#9 Capital (3)
There was an awkward silence over the breakfast table.
Elric glanced at Tyria with a sullen face.
How can you not know about it when you have such a bad sleeping habit?
It is said that it is too much to do the responsibility there.
I tried conveying that intention with a glance, but it seems that I haven’t been close enough to convey it yet.
As if nothing was wrong, Tyria was relaxed with her characteristic expressionless expression… No, I finished my meal a little earlier than usual.
“I will prepare to go out. The head of the household is also preparing soon.”
“… I see.”
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So I went back to my room and changed into my street clothes.
Elric, who came out dressed in roughly ready-to-wear, was only able to see her after about 20 minutes.
Elric was a little surprised.
“I think you are dressed lightly.”
“Is there any reason to go too far?”
She wore a coat over a gray street dress, and a fur cloak over it.
It was an outfit suitable for going out in winter, but in other words, it was an outfit that did not reveal much of the splendor unique to aristocrats.
The place to go today was a dressmaker specializing in banquet clothes on the streets of the most glamorous aristocrats in the royal capital.
As Elric knew, when she visited such a place, the aristocrats wore dazzling clothes as if they were competing to see who was more splendid.
“Glamorous things should be done at a banquet or something like that. No, it’s better to avoid anything too fancy there. It might come across as excessive, which doesn’t fit the subject.”
“For example, it must be the beauty of moderation.”
“That is the correct expression.”
Elric nodded and looked around for a moment.
I was looking for Rdio, but for some reason he didn’t show up.
“What are you looking for?”
“I can’t see Aldio. I even said that I would go out, but I was going to go.”
“Oh, I told you to go and arrange a bed in advance. I had a letter to write there as well.”
Oh, indeed.
Elric remembered her great anger the day before when she saw the broken bed.
“… I understand. Then let’s go together.”
“yes.”
So the two left the mansion.
*
There was a separate street for nobles in Ferdinand.
It’s called Shui Burgil Road No. 1, and the royal capital was a place where the residences of influential nobles were concentrated, so the commercial district was also developed for them.
In the middle of the boulevard, dazzling carriages were running in a row.
On the sidewalks on either side of it, people who looked noble at first glance were moving with the help of servants, and somewhere else, people who looked like mansion managers were busily taking care of work.
I feel my own energy.
And the awkwardness that came to mind was also because there was a gap between the life of the western aristocrats Elric knew and theirs.
‘Everyone is calm.’
From the look on his face, it was clear at once that he was living a fairly peaceful life.
If you sharpen your senses, you can even hear the sound of their conversation.
-At this banquet, you have to cut sides with Count Nimrud. Have you been researching his tastes?
-It’s my daughter’s debut show. There shouldn’t be a single mistake.
– At this banquet, I’m going to spend time alone with Gillian Youngsik! So you have to get the robes on time?
It was a conversation between people living in an era of peace.
West did not.
No matter where I went there, there were only voices discussing aspects of the war with serious expressions.
“You can go in there.”
“Ah, it must have arrived already.”
In the meantime, the place where Tyria led Elric was a dressmaker’s shop that was quietly located in a little corner.
“Oh, there must be an atmosphere.”
The clothes that the mannequins are wearing through the window are very neat.
Of course, Elric’s preference is to hang various decorations or chains, but wouldn’t it be ridiculed if he wore something like that to a banquet?
It was a passing point for nobility.
“It is a place specializing in menswear. When the former head of household attended a banquet, he usually used this place.”
I couldn’t help but be momentarily taken aback by the story of my father.
I might have to change some of this.
Elric felt ashamed for nothing.
‘… Anyway, it’s a sure guarantee check.’
Regardless of emotions, it is certain that if it is the father’s taste, it is the preferred taste externally.
Elric followed her into the dressmaker’s shop.
“Welcome… Ah, Baroness Portman!”
“Long time no see.”
The tall madam welcomed Tyria.
Then he cast his gaze on Elric.
“this person is… .”
“Let’s go.”
“oh!”
A look of astonishment began to form on her face.
Elric laughed awkwardly.
‘Yes, it can’t be that rumors didn’t spread.’
Rumors about her as Elric Portman, a prodigal son who ran away from home rather than as Kasha, the sword demon, would have spread quite widely within Ferden.
