"Okay."
The salesclerk still looked utterly confused, but the words "money's no object" made her eyes light up.
She hurried over and began showing me everything.
"Look, this is our finest tiger fur. Oh, you don't like it? How about this one? It's mink. Feel how thick the fur is."
Watching her launch into an enthusiastic sales pitch, I couldn't help twitching at the corner of my mouth.
"Lady, it's summer... Why on earth are you showing me winter clothes?"
"Uh... Then have a look over here. These are summer clothes. See? All of these. And look how nice this one is.
"It's made from an insect's outer shell.
"Feel the quality. Clothes like this are rare these days, and you won't find workmanship like this in an ordinary shop."
"Insect shell?!"
The Insect Queen shrieked beside me the moment the clerk finished speaking. My ears rang, and I quickly turned to look at her. Sure enough, her face had gone dark.
That was unmistakably the calm before the storm.
"No, no. Show us something else..."
I hurriedly told the clerk that, then turned and grabbed the Insect Queen's arm to keep her from erupting.
Even this one body of hers could destroy half the city.
"Calm down. They only used insect shell as a material to make the fabric. It's nothing... You've eaten humans yourself,
"haven't you? Don't get upset. This place couldn't withstand you causing a scene."
As I spoke, I gathered my strength, ready to hold the Insect Queen down if she exploded.
The clerk seemed to sense that something was wrong, though she couldn't hear what I was saying. She watched me whisper into the Insect Queen's ear in confusion.
Suddenly, the Insect Queen shuddered. Instinctively, I was about to press down on her shoulders to