Clothes (1)
I made it to Apgujeong, but I was about five minutes late.
Hoping against hope that my master hadn't arrived yet, I headed for Exit 5.
Damn it.
Unfortunately, she was already standing there waiting.
I approached her carefully.
"Um… Master."
"Oh my. Siyu, you're here? Let me see—the time is…"
"It took longer than I expected to get ready."
"Is that so? Still, you're about five minutes late. You ought to be at least ten minutes early for an appointment."
"Yes…"
Apparently my master was the picky type when it came to things like this.
"And those clothes… haah. Well, we came to get you fitted today, so I'll let it slide."
With that, she turned and started walking ahead.
She only ever says whatever she wants.
I quietly fell in step behind her.
The further we went, the more the main road gave way to narrow side streets.
My master's friend lives somewhere like this?
The path grew more and more tucked away—nothing like what you'd expect for someone connected to a wealthy household.
"We're almost there."
A few more minutes of walking, and something caught my eye in the distance: nestled among the gray buildings stood one that was conspicuously lavish.
Noticing my gaze, my master pointed at it.
"That's the place."
She strode inside as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and I followed.
The interior was every bit as extravagant as the exterior. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the floor was laid with ornate tile.
My master pulled out her phone and made a call.
"Hey, I'm here."
Presumably her friend was on the other end.
"Oh, you're coming down? Then I'll wait here."
She looked at me.
"I came because of you, so you'd better behave. Otherwise… well…"
What is she about to say now…
"I'll leave it to your imagination. Think carefully."
I kept my mouth shut and said nothing.
My silence seemed to please her; the corner of her mouth curled upward.
Just then, a chime sounded from the central elevator.
The doors are opening.
I looked over as a woman in flamboyant clothing stepped out of the elevator.
"It's been a while, Kim Seoyeon."
"It has. Three years, is it?"
"You acted like you were going to cut every last tie, so why the sudden call?"
"I picked up a maid recently, and she doesn't have any clothes. You were the first person who came to mind."
"A maid? Ah—the one standing behind you?"
"That's right. Her class is Maid, and I took her in."
"Well, knowing you, you wouldn't want to put her in just anything."
My master and the woman talked without the slightest hesitation, the easy rhythm of friends who had known each other a very long time.
"Fine, follow me. I'll make you a few pieces."
"Heh. Don't worry—I'll pay you well enough."
"Oh my. I have no intention of selling my precious work cheaply, either."
I followed the two of them into the elevator.
The woman pressed the button for the fourth floor with practiced ease, then looked at me.
"You—what's your name?"
I answered on reflex.
"Kwon Siyu."
"I'm Elizabeth. There isn't a single hack in Korea who can make clothes better than this body of mine."
"Pardon?"
"It means look forward to it."
Elizabeth smiled an unreadable smile and turned her gaze away.
The doors are opening.
It didn't take long to reach the fourth floor.
When we stepped out, the entire level revealed itself as one enormous room—and it was so messy that anyone who saw it would have shaken their head.
"Well then, shall we take your measurements first?"
Elizabeth came toward me.
"Off with these worthless clothes—wait, you're not even wearing underwear?"
It's not that I chose not to. I just don't have any…
As she spoke, Elizabeth shrugged off the outer layer of her coat. From beneath it, four spider legs emerged.
Spider legs?
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Arachne's Tailor—the finest tailor in the country."
She was a far bigger deal than I had imagined.
"Now then, let's see."
She drew thread from her legs and began draping it this way and that across my body.
"Height is one hundred sixty-three centimeters. Not exactly short."
So I'm a hundred sixty-three…
"Bust is… a full C-cup. Fairly large for a Korean, actually—you are Korean, right?"
"Pardon?"
Is this body Korean?
"I asked if you're Korean."
"I don't think so?"
"What do you mean, you don't think so? Whatever—we'll move on. Waist is slim, and the hips have a nice fullness to them."
Smack.
Elizabeth swatted my rear with her hand.
"You could model. Aside from the height, you're practically perfect."
My face burned, and my eyes dropped to the floor of their own accord.
"Seoyeon, what kind of clothes are we making for her?"
"Four maid uniforms and one formal suit should be enough for now."
"What, what—you're putting her in maid outfits?"
Elizabeth's face flushed as she smiled.
"I'm in a good mood. Underwear's on the house."
She set her two arms and four spider legs to work, weaving clothes at a dizzying pace.
"Siyu?"
I flinched at my master's call.
"You haven't even done anything yet. Why are you so jumpy?"
Yet?
"My friend is working this hard for you. Are you just going to stand there and take it?"
"Uh… should I clean, maybe?"
