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“Oh? You two already finished washing up?”

I stopped mopping and nodded. I had already finished showering and changed into the clothes I bought earlier.

Contrary to expectations, the girls took a long time to dry their hair. Bella came out of the bedroom only after we had hurriedly cleaned the bathroom and another 10 minutes had passed.

“Wow, that was really fast… Did you just rinse off or something?”

“Men don’t usually take long showers.”

“That’s something to brag about… Tristan, I get it, but Helga, did you finish washing too?”

“Yeah.”

Helga didn’t seem in a state to answer, so I answered for her. Maybe it was the lingering afterglow of what happened in the bathroom earlier, but she was sprawled on the sofa, still holding the mop.

“Ugh… ugh…”

“…Did you mop too hard? You look like a zombie.”

“My jaw feels weak…”

“Your jaw? Why your jaw…?”

Unlike Bella, who tilted her head in confusion, I felt a pang of guilt. For men, it’s just a moment of pleasure, but for the woman on the receiving end, it’s exhausting. I had used her mouth like a tool, so it was only natural she’d feel this way.

“Ahem… Go dry your hair, Helga.”

“Okay…”

Helga rubbed her jaw and went into the bedroom. As she left, Blanshe came out.

“Count, why is Helga like that?”

“Well… she was mopping with the mop in her mouth, so that’s why.”

It was a joke, but both Bella and Blanshe seemed to buy it.

“Ah, I knew it… I had a feeling.”

“Indeed… That’s such a Helga thing to do.”

Huh?

I thought they wouldn’t believe it, but now Helga had become the weird girl who mops with a mop in her mouth. Sorry, Helga.

“Ahem! Hey, Tristan.”

“…?”

“Take a look at Blanshe.”

“Blanshe?”

“Yes. I want to hear your thoughts.”

At Bella’s question, I finally noticed the navy blue dress Blanshe was wearing. It looked bright and lovely, especially since she rarely wore skirts. But there was no way Blanshe owned something like this.

“That dress… Did Se-hee lend it to you?”

“Yes… Thankfully, Se-hee lent me some of her clothes she doesn’t wear anymore.”

“It suits you.”

“R-really?”

Blanshe fidgeted and avoided eye contact. Why is she acting like this?

“Tristan, how about me?”

Bella was wearing a black velvet dress. It was clearly modern clothing, but on her, it made her look like a noblewoman. The luxurious black color added to her dignified aura, and the way the dress hugged her chest was hard for any man to ignore.

“Are you staring that much?”

“…It suits you.”

“Haha… It’s a bit tight around the chest… Wait.”

“?”

“Where are you looking?”

Bella glared at me while covering her chest.

“Were you just thinking something dirty about my chest?”

“…What?”

“Your hesitation tells me I hit the mark.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Then if I tell you not to think about my chest, what comes to mind?”

“…Chest?”

“See? You were thinking something dirty.”

It’s only natural to think of an elephant when told not to think of one. I was speechless, but there was no way out.

“Think whatever you want.”

“Haha… Are you pouting, Tristan?”

“I’m not a child.”

“You’re cute. I feel like treating you like a child. Should I give you a hug while we’re at it?”

“No need. More importantly, are you ready to go out?”

“Huh?”

“Ready to go out?”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

I explained to Bella and Blanshe, who looked confused.

“I said I’d show you around this world.”

***

“Wow… this is amazing.”

The owner of the clothing store, Choi Seo-won, couldn’t close her gaping mouth.

I had brought Bella and Blanshe to the clothing store. I wanted to bring Helga too, but she needed rest, so I left her with Se-hee and Wendy.

Despite the delay from the cola incident, it was still early afternoon.

From the moment we left the house, the attention we received was incomparable to before.

“What’s going on? Are they models?”

“No, they look like celebrities.”

“What is this? Are they filming a drama?”

“Wow, their proportions are insane… They look like a different race…”

The reactions of the passersby were understandable.

Blanshe was a cool beauty. If you were to judge her by her looks alone, she could easily be mistaken for a Russian model. Her walk was also flawless, thanks to her constant training, which only made her look more like a model.

But the most striking was Bella. In the story, she was considered the most beautiful woman in the empire—no, in the entire narrative. It was rare for anyone, regardless of age or gender, to pass by without staring at her.

