In an attempt to dispel the lingering awkwardness, Aillen started a lively conversation. Seren gave a small nod.

She had seemed fine while running with the wind in her face, but as soon as she stopped, the color drained from her cheeks.

‘We should hurry.’

Aillen thought, quickening her pace. Even so, she could not suppress her curiosity and finally spoke.

“Judging by the way things look, I would think you realized you needed clothes much earlier. Why did you endure it? If you had asked for directions, someone would have gladly guided you.”

“Everyone is busy. Asking someone to accompany me out would have been discourteous.”

The words fell evenly. Aillen rolled her eyes slightly.

“If you had collapsed, that would have been far more ‘discourteous.’ You could have at least asked for directions.”

“On unfamiliar roads, no matter how detailed the explanation, I still find it difficult to locate the place. And besides…”

For someone as calm and collected as Aillen, it seemed oddly out of character to admit that she had no sense of direction. She stole a sideways glance at Seren. Despite looking overheated, her long hair hung loose down her back.

“And besides?”

“Securing a carriage is… no simple matter.”

“Ah. That’s true.”

The sound of a nearby fountain provided a refreshing backdrop. Children’s laughter rang out like birdsong, mingling with their parents’ clear voices scolding them for their carelessness.

Aillen allowed the ordinary sounds of daily life to wash over her for a moment. They were pleasant to hear.

“You’re from Rinamoth, aren’t you?”

“Is it that obvious at a glance?”

She had noticed it before—her tone fell flat, without rise or fall, in the strangest places. Aillen nodded without malice.

“It’s just… you seem to resemble that place somehow.”

Seren let out a faint laugh, like air slipping through a crack. When Aillen glanced at her, she didn’t seem offended.

It had never been intended as an insult, but Aillen’s opinion of Rinamoth was not entirely favorable. Feeling suddenly self-conscious, she added.

“I mean… you seem refined.”

At her careful tone, Seren’s smile deepened, more natural than before.

“Thank you.”

After a brief silence, Seren resumed the conversation. It was not a direction that favored her.

“Have you ever been to Rinamoth?”

Aillen held her breath for a moment.

Ah! Of course. She should have expected that question. It wasn’t an inappropriate question. Under ordinary circumstances, she would have been able to answer it casually.

Unfortunately, that was not the case for Aillen.

Hoping that Seren wouldn’t find her pause awkward, she shrugged exaggeratedly.

“No. I’ve never once left the South in my life. The farthest I’ve ever gone would be Whislen, I suppose.”

The longer she spoke, the more suspicious she might seem. Realizing that, Aillen snapped her mouth shut. But Seren’s curiosity did not appear to have been satisfied. In truth, that was not Seren’s fault.

“It sounded as though you had been there.”

“Well… I’ve read about it a lot in books. There were illustrations, too.”

Fortunately, the clothing shop was just ahead. Aillen pointed towards it quickly and called out.

“We’re here!”

Seren raised her eyebrows slightly.

The shop was a small, quaint building painted the color of autumn leaves. As they pushed open the door, a bell chimed and the shop assistant turned around with a smile and a warm welcome.

“Welcome—oh! Aillen!”

“Hello, Nelly. It’s been a while.”

“Has it? The last time I saw you was when you came to buy clothes for your siblings, wasn’t it? Since then you’ve grown quite… hm. Actually, you’re the same.”

“Perhaps I’ve passed the age where I grow any taller.”

Aillen replied with an exaggeratedly bitter expression. Nelly threw her head back and laughed.

Soon, her gaze shifted to Seren, who stood quietly beside Aillen.

“So then, what brings you here today? Shopping for winter clothes?”

“Well, not for me. I’ve come to buy something for this lady. Clothes suitable for wearing in the South.”

Nelly nodded, her expression turning deliberately serious.

“First, come and cool off, miss. You look as though you might faint.”

Seren followed her without protest and sat down where she was directed. An absurdly large fan had been placed nearby, lending the room an almost theatrical air.

Seren did not like such flamboyant decorations, and her eyes lingered on it only briefly before returning to Aillen, who moved lightly around the shop.

She wore a simple yet graceful light brown linen dress, and her hair was twisted up high in a loose knot. There were no extravagant ornaments, only delicate flowers embroidered along the hem, which brushed the middle of her calves.

Aillen looked as though she had stepped straight out of a holiday brochure.

