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Where am I?

Who is here?

“Hmm, it’s an important occasion and a coming-of-age ceremony, so shouldn’t it be a bit more extravagant than this? This is too—”

“…Sir Atanitas?”

“That’s true, but too much could lead to accidents. Please stay still.”

Karem’s head obediently returned to its original position at the tailor’s words. After all, the tailor was wielding a needle, and moving around unnecessarily might get him pricked.

However… something felt familiar to Karem.

Yes, déjà vu… That’s right. This exact thing had happened before.

More specifically, when examining a self-defense magic tool.

He felt just like a scarecrow standing there now.

Honestly, Karem had been looking forward to this.

After all, wasn’t he asked on a date?

Of course, some might scorn that it wasn’t very manly, while others would say he was just going shopping for clothes, but Karem stood tall.

No matter how it began, a date was still a date.

Anything said by a wealthy sister was considered right.

When it came to cooking, he hadn’t been at all picky.

But expectation often led to disappointment.

Instead of a walk, Catherine stepped briskly forward.

Wondering where they were headed, Karem found the destination was none other than a tailor shop within the inner castle.

Caught off guard by the momentum, he inadvertently followed her inside.

And now he found himself in this situation.

“Hmm… well, unless everything else is grand, wearing this on its own would definitely disrupt the atmosphere.”

“Um… can I ask just one thing?”

“Sure.”

“If so… when will this end?”

Of course, Karem already knew the answer.

Still, just in case, he asked the question while glancing around.

The tailor shop was indeed a tailor shop, filled with a multitude of women’s and men’s clothes displayed on racks or densely hanging on walls. At that very moment, the tailor was going back and forth, layering the clothes he had brought and stitching the sample outfits draped over the mannequin.

With arms crossed, Catherine tilted her head as if asking about the silliest things.

“Oh, it’s until the expert says it’s ready, of course.”

“It feels like we’ve compared dozens of men’s outfits already.”

“You’ve been too influenced by Mary. Normally, you should compare several dozens even when just buying one cloak.”

Though he hadn’t tried on nearly as many as that.

He had already passed dozens, and hours had gone by.

Karem felt mentally exhausted and completely fatigued, as if his body weighed a ton. He thought that even staying up all night would feel less tiring than this.

“It’s still a long way to go!”

The tailor grumbled cheerfully, spouting utterly ridiculous comments.

“What on earth does that mean?”

“It means the clothes you’re trying on, of course.”

“To my eyes, they all look the same.”

“That’s how men usually say it!”

Well, the tailor was a man too. However, the tailor came forward with two seemingly similar yet elegantly styled outfits in his hands.

“Well, you might as well give up on that.”

Karem stared at her with a dead fish gaze while Catherine snickered blatantly.

“Get used to it. I had a similar experience before.”

He didn’t voice the thought of “Is that what you call saying that?”

‘Well, if she loves it that much, what’s to refuse?’

Karem decided to quietly accept this pain for today.

After all, if he thought of it as a gift from someone he liked, he could endure anything—

“Shall we start comparing all the fabrics on this wall too?”

“Wait, please take a look at this. Really. I haven’t eaten anything since I came here to serve Lord Atanitas.”

Though it was just skipping one meal, it was particularly morning, and due to the mental strain and labor he endured, his brain and stomach united in demanding calories.

What does standing still count as in terms of labor and hardship?

That’s something only those not caught up in shopping would say.

“Well, it’s around lunchtime anyway.”

Catherine glanced up at the sky.

The sun was high, just before noon, beneath the sky where snowflakes were slowly falling.

“Since we came all this way, it seems a waste to go back like this. There’s a cafe recommended by the lady nearby. Let’s go check it out.”

“Yes, as long as I can fill my stomach with anything—”

Wait, did I hear something strange? ‘Lady’? Catherine, who even speaks casually to counts and princes, wouldn’t address someone without formality unless they were at least a duchess.

From Karem’s experience so far, it seemed that way.

If she was referring to a lady worthy of respect, Karem had only seen one person until now.

‘Duchess Elizabeth Felwinter?’

Catherine lightly nodded as if reading his thoughts.

“Yes. She said it was rather nice to sneak out with her lord and mentioned the desserts were quite something.”

“You mentioned you snuck out?”

“What do you think would happen if both of you left openly?”

