Chapter 26: Long Dress
Evelia walked into the dressing room holding the set of underwear and the dress. During the outfit change, the shop assistant asked about Alman’s height, then knocked on the door and placed a pair of white high heels outside, which matched the outfit.
Evelia took off her pantsuit and put on the dress the shop assistant had prepared for her. Although the early morning and late evening winds of spring were still chilly, by noon the sun was scorching hot.
The knee-length dress kept Evelia’s legs from being exposed to the wind, and the light yet warm fabric made the dress appear neither bulky nor stiff.
A pink ribbon contrasting with Evelia’s long hair was tied just below her chest, highlighting her graceful curves while also serving to make her look taller.
Click.
Evelia stepped out in the high heels. Although she usually wore her flat leather shoes, she could manage the heels, even if they felt a bit unfamiliar at first, with loud clicks echoing beneath her feet.
“Miss…! You truly are a clothes hanger!”
The simpler the outfit, the more it tested one’s beauty.
Evelia tried to adopt a ladylike pose, with her hands crossed over her abdomen. She turned slightly to look at herself in the mirror; the pristine whiteness was quite beautiful, but perhaps because she had some filter on her perception of herself, she felt this white dress suited the girl named “Evelia” but not the “Scarlet Crow” side of her.
What a stark contrast to her formerly dark self…
“Excuse me, Miss, allow me to arrange your hair a bit. This hair tie is completely complimentary.”
The shop assistant seemed quite pleased with Evelia’s current appearance. She led Evelia to her personal vanity, took a wooden comb and a white ribbon to work on her hairstyle. Watching as the assistant intricately braided her long hair into two sections, she then tied it back lightly and secured it with a satin ribbon. This simple hairstyle change, taking only a few minutes, transformed her demeanor entirely.
“…”
Evelia instinctively touched the ribbon at the back of her head, and from the front, a corner of the white bow peeked out. As she reached to the side, she felt a small bun made of her braided hair, while the remaining strands flowed down her back.
It seemed the scent of the assistant’s perfume lingered in her hair, and with a gentle wave, Evelia could catch a whiff of delicate peach blossoms.
“Next, you’ll need to find a place with some wind.”
“Wind?”
Evelia turned back, puzzled, looking at the girl behind her, who wore a mischievous smile as if she had some clever idea.
“That’s right, wind.”
Standing behind Evelia, the assistant dramatically swung her own hair, but as hers was short, the action lacked effectiveness. Evelia felt the soft, cotton-candy-like strands of hair bounce, which felt surprisingly pleasant.
“Oh dear… I should have prepared a wig…”
Seeing the confusion on Evelia’s face, the assistant blushed and laughed shyly, sticking out her tongue and giving a light punch to her own fluffy head, which indeed looked quite soft.
“I think I… understand what you mean.”
Although Evelia didn’t initially grasp what the girl was demonstrating, recalling the earlier novel, she started to understand her implication.
As for that plot, it probably described:
“When the knight arrived in the flower field, the girl seemed to have been waiting for a long time.
To avoid being late for this date, he carefully dressed himself and hurried over.
Gasping for breath, he called out to the girl, who was gazing at the sky not far away.
In that moment, the wind seemed to stir.
Golden petals danced in the breeze, bathed in sunlight, scattering warmly in the air. The knight’s call floated on the petals and reached the girl’s ears, and when she turned her head, her beautiful long hair swayed with the petals.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her sweet face through the gaps in her hair; although half of her features were obscured, her gentle smile was vividly clear.”
—So that’s how it is.
“You mean for the wind to move my hair.”
“Exactly, Miss, you’re so clever!” The assistant nodded enthusiastically. “It’s wonderful that you understood me; no man can resist a girl with her hair fluttering in the breeze…! Ah, but of course, the prerequisite is a light breeze.”
“Got it, I understand now.”
Evelia stood up and, with the assistant’s help, tidied up the clothes she had changed out of, purchasing two sets of underwear carefully selected by the assistant. After checking out, as she walked away in her long dress, the assistant said thoughtfully:
“Actually, it wouldn’t matter if it isn’t a light breeze; a stronger wind would also work, then the effect of the underwear would show…”
“Hm?”
When Evelia heard that, she had already left the clothing store and shut the door behind her. So even though she didn’t quite understand the specifics, she didn’t turn back to ask.
