First Day in a Foreign Land
Having finished their meal at a nearby shop, the two of them walked along the street.
Perhaps because Founding Day was drawing near, the thoroughfare thronged with people.
"Whew… it's rather warm…"
Weaving through the crowd, Milia let out a short sigh and fanned herself with her hand.
The temperature itself was not especially high, but the humidity was another matter. Built upon the sea, the city combined heat and moisture into something that felt like a steam bath. No wonder every passerby on the street wore light, easy clothing.
"Cold."
Watching her, Schwarz murmured the soft incantation. At once the air around Milia began to cool. A moment later she turned to him with a much more comfortable expression and smiled; Schwarz returned a faint smile of his own and inclined his head toward her.
"If I'd known it would be like this, maybe I should have packed more summer clothes."
"I did pack some summer clothes… the problem is they're all still in the carriage."
They had brought several light outfits just in case, but unfortunately those garments remained stored in the coach. At the harbor the open air had kept them from noticing the heat at all.
"Then we'll just buy something new. Look—there's a suitable shop right over there."
Schwarz had been speaking as though the situation were awkward, but Milia simply pointed toward a nearby store. Through the clear glass of the display window, garments that were unmistakably summer wear hung on the racks.
"That does seem best."
As a noble—and the daughter of a count's house at that—she was hardly short of funds, and Schwarz could not keep the cooling magic going indefinitely. So the two of them started toward the shop.
The moment they opened the door a little bell chimed, and a clerk approached, bowing her head.
"Welcome, customers. Is there anything in particular you're looking for?"
"Something reasonably thin and easy to move in. Do you have any outfits you might recommend?"
"Hmm… would you come this way for a moment?"
Narrowing her eyes as she studied Milia, the clerk suddenly clapped her hands as though an idea had struck her and led them deeper into the store. A short while later she returned carrying a white dress tinged with the faintest shade of pale blue.
"How about this one?"
"Mm… what do you think?"
"It looks fine to me."
Finding a dress that did not suit her would probably be harder than finding one that did. With that thought, Schwarz offered Milia a gentle smile.
"Then shall I try it on?"
"Would you like to?"
Milia, who had been pursing her lips in thought, spoke, and Schwarz nodded in answer.
"The fitting room is this way~"
At once the clerk escorted her toward the changing area. How much time passed after that?
"W-well… how is it…?"
"It… really suits you…"
The curtain of the fitting room was drawn aside. Cheeks flushed, Milia asked the question, and Schwarz answered with his voice trailing off.
Purity. There was no better word for the sight of her now. That was what Schwarz thought as he looked at her.
The pure-white dress that complemented her silver hair so perfectly, and those golden eyes that sparkled like sunlight… To Schwarz in that moment, no one in the world could have been more beautiful.
"I-if you stare at me that hard, it's a little embarrassing…"
"Ah. Forgive me…"
Feeling Schwarz's gaze boring into her, Milia spoke and turned her eyes away. Schwarz, too, flinched, apologized, and hastily averted his own gaze.
A peculiar atmosphere settled between them.
"It suits you wonderfully. Still, just in case, shall I show you a few other pieces as well?"
Watching the two of them with warm eyes, the clerk asked, her own eyes sparkling. Something suspiciously self-interested seemed to glitter in that look, but the pair were too busy paying attention to each other to notice.
"What do you think…?"
"Th-that might be all right too…"
Milia asked hesitantly; Schwarz scratched his cheek as he answered.
He wanted to see her in as many outfits as possible. In truth, Schwarz's thoughts were not so very different from the clerk's.
"Then I'll bring a few more things that should suit you."
With an eager expression the clerk strode back into the shop. And a short while later—
"Thank you for waiting."
"I-isn't that a bit much?"
Seeing the clerk return with hangers laden full of clothes, Milia let out a troubled sound. And no wonder—there looked to be at least several dozen garments hanging there.
Even so, isn't this too many? Thinking that, Milia turned her head toward Schwarz…
"Nngh…"
…only to find him gazing at the clothes with eyes full of anticipation. A low groan escaped her.
When he was looking at them like that, she could hardly refuse to try them on.
"Honestly…"
"Remember this, Milia. In the end, men are no different from beasts."
Recalling the words Arze had once told her, Milia quietly smiled. Of course, to the Milia of today that truth was not an entirely unwelcome one. After all, it meant she was attractive enough to provoke such a reaction.
