“Now, miss, would you care to try these first? These shoes are made from the finest leather brought in from the north.”

The saleswoman knelt and set a pair of soft flats before Elun’s bare white feet. Elun eyed them with utter reluctance, only slipping her feet inside after an urging look from Yuto.

“They constrict my feet. Why do humans willingly wear such restraints?”

Elun frowned and grumbled, then gave a start at the sensation of tapping her shod feet against the floor.

Having spent all this time walking barefoot over rough earth and cold stone, she found the soft cushioning that cradled her entire soles astonishing. What was more, the tightness she had felt when she first slipped them on had already turned into a pleasant sense of security, the shoes fitting snugly over her feet.

“What a... peculiar sensation. A foreign barrier has come between me and the earth, yet I feel the ground beneath my feet more distinctly. I thought the design irrational, but it is surprisingly functional.”

Feigning indifference, Elun stamped her feet a few more times. Each step sent a bright click ringing through the room. Apparently pleased with the sound, she made it several more times before finally stilling her feet.

After the shoes came the dresses. The clothes the saleswoman had brought were worlds apart from the plain dress Elun had worn since hatching from her egg.

A navy silk dress reminiscent of the dark night sky. A coat delicately embroidered with silver thread. A shirt trimmed with white lace that softly encircled the neck, and more.

“Allow us to help you, miss.”

The saleswomen took Elun by the hands and drew her behind the fitting-room curtain. Given her temperament, she might well have shaken them off and demanded how they dared touch her. Instead, she merely wore an expression of profound displeasure as she let them lead her inside.

Changing required almost no effort on Elun’s part. All she had to do was stand still and move her arms a little as directed. But when she stood before the mirror in the first outfit, her eyes widened despite herself.

An unfamiliar girl stood in the mirror. Rather than someone bearing the chilling title of the Void’s agent, she looked like a noble young lady who belonged amid Merchant City’s splendid scenery. Her jet-black hair made a striking contrast against the snow-white frills, and the silk shirt that fitted her so closely further enhanced her mysterious air.

‘Why am I allowing this visual amusement to capture my attention?’

Elun’s lips trembled faintly at the stream of praise from the saleswomen behind her. It certainly did not feel unpleasant. No, there was even a strange, tingling satisfaction in a corner of her heart.

“Miss! It looks absolutely wonderful on you!”

One of the saleswomen opened the fitting-room curtain, revealing Elun to Yuto and Flokiro as well. Her eyebrows twitched as she turned away from the mirror to look at Yuto.

“Wow.”

Still seated on the sofa, Yuto clapped with a look of genuine amazement.

“That suits you. It looks as though it was made for you.”

There was no exaggeration in his appraisal. He was genuinely impressed by the sight of Elun dressed that way.

“...”

Unable to answer, Elun turned back to the mirror. Yuto’s reflection still wore an admiring expression, and Flokiro was staring at her with his mouth hanging open.

The curtain closed again. There were still plenty of clothes left to try. With Elun as beautiful as she was, even the saleswomen dressing her grew excited, vying to pick up the next outfit.

“Miss! Please try this one too!”

“Would you be interested in jewelry? Your skin is as white as flawless jade. This necklace would look lovely on you!”

The bustle and the saleswomen’s cheerful voices continued in the fitting room for quite some time: fabric rustling, jewelry jingling, and exclamations of admiration.

At the center of all that noise, Elun’s expression grew colder and stiffer. Watching her appearance change with each new outfit and adornment was, in all honesty, not an unpleasant experience.

But the very fact that she felt that way displeased her. That agreeable feeling was gradually edging closer to “enjoyment.” That was what upset Elun. She felt she was being contaminated by human sensations.

And being undressed and dressed over and over made her feel as though she were being treated like a doll. That was an indignity she could not tolerate.

“Enough.”

The icy voice she finally let escape froze the warmth inside the fitting room in an instant.

“B-but, miss. We haven’t finished with this ribbon...”

“I said enough. Do not test my patience.”

Leaving the flinching saleswomen to retreat, Elun roughly swept the curtain aside and strode out. Wearing her new clothes, a necklace, and the flats she had first tried on, she approached Yuto on the sofa. The clicking of her shoes sounded much sharper and more irritable than before.

“Yuto. Any more of this is a waste of time.”

Elun stopped before him and folded her arms. Her fingers trembled faintly as they toyed with the lace-trimmed edge of a sleeve.

“It is vulgar to attach significance to every scrap of cloth draped over one’s flesh and be swayed by crude visual amusements. Worse still, becoming a spectacle for someone else’s enjoyment in the process is horribly offensive.”

“Don’t you like the clothes? You looked quite pleased a moment ago.”

At Yuto’s teasing question, the faintest blush rose in Elun’s cheeks. It was less shyness than revulsion at the unfamiliar enjoyment she herself had felt.

“Do not misunderstand. I have merely chosen to acquire clothes and shoes so that I may blend naturally into this world. It is an entirely rational decision, with no room whatsoever for personal feelings.”

Under Elun’s cold gaze, Yuto rose from the sofa.

“Our young lady is quite cross.”

“Do not call me that.”

As Elun’s voice grew colder still, Yuto shrugged and turned to the saleswomen.

“She’ll wear this outfit out. Please send the remaining clothes to the Marigold estate.”

