Would You Like to Try It On?
Iris let out a long, heavy sigh. No matter how fiercely she glared or how thoroughly she scanned every corner, nothing seemed even remotely suspicious. It was just an utterly ordinary place—a perfectly normal royal palace with no issues whatsoever.
She couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of tragedy might unfold here, or how. And it wasn't just her. Even the person whose skill surpassed her own master's, the one known as the Grandmaster, had simply remarked, "What a noisy place this is." Iris, famous for her sharp instincts, could only tilt her head in confusion.
"This is weird. Iris, are you really sure Master said something bad would happen inside the palace?"
"Yeah. He definitely said it would. No doubt about it."
To be precise, it was about the future she herself had experienced—the events that were supposed to unfold. But since she didn't know the exact details, even Iris felt frustrated. At the time, she and her master had been trapped in the illusions of the Mirror Kingdom and couldn't escape. While they were stuck there, 'something' had happened in the royal palace, and right after that, catastrophe struck.
She wanted to know exactly what it was, but no clear information had ever reached them. Either the enemies had deliberately erased the records, or something truly unimaginable had occurred. Those were the only explanations she could come up with.
"If Master said so, there must be a reason. But it's way too quiet."
Iris muttered to herself as she lightly tapped the table. Watching her, the real Iris tensed up, wondering if the table might split in two. She kept a close eye on her senior's hand movements, nerves stretched tight.
They had been wandering around the palace for nearly two hours now. It was only natural to get bored. Iris understood that much—she was tired too. But at this rate, Iris had already gone through three tables today alone. Her emergency funds were steadily draining because of it.
And Iris was the type who got anxious if she didn't throw a punch at least once a day. What if she ended up causing an even bigger accident? The thought made the real Iris genuinely worried, her heart pounding with unease.
"Iris."
Finally, even Cheon Yeon-hwa, who had been silently surveying the palace, spoke up.
"It seems we won't gain anything by continuing like this."
"I agree, Grandmaster."
"It would be better to wait until my disciple brings back some other information."
At Cheon Yeon-hwa's words, Iris quietly studied her Grandmaster. Cheon Yeon-hwa wasn't as impatient as the fiery, explosive Iris, but she wasn't exactly fond of waiting either. Normally, she would look for a shortcut and break through. If she was suggesting this, there had to be a good reason.
So Iris thought it might be best to figure out what that reason was.
"...Um, Grandmaster."
"Speak."
"While we're waiting... is there anything you'd like to do?"
Iris still carried memories of Cheon Yeon-hwa from before the regression. And from that experience, she knew her Grandmaster had a certain habit. Whenever she wanted something but couldn't bring herself to say it, she would fidget with her thumb against her index finger joint.
Just like right now.
Ever since she'd suggested waiting for Namgung Hyeon, Cheon Yeon-hwa had been absentmindedly touching her index finger. Knowing this, Iris decided to ask directly. Her Grandmaster never responded well to beating around the bush anyway. Being straightforward was far more effective.
"...Ahem. Iris. Earlier, I noticed something. The people living here wear rather strange clothes."
"If you're talking about the clothes they were wearing..."
"Those cumbersome things that looked so heavy, it seemed difficult to even take a single step."
Only then did Iris realize what Cheon Yeon-hwa was referring to. Not long ago, while walking down the street, they had passed some nobles who seemed to be visiting the palace. Fortunately, Cheon Yeon-hwa had her hood up, so they avoided the usual situation of men falling head over heels for her beauty.
Instead, Cheon Yeon-hwa's gaze had lingered on the nobles' companions—specifically, the extremely ornate and beautiful dresses worn by the noblewomen, along with the accessories that sparkled as if embroidered with pure light.
...Think carefully, Iris. Say one wrong word here and your skull's going to be on fire.
The headache that felt like her head was splitting open was more than enough when it came from her master. A chestnut from the Heavenly Demon herself showed zero mercy. One strike was enough to turn her vision white and make stars explode before her eyes. A few more hits and she might even lose her pre-regression memories. It hurt that badly.
"Ahem. You're talking about those incredibly inconvenient-looking clothes, Grandmaster?"
"Yes, yes. They truly looked far too inconvenient."
"You're right, Grandmaster. Honestly, I didn't understand it either when I saw them. What do you think, Senior Iris?"
"Obviously. Clothes are supposed to be easy to move in. Why would anyone wear something that trips over your own feet? One wrong step while running and it'd rip right apart with a loud tear."
The one saving grace was that the Iris standing with them had zero interest in the topic and held a completely negative view. This made it much easier for the real Iris to steer the conversation.
"Right, right. Everyone seems to feel the same way. But you know, Grandmaster..."
"I'm listening."
"Don't you think there must be some reason they insist on wearing such uncomfortable clothes?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm curious. They're so hard to even take a proper step in, and all those dangling bits look so heavy. Why on earth would anyone do something that makes it difficult to even take care of their own body? That's what I want to know!"
"...Go on."
If her prediction had been wrong—if this wasn't it—Cheon Yeon-hwa would have undoubtedly snapped, "Stop talking nonsense!" and delivered a merciless chestnut. But instead of clenching her fist, she was urging her to continue. There was only one meaning behind that: this was exactly the direction Cheon Yeon-hwa wanted things to go.
