Trying on Clothes

"All right, you two, stop arguing for now."

Übel's older sister stepped in just in time to interrupt the argument, which felt as though it was about to start all over again.

"Fern, come inside with me."

She lifted the curtain leading to the back, revealing a small room used specifically for trying on clothes. A mirror nearly as tall as a person stood against the wall.

Fern had barely followed her inside when she heard footsteps behind her.

Why had Übel followed them in as if nothing were amiss?!

"Why are you coming in too?"

"This is my home, so of course I can come in."

She answered as if it were only natural, her tone as casual as if they were discussing what to have for dinner.

But this was a fitting room!

"I'm going to change. Get out, quickly."

Fern pressed a hand against Übel's shoulder and tried to push her out, but she stood there as if her feet had taken root, showing no intention of moving.

This person is definitely a pervert.

"We're both girls. What does it matter?"

"It matters. It matters a lot! And didn't you say you were going to help prepare a present for me?"

"A present? I already decided what to give you ages ago."

Übel looked utterly confident.

Although Fern couldn't tell at all what she had prepared, since she had said so, surely it wasn't a lie she had made up on the spot just to stay in the fitting room.

In the end, her older sister stepped in to end the tug-of-war.

"Übel, go outside for now. If you stay here, Fern probably won't start changing until it gets dark."

Übel glanced at Fern, whose face was full of wariness.

There was no arguing with that.

"All right."

She had no choice but to turn and leave the fitting room, though before the curtain fell, Übel stuck half her head back in.

"Remember to come out and let me see when you're done changing."

"All right."

"If it looks especially strange, you really have to let me see."

Just as I thought.

She didn't follow me in here with good intentions in the first place.

Expressionless, Fern reached out and pushed the last half of Übel's head outside.

"One more thing."

Übel spoke from the other side of the curtain.

"What now?"

"You're definitely going to like the present I prepared."

She sounded very confident.

"What if I don't?"

"Then it just means there's something wrong with your taste."

Who shifts the blame onto the person receiving a gift before they've even given it? Fern was growing more and more suspicious of what Übel's so-called present actually was.

Übel's older sister spoke somewhat helplessly.

"Don't mind her. That girl can be especially confident about strange things sometimes."

"I don't think it's just sometimes."

Fern corrected her indignantly, but no sooner had the words left her mouth than a voice came from outside the curtain.

"I can hear you."

"I said it for you to hear."

Fern answered without holding back.

"You two really do get along well."

Übel's older sister smiled.

"How do we get along well?!"

Fern immediately denied it.

"At least she likes you a lot."

"I can't tell at all."

After all, the way normal people expressed affection probably didn't include giving someone nicknames, deliberately making them angry, and trying every possible way to get into their fitting room.

If that could be considered liking someone, then Übel's way of expressing her feelings was far too difficult to understand.

"All right, let's try on the clothes first."

Übel's older sister took the measuring tape from her shoulder.

"The measurements Mr. Heiter sent me are already over a month old. You're still growing, so it's best to measure you again."

Fern obediently stood in front of the mirror and raised her arms. The soft tape passed around her shoulders, then measured her arms and waist in turn.

"Your shoulders haven't changed much."

She spoke as she wrote the measurements down.

"You're a little taller than Mr. Heiter wrote, though."

"Have I grown taller?"

Fern's eyes lit up slightly.

"About three centimeters."

Although it was only three centimeters, growing taller was growing taller. If she kept going at this rate, she would be as tall as Master Heiter someday.

Perhaps she could even surpass Lady Frieren.

No, wait.

Surpassing Lady Frieren doesn't seem like a difficult goal at all.

"What about your waist? Has it gotten wider lately?"

Übel's voice suddenly came from outside the curtain.

"Please don't eavesdrop!"

Fern immediately turned and shouted.

"Who's eavesdropping? Your voices carried out here on their own."

"Even so, don't just butt in."

"I'm concerned about whether you can still fit into the clothes."

"Of course I can!"

"Fern, please hold still."

Übel's older sister had to stop what she was doing.

"Sorry."

Fern stood still again, though she looked noticeably more displeased than before.

Even after being sent outside, Übel hadn't settled down much. If Fern had known, she should have asked Lord Lorenzo to take her outside the tailor's shop. No, it would have been best to take her straight to the other side of the Holy City. Then the whole world would surely have been much more peaceful.

"The measurements are fine. The hem just needs a little adjustment; everything else should fit well."

After measuring her again, Übel's older sister put the tape away and opened a wardrobe in the corner of the fitting room.

"This is the gift Mr. Heiter commissioned me to make."

Inside was an exquisitely made long dress, with delicate ruffles decorating the neckline and cuffs. It was paired with a short black cape that reached just to the waist, while the belt and collar were accented with touches of deep purple.

Dignified, neat, and easy to move in, it was an outfit made specifically for a mage.

"Let's put it on and see how it looks."

With Übel's sister's help, Fern quickly changed into the outfit.

She stood in front of the mirror.

The short black cape fell naturally from her shoulders, and the deep-purple sash drew in her waist, lending the already well-behaved-looking Fern a touch of the calm air of a mage. She was still herself, yet she looked as though she had suddenly grown up a little.

"It really does suit you."

Übel's older sister stepped back a few paces and looked at her work with satisfaction.

"Fern, aren't you done changing yet? Don't tell me you really can't fit into it?"

Übel's voice came from outside the curtain, and the smile that had just appeared on Fern's face vanished at once.

"I'm done."

Fern answered irritably.

"Then hurry up and come out."

"Promise you won't say anything strange first."

"I promise."

"I don't believe you at all."

Even so, Fern made one last adjustment to her collar in the mirror before reaching out and grasping the curtain.

Why am I suddenly so nervous? I only changed into a different outfit, but it feels as if I'm about to face some incredibly strict scrutiny.

After taking a small, deep breath, Fern finally lifted the curtain and stepped out of the fitting room.

Frieren, who had been leafing through a grimoire, looked up, and Lorenzo, who was standing to one side, also turned his gaze toward her.

"It suits you very well."

Lorenzo was the first to speak.

"Yes, now you look even more like a mage."

Frieren also studied her carefully for a few moments.

"Didn't I look like one before?"

Fern immediately asked Frieren.

"Uh... well..."

The elf who had lived for a thousand years had no idea how to handle a question like that.

It was like a man seeing an old photo of his girlfriend and casually complimenting her by saying, "You were beautiful back then," only for her to turn around and ask, "Does that mean I'm not beautiful now?"

Whether he answered "yes" or "no," it seemed he would fall into some terrible trap.

Fern clearly had no intention of dwelling on the question, however, and she turned to Übel.

To her surprise, Übel, who could usually be counted on to say something strange right away, didn't speak this time. She simply stood there, looking at her carefully.

The silence made Fern even more uncomfortable.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Because you look lovely."

Übel answered quite naturally.

Fern froze for a moment.

She had already prepared herself to deal with a strange comment like "The little Puff-shroom has finally grown into a big mushroom." She had never expected to hear such a normal compliment from Übel.

Something's wrong. This is far too strange. So now I should strike first!

Fern stepped forward and held out her right hand to Übel.

"Then where's the present you promised me?"