Lydia somehow felt very indignant.

“Mallan. Guide me to the boutique.”

There was a change in how she addressed Mallan, whom she had respectfully called “Mr. Mallan” before.

For the next week, while staying in Count Wonde’s territory, Lydia planned to temporarily return to the Lydia she was before the regression, and the first step was changing her form of address and attitude.

She had deliberately brought Arsen along to play the role of a childish Miss who dragged Arsen Edis—who was busy protecting the border from demonic beasts due to his ignorance of worldly matters—as her escort.

Dragging along the person who had made the greatest contribution to the recent coup just to go shopping? How childish.

Incidentally, she also planned to show plenty of interest in Arsen to spread rumors in the Count’s territory that Lydia had chosen Arsen as her next target.

Having to carry out two strategies simultaneously, she needed to stay sharp.

“Priestess, this is the most luxurious boutique in the Count’s territory.”

“Is that so? Let’s go in and see.”

As Lydia nodded, Mallan quickly opened the boutique door.

Arsen, Kedrick, and the three knights who had come as escorts entered boldly but were soon intimidated by the colorful fabrics and dresses.

Mirrors here, mirrors there, mirrors everywhere they looked.

The interior, reminiscent of a mirror kingdom, was enough to dumbfound the five men who had never bought dresses.

“Welcome…… Priestess?”

The owner rushed out when customers entered, but hesitated upon seeing Lydia’s attire.

“I’ve come to have clothes made.”

“Oh, we don’t make priestess robes—huh?”

If Lydia had been alone, the owner might have shouted and thrown her out, but intimidated by Arsen and the knights, she was politely trying to send Lydia away when Mallan quickly whispered in her ear.

“She is Marquis Evansi’s daughter.”

“What?”

“Haven’t you heard that she became a priestess and came to the border region?”

As if she hadn’t heard. The border region was right next to the Count’s territory.

The rumor that Lydia, Marquis Evansi’s daughter, had come down as a priestess had already spread widely.

Moreover, she too was a merchant. Since merchants who were slow to hear rumors couldn’t survive, the owner naturally knew about it.

Now that she looked closer, her behavior in the boutique seemed quite familiar, not like an ordinary priestess.

“So you don’t make priestess robes?”

“We normally don’t, but since Lady Evansi has come all this way, of course we must do it for you.”

The owner rubbed her palms together, pushed Mallan aside, and approached Lydia.

Though it was the most luxurious boutique in Count Wonde’s territory, the highest-ranking people they sold dresses to were the Count’s wife or daughter.

The rest were wealthy women who wanted to imitate nobles, so selling clothes to Marquis Evansi’s daughter would be great publicity for the boutique.

“I only received this one measly priestess robe from the Central Temple.”

As Lydia slightly frowned, the owner quickly responded, asking how uncomfortable that must be.

She naturally seated Lydia on a sofa covered with rose-patterned fabric and called a maid to prepare refreshments.

Of course, there were no chairs for the other five. Lydia didn’t offer them chairs either.

“I think I should have at least three sets to be comfortable.”

“Of course, of course. Let me show you the fabrics first.”

While Lydia elegantly tilted her teacup, maids hurried in with different white fabrics and stood before her.

“Hmm, isn’t that fabric used for wedding dresses?”

Lydia flicked her finger to the side, toward the maid holding the shiny fabric.

It meant she didn’t like it and wanted it removed. The maid quickly understood and stepped aside.

“Isn’t that one too yellowish? That one, hmm, looks fine.”

“Would you like to see it up close?”

After finding fault with this and that, Lydia selected one fabric. She ran her fingertips over the fabric brought before her and nodded.

“Oh my, indeed, you have excellent taste, Miss.”

The owner’s face brightened, while Arsen and the others stood there blankly, not understanding what was happening.

For their benefit, Mallan whispered quietly beside them.

“It’s imported fabric. The most expensive among what the owner brought out.”

“I see.”

That woman’s mouth is about to split to her temples, Kedrick muttered.

Meanwhile, the owner was subtly suggesting lace to Lydia.

“If we add just a bit of lace at the end of the sleeves and the hem of the skirt, it would look really pretty. What do you think, Miss?”

“Lace on a priestess robe, is that okay? I’d be in trouble if people said a priestess was being extravagant.”

“If we add just a little at the ends, no one will notice.”

“Then let’s do that.”

Saying just a tiny bit, Lydia pointed to one of the lace samples. That lace must have been expensive too, as the owner looked delighted.

“Shall we make the neckline slightly pleated with frills?”

The owner seemed to have forgotten they were making priestess robes, as she kept presenting decorations to Lydia.

“Do you think frills suit a priestess robe?”

When Lydia, who had been responsive to everything brought to her, reacted indifferently, the owner quickly bowed her head, saying she had gone too far.

Lydia whispered to the owner bowing before her.

“Frills would be too much, but embroidering pearls where the pleats begin would be just right. It would look neat.”

“My skills were lacking to think that far, Miss. I’ve learned something, hohoho.”