This was her chance to show Schwarz sides of herself she had never revealed before. With that thought she headed for the fitting room once more, the clerk at her side.
What followed could be summed up in a single phrase: a fashion show for an audience of one.
Every time Milia emerged in a new outfit, Schwarz's eyes lit up and he praised her; every time, Milia flushed with embarrassment.
At last, when she appeared in the final ensemble—a black blouse and white skirt—Schwarz gave her a thumbs-up…
"Whew… that was exhausting."
While the clerk went off to tidy the clothes, Milia sank into a chair with a weary sigh. Changing clothes might not seem like hard work, but when the number approached several dozen the story changed entirely. Even if each change took only a minute or two, after that many the better part of an hour had slipped away.
"You've worked hard."
"Hmph. Just words?"
Milia answered Schwarz with a sulky look as she settled into the chair beside her. In truth she had not disliked the time at all, yet she could not shake the feeling that she alone had come out the loser if she simply let it pass.
"Is there something you would like?"
Schwarz, well aware of that fact, asked her carefully.
"Hmm… something I want…"
At his question Milia made a low, thoughtful sound. Perhaps ten seconds passed. Then she turned toward him with a faint smile, and Schwarz felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.
"Here."
"Eh…"
The next instant she tapped her own cheek, and Schwarz produced a sound that defied description. No matter how dense he might be in certain matters, he was not so dense that he failed to understand what her gesture meant.
"You don't want to? How disappointing. I put on a fashion show that was never in my stars, all for someone's sake—and a man can't even manage something as small as this?"
"Hah… but…"
Faced with Milia's pointed words, Schwarz answered in a flustered voice and glanced around. The shop was not crowded, yet neither was it empty. Even now people were brushing past them.
"Come on. Hurry."
"Nngh…!!"
Even so, isn't this far too bold? The thought drew another low groan from Schwarz, but Milia showed no intention of relenting; she simply thrust her cheek toward him. If he refused her demand now, the consequences were all too easy to imagine.
"All right… I'll do it, then."
In the end Schwarz shook his head, took hold of Milia's shoulders, and turned her toward the wall as though he were merely examining a garment. And then—
Smooch.
With a soft little sound, Schwarz's lips brushed Milia's cheek. The warm sensation against her skin made all the earlier effort feel richly rewarded.
"H-how was that…?"
"Of course it was good. That goes without saying."
Worried someone might have seen, Schwarz glanced about as he asked; Milia answered with a broad grin.
"Thank you for waiting."
Just then the clerk approached, bowing her head.
"Is there anything else you need?"
"No, that will be all. I'll take everything I tried on a moment ago. Is overseas shipping possible?"
"M-My Lady!?"
At Milia's calm reply the clerk's words, Schwarz's voice rose in alarm. Even so, buying every single one of those clothes seemed like a waste.
"It's fine. These are the clothes you praised so much—it would be a shame to leave them. Besides, I'm paying with my own allowance."
"Nngh…"
The head butler is going to have something to say about this… The Valentine count's house had never been a family given to extravagance, and Schwarz could only groan softly.
"Overseas shipping, you say? It is possible, though customs will add a ten-percent tariff. Will that be all right?"
"Yes, that much is fine. Please send them to the Valentine count's house in the Elianos Kingdom."
As expected of a count's daughter. She spent a sum that would make ordinary people scream without the slightest hesitation. To Schwarz, who in his previous life had worried every day about simply getting by, the sight felt strangely refreshing.
"Ah, right. Schwarz."
"Yes? What is it?"
Just then, as she handed the clerk a pouch heavy with gold coins, Milia turned her head toward him. Schwarz answered, and she asked in turn:
"Which outfit did you think looked the best?"
"Which one looked the best, you say?"
A difficult question… With that thought Schwarz sank into deliberation. Every single dress had suited her so well that ranking them was no easy task. After several minutes of careful thought…
"I believe the first dress you tried on suited you best of all."
His choice was the white dress she had worn at the very beginning.
"I somehow knew you'd say that."
Milia, who seemed to have been thinking the same thing, offered a faint smile and spoke to the clerk.
"I'll wear the dress now, so please set it aside separately. That's all right?"
"Of course. I'll prepare it at once."
Nodding at her words, the clerk headed back into the shop…
"Phew… that was fun, wasn't it?"
"Yes. It was."
Looking rather tired, Milia stretched with a short sigh; Schwarz simply nodded in agreement.