Ah...
THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE. A BUSY DISTRICT REALLY IS SOMETHING ELSE.
THIS IS THE BIGGEST SHOPPING STREET IN THE CAPITAL, AFTER ALL.
BUT, CHARLES...
HM?
WHY DID YOU WEAR THAT LEOPARD-PRINT SKIRT OUT AGAIN?
He really must not see me as a woman at all.
M-MY, MY ONLY OUTDOOR CLOTHES ARE LIKE THIS, WHAT ELSE CAN I DO!
EVERYTHING ELSE IS JUST INDOOR WEAR OR PAJAMAS!
AREN’T YOU NORMALLY INTERESTED IN SHOPPING?
I-IT’S NOT THAT, BUT...
...I’VE JUST NEVER REALLY DONE IT BEFORE.
WHAT?
BECAUSE I'VE NEVER TRULY OWNED ANYTHING THAT WAS ENTIRELY MINE,
CHOOSING SOMETHING FOR MYSELF FEELS AWKWARD.
SO RATHER THAN MAKING THE WRONG CHOICE,
I ENDED UP OPTING NOT TO CHOOSE ANYTHING AT ALL.
I HADN'T PLANNED ON SPILLING MY INNER THOUGHTS LIKE THIS...
MUST BE BECAUSE OF YESTERDAY... I FEEL LIKE I WAS ACTING OVERLY EMOTIONAL FOR NO REASON.
I DIDN'T EXPECT IT, BUT YOU'RE SURPRISINGLY TIMID, CHARLES.
WHAT? THIS...
SO WHAT IF YOU GET IT WRONG?
IT'S NOT LIKE THE WORLD'S GOING TO END.
YOU CAN JUST TAKE THAT FAILURE AS A STEPPING STONE AND MOVE FORWARD.
TH... THIS GUY ACTUALLY KNOWS HOW TO COMFORT SOMEONE...
FOR A SECOND, I THOUGHT HE WAS A LITTLE CO-
FROM LEOPARD PRINT TO POLKA DOTS,
AND THEN STRIPES... SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I TAKE BACK THINKING HE WAS COOL.
THAT'S WHY WE CAME OUT TO BUY CLOTHES, SO HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO TEASE ME?
I WAS JUST TOO SHOCKED BY YOUR DISASTROUS FASHION SENSE, THAT'S ALL.
HAND. WE SHOULD HOLD HANDS, RIGHT?
SINCE WE'RE LOVERS.
COMFORTING ME, THEN TEASING ME, AND THEN GIVING ME ANOTHER TENDER SMILE.
I REALLY CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE THAT GUY'S HEAD.
GOOD JOB, CHARLES.
STOP FOOLING AROUND AND LET'S GO. OUR RESERVATION IS...
HAHH?..
THAT BOY IS DEFINITELY...
WHAT IS IT, CHARLES?
IT'S NOTHING. JUST GETTING DISTRACTED SINCE IT'S MY FIRST TIME ON THE IMPERIAL STREETS.
RIGHT.
MY GOODNESS~!!
YOU MUST BE THE YOUNG LADY OF THE 'ENGAGEMENT' RUMORS!
GOODNESS, I HAD NO IDEA YOU'D BE SUCH AN ADORABLE PERSON!
YOUR PROPORTIONS ARE WONDERFUL, TOO~ YOU'LL BE SO MUCH FUN TO DRESS UP!
I FEEL LIKE ANYTHING WOULD LOOK GOOD ON YOU!
EXCEPT FOR THE CLOTHES YOU'RE WEARING RIGHT NOW, THAT IS!
I GOT THESE BECAUSE A GUARDIAN COLLEAGUE SAID THEY WERE THROWING THEM OUT...
ARE THEY REALLY THAT BAD?
RIGHT, WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME THEY LOOKED TACKY...!!
Is my everyday outfit today okay? Not okay? Tell me quickly, we have a mission.
I-It's fine.
SHE COULDN'T BRING HERSELF TO SAY OTHERWISE.
