5. Rita Can't Be Bothered...

"Master, what do you think of this dress?"

"Darling. A ball comes round so rarely... would something daringly cut not be far more becoming, pray tell?"

The center of the parlor had transformed into something resembling an enormous dressing room.

When they'd asked me to help pick out dresses for the upcoming ball, I'd figured a quick look at one or two gowns would be more than enough... Instead, dozens of dresses lay heaped across the floor like small mountains, while Alice and Vivian paraded back and forth before me, changing outfits without a moment's rest.

We were already two hours in.

"Alice, that black velvet dress is elegant enough, but isn't it awfully close to the one you wore at the last Founding Festival? And Vivian... you've both plunged far too deep."

"Tch... How terribly conservative you are, Darling."

"I quite prefer you conservative, Master. The thought of any other piece of trash laying eyes on my skin disgusts me. If it were you, and you alone, looking — well, that would be another matter..."

Vivian nodded along eagerly at Alice's words.

"This girl feels the very same — the gazes of other males are so repellent I could gouge their eyes clean out. The one I wish to show myself to is Darling, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Darling alone ♡"

Alice squirmed where she stood, cheeks blazing scarlet, while Vivian shamelessly pushed her cleavage up high, all but thrusting it forward for display.

If I didn't cut in and end this now, it showed every sign of running straight through the night and beyond.

"The green dress you had on a moment ago, Alice — that was the cleanest of the lot, and it suited you. And for Vivian, the indigo silk you brought out first. The color paired beautifully with your fox tails."

"I-if Master says so... then that's the one! Ehehe..."

"If it is Darling's discerning eye... then this girl shall gladly comply ♡"

Phew. Barely made it through.

Sinking deep into the plush sofa, I slowly rubbed at my weary eyes and let the fatigue drain away.

Oh, right.

I turned to Rita, who had been playing with her spirits in the corner while watching the whole spectacle.

"Rita, are you sure you don't want to come? You don't have to attend the ball — you could just come along and see ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the sights of the capital. We'll be staying through the auction the day after, though... it might get lonely here on your own."

"Yeah. Rita's fine. Wanna play with the spirits more anyway. Seen plenty of the capital already."

Rita answered absently, poking at the yellow-green spirit perched on her shoulder.

"And... if I went to the capital, I might run into that weird lady again. Annoying."

"Ahaha... Right. Understood. I'll come back as fast as I can, so keep the house safe for me."

Was that woman really so strange...? Perhaps I ought to look into her after all...

Watching Alice and Vivian busily tidy up after the marathon fashion show, I suddenly recalled the thick bundle of documents that had arrived from the merchant guild yesterday.

The catalog.

I fished the stiff parchment bundle out of a drawer and spread it across the table.

It was the catalog for the Empire's grandest auction, to be held the day after the ball.

"Let's see... will anything useful turn up this time...?"

I leafed through the parchment page by page, scanning the listings.

If I managed to sell the dragon carcass, money would hardly be a concern.

Spending it all on the territory would be the sensible thing, but surely it couldn't hurt to indulge the girls with something extravagant now and then.

"Hmm... nothing that really grabs me."

Then my gaze stopped on one listing.

A perfume that drags your true feelings out into the open, hm?... That could be rather fun.

If the price wasn't too steep, I'd have to place a bid on a bottle.

"Master! Might you perhaps... buy this one for me?"

When had she finished tidying up? Alice had crept up close behind me without my noticing, her finger pressed to the parchment.

Her breath fell hot against my ear, tickling the rim of it, and I barely managed to smother the strange, swelling feeling rising in my chest.

"Uh... buying it isn't a problem. Going hunting, are we, Alice? Was there some beast in the territory that warranted tracking its whereabouts...?"

At my question, Alice simply smiled — just the corners of her mouth curling upward.

Those strangely clouded eyes sent a chill crawling down my spine.

"Hunting... right...?"

"Yes. I believe it will be absolutely essential for a very important hunt. You see, the beast I have in mind has a habit of vanishing right before my eyes, so I intend to tie it down tight— forgive me. I simply must keep careful track of where it is."

"U-uh, right... Got it. If the price is fair, I'll consider it."

Forcing my gaze away from her, I turned to the next page — and from the other side, a sweet, heady fragrance arrived just before Vivian's face suddenly popped into view.

The soft warmth of her skin pressed vividly against my shoulder and arm.

"My, Darling. Then might this girl request this one, if it please you?"

"Hm? You need something too, Vivian?"

"Ah, right. You've always run cold, Vivian. And the territory gets brutally cold in winter."