Aren’t nobles a people who can’t throw away the spirit of liking others after all?
Portman’s family history, which was later incorporated into the aristocracy, must have entertained them.
I felt ashamed, but I couldn’t show it.
Whatever it was, it was a self-imposed evaluation, so I had no choice but to face it.
Elric held out his hand for a handshake.
“I have heard many stories. Today I came to get clothes for a banquet, but looking at the entrance, I can trust your skills.”
The way of speaking that lifts opponents was learned from Elbus Graham.
Fortunately, the madam was very happy with the compliment and smiled.
“Ah! you’re welcome.”
Ho-ho-ho laughed softly.
The madam’s disposition was quite evident.
“Let’s see… .”
The madam’s gaze scanned Elric up and down.
However, the more I did, the more trouble started to appear on my face.
Tyria asked, puzzled.
“What is it?”
“… You have a pretty big physique.”
“Does that matter?”
“I don’t think it will work with the clothes I made.”
Elric broke out in a cold sweat at those words.
It was a natural crisis.
In the first place, it was a body rolled to be released on the battlefield.
In addition, as he learned the sword system, his life and mana twisted and raised his skeleton, Elric’s size could not be the same as that of the eastern aristocrats living peacefully.
Even if he went out on the street right away, Elric was about a head taller than the others.
Elric said, recalling the measurements he had taken with the help of Elbus when he attended an earlier imperial banquet.
“I remember my height was about 184 cm. As for other parts… .”
“no. no.”
“hmm?”
“I will have to check this out myself. If it’s different from the number you remember, you’ll be in trouble.”
Madame’s eyes lit up.
It was an eye full of strange passion.
Should I say that the craftsman spirit stands out?
Elric looked at Tyria.
Tyria nodded and said.
“Come in stock. Anyway, this is the only morning schedule, so you can relax.”
she sat on the sofa
Elric was a bit in trouble.
‘hmm… .’
I wasn’t afraid to show off my body to others.
no, not exactly.
‘It wouldn’t be right if this madam didn’t talk.’
As Elric Portman, it was very difficult to show this body to others.
*
The dressmaker’s Madame Seri came into the studio and guided Elric.
“You can just stand here. Oh, could you take off your top? It’s hard to measure right away.”
It was a bit of an excuse.
Seri’s real purpose was his professional curiosity and passion.
‘beautiful!’
I wasn’t talking about the face.
The body of the prodigal child named Elric Portman took on the most ideal skeleton of what the tax collector thought.
It is a body that inspires soars just by looking at the top of the clothes.
I wanted to peel it off.
Seri couldn’t escape her desire to clearly check the shape of the muscles engraved on her body.
It must have been unavoidable that it became a glistening eye.
Elric looked a little frightened by him, but the publican had no way of knowing.
“that… .”
“yes?”
“… Can you promise me just one thing?”
Seri’s head lifted at the words she heard.
Elric said with a embarrassed smile.
“I hope there are no rumors about the body. I don’t think you’d be happy to tell anyone about it.”
What kind of embarrassing secret do you have to say this already?
But it wasn’t even funny.
“I don’t have a big liver enough to talk about the shame of nobles. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been doing this for 30 years.”
Maybe he doesn’t know this because he didn’t live as an aristocrat.
When the tax collector said that, Elric felt relieved and slowly began to loosen his jacket.
Knock, dry saliva went down the back of the tax collector’s neck.
The feeling of getting hotter when the coat disappears and the tie comes untied, and the feeling of firecrackers exploding in my head at the muscle lines that are revealed when the buttons on the shirt begin to come undone.
and,
“… uh?”
The moment she saw her body stripped down to her shirt, Seri stiffened.
“I ask you to keep the secret once again.”
Suddenly, an idea came to her mind.
‘Have you been tortured… ?’
Elric’s body was full of gruesome marks.
With her imagination, she couldn’t understand how she could live with such scars.
Seri suddenly became afraid of him.
It was because it was a body that was so clearly visible that I had lived an unusual life.
Instinct said.
‘Ho, if this happened by any chance… .’
Could Elric Portman rip his own throat out?
Seri’s fingertips began to tremble.