"Clean?"
"I have a skill for it…"
"Is that so? Ellie! Mind if I have her clean up in here?"
Elizabeth was already lost in her own world; she didn't answer.
"Hmm… clean as much as you like, so long as you don't get in Ellie's way."
I nodded and activated my skill.
Maid's Technique: Cleaning
It was the first skill I'd used since Awakening.
The moment it activated, the actions I needed to take appeared before my eyes like afterimages. Gather those fabric scraps over there. Put the papers scattered on the floor into the trash.
The skill told me what to do; all I had to do was move.
First, head over there…
The skill didn't correct my movements, so I worked carefully, step by step.
That apparently wasn't good enough for my master, who spoke up from behind me.
"Don't lumber around like that. Move snappily."
I'm doing my best, you damn master…
"Master, I only Awakened a short while ago."
"And?"
The mischievous smile spreading across her face sent me right back to cleaning.
Ugh… what's the point of arguing.
Feeling her eyes on me the whole time, I kept at it.
I wasn't sure how long had passed when the end of the cleaning finally came into sight. Just as I was gathering the trash bags for the finishing touch, Elizabeth spoke up.
"Done!!"
The cry was practically a scream; my head snapped toward her on instinct.
Draped across Elizabeth's spider legs hung a maid uniform where white and black came together in perfect harmony.
So that's what I'm supposed to wear?
Even at a glance, it didn't look like it skimped on exposure.
"Siyu, come here."
I approached at her call, and Elizabeth immediately started stripping my clothes off.
"Kyaa—?!"
"I made something this fine. I can't very well leave you in rags like that, can I?"
"Of course not. Siyu, put it on right away."
My master chimed in from behind. I had no allies here.
While my attention was split by her, Elizabeth stripped me bare in an instant.
Those spider legs are fast…
"Now then, shall we dress you properly?"
She started with the underwear held in her legs. The scratch of lace against my skin wasn't exactly pleasant, but it did feel… secure.
Then came the maid uniform itself.
For putting on a single outfit, the process was absurdly long and complicated.
Are women's clothes always this hard to put on?
"Siyu, you memorized all of that, right? You'll have to dress yourself at the mansion. If you can't manage it, I'll punish you."
"Pardon?"
"I believe our Siyu can memorize it in one go."
A sense of crisis hit me at my damn master's words.
All of this—in one go?
Elizabeth's voice floated in from behind.
"Mm, she's lovely. It suits her perfectly."
While I was distracted, the dressing had already finished.
The fit was… not comfortable, even being generous. It pinched in places all over my body, and a draft kept slipping up under the skirt, producing a thoroughly strange sensation.
"Siyu's body really is beautiful. Here's my card—call me if you need anything. For our Siyu, I'll help out if she just models for me once or twice."
Elizabeth smiled as she handed me a business card.
"Seoyeon, I'll send the rest later. Since Siyu's so charming, I'll only charge fifty million won per piece as a special rate."
Fifty million won… four uniforms plus a suit would cost more than everything I own!
"Look at our little cheapskate, making exceptions. I'll transfer it once I'm home—check your account."
"Well then, Siyu—see you next time?"
"Siyu, the furniture will take about a week to arrive, so keep that in mind."
"Pardon? Ah—yes."
Before long, I'd be living at the mansion.
A lot of things are going to change.
"Once the furniture arrives, just bring yourself. We can buy whatever else you need."
As expected, my damn master had money to burn.
"For today, go home and rest."
I went to pick up the clothes I'd arrived in, intending to change back.
"Siyu?"
"Yes?"
What now, damn master…
"My friend made you such a wonderful outfit, and you're going to walk out of here in that garbage?"
"Then…"
"Obviously you go home in the clothes you received today."
In a maid uniform?
Of course, any protest stayed locked inside my head.
You don't argue with someone who holds command authority over you…
In the end, I stood in the subway station wearing the maid uniform.
Whispers rose from every direction.
Is that person cosplaying?
Whoa, that girl's insane.
The mortifying comments made my face flush on its own. I kept my eyes down and hurried along.
I moved in a daze, one transfer after another, and only came back to myself after I'd passed through my front door.
I collapsed.
"I'm so tired…"
All that was left was to change and rest.
She won't call me for a week, right?
I tried to take the clothes off, but—
Wait. How do I even get this off?
I was still awkward with women's clothing in general, never mind a maid uniform this elaborate. Taking it off was a problem of its own.
Thud.
While I struggled with the outfit, a business card slipped from a pocket and fell to the floor.
Elizabeth…
I quietly took out my phone.
I need to ask how to put it on anyway… It's not like I have a choice.