Without realizing it, Seren felt the tension leave her shoulders. Her posture softened as she continued to watch Aillen, her gaze lingering longer than intended.

“How about this? I think it would suit you well, and the length should be just right.”

Suddenly, Aillen held out a sleeveless shift dress in front of her. It was ivory in color, with a faint grey tinge — bright yet subdued at the same time.

It seemed a deliberate choice, made with consideration for what Seren had come wearing.

Without realizing it, Seren curved her lips into a faint smile.

“It’s quite similar to what I came in.”

“…Yes. That’s why I thought I should show you this one first.”

She wanted to show that not everything in the South was light-hearted.

She had added the explanation because she had startled herself. Goodness!

Contrary to the cold impression she gave, when the northern guest smiled, it was like watching lilacs bloom in spring.

Scratching the back of her neck, Aillen adjusted her dress again.

“Does it seem all right?”

“Let’s purchase this one to start with.”

With that, Seren rose to her feet. The way she swiftly parted the hangers with her long fingers was almost professional. Nelly and Aillen could only hover nearby and watch in mild awe.

Despite having only just stepped into the shop, Seren selected garments with astonishing speed and certainty.

There were several gored skirts that would have fallen well past mid-calf on Aillen, yet on Seren they barely slipped below the knee. There were also gathered trousers, shirts, blouses and a simple chemise dress suited for casual wear.

Nelly could not hide her regret over the skirts that only just covered Seren’s knees. But Seren seemed entirely unbothered. She looked every inch the fashionable lady from the north, and Aillen decided that was reason enough to approve.

While no one was looking, Aillen quietly added a pair of sarong trousers to the growing pile.

They looked cool — light and effortless — and she thought they would suit Seren beautifully.

It was a garment that she herself had once wanted to try. Not that she was living through Seren, of course. Yet, when Seren accepted them with a faint laugh as soft as a passing breeze, Aillen could not help but feel a small surge of pride.

The shopping ended quickly.

But the number of parcels in the end was far from small.

She truly had not meant to buy so much.

Seren frowned slightly, a faint crease of concern appearing on her face. However, Aillen was so delighted and openly pleased that Seren found herself carried along by her enthusiasm. Anyone might have mistaken Aillen for the shop assistant.

Of course, the real attendant, Nelly, was no less eager.

If transporting everything back to Rinamoth proved difficult, Seren could always donate a few pieces.

With that thought in mind, Seren asked for everything except the outfit she intended to wear until the rest were delivered to be wrapped. As though afraid Seren might change her mind, Nelly hurried to pack the garments neatly into boxes.

After changing into a light shirt and gathered trousers, Seren felt immediate relief. The clothes were far more comfortable than what she had brought from the north. As the stiffness left her body, so too did the subtle strain she had been carrying. The effortless composure of someone who had rarely experienced true hardship returned to her features.

Sitting comfortably while waiting for the parcels to be wrapped, Seren’s blue-grey eyes slowly drifted towards Aillen.

“Didn’t you say you were going to buy something as well, Aillen?”

The three syllables of her name felt oddly unfamiliar on Seren’s tongue; they did not quite seem to fit. She paused for a moment.

Seemingly unaware of anything amiss, Aillen had been gazing at a pair of overalls hanging on the wall. Startled a moment too late, she turned around.

“Oh… There isn’t really anything that suits me.”

She gave a small shrug, but her excuse sounded insincere. Seren narrowed her eyes slightly, unconvinced.

Ignoring this, Aillen began to wander around the shop rather too deliberately.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like anything.

If circumstances had been different, she would have chosen a thin, ivory blouse with a faint sheen, similar to those Seren had selected, perhaps paired with a matching pleated skirt. More than anything, though, it was the overalls that caught her eye. They looked comfortable enough to wear anywhere, and the length seemed just right. The stitching appeared strong and dependable.

If she were to buy something, it should at least be practical, she told herself.

And yet a faint, bitter smile curved her lips.

Even if she liked the clothes, she wouldn’t be the one paying for them.

She had told her mother that she might buy something for herself with whatever money was left over. But deep down, she had always known that that would never happen.

That had never truly been an option.

Aillen was no longer a child who believed that adventures would last forever, nor a foolish girl who assumed that the world would always treat her kindly.

Not anymore.

She had to save. She had to prepare.

No one could predict what the future might bring, and she couldn’t afford to waste a penny.