Her mysterious, dreamlike aura, combined with her silver hair and icy blue eyes, made her look like a winter lake. Every feature of hers was flawless. Her beauty was almost unfair, making you wonder if she was even human.

Choi Seo-won’s reaction was no different from the passersby we had encountered.

“Ji-hwan… long time no see. But who are these models…?”

“They’re my friends. This is Choi Seo-won. Say hello.”

“…Hello.”

“Oh? You speak Korean well?”

“Korean…?”

Blanshe didn’t understand what Seo-won was saying. Come to think of it, neither Blanshe nor Bella were aware of Korean. They only knew the language they spoke was the common language of the continent.

“Both of them are very interested in Korea. Their Korean is as fluent as a native’s.”

“Wow, they must really like K-pop! So, do you know kimchi?”

“Huh? K-kimchi?”

“But where are you from? Russia? Or Europe?”

“That’s…”

Bella looked at me, confused. I was just as confused. They don’t know English, let alone kimchi…

Meanwhile, Seo-won’s eyes sparkled with interest. It was rare to see foreign customers, especially ones as striking as these two.

The objects of her attention, Bella and Blanshe, seemed uncomfortable and only managed awkward smiles.

I cleared my throat and spoke up.

“Anyway, we’re here to buy some clothes.”

“Ah? Clothes for these two? Oh my, I’m not sure if we have anything that would suit them…”

“It’s fine. The clothes here are stylish and good enough.”

But Seo-won burst out laughing.

“Pfft… But Ji-hwan, why are you talking like that?”

“Talking like what? Oh…”

I realized my mistake.

When I first met Seo-won, I had used Jeong Ji-hwan’s speech patterns. Eventually, I switched back to Tristan’s natural way of speaking because it felt awkward… but I had forgotten and used it in front of Seo-won.

Tristan’s way of speaking was rude and arrogant, which didn’t fit in this world. I was worried Seo-won might be offended, but she shook her head.

“Actually, Se-hee told me. She said this is how you really talk, right?”

“She told you?”

“Yes. She came by a while ago and told me about you.”

I wondered if she had covered for me. I silently thanked Park Se-hee for her thoughtful consideration.

“Your current way of speaking suits you, Ji-hwan.”

“It suits me…?”

“Yeah. Ji-hwan gives off this mischievous yet intellectual vibe. So this way of speaking fits you better than a gentle tone. Hehe…”

“…Thanks, I guess.”

“No problem. Oh, I’m not sure if I can pick clothes that suit them… Um, could you come over here for a moment?”

“Ah, yes.”

Blanshe cautiously followed Seo-won. As the two headed to the fitting room, Bella suddenly grabbed my collar.

“What was that about earlier?”

“What do you mean?”

“That thing about a gentle tone,”

“My tone? Ah… it’s something I used briefly before.”

“Hmm… How gentle was it?”

“It’s hard to explain.”

“If it’s hard to explain, then show me.”

“Huh?”

“That sweet tone. Try it on me.”

“…I don’t think it’s that sweet.”

“That’s not for you to decide. It’s for me to judge. So hurry up and do it.”

“Let go first.”

Bella’s face was too close. Since when did she become so shameless?

“If I let go, you’ll just shut up.”

“What do you take me for?”

“A jerk. A playboy. A swindler.”

“…I didn’t know I had so many titles.”

“Want me to add more? I’ve got plenty.”

“Go ahead.”

Now that I looked at her, her pouting face was cute. No, adorable.

“Hmph. Idiot. Stupid dog. Scoundrel. Trash…?!”

I impulsively stole a kiss from Bella.

Her eyes widened for a moment, but she accepted my surprise kiss.

I savored the lips that had just been hurling insults at me.

“…Ha.”

When our lips finally parted, we awkwardly avoided each other’s gazes.

“…Even so, I don’t think I’m trash, right?”

“…Pervert.”

“That might be true.”

I let out a small laugh.

***

“It’s a shame Helga couldn’t come with us.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. If Helga had come, she would’ve just caused trouble.”

“That’s true.”