Whatever would happen was utterly predictable.

With every step they took for a date, they would express gratitude, greet people, and face a constant stream of those wanting to curry favor.

“Wouldn’t it be like the king himself had arrived?”

“That’s why they’re lurking.”

*

*

*

All the energy was drained.

When they left Winterhome, it certainly hadn’t been like this.

Although it was early morning, the sun hadn’t risen yet.

The surroundings were painted a bright blue.

By the time they left the tailor shop, the sun was on the verge of reaching its peak.

“I’ve only fitted one outfit.”

Catherine turned her head slightly, surveying Karem from head to toe, before shaking her head as if to say she couldn’t fathom it.

“What kind of face looks like a magician who’s spent over a week holed up in a lab, focusing on research overnight?”

“Most men probably feel the same way as I do.”

Suddenly, he recalled the times he was dragged along by his parents on shopping outings in his previous life.

When his mom handed him the money while saying to play at the arcade.

The desperate gaze of his dad watching from behind.

At that moment, he could relate deeply to those feelings.

The inability to move freely as they wished.

A seemingly endless process that felt like it had no end.

“That’s useless talk. Now that we’re out, what would it hurt to go back like this? Hmm? What’s that smell?”

Catherine abruptly halted mid-sentence, turning her head this way and that.

Smell? Ah.

Certainly, a sweet and spicy aroma wafted through the air.

The source of the fragrance was…

“Over there.”

As if enchanted, he walked over to a small stall in the inner castle’s narrow alley where a very red-faced dwarf was grilling spicy marinated chicken skewers over a grill.

“You young folks! It’s freezing out, so buy one of these spicy, sweet marinated chicken skewers! It’ll warm you right up! Cough! Damn smoke!”

The bright red marinade, charred by direct contact with the charcoal, mixed with the scent of a slight burning smell wafting in the air.

Before he knew it, Karem found himself purchasing two skewers from the dwarf and walking alongside Catherine.

“Mm. Mmm. Ah, that sweet and salty rich seasoning mixed with spicy flavor. I’d love to wash it down with some beer.”

“During the day… that’s fine. But just bear with it out here for now.”

Karem took a careful bite so as not to smear the marinade on Catherine’s mouth and broke off a piece of skewer for himself. The lingering flavor… sweet and spicy…

“This tastes similar to what we made at the forge…”

“Huh? The forge?”

“Uh, no. I mean, when I briefly ordered something for the salmon mold. At that time, we made it with wyvern tail.”

“You secretly made something like this and feasted with others…?”

“To be honest, I was just curious about what wyvern tail would taste like.”

“And how was it?”

“It was just like oily chicken.”

“Hmm… then I’ll let it slide this time. The skewer.”

Yes. Karem politely offered the last skewer to Catherine. It had been deeply immersed in the marinade, ensuring sauce smeared all over her mouth.

“Sir Atanitas. Just a moment.”

“What is it?”

“You’ve got sauce on you.”

Catherine tilted her head ever so slightly, extending it.

Karem, holding the skewer in his mouth, took out a handkerchief while carefully wiping the sauce away so it wouldn’t smudge.

“By the way, this is unexpected.”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t think you’d enjoy skewered food.”

Karem removed his gaze from Catherine, who was eyeing her skewer with hunger.

“Not when it’s street food, at least.”

That was true; just from her appearance, Catherine exuded a peculiar aura that made her seem someone who wouldn’t eat such street food.

“Yeah, you act like nobility would only find that etiquette-worthy restaurant food acceptable.”

“Hmph.”

Catherine rolled her eyes dramatically as she listened quietly, then gave a short sigh, as if to express her disbelief.

“Kiddo, who do you think I am?”

“Uh, the beloved employer, Catherine Marygold—”

“Ah! Not my name, but my title or honorific.”

“Um, the genius grand wizard, the youngest wise man, the cold wave of—”

“Ugh.”

The warning-laden threat made Karem shut his mouth immediately and move on.

“A former S-Class adventurer?”

“Yes. Kiddo. Did you think I was S-Class from the start?”

“…. Hmm. About half of me did?”

“S-Class is something you earn after becoming an adventurer. Do you get it?”

It wasn’t that she wasn’t an S-Class. While it might logically be correct to say so, it felt incredibly awkward to accept emotionally.

