3. In the changing room (2)

Aylin was once again riding in a rickshaw with Yulian, heading towards a women’s clothing store.

Uriel was following the rickshaw on her horse. The inside of the rickshaw was much narrower than the border count’s private carriage.

And right next to Aylin…

Was the delinquent Young Master, who had completely transformed from his disheveled appearance before leaving the mansion.

Unexpectedly, he seemed lost in deep thought.

Yulian hadn’t said much since leaving the atelier of the equestrian painter. Aylin, being taciturn as usual, wasn’t disturbing her master’s silence.

‘Is he rethinking what happened at Otto’s clothing store?’

However, inside Aylin’s head, adorned with a maid’s headband, things were bustling quite busily.

‘What was that behavior he showed earlier? I can’t explain it at all.’

The delinquent Young Master had definitely been strange for the past few days. But the actions that took place at the border count’s mansion were somewhat within acceptable limits.

However, today’s events were simply inexplicable to Aylin’s reason.

That good-for-nothing Yulian-doryeonim showing consideration for a commoner.

Aylin recalled the conversation she had with the knight Uriel a little while ago, when Yulian was getting his disheveled face tidied up at the barber shop.

---

The barber shop was quite large, so there was a place inside for Aylin and Uriel to wait.

The two sat side by side in the seats in front of the stove. Uriel spoke first, instead of the taciturn Aylin.

“Aylin-nim. What on earth is going on? Has something happened to the Count-nim?”

“That… I’m also thinking about it. And Uriel-gyeong, you can speak informally to me.”

Uriel was a noble with the title of knight. Aylin, a maid, was merely a commoner, so it wasn’t wrong to say that.

“No. Aylin-nim, the Deputy Head Maid of the border count’s mansion, is worthy of respect.”

Deputy Head Maid Aylin. Even Uriel had been skeptical about her before becoming Yulian’s escort knight by order of the border count.

Last year, at the young age of just becoming an adult. Aylin was the one who was promoted to Deputy Head Maid of the border count’s mansion at that age.

The border count’s territory, which holds a very important position even in the Holy Empire. The most important tasks of that border count’s territory are constantly exchanged at the border count’s mansion every day.

In other words, the position of Deputy Head Maid in that mansion was comparable to a key position in the Imperial Palace. It was definitely not a normal thing for Aylin, a commoner, to occupy that position.

However, opinions about Aylin were divided among the knights of the White Night Knights.

A sacrifice offered to prevent the good-for-nothing Yulian from going even more insane. Or a seductress who won the position of Deputy Head Maid by currying favor with that doryeonim.

Uriel, being a woman, didn’t particularly like the sexually charged gossip that went around among the male knights. So she didn’t have any particular prejudice against Aylin.

‘But after becoming Count Yulian’s escort knight… I’ve come to respect Aylin-nim instead.’

The rumors about Aylin were the opposite of the truth. No, rather than being the opposite, it was more like the truth and lies were mixed in a subtle ratio.

Count Yulian was an even bigger good-for-nothing delinquent than the knights knew.

Yulian was a madman who even the Lion Grand Duke Wilhelm, the border count, who was revered by the knights like the sky, or even higher than the emperor of the Holy Empire, couldn’t control.

‘As far as I’ve seen, he was crazy enough to commit indiscriminate murder without hesitation.’

But the only time that madman was capable of human-like communication was when he was with Aylin.

And after Aylin’s ‘service,’ which was a secret to the people outside the mansion, he became more docile than usual.

‘That son of a bitch, worse than a dog. I don’t know what that service is, but he hits the frail and delicate Aylin-nim like that.’

And Aylin-nim would come out with handprints all over her cheeks after the service was over.

“Uriel-nim?”

Aylin spoke again when Uriel didn’t respond. Anyway, seeing this Aylin, who was called the black-haired saintess by the people of the mansion, only made her feel endless pity.

This frail woman was directly providing care that even Yulian’s biological mother, Saintess Agnes, couldn’t give.

‘Such an angelically beautiful person… No noble young lady in the Imperial Capital was more beautiful than her.’

She herself was an escort knight who had even followed her to the Pantheon. So she saw the Count’s fiancée, Princess Lilia, who was the subject of much rumor, right in front of her eyes.

‘The Princess is… Well, she’s pretty, but Aylin-nim is much better. The Princess just has bigger tits.’

Uriel herself had heard rumors among the knights that she was pretty, but she was just a knight, not a woman. Compared to those two, she was nothing…

“Are you feeling unwell?”

She was too engrossed in her thoughts. Uriel shook her head vigorously.

“No. I was just thinking about Count-nim’s past improper behavior.”

“But he showed a different side of himself today, didn’t he?”

“That’s right, Aylin-nim. I also wanted to ask Aylin-nim why Count-nim suddenly changed today… Because his consideration for the commoner Otto was different from Count-nim’s usual self. He also admitted his past mistakes.”

At Uriel’s words, Aylin also wore a thoughtful expression again.

Aylin was also questioning today’s actions. Giving a big concession, today can also be explained by Yulian’s whims.

He showed the surprising appearance of caring about the circumstances of a commoner, but that could also be one of Yulian’s eccentricities.

But there was one thing that bothered Aylin.

‘What on earth is… that exquisite proposal?’

In Aylin’s judgment, Otto’s clothing store is more valuable than the people of Essenmund, Rheinheim, think.

Otto’s near-perfect tailoring skills are amazing. But in fact, what can be valued even more than that is his son Phillip’s sense of design for clothes.

Aylin personally attended to Yulian in the Pantheon last year. So she was able to see countless fashions that were said to be popular among the nobles in the Imperial Capital.

But she had not seen clothes with a design that surpassed Phillip’s sense.

‘My ruined homeland, Gloria, worshiped the god of art, Hesos, as its national god. So I, as a princess, was second to none in my sense of beauty.’

So she could tell. Yulian’s aesthetic sense was a mess.

The bizarre designs he created as art were rags that even the clowns of the traveling troupe would throw away in horror.

‘That doryeonim proposed to wear Otto’s clothing store’s clothes himself and advertise them?’

Clearly, that proposal had amazing potential. Enough to create a new growth engine for the border count’s territory.

Could it be that he was willing to consider the circumstances of a commoner and readily admit his past mistakes because of his insight into that future…

Yulian-doryeonim might have a sense as a lord that was beyond what Aylin thought.

Aylin said to Uriel.

“I would also like to know the reason.”

In this way, the two people in the barber shop were thinking about Yulian differently.

---

And back inside the rickshaw.

The women’s clothing store wasn’t far from where they started, so they would arrive soon.

Aylin checked Yulian’s mood again.

‘He’s quieter than usual. Could it be… that ‘omen’?’

Very occasionally. There were times when Yulian looked normal or became docile.

It was a time when the servants of the mansion were happier than ever, but on the other hand, it was also the time they feared the most.

After that temporary appearance passed, he would turn back into a more ferocious tyrant than usual.

In order to prevent that natural disaster, Aylin was always diligent in attending to Yulian.

‘I vented his anger enough with the carriage service… Could it be that it wasn’t enough?’

Today, he showed a much brighter and more sensible appearance than usual. So it might already be a situation just before the explosion.

‘I was too lost in my own thoughts. I should have provided service here in the rickshaw, even if it was urgent.’

It was true that she was happy to see his intelligent appearance, but on the other hand, her anxiety grew even bigger. If he committed an unexpected act at the women’s clothing store they were heading to now…

Especially since it was Rheinheim, the center of Essenmund, bad rumors might spread again.

‘This won’t do… If there’s even a moment of time at the women’s clothing store…’

The latest clothing store in Rheinheim has a space called a fitting room, just like Otto’s clothing store. If it was a place where other people’s attention was temporarily hidden.

She could relieve the doryeonim’s anger in advance with her service inside. If so…

She might be able to watch the doryeonim’s changed appearance a little more through the remaining day.

---

I couldn’t calm down from the delusions that kept rushing in while in the rickshaw.

I hadn’t thought about it until now, but I was reminded of my current situation anew.

‘I’m wearing designer clothes and looking my best at a high-end barber shop. And now…’

I was going shopping with a celestial beauty I had already shared a body with. And to buy a gift for Aylin.

This situation was like the kind of thing that popular people, which I had never experienced in my life…

‘Could this be a date?’