She had left in the morning, and by the time she stepped out of the store, it was already noon. As Evelia raised her head, the warm spring sun was shining directly on her face, making her squint a bit.
Holding the shopping bag with her clothes, she sought a relatively shaded route to continue her walk. Her white long dress and pink hair were indeed too eye-catching, and it wasn’t long before she felt many gazes landing on her.
Regardless of gender or age, Evelia’s perfect features and figure were enough to make her the focal point on the street.
Tap tap.
Of course, it wasn’t just gazes that were drawn.
Tap tap.
The deliberately concealed footsteps and the rhythm synchronized intentionally with her own. In this still lively street, Evelia quickly realized someone was following her from behind.
“…”
Evelia turned around 180 degrees to see a man who was walking in a straight line behind her. She quietly observed the man who suddenly froze, without saying anything.
The man also said nothing, awkwardly staring at the focused Evelia. According to the usual script, the person being followed should have run away in embarrassment upon being discovered, but this man seemed to think himself tough, not retreating but instead viewing Evelia’s stance as a challenge. He took a couple of steps toward what he believed to be “overconfident” Evelia.
Perhaps if Evelia were still in her previous pantsuit, this man might have tempered his approach a bit. However, in her gentle outfit, if Evelia didn’t intentionally cool her expression, her intimidation factor diminished significantly.
“…”
Evelia remained silent, merely stepping back two paces in response.
These two steps piqued the man’s interest, and he excitedly advanced a few more steps. Evelia continued to retreat in tandem.
“…”
Evelia still didn’t speak; she merely observed. Then, she turned around and continued walking as if nothing had happened.
Everyone likes beautiful girls, and Evelia undoubtedly fell into the category of “beauty.”
As the shop assistant said, many others enjoy tarnishing that pure beauty. The more pure and proud a woman appears, the more it can stir certain desires within some.
Evelia considered the man following her as an observation subject, thinking perhaps there was some truth to the shop assistant’s words.
However, since it had been established that the assistant’s comments had merit, there was no longer a need to continue observing this man.
Evelia quickened her pace, attempting to shake off her follower. She didn’t want to cause any attention in this busy district, but the man, oblivious to the danger, continued to trail her, misinterpreting her increased speed as the timidity of a girl.
“…sigh.”
Evelia let out a soft sigh, turning into the nearest empty alley designated for trash disposal.
Shortly after she entered, the man quickened his pace and followed her, laughing as he disappeared into the darkness of the alley.
Crack.
Then, in that darkness, a faint sound of a neck breaking echoed.
The only one to exit the alley was Evelia.
She casually carried her bag, not needing to tidy her hair or clothes, as there was no disarray at all; she didn’t have to worry about soiling her outfit.
“Wasn’t someone from the Knight Order supposed to handle that over there? I don’t need special permission, right? You know I abhor paperwork…”
“This is a necessary process. How are you still so lazy? You can’t just say you won’t handle things and not do them.”
Just as Evelia walked down the cool path, pondering whether to check out other stores or head straight back to the manor, she heard a familiar voice nearby.
“Ah, so annoying…”
“You’ve said ‘annoying’ at least six times in half a day.”
“But it really is annoying…”
Evelia turned toward the source of the voice and found she hadn’t misheard. Looking up, she saw Alman, clothed in knight’s apparel, arguing with the deputy commander Carly, who was also clad in knight gear.
“Enough already, hurry up. After finishing this, go to East Street.”
“Okay, okay, got it. You’d think you were the boss or something…”
“Hm?”
“You’re the biggest, the biggest—there, my esteemed senior, now let’s go.”
Alman, seemingly fed up with Carly’s grumbling, pushed his shoulder to get him moving. He appeared to be searching for someone, and soon, his gaze fell upon Evelia standing across the street.
“E…”
But when their eyes met, it was as if he hesitated to recognize her, staring blankly at Evelia for several seconds. Afterward, he shifted his gaze slightly, blinking, with his hands suddenly unsure of where to go, resting on his neck.
Then those eyes returned to Evelia, scrutinizing her white long dress, and for some reason, his hand instinctively moved forward a bit, his half-curled fingers gradually forming a fist, resting in front of his lips, his brow raised, displaying an expression that was hard to decipher.
After hesitating for a moment, he tentatively opened his mouth:
“Evel…?”
