Time continued to pass by.
For countless shops merging on an array outside the road, an area would be considerably packed due to the amount of expensive and high-quality products being sold off almost every day. They are indeed qualifying to be the ones to purchase it first. And since most families here are born noble and royalty, it is not surprising that they would buy a lot of these products as they visit the whole central shopping district. A district with this bound of many applicable sites is spreading throughout the entire kingdom.
"Haa... I am exhausted..." Aran sighed, his energy seemed to be depleted. After going back to the clothing shop, he changed into his casual clothes and they bought the formal attire for his meeting with the duke later on.
"Good job on making it this far, it seems like you are really having a hard time." Eunice leads the way to a stray area where there is a pointed district of benches near the park. Most people are busy on the road but at least there are plenty of resting places for those who are tired.
"Yes, you are right about that. I've never been outside with so many crowds. I am usually fine with taking detours but there are many people today. It is not fully integrated into my brain that I should come out more often." Aran replied as he followed her through the bench.
While gazing into the sky, Eunice sat on the bench under the clouds of leaves, making it a shade for direct rays. A gush of wind blew on their way, waving their hairs, feeling the entitled breeze soothing out their stress and relieving the scorching temperature. It wasn't bad at all to rest in this place.
The park is a major attraction in the capital as far as they know. Without the park, there would be traffic for all of the carriage, horses, and some merchants traveling on the road for at least a couple of days. And since it is packed, most people would be willing to pay for a convenient source of field that can be used for leisure and resting.
"Here..." Eunice pats the left side of the bench, signaling Aran to the seat beside her. Her dress is looking wimpy as of the moment, it has creases and little stains on the backside. Yet, even with this anomaly, she is still putting a tough front and her beauty is as mesmerizing as ever. Noticing her lead, Aran walked slowly to approach the other side of the seat and humped on.
He leaned on the case and started stretching his arms widely as he sighed.
"This is nice..."
An interval of silence put them at an awkward pace. Though, Aran doesn't have any clue of what is currently going on as he is focused on the dinner later. Meanwhile, inside the loop structure of Eunice's mindset were a bunch of complexities that runs through her mind about how she is close to Aran. Weaving that feeling, she raised a question to put an end to their uneasy silence.
"Oh yeah, where are Mahrisse and Lisa?"
"Mmm? Ah, they are still shopping. It looks they found some shop that sells jewelry or something." Aran answered in a nonchalant voice as if he doesn't really care about the two. His eyes were as dead as a fish for that little thin look, gazing into the blank spaces of the area. He is pretty much on the verge of losing his consciousness at any moment. At least, he was able to rest on the bench.
"Oh, I see..." Eunice replied. Not feeling satisfied with Aran's half-hearted answer, she inadvertently wiggled her head and lowered it. She stared at the brick stones on the floor while her arms are kept on her bosom, overlapping each other. Her hands are stalling on her thigh close to each other. She pouted in silence realizing that Aran is not taking the right approach on her lead.
"H-Hey Aran..." She tried to be forward and assertive and finally asked Aran once again. Her tone seemed to be more direct and unusual for his ears. Noticing the change, Aran glanced at her beautiful postured body.
"Yeah?" He leaned.
Her heart started to beat even faster. The normal rhythm was easily shattered in pieces after mustering the courage to finally take the approach that seemed to be with a man's responsibility.
"U-Umm... H-How do I... How do I look?" Her words struck through Aran's brain, making him shuffle with confusion and shock. He opened his mouth with a subtle space and inhaled a little while his eyes are partially lost in the moment. It is like the time had passed but on a slow track.
"You look beautiful... I really love it." He smiled without any hesitation. Aran took the most interesting path for social intimacy, gaining points from Eunice as he took out the expression of saying the truth and being normal for once. He realized that he needs to the work for his own companions and friends as well without any malice at all.
After hearing those words, Eunice exposed herself with a red face brimming from below up to her ears, bursting in a thrilling motion of different feelings all at once. She made a panic expression and averted her gaze from Aran. She then began to smile and felt relieved from the assurance of her good attempt. It was an important compliment coming from a man. Her forward approach had made a beautiful outcome for her day.
"T-Thank you..." She replied.
"Hmm... Are you okay?" Concerned about her sudden personality change, Eunice countered his question.
"Oh umm! Yes, I am okay!"
"That's nice... Well, the way you asked me, it sounds like there's something wrong. I hope I didn't offend you or anything." Aran closed his eyes and made a weary smile.
"Of course not! I am really thankful! I think... This is the first time that someone looked at me that way..." She replied.
"Look at you that way?" Confused by her meaning, Eunice twitched as if she is holding onto something that is not easy to open up considering her demeanor.
"Yes, it has been hard for me to keep myself open to these kinds of things," She answered. Her tone is set to be in a disheartened expression. Her reluctant face is getting in the way of her speech. But still, she continued to talk.
"Ever since I was a kid, I keep getting bullied for having such a brute type of body and posture. I dressed up as a boy because I feel ashamed when I am wearing girly attire. And whenever I have the courage to wear one, it doesn't feel the same as when the others do it. They made fun of my nature back then and I lost my confidence. I tried doing and studying more of how a woman particularly dresses up but it always fails because I don't know how to do it."
"What lead you to this kind of position?" Aran asked with a concerned tone.
"Well, ever since my mother died, I have been living with my father. He is a landlord working in the southern part of the kingdom. He kept me on his side and made me do things on his demand. He owns a large place of lodgings. