Carinne dragged Archen, who was saying he was fine, to a clothing store. It was a men’s clothing store specializing in expensive and luxurious clothing.

The clerks’ attitudes became noticeably friendly when Carinne said she was there to get clothes tailored and revealed her affiliation. It was only natural, as everyone knew that the Second Duchy was wealthy.

One of the clerks pointed to Archen and asked.

“Is it for him?”

“Yes.”

“Please come inside.”

As she took Archen’s hand and led him into the store, the clerk led the two to a plush sofa.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

Carinne plopped down on the sofa and then pulled Archen’s collar, making him sit down, too.

“I wasn’t expecting this? What kind of clothes will they show me to go through all this trouble?”

“….”

“Why are you making that face?”

“I’m really fine. It’s not too late, so let’s go to another ordinary store and…”

“I’m the one who’s not okay, me.”

‘I’m not buying it because he’s begging me to, but because I want to.’

Besides, she wasn’t short of money. Wasn’t she the princess of the Second Duchy, overflowing with money? He had nothing to be sorry about, but he looked terribly sorry. He was showing signs of discomfort, so she racked her brains.

What could she say to ease his burden?

“Are you feeling burdened?”

“Yes.”

He answered as if he had been waiting, and she was speechless. But she couldn’t lose here.

“But if you walk around dressed like this, people will badmouth me. They’ll say I’m a terrible miser who doesn’t even buy my lover one piece of clothing even though I have so much money. So, this is for me.”

…Surely, he’d understand now, right?

Carinne gave him a triumphant smile and checked his expression. However, he responded in a frosty tone.

“If that happens, I won’t let them get away with it.”

It was just a hypothetical statement, though he glared as if he had heard those words himself. His lips were pursed coldly, and his voice turned icy.

“I mean it. If anyone says that, I’ll make them regret their words,” he said, gritting his teeth.

Carinne gaped at him, watching him get angry.

‘Oh, he’s cute…’

The kitten she raised at home came to mind. When it saw the stuffed animal she had brought as a surprise, it pounced on it and started biting it. After winning the fight against the stuffed animal, the little guy meowed proudly as if he were incredibly awesome.

“If anyone says that… Wait, princess, what’s with that expression? I’m being serious, but you’re looking at me like I’m a cute pet.”

Oops.

“I’m not a cat with its claws out.”

How did he know? She felt so embarrassed.

“It’s not like that. Of course, I trust you. I’m just doing this because I like you. I like how much you care about me, Archen.”

Carinne quickly composed her expression and returned to her usual playful self.

“Still, you don’t want to be my pet? Well, I’d be happy to be your puppy instead.”

It was true.

She wanted to become a tiny person and fit in his pocket. Without warning, she lay down on his lap.

“I’m serious. Come on, pet me.”

Now, he was the one who was flustered. Archen raised his elbows, not knowing what to do.

Seeing the tips of his ears turn red, Carinne smiled even more meaningfully. It was time to tease him. She pushed her head under his hand, her eyes tightly closed.

“Why aren’t you petting me? Do I have to bark? Woof, woof!”

Carinne pushed her head in again, her voice laced with coquetry. However, strangely, it was quiet around her.

“Why are you being so still…”

Sensing something was wrong, Carinne opened her eyes, and she found the clerk who had brought the clothes staring blankly at them.

“Huh? Woof… woof?”

They heard everything.

Her cheeks flushed crimson at the unexpected appearance of a third party. She wanted to hide in a mouse hole right away, but Archen took it one step further.

“That… Even now… Should I pet you?”

His face, as he asked hesitantly, was also as red as a ripe tomato. He couldn’t help but look embarrassed as he moved his fingers over her head.

Carinne quickly lifted her head and sat up straight.

“Okay, uh, show me the clothes!”

It took a while for her flushed face to return to its normal color. The clerks bustled about, preparing the clothes, while Carinne and Archen sat on the same sofa, pretending not to know each other.

It was Archen who broke the silence first.

“You’ve been punished.”

“What did I do wrong?”

Carinne asked, feigning innocence, though she couldn’t deny the sting of his words. She hadn’t even cursed. Surely, that was allowed between lovers? She lowered her voice so the clerks wouldn’t hear.

“Was it wrong of me to say I wanted to be your puppy? I was serious!”

Alas, the look Archen gave her was the same he’d give a problematic person. In other words, ‘Yes, yes. Of course, you were.’

“I wasn’t teasing.”

Carinne muttered, her voice laced with aggrievance.

“I was serious.”

“I understand. Then, I’ll be your cat. Though I can’t bring myself to meow like you.”

“Can’t you just be quiet?”

See, he was just as eager to tease her back. Carinne, conveniently forgetting that she had started the playful banter, pursed her lips.

“Can we begin now?”

She glanced at the clerk who was discreetly observing them.

Carinne quickly agreed.

The lights flicked on, making the already bright store even more dazzling. The clerks, each holding an outfit, lined up in front of the sofa.

“Tell us if you see anything you like,” one of them said.

“Did you hear that? Tell us if you like anything.”

As Carinne nudged Archen, he nodded and replied.

“Understood.”

The fashion show began. It was a fashion show with only clothes and no people. So, where were the clothes displayed?

They weren’t simply hanging on hangers. Instead, the store had several human-sized mannequins for such occasions. The clerks dressed the mannequins in shirts, pants, and outerwear, slowly rotating them in front of Carinne and Archen.

When Carinne signaled that she was done, another mannequin wearing a different outfit would appear, and the previous one would be changed into another set of clothes—suits, coats, shirts, jackets, and more.

She realized for the first time that men’s clothing came in such a wide variety. For some reason, they seemed to be a curious mix of modern and historical styles.

‘Maybe the writer of the novel didn’t do their research properly,’ she thought, letting it go.

In any case, Carinne planned to choose a few outfits for herself in addition to the ones Archen picked. However, being a high-end store, choosing clothes wasn’t easy. Every piece was beautiful and stylish, and she was sure Archen would look good in anything.

‘Then again, with his height and face, what wouldn’t look good on him?’

She smiled with delight, imagining him in new clothes. She couldn’t wait to buy new clothes and see him in them.

“Excuse me, haven’t you chosen yet? We’ve shown you almost everything.”

A clerk hesitantly approached, interrupting Carinne’s daydream. Oh dear, she needed to stop fantasizing and start picking clothes. She had to ask Archen what he liked.

Their eyes met as she turned to look at him.

“I…”

“What do you think? Do you like anything?”

“I… I’m not sure.”

He replied after a moment of contemplation.

“Don’t worry, just pick something. You can choose several if you like.”

He said he wanted to see the rest of the clothes before making a decision. So, the fashion show resumed, and when it was over, Carinne asked again, but he still couldn’t say which one he preferred. Watching him, an idea struck her.

“Why don’t we just buy everything?”

“What?”

“I mean, everything we’ve seen so far. From here to here, just tell them to wrap it all up.”

Partly, she wanted to buy him several outfits, but it was also a fantasy of Carinne’s. To go shopping and say, ‘Give me everything from here to here,’ and then pay for it all at once. Thinking about it, she realized she had the means to do it but had never actually done it.

Perfect.

Why not make her dream a reality?

“Excuse me, there’s…”

Just as Carinne was about to call the clerk, Archen quickly interjected.

“I like the navy blue suit I saw earlier.”

Since he had a preference, she couldn’t object. She closed her mouth, albeit with a hint of regret.

“The navy blue suit, you mean this one? Or this one? Or maybe this one?”

The clerk immediately brought several navy blue suits and presented them to Archen. To her, they all looked the same, but Archen confidently chose one. How could he tell the difference? Surely, he wasn’t just picking randomly.

“Ah, you meant this one. You have a good eye. It’s a popular design these days. Would you like to try it on? I’ll find a similar size.”

“Of course, I’ll try it on!”

Although Archen said it was fine, Carinne wasn’t going to just stand there and watch. She pushed the hesitant Archen into the fitting room.

—