being unusually sweet today.
“Wait, I’ll be out soon.”
I went in with the shop owner.
Inside, I changed out of the black dress and into the new black one.
“Ha…”
And after changing, I felt a bit of regret.
This felt way too revealing…
“But… I said I’d wear it…”
I had already said it.
I wore it, after all.
But it was genuinely embarrassing.
It wasn’t just showing off cleavage.
It was downright scandalous…
“Ugh…”
I let out a long breath.
To show this to Kyle, I needed a lot of mental preparation.
“Anyway, I’ll just show it once and then change back…”
Right, what’s there to be embarrassed about?
It was just a small reward for Kyle, who has been so kind and sweet lately.
I’d just give a quick peek and then switch back to normal clothes.
“How do I look…?”
With that thought, I made my resolve and stepped out.
I was only being looked at by Kyle, but somehow? No, that made it even more embarrassing.
“…”
“Hey, just say something…”
I was truly extremely embarrassed.
What on earth was the first designer of this outfit thinking?
And what was the shop owner even thinking when she got that request from Kyle…?
“Sophia.”
“Y-yes…?”
“I like you.”
“W-what? You’ve said that so many times already…”
“I’m just saying you’re really beautiful.”
Is it that beautiful?
No, I didn’t think it was to that extent…
“It’s just that I’m wearing it since I’ve been behaving well lately. There’s no other reason, okay?”
“Yes.”
Really.
I wasn’t that thirsty for Kyle’s compliments, and he wouldn’t praise me just because I wore a dress once… would he?
“But… am I really that beautiful?”
I was just asking again out of curiosity.
He could have been lying, right…?
That’s why I asked.
“Yes, truly beautiful.”
“Hah… Really?”
“Yes.”
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