“Y-yes, of course!”

The saleswomen hurried to gather the remaining clothes. Elun glanced at the full-length mirror. She rather liked her reflection, and that pleasure was all too human. Finding the emotion both unfamiliar and unpleasant, she left the VIP room as though fleeing.

Yuto followed with a faint smile. Despite her cold, disgruntled manner, Elun was now walking with careful attention to the sensation of her shoes touching the floor.

Outside the shop, the sun was still high. They had promised to return to the Marigold estate by evening, so there was still a fair amount of time.

‘We could head straight back to the Marigold estate...’

But since he was already out with Elun and Flokiro, he wanted to wander a little longer. He also felt he ought to soothe Elun, who had become sulky for some reason he could not fathom.

“Let’s do something to lift our spirits before we head back to the estate.”

“Lift our spirits? What do you mean?”

“You’re in a bad mood right now. Eating something sweet helps at times like that.”

“Something sweet...?”

Her eyebrows quivering faintly, Elun looked up at Yuto. Her reason judged it unnecessary, but the solid weight of the glass jar tucked into her coat pocket unsettled that judgment. What sort of ripples would those star-bright crystals she had seen earlier send across her tongue? Using intellectual curiosity as an excuse, she was slowly warming to the idea.

“If you mean something... sweet, I have what I received earlier. Are you telling me to eat that?”

“That would be fine too, but now that you’re so nicely dressed, standing in the street eating candy would be undignified. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Dignity...”

“Surely dignity matters to the Void’s agent?”

Yuto asked with a gentle smile. He was gradually learning how to handle this difficult girl.

“Dignity... Yes, dignity is important. Indeed, as you say, standing idly in such a crowded street eating candy would be undignified.”

Elun murmured under her breath, then quickly shook her head.

“No, there is no need for me to perform the act of... ‘eating’ candy. I believe I told you earlier. I have no need to eat. I do not feel hunger.”

“You don’t have to be hungry to eat. That’s especially true of sweet desserts. You eat them because they make you feel good.”

“I have no need to feel good. My mood is not at all poor. I am merely sick of humans’ inefficient amusements.”

“Really? Then you can just watch. Flokiro and I are going for dessert.”

No sooner had Yuto finished speaking than Flokiro, who had been cautiously watching Elun’s mood, shot his tail upright as though struck by electricity.

“R-really? Dessert! We’re going for dessert? Something sweet, right? Huh? Cake? Parfaits? I-I want to go! Yuto! I’m definitely going!”

Flokiro’s response was fervent. Even before Yuto’s regression, he had been utterly helpless when it came to sweet treats and desserts.

“Yes, let’s go. We both went through a lot in Belkain. We could use something sweet to cheer us up.”

Grinning, Yuto stroked Flokiro’s head. He himself was not particularly fond of overly sweet desserts, but he was more than willing to eat them for Flokiro’s sake. After all the dismal things they had experienced in Belkain, part of him was craving something sweet too.

“... Then I have no choice.”

Elun muttered with a thoroughly reluctant expression.

“I have chosen to remain with you, so wherever you wish to go... I must follow. Even if I have absolutely no desire to do so myself.”

Stressing that this was entirely against her wishes, Elun followed Yuto and Flokiro.

They arrived at an open-air café beside a canal, a little way from the heart of the market. Cool water flowed beyond its terrace, which was adorned with brilliant flowers, and the air was rich with the toasty fragrance of freshly baked bread and the sweet scent of fruit syrup.

“Welcome to Blue Ripple!”

An employee in a cute uniform greeted them with a bright smile. Yuto took a quiet table with a good view of the canal and ordered the signature item on the menu.

A short while later, a parfait in an ornate glass dish was set on the table. Pale pink cream and red strawberries were stacked in layers, while tiny candies scattered on top like powdered gems sparkled like sunlight on water.

“Woooow!”

Flokiro cheered, spoon in hand. Smiling at his partner, Yuto pushed the parfait toward him.

“You can eat it all.”

“R-really? I can eat all this myself?”

“Yes.”

“Woo-hoo!”

Abandoning all restraint, Flokiro plunged his spoon into the parfait. Elun watched his disgraceful display coldly, yet her eyes quivered ever so slightly, as though she had been expecting something.

“How utterly unseemly. Does your partner not know what dignity is?”

“Sometimes you need to let yourself indulge.”

“Hmph... You certainly have a way with words.”

Elun frowned at Flokiro. His spoon moved busily as he scooped up the parfait, reveling in its sweetness while smearing cream all around his mouth.

“Horrifying. A meal that gives no consideration whatsoever to nutritional efficiency. It is nothing short of torture designed solely to numb the brain.”

Just as Elun said that, the server set another parfait on the table.

“You should try it yourself before saying that.”

Smiling, Yuto pushed the parfait toward Elun.

“Have a taste.”

“...”

“Wouldn’t experiencing things we’ve never experienced before help us make wiser choices in the future?”

“You really do... have a way with words.”

Shaking her head in disbelief, Elun cautiously brought her spoon toward the parfait. With a look of profound reluctance, she scooped a little of the cold ice cream, syrup, and strawberry from the very top and slipped it into her mouth.

She chewed slowly.

Elun’s eyes flew wide open.