"Grandmaster, since we have to wait for Master anyway, why don't we look into it?"
"Look into what?"
"Those clothes from earlier. I noticed there's a shop nearby that sells them. How about we go try some on and find out? That's my suggestion, Grandmaster!"
"...Ahem. Weren't we in the middle of something important?"
"We were. But there's no answer in sight, and wandering around aimlessly isn't going to help. Besides, I think we definitely need a break. If you don't agree, Grandmaster, then..."
"No. Rest is important. It's not bad to take a breather before pushing the body."
Cheon Yeon-hwa looked at Iris with a subtle glint in her eyes. She was trying to act indifferent, but the joy sparkling within them was unmistakable. Though not as strong as her Grandmaster, Iris had accumulated just as much experience. She immediately recognized the difference and decided to push forward.
"What do you say, Grandmaster? Would you like to go check it out? This is the first time both you and I have come to a place with so many people. And it's not just any city—it's the royal palace."
"You are correct. This is the capital of the kingdom. A place akin to an imperial city, is it not?"
"Huh? What are you talking about, Iris? Are you saying we're actually going to a dress shop?"
"Grandmaster is experiencing everything for the first time, Senior. So we're just trying it out."
"...Why would you waste time on something so pointless? And I'm sure Grandmaster would find it quite bothersome."
No, you idiot of a senior! Why are you ruining it right when it was going so well?! That's not it! That's not true at all! Grandmaster isn't bothered in the slightest!
Screaming internally, Iris carefully observed Cheon Yeon-hwa's reaction. She had finally managed to create the direction her Grandmaster wanted, but this clueless Hero was about to overturn all her hard work.
"Ahem! Ahem. Well, it might be a bit bothersome, Senior Iris. But sometimes experiencing how other people in other places live isn't such a bad thing, right? Right? Right? Right??"
Fortunately, even if Iris lacked tact, her instincts were sharp. Perhaps because of that, she tilted her head with a puzzled "What?" but eventually shrugged and went along with it.
After successfully blocking her senior's unintentional interference, Iris decided to give Cheon Yeon-hwa another gentle push.
"They say those at the very top should look down upon those at the bottom. It's not embarrassing or shameful at all! We're just taking a look around. Who would complain about that?"
"Ahem. It seems my disciple has taught his own disciples quite well. Truly eloquent."
The fabrics that looked even more brilliant than silk. Every time Cheon Yeon-hwa saw them, her feminine instincts itched so badly it drove her crazy. She had never properly adorned herself, decorated herself, or shown herself off to others. As the Heavenly Demon and as a martial artist, she had suppressed every last one of those instincts.
But here, there was no need for that. So those suppressed instincts were cautiously raising their heads. One could call it unbecoming for her age. Or say she was a fool easily swayed by desire, unworthy of her realm. Still, just once—really, just this once—she truly wanted to see it.
Her own completely different appearance reflected in a mirror. The scene of someone else genuinely marveling at it. And if possible, she hoped the one looking at that different version of her—the one who would murmur how beautiful she was—would be the one and only 'someone' in the world.
That's what Cheon Yeon-hwa thought as well.
"Alright then, shall we go? Let's find out exactly why these clothes are supposed to be so wonderful! We'll uncover the reason ourselves!"
The excuse sounded rather childish, like something you'd say to children. But sometimes that very purity—useful when dealing with kids—proved more effective than any sophisticated justification or pretext. Iris knew this well and had used it perfectly.
"Ah... welcome, esteemed guests. What are you looking for today?"
The moment they stepped into the dress shop, Iris's mood soured at the clerk's initial reaction. The tone of her voice, the way she didn't hurry over to greet them properly—it was clear she was thoroughly sizing them up. Probably because the entire group was wearing hoods. She must have assumed they were customers who wouldn't bring in much money.
Just as I thought, Iris sighed inwardly and pulled back her hood. While not on Cheon Yeon-hwa's level, Iris was also considered a beauty. Of course, she still had a few years to fully blossom, but even now her appearance was more than enough to pass for the daughter of a noble house.
"Is there any other reason to come here? We're here to look at dresses."
"Pardon? Oh! I-I see! Is there anything in particular you're looking for...?"
Even though she hadn't completely shed her youthful features, Iris's beauty shone brilliantly. Combined with her casual speech, the clerk naturally assumed she must be someone important. Well, she was a Hero, so that part was accurate.
"Recommend a dress for this person here."
With those words, Iris pulled back Cheon Yeon-hwa's hood. The moment the clerk saw her true appearance, she urgently rang a bell. It was a device used to call the most skilled clerk whenever a VIP customer—or someone who seemed like one—arrived.
She must be at least a noble lady or young miss from a prestigious family! There's no other way to explain that beauty!
Of course, to anyone who didn't know what the bell meant, it could easily look like she had some impure intentions.
"What is your scheme, wench."
"...Eh?"
In the blink of an eye, a woman with black-and-red hair had her hand around the clerk's throat. The clerk didn't even realize her life was hanging by a thread. She had no idea that this delicate-looking hand was stronger than any monster's grip. All she could do was let out a sigh mixed with pure admiration.