A high-pitched laugh echoed as if it would pierce the ceiling. As soon as Lydia put down her teacup, a maid with a measuring tape rushed over.

Though it seemed unnecessary to measure for a loose priestess robe, Lydia obediently spread her arms and offered her waist.

“Three sets in a week shouldn’t be a problem, right? It’s not like the fitting requires much work.”

Though adding lace and pearls would require a lot of work, the owner immediately said it was possible, not wanting to lose Lydia.

And as the time for payment approached, the owner subtly asked.

“By the way, Miss, I see you don’t have a maid with you.”

Usually when buying dresses, the dedicated maid who accompanied the shopping would handle the payment.

But since Lydia hadn’t brought a maid, the owner was greatly concerned about who to receive payment from.

“A maid? Have you ever seen a priestess with a maid?”

By that logic, what priestess would add pearls to her robe?

The owner, Arsen, and everyone else had the same thought, but no one voiced it.

The owner needed to please Lydia, and the others knew Lydia was acting.

Meanwhile, Arsen inwardly clicked his tongue, as Lydia’s behavior perfectly embodied a childish Miss who had been forced to become a priestess.

“Sir Arsen.”

Though she added the honorific “Sir,” the way she called him by crooking her finger to pay was just like ordering a servant.

Arsen took out one of the diamonds he had diligently extracted in the carriage and handed it over.

It was an excessive amount for making three priestess robes, but it was also behavior befitting a Miss ignorant of worldly matters.

The owner, not being particularly tight-lipped, immediately ran to a jeweler with the diamond received from Lydia, asking its value and proudly recounting every detail of what had happened.

And before dawn that day, rumors spread among the merchants of Count Wonde’s territory that a perfect mark of a Miss had arrived.

The next day, when Lydia went out to buy robes, she was met with enthusiastic solicitation.

“Sir, I’m too drained to walk around anymore.”

“Let’s go back then.”

Shopping among those who drooled at the sight of her wasn’t an easy task.

Besides, she had achieved her goal of buying several high-end robes and had spent enough money for the day, so Lydia wanted to return.

Lydia returned to the luxury inn where Mallan had reserved an entire floor, with Arsen’s support. Standing before the stairs, she suddenly stopped, glanced sideways, and said.

“My goodness! My legs are so sore and tired! Sir, you’ll have to carry me.”

“Understood.”

“…No, Sir.”

Without a word, Arsen lifted Lydia. Surprised by his unexpected action, Lydia blinked.

What would everyone think? They might think Arsen and Lydia liked each other, not just that Lydia was chasing after Arsen!

That shouldn’t happen, Lydia thought with a worried expression, but it was too late.

Kedrick and the others watching Arsen carry Lydia up the stairs had already made such a misunderstanding.

“Miss seems to view the Commander as some kind of transportation. That’s how comfortable our Commander’s arms must be.”

“That’s right. The Commander’s chest, it’s just hard and nothing special to me.”

Mallan and the other knights looked at Kedrick in horror at his response.

“Have you been held by him?”

“No, but when we spar and bump into each other, you can tell.”

“Come on, Sir Kedrick, is sparring the same as that?”

Kedrick protested as if wronged.

“What’s different?”

“The Commander’s feelings are different, aren’t they? Didn’t you see how he carried her? He held her so preciously, like gold or jade, afraid she might break if dropped?”

“That’s true. I wish Miss would soon realize our Commander’s feelings.”

“That’ll be difficult. Is our Commander socially awkward for nothing? He’s socially awkward because he doesn’t know his own feelings. So, let’s give him a strong push.”

They had already firmly concluded that Arsen liked Lydia. Arsen, who always coldly treated women, was only soft with Lydia, so it had to be so.

Unfortunately, since Lydia and Arsen were completely unaware of this situation, their ineffective strategy continued.

* * *

“Now, rest.”

He gently set Lydia down in front of her room door and was about to return to his own room. Lydia quickly looked to both sides, grabbed Arsen’s sleeve as he was leaving, and pulled him into her room.

Arsen, who had followed her in without thinking, looked confused.

“Sir Arsen!”

Looking at such an Arsen, Lydia pounded her chest in frustration.

“Do you really think I couldn’t climb the stairs and was just being spoiled? I was trying to trick you into carrying me somehow.”

They had clearly discussed the plan. Lydia had repeatedly cautioned Arsen to subtly show his dislike.

But to suddenly carry her when she said she was tired?

How would anyone think Lydia was one-sidedly pestering Arsen this way?

“Ah, was that so?”

Arsen didn’t realize it was an act.

“But your face looks pale.”

“That’s just because I’m a bit tired.”

“Then you really were tired, not acting.”

Am I talking to a person? Am I talking to a wall?

Lydia was so frustrated by the lack of communication that she could only move her lips before finally managing to speak.

“No, I wasn’t so tired that I couldn’t climb the stairs. And why did you suddenly pick me up and carry me to my room just because I looked tired? Since when have you been such a caring person?”