Seo-won eventually picked out clothes for the two. No matter what they wore, it looked good on them, making it hard to choose. If I hadn’t stepped in, they might’ve been picking clothes until evening.

Bella was wearing a snapback to hide her silver hair, a hoodie, and comfortable sports leggings.

Blanshe was dressed similarly, just in different colors. She didn’t pull her hood all the way down, though.

Their looks were too striking, so this was the only choice. But as they say, beautiful people look good in anything.

Even now, sitting in a nearby café, I could feel the stares directed at our table.

With their hats pulled low and their outfits accentuating their figures, they could easily pass as undercover girl group members.

“Hmm… This café is livelier than the ones back in the empire.”

Bella looked around the café and muttered.

“Yeah. Not much different. People are people, after all.”

“The buildings outside are so grand, I thought the cafés would be different too.”

That’s understandable.

The world we came from was a medieval fantasy with modern elements mixed in. It’s only natural they’d be similar. But after coming to this world, everything felt new, so Bella and Blanshe seemed a bit disappointed.

“This is fascinating…”

Sitting in a real-world café with Bella and Blanshe felt like a dream. Shopping and going to cafés—a mundane routine for some, but something I had longed for.

I wanted to share this ordinary life with them. I wanted to live a normal life with precious people like Bella, Helga, Wendy, and Blanshe.

Of course, among those precious people was my younger sister.

“Sora…”

It’s still too early to relax. I’ve found a way to escape this world, but I haven’t found a way to save my sister yet.

The real reason I came out this time wasn’t just to show Bella, Helga, and Blanshe around this world. I had another purpose.

I glanced out the window.

The towering skyscrapers were bathed in the glow of the sunset. Among those skyscrapers was Stella Corp., where Sora was sleeping.

“Count…? Are you okay?”

“…Just lost in thought for a moment.”

“What were you thinking about…?”

Bzzzzzz-

Just then, the vibration bell on the table rang.

“Is this… magic?”

“Not magic, but something similar.”

“Why is it ringing like that?”

“It means our drinks are ready. Wait here. I’ll go get them.”

“Ah, I’ll go.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll go.”

“Haha… Never thought I’d see the day you’d fetch drinks yourself.”

At Bella’s teasing, I shook my head and headed to the counter.

“Here’s your Jeju Mugwort Sunset Tea Latte, Dulce Truffle Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cream Frappuccino, and… Iced Americano.”

“……”

I couldn’t believe these were actual menu items.

I had told them to order whatever they wanted, but I didn’t expect Bella and Blanshe to order such long, suspicious-sounding drinks. No matter how intriguing they looked…

I shook my head and picked up the tray. But then I noticed a napkin next to the drinks. There were numbers… no, a phone number written on it.

“…What’s this?”

“Ah! Sir, that’s…”

The female employee who handed me the drinks spoke in a shy, quiet voice.

“If… if you don’t have a girlfriend… maybe we could… talk…”

“……”

“Ah! Of course, you probably have a girlfriend… I’m really sorry if I offended you…”

It wasn’t that I was offended. I just couldn’t process what was happening for a moment.

I never thought I’d be hit on… no, receive a phone number from someone. I had been single my whole life until recently. I wasn’t used to this kind of attention and was momentarily stunned. But I quickly regained my composure and spoke to the employee.

“…I have a girlfriend.”

“Ahhh… I’m so sorry. I should’ve known…”

“…No, I’m sorry. Well…”

“Wait, sir!”

“?”

As I nodded and turned to leave, the employee grabbed me.

“Sir, you’re really my type… Is there no way? Or maybe… a second…? Ah, never mind…”

I couldn’t bring myself to say, “I already have two,” so I quietly shook my head.

“Let’s pretend that didn’t happen.”

“Ah…”

I left without looking back. I could feel the sighs from a few women at other tables who must’ve overheard the conversation.

I had completely forgotten, too caught up in thinking about Bella and Blanshe. I also had a striking appearance that drew attention.

“Next time, I should wear a hat or something to cover my face.”

Drawing too much attention isn’t good, especially if I want to stay active in this world. It’d be bad if I ran into Chairman Park or someone from the company…

“Huh…?”

I had to stop in my tracks.

In my line of sight, I saw a group of men surrounding Bella and Blanshe.

 

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