New Clothes (Not Rags)
The sun was setting.
"We'll stay here for the night and set out in the morning," Jork called from outside the carriage. "Half a day is plenty to reach the imperial capital."
The carriage had stopped at the last village before the capital. Unlike the remote border settlement, this place was surprisingly respectable. Stone houses lined the streets, and quite a few people moved about. There were inns and shops, all properly maintained.
I stepped down from the carriage. Era scrambled out right behind me.
"Whoa... Your Highness, this place is huge!" Era's eyes widened as she looked up and down the street.
But when I glanced at her, I froze.
This won't do.
I took a fresh look at Era's appearance. Ragged clothes. Bare feet. Hair so tangled it was clear she hadn't properly brushed it in days.
It hadn't mattered back in that remote border village. But now I had to bring her into the Imperial Palace. As my fiancée, a candidate for crown princess...
If we walk in looking like this, I'll catch hell too.
The prince's betrothed showing up dressed like a beggar? The rumors would never die.
Right. This can't continue.
I made my decision.
"...Hey. There's something we need to get straight first."
"...Yes?"
"From now on, in front of other people, don't call me Your Highness."
"...Huh? Why not?"
"Think about it. It'd be weird if a betrothed couple kept calling each other 'Your Highness,' wouldn't it?"
Era tilted her head.
"Just call me Leon when people are around."
"...L-Leon?"
"Yeah."
Era rolled the name around in her mouth, testing it carefully.
"...Leon."
"That's it."
"...Leon."
"...Why do you keep saying it?"
"...Hehe. I just like it."
Era beamed. I couldn't understand what was so thrilling about saying my name.
"...Anyway. Let's go buy you some clothes."
"Clothes?"
I led her into a nearby clothing shop. For a border village, it was surprisingly well-stocked. Bolts of colorful fabric and ready-made garments filled the displays.
The two Maryeokche agents trailed behind us at a respectful distance, keeping watch.
The shop owner, a middle-aged woman, lit up at the sight of what she clearly took for noble customers. My hood must have hidden the fact that I was a prince.
"Welcome! What are you looking for today?"
"Something that fits this girl. The best you have. Several outfits."
"...!"
Era jumped in alarm.
"L-Leon?! I already have clothes! It's fine!"
"That rag isn't clothes."
"It's not a rag! I made it—"
"Exactly. The rag you made."
Era stuck her lower lip out in a pout.
But as the shopkeeper began pulling out garments, Era's expression slowly stiffened. Dresses dyed in soft, even colors. Coats of smooth, luxurious fabric. Clean, well-made shoes.
To a girl who had never owned a single decent piece of clothing, every item was completely foreign.
Era stared at them, utterly lost.
"...These are too good. I can't wear them."
"Why not?"
"...They're expensive. And someone like me wearing things like this—"
"There you go again with 'someone like me.'"
I sighed. Every time this girl opened her mouth, she tore herself down.
"But..."
Even while holding the beautiful clothes, Era kept hesitating. She only fingered the fabric, making no move to try anything on.
"...I've never worn anything like this before."
"......"
"...It won't look right on someone like me."
I watched her quietly.
"Hmm..."
The Era I had observed these past few days came to mind. A girl who had never been given anything good.
Well, she is a commoner without any Star Veins.
Never mind nice clothes—has she ever even owned a proper outfit?
She had lost her parents young and lived alone in the corner of her village. Never asked for help, never showed any greed. For a girl like that, claiming fine clothes wouldn't suit her might have been completely sincere.
I picked up one dress and held it against her. A pure white one.
"...Try it on."
"But—"
"Try it. If it doesn't suit you, we won't buy it. Simple as that."
Era hesitated for a long moment, then finally took the dress and shuffled timidly into the changing room.
A short while later, she emerged.
A clean sky-blue dress. She had done her best to smooth down her messy hair with her hands.
"H-how does it look?"
I stared at her.
"......"
The girl who had been hidden beneath rags all this time. Once she changed clothes...
Oh. She's pretty.
Her black hair spilled gracefully over the clean collar, and her black eyes seemed sharper and clearer than ever. Without the rags, her natural features were finally visible.
Come to think of it, if you traced it all back, the reason I had fallen into this world was because of that face. The girl drawn as a mere background extra in the corner of the novel cover had been so beautiful that I had spammed the comments asking why she wasn't the heroine... and ended up like this.
And now that same face was standing right in front of me.
Era fidgeted, watching my reaction.
"...It looks weird, doesn't it?"
"...No."
"...?"
"...It doesn't look weird at all."
I averted my eyes slightly as I answered. For some reason, looking straight at her felt difficult.
"...It's good. We'll take it."
Era slowly turned toward the mirror.
She gazed at her reflection—the clean, pretty version of herself she had never seen before.
"......"
She stared at the mirror for a long time.
"Why? Don't you like it?"
"...No."
A faint sheen of moisture appeared in Era's eyes.
"...When I wear something like this..."
"...?"
"...I look like a real person."
I paused.
Like a real person.
The words caught in my chest in a strange way.
"...You've always been a person."
"...?"
"...Anyway. Let's get you some shoes too. You're not walking into the Imperial Palace barefoot, are you?"
I gruffly changed the subject. Era took one last look at herself in the mirror, then smiled softly.
While I paid for the clothes and shoes, the shop owner asked with open curiosity, "By the way, what exactly is your relationship? You don't seem like siblings."
Era and I both froze at the same time.
"..."
"..."
We exchanged a quick glance. This was our first real test as fake lovers.