CHARLES MUST NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PACK PROPER CLOTHES BECAUSE SHE HAD TO RUSH TO THE CAPITAL FOR MY SAKE.
DRESSES, BLOUSES, SKIRTS, PANTS...
OH, PLEASE PREPARE SHOES AND HATS AS WELL.
NO, I DON'T NEED THAT MANY...
AND PLEASE THROW AWAY THE CLOTHES CHARLES IS WEARING RIGHT NOW.
YES, YES! UNDERSTOOD! LEAVE IT TO ME~!
THERE'S NO ROOM FOR AN OUTSIDER TO BUTT IN HERE.
THIS IS A BLOUSE MADE FROM SILK IMPORTED FROM THE EASTERN CONTINENT.
IT GIVES A LOVELY CURVED SILHOUETTE IN THE LATEST TRENDY LEG-OF-MUTTON STYLE.
W-WHAT?
YOU'LL LOVE THIS SKIRT, TOO. THE BUSTLE IS SMALLER THAN BEFORE,
BUT IT'S MADE OF LINEN SO IT'S BREATHABLE AND...
BABY? BUST?
It looks nice.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE AN EVENING DRESS WITH A MODEST NECKLINE.
DOES THIS GUY ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND ALL OF THIS...?!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY THESE DRESSES ON, CHARLES?
TRY... TRYING ALL OF THESE ON?
OF COURSE. YOU HAVE TO TRY THEM ON AND BUY THE ONES YOU LIKE.
DO WE REALLY HAVE TO GO THIS FAR...?
CHARLES.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE GIFT OF HAVING A CHOICE.
!!...
...THAT'S A TERRIBLY ROMANTIC THING TO SAY, BUT...
THAT FACE BURNING WITH PURE FASHION PHILOSOPHY IS MAKING ME FEEL SO PRESSURED.
SHH, SHH
FINE. I'LL GO TRY THEM ON...
THE FITTING ROOMS ARE ON THE SECOND FLOOR~
SHALL WE LOOK AT SOME ACCESSORIES WHILE WE WAIT?
HOW DID THINGS END UP LIKE THIS...
I NEED TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTE MOST OF IT!
FIRST, I SHOULD BLOCK THE DOOR JUST IN CASE SOMEONE WALKS IN UNEXPECTEDLY,
AND THEN SLIP OUT THROUGH THE WINDOW.
THEY SAID THE SECOND FLOOR, BUT IT'S EASILY THE HEIGHT OF A THIRD FLOOR...
STILL, THAT'S NO BIG PROBLEM.
THE BOY WHO WALKED PAST EARLIER...
HE'S DEFINITELY A CATACLE AGENT.
I'VE SEEN HIM AT HEADQUARTERS A FEW TIMES WITH DEPUTY DIRECTOR HENRY.
BUT THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR'S ASSIGNED SECTOR SHOULDN'T BE THE EMPIRE, RIGHT?
DID HE DISPATCH A SUBORDINATE BECAUSE HE DOESN'T TRUST ME, BY ANY CHANCE?
CONSIDERING HOW HE EVEN YELLED RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CAPTAIN... IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE.
IF SO, THAT GUY MIGHT BE SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION ON THE HOLY RELIC AS WELL.
HE WAS HEADING TOWARD THE SHOPPING DISTRICT WITH SHOE POLISH SMUDGED ON HIS FACE,
SO HE'S PROBABLY POSING AS A SHOESHINE BOY OVER THERE.
I NEED TO BE BACK WITHIN TWENTY MINUTES OR SO TO AVOID SUSPICION...
I'LL FIND THE SHOESHINE BOY WITHIN THAT TIME FRAME
AND GET EVERY BIT OF INFORMATION HE'S HOLDING!
Charles, who goes out shopping for clothes on the capital's biggest market street, becomes a laughingstock because of his leopard-print skirt. When he admits he is not used to choosing something of his own, he is comforted. At the store, he is welcomed as the young lady from the engagement rumors and sent to the fitting room. However, he plans to escape through the window to chase after the Catacle agent he saw on the way.