"Yeees~♡ My deepest thanks, Darling. To think I might feel that hot— forgive me, that tender warmth from when you held me close, whenever my heart desires... This girl already feels herself beginning to burn ♡"

Vivian whispered, low and seductive, her fox tails winding slyly around my calves again and again.

Well, if I thought of it as a magic tool for keeping warm, then buying her one — expense be damned — was simply the right thing to do.

"What about you, Rita? Pick something out too. Money's going to be no object this time, so if there's anything you want, just say it."

"Mm... Rita can't be bothered. You don't really have to buy me anything..."

Rita, slumped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bonelessly into the sofa, had just begun to turn her head as if the whole affair were too much effort.

Behind her, Alice and Vivian began signaling to her for their lives — frantic eyes and desperate gestures.

Alice, frantically shaping the words with her lips alone.

'Ask him to buy you something! Please, Rita!'

Vivian, gazing at her with pleading intensity, fox ears standing at full attention.

'Buy it first, and once you've no more use for it, hand it over to this girl!'

"Uhh, mm... fine. I'll pick something too."

In the end, Rita scratched her head and dragged herself up from the sofa, shuffling over to the table.

Alice and Vivian clamped themselves to either side of her as she gave the catalog a cursory skim, poking at her ribs and steering her like puppeteers.

'Rita, the one at the bottom. Yes, that one. The voice-storing thing.'

'At long last, this girl finds herself in agreement with Alice. Rita? Do be a dear and tell Darling at once.'

Rita heaved a small sigh and tapped a corner of the catalog with her finger.

"Father, Rita wants this. Too quiet when I sleep... can't fall asleep. Wanna hear sounds."

"Really? So there's a sound you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠want falling asleep to, huh. A melody, maybe, or the sound of the waves? Got it. I'll win yours at auction, no matter what."

I circled the entry in the catalog and kept flipping slowly through the rest, checking for anything else worth having.

Rita stared levelly at Alice and Vivian with an expression that plainly said, That does it, right?

The two of them nodded with violent enthusiasm, mouthing their thanks.

"Rita, when I'm back, I'll cook you all sorts of good things."

"And this girl, from this day forth, shall rank Rita's every request at the very top of her priorities — second only to Darling, of course."

"Yes, you'd both better keep those promises. And... you'll get good use out of that conch too, won't you, Rita."

After tallying up rough bids for the things we meant to buy and jotting them down along one edge of the parchment, I rolled it up and tucked it into my travel bag.

Once we reached the capital and saw Ophelia again, I intended to trade every last story we'd missed out on in each other's absence.

She'd been one of the most mischievous of the children — and one of the purest-hearted, too.

How much had she grown, I wondered?

The next day. In the early hours of the morning, a carriage stood waiting in the front yard of the mansion to carry us to the Imperial Capital.

"Rita, we'll be back before you know it — don't skip your meals. And if anything unusual comes up, tell me right away."

"Yeah... Father... safe travels..."

Still barely awake, Rita waved a sleepy hand, rubbing her drowsy eyes with a dozing spirit draped over her head.

With the luggage loaded, I climbed in across from Alice and Vivian — and the instant I took my seat, the two of them began scrapping over who would sit beside me.

"Master, allow me to attend your side for the journey...!"

"Darling? This girl shall melt your fatigue away ♡"

"No. If one of you ends up sulking... I honestly don't think I could handle it."

I shook my head with finality and rapped twice on the carriage wall, and the driver cracked his whip.

Hi-hiing! Clatter—

The carriage rumbled off with a heavy, ponderous sound, leaving the mansion of our territory behind.

Six days by carriage to the Imperial Capital.

We'd planned the schedule to arrive the day before the ball, so even at worst we'd have about a day to spare.

"It really has been ages since I've been to the capital. It must have changed plenty in the meantime. I wonder how tall Ophelia's gotten."

I murmured to myself, watching the barren northern landscape roll past the window.

Just as I thought I might finally get a rare stretch of quiet — some unhurried time to sort through my thoughts —

the two seated across from me, naturally, refused to grant me even a moment of reverie.

"Master, at this ball you absolutely must dance with me first. I mean it. I'll be guarding your side before any of those women start wagging their tails at you."

"Oh my, but Darling pledged himself most firmly twelve years ago to share his first dance with this girl at a ball — did he not?"

"Master did no such thing! Vivian, must you keep inventing things that never happened?"

"Ufufu. Darling appears in this girl's dreams every night and grants me the dance in person."

"That's a dream, you fool! You damned fox...!"

I closed my eyes and let their squabbling wash over me as pleasant white noise.

I had to be asleep before the sparks started to fly.