"Um... well..."
We had rehearsed it in the carriage, but actually saying it in front of someone else made my mouth feel stiff.
I forced the words out awkwardly.
"...We're engaged."
"Oh my! Engaged? No wonder you two look so good together!"
The woman clapped her hands in delight.
"Your bride-to-be is truly lovely. And her groom is so attentive, buying her such nice things."
I thought that would be the end of it. But then Era suddenly piped up.
"Yes! You don't know how much Leon cares for me! Every night we—"
"Hey!"
I cut her off in a panic.
"...Every night you what?" The shop owner's eyes sparkled with interest.
"...It's nothing."
"Every night we sleep—"
"Era!!!"
I clamped my hand over her mouth.
It was true that we had slept together every night. In that tiny room, under a single blanket. But saying it like that in front of other people was practically begging for misunderstandings...!
The shop owner gave us a knowing smile.
"Oh my~ Young people these days~ Already so close, I see~"
"That's not what she meant!"
My face burned red. Era, completely clueless, pulled my hand away.
"...Why? We really did sleep together every night."
"...Please, just shut your mouth."
"We slept together, and the next day we did laundry together—"
"Stop! Stop talking right now!"
Our very first real test had already gone completely off the rails.
On the way from the shop to the inn, I gave Era a stern warning.
"...Listen. From now on, don't just say whatever pops into your head in front of people."
"Why not? It's true."
"Even if it's true, don't say things that cause misunderstandings!"
"Misunderstandings?"
"...Things like 'we slept together.' How do you think people will interpret that?"
"How would they interpret it?"
Her eyes were genuinely innocent. I couldn't tell if she really didn't know or was just teasing me.
"...Never mind. Just do what I tell you."
I sighed and went over our backstory again.
"We've known each other for a long time. I used to sneak out of the palace to meet you."
"...Wow. That's so romantic."
"...It's not romantic, it's a setting. Memorize it."
"Yes!"
"And a few days ago we got engaged verbally. If anyone asks, that's what you tell them. Got it?"
"Yes! But Leon."
"...What?"
Era hesitated for a moment.
"...I wish it had really been like that."
She murmured it so quietly I almost missed it.
I pretended not to hear and kept walking.
"...Hurry up. It's getting dark."
But my ears burned slightly. Pretending not to hear those words turned out to be harder than I expected.
The inn room was nothing like the rundown shack from the border village. This was a proper room with clean bedding and even two beds.
"...Huh? There are two beds?" Era looked at them with a puzzled expression.
"...Obviously. We're sleeping separately."
"...Aww."
"...What do you mean, 'aww'?"
Era pouted, looking disappointed. She must have gotten used to sleeping together these past few days. But there was no reason to squeeze into one bed anymore when we had two.
I claimed one bed and lay down. Era reluctantly went to the other.
Even after lying down, she kept staring at me from her bed.
"...Leon."
"...What?"
"...Thank you for today."
"...For what?"
"...The clothes. The shoes. And..."
Era hesitated.
"...For treating me like a person."
I stared at the ceiling.
"...I've told you before. You were always a person. How many times do I have to say it?"
"...Hehe."
"...Leon."
"...What now?"
"...Tomorrow we'll be at the Imperial Palace, right?"
"...Yeah."
"...Are you scared?"
"...Who? Me?"
"...Me."
Era's voice was small. She had pulled the blanket all the way up to her nose.
I glanced over at her. The girl who had threatened to cut my ankle tendons just days ago was now hiding under the covers because the palace scared her. The new clothes she'd bought were neatly folded beside her pillow.
"...There's nothing to be scared of."
"...?"
"...Because I'll be right beside you."
At those words, Era seemed to relax. She smiled brightly from within the blankets.
"...Hehe. Okay."
"What are you so happy about?"
"Just... everything."
I turned over.
"...Go to sleep."
"Yes. Good night, Leon."
The way she said my name felt strangely ticklish in my ears.
The lights went out. Between the two beds, darkness flowed. The air in the room was warm.
Tomorrow, the massive gateway of the Imperial Palace awaited us. But for tonight, at least, it was peaceful.
Yet the moment I closed my eyes, sleep refused to come. Thoughts of tomorrow kept drifting through my mind.
Once we reach the palace, I really need to stay sharp.
His Majesty would be there. The heavy, cold emperor from the original story. I had to figure out how to make him accept a Black Star Vein user—no, a commoner fiancée.
My older sister was there too. Serina, who had always been quite fond of me.
And...
Those women will be there as well.
The seven candidates for the seventh prince's consorts who were supposed to compete for me in the original story. The bitches Era had angrily called "those women" back in the village.
Originally, those seven should have been fighting over me. But now a suddenly-appeared commoner fiancée was about to wedge herself into their midst.
Honestly, I don't care about anyone else...
I don't want them competing over me either.
How am I supposed to navigate all that while bringing Era with me?
My head throbbed.
The emperor, the princess, and seven candidates. And I had to walk into the middle of all that with a commoner girl who had just put on proper clothes for the first time in her life.
Just then, from the other bed came the sound of Era's peaceful breathing.
"Heehew... pshoo— haaah..."
Listening to that sound, the complicated tangle in my head eased a little.
Sigh. I'll worry about tomorrow... tomorrow.
I closed my eyes again.
One last thing still bothered me, though.
But if someone comes out to greet us tomorrow, it'll be a huge pain.
Surely that wouldn't happen.
With that thought, the peaceful night grew deeper.
At least until the village grew noisy the next morning.