Thinking that, my heart fluttered without me realizing it. For the past few days, and just today, I had tasted sex that I couldn’t have imagined.

But I had skipped the steps of the opposite sex that a man should gradually take too quickly.

‘No. That doesn’t mean I should act like a stupid virgin, no, a virgin who lost it. Since I’ve already decided to treat, I’ll lead Aylin.’

As I organized my thoughts, another delusion rushed in. The word that had been lingering in my mouth a little while ago. Fitting room. The steamy sex I had seen in porn in the fitting room before…

It came to my mind without me realizing it.

I closed my mouth and remained silent without realizing it due to the agony. In the meantime, the rickshaw arrived at its destination.

“We’ve arrived. Please get off carefully!”

Aylin and I entered the women’s clothing store. It’s not as big as Otto’s clothing store, but it doesn’t seem bad.

A friendly-looking female clerk greeted us.

“Welcome. Oh my. A handsome gentleman came with a really beautiful person.”

Unlike Otto, this clerk didn’t seem to know who Aylin and I were. Then she saw Uriel standing behind us and grasped the situation.

“Oh my. Please wait a moment!”

If a person was taking a maid and an escort knight around with them, they must be of unusual status.

Soon, a person who seemed to be of a higher position than the clerk from earlier. An elegant middle-aged woman who seemed to be the owner of the store greeted us.

“It is an honor to welcome such a precious person. I hope you have a good time here.”

Very perceptive. This owner seemed to have recognized who I was.

The owner directly explained the store’s clothes to Aylin and me.

“Our store is in Rheinheim, but it is in line with the latest trends in the Imperial Capital…”

“Wait. Keep the explanation brief. I came to buy a gift for this maid here. Not clothes for commoners. Clothes for noble young ladies.”

And I added one more thing.

“I want a quiet shopping experience, so I’ll rent this place out for a while. I want to choose a gift calmly.”

“I understand. Count Yulian-nim.”

Aylin seemed more surprised by those words than I was.

“Did you say a gift, doryeonim?”

“I said that. Is it strange?”

“No. Perhaps you are planning a new pleasure… no, a new work of art.”

I could see that Aylin was turning her words around because other people were watching.

‘It stings a little. It’s true that I’m not expecting it… But still, it’s also a gift for Aylin, who has suffered greatly because of Yulian.’

I hid those ulterior motives for now and quickly purchased a trait from the system.

——-

「User Advanced Trait Unlocked」

: 50 GP was consumed to unlock Yulian’s advanced trait.

* Trait: Artist with Aesthetic Sense (B)

: You will have the aesthetic sense of an ordinary artist.

* Mana Consumption

: 10 MP per hour

——-

A trait worth 50 GP this time. Considering that the last ordinary noble son was 10 GP, it’s five times as much.

‘I guess Yulian’s aesthetic sense is so bizarre. Even though it’s the same B-grade trait, it’s classified as an advanced trait.’

But it’s a trait that will be useful in the future, so I don’t regret it.

I diligently chose clothes for Aylin based on this trait. Looking at the clothes through the trait, it was clear that this was also a high-quality clothing store.

I carefully chose clothes, mainly dresses that noble young ladies commonly wear.

‘It’s good to prepare in advance. When Aylin attends the nobles’ parties at the academy, she’ll be ignored if she wears her usual maid uniform.’

In other words, it’s a gift for Aylin, but it’s also a preparation for the future.

Since I have the aesthetic sense trait, I was going to have Aylin try on all the clothes I chose.

‘And if possible… use that as an excuse to go to the fitting room together.’

Just when I barely stopped the swarming sinister self. I noticed that Aylin’s expression was different from usual for a moment.

She had a somewhat urgent and anxious expression.

“What’s wrong, Aylin? Is the gift burdensome?”

“Ah… no. But.”

“But? What’s wrong? Tell me.”

“I have a request.”

Suddenly, Aylin grabbed my sleeve and took me to a corner of the clothing store. Then she pointed to a dress hanging in one corner.

“I know it’s an unreasonable request… but could you buy that for me?”

I looked at the dress Aylin was pointing at.

It was a black dress with a very revealing design, like something a prostitute in a salon would wear.