“An independent wizard certainly has more than an ordinary adventurer. So, there are also high expenses such as sacrifices, potions, materials, staffs, and robes.”

Catherine casually counted on her fingers.

“I’ve also rolled in the dirt and slept in warehouses like a regular adventurer. I wouldn’t want to do it twice.”

“And would that include filling your stomach with street food too?”

“Yes.”

As Catherine eyed the skewer with anticipation, Karem hastily finished off the remaining skewer and tossed it on the road.

“Don’t you think you’re showing quite a hint and scarfing down the last bite?”

“The last bite is one I can never let go—”

“Huh?”

“No, please take a look. Seriously. I’ve fed Lord Atanitas, and I haven’t eaten a thing yet.”

It was just skipping one meal, but due to it being breakfast, coupled with the mental fatigue and grueling labor, his brain and stomach united in a demand for calories.

What was so laborious about standing still, you might ask?

That’s something only those without a passion for shopping would say.

“Well, it is nearing lunchtime.”

Catherine elegantly looked up to the sky.

The sun had risen high against the sky where snowflakes swirled down.

“Since we’ve come all this way, it seems wrong to return like this. By coincidence, there’s a cafe recommended by the lady nearby. Let’s go check it out.”

“Sure. I don’t care what it is as long as I can fill my belly—”

Wait, did I just hear something weird? ‘Lady’? Catherine, who even talks casually to counts and princes, wouldn’t refer to someone without formality unless they were at least a duchess.

Out of Karem’s experience, it seemed so.

If she was referring to a lady deserving of respect, Karem had only seen one person until now.

‘Duchess Elizabeth Felwinter?’

Catherine lightly nodded as if reading his thoughts.

“Yes. She mentioned it was nice to sneak out with her lord and said the desserts were quite notable.”

“You mean you snuck out?”

“What do you think would happen if both of you left openly?”

Whatever might happen was entirely predictable.

With every step they took on a date, they were bound to express gratitude, greet onlookers, and find a steady stream of people eager to curry favor.

“Wouldn’t it feel as if the king himself had arrived?”

“That’s why they’re going incognito.”

*

*

*

The colorful interior decorated with stone lanterns that reflected living shrubs and fresh flowers didn’t seem to fit Coldon at all, with its pastel tones all around.

Amidst a mix of fragrant floral scents, an air of gentle sweetness and milky aroma pervaded the atmosphere.

The very air felt prepared for women, creating an atmosphere that would make any man loathe to even look in from outside.

Yet Karem felt… nostalgic in this atmosphere.

‘Cake buffet…’

Being a man didn’t mean one hated sweet desserts.

Actually, once they developed a taste, men’s nature was such that they could devour everything in sight if the opportunity presented itself.

In his previous life, during the days of Garam, Karem had indulged in the same way.

The realm of women?

An environment that defies men?

A teenage boy whose stomach never felt full, no matter how many meals or snacks he had in a day, wouldn’t care about such trivialities.

What really mattered was being able to eat an infinite number of cakes piled up with heavy whipped cream within a time limit.

Across from him, Catherine’s demeanor didn’t seem to appreciate the way he was acting.

“This is different from what I expected.”

“I’ve been here quite often before. Maybe that’s why it feels familiar again after such a long time.”

“Previous experiences?”

“Yes.”

“It’s boring.”

Catherine turned her gaze to the bright cafe interior with a look of disappointment.

Women alone, or couples, presumed to be couples.

But Catherine wasn’t looking in that direction.

“Damn it, that insane fanatic woman. If she was going to come, she should come alone instead of dragging us with her…!”

“It’s a bit awkward to come alone.”

“Huh! Then why not go with that arrogant elf?”

“Well, well. She’s already here, so there’s no helping itright? Here’s the order—”

The noisy commotion they were in now seem like a party of adventurers as they reacted, feeling burdened in a space that didn’t allow men.

Though Catherine frowned with a crinkled nose in dissatisfaction, Karem had no time to mind her reaction.

Sniff sniff—

‘…What is this smell—’

A refreshing scent mixed in with a sweet atmosphere spread in his mouth, reaching through his nose and throat. The intense aroma was distinctly not like the subtle scent of phytoncides.

It was definitely—

Mint.

The wicked aroma of that vile herb was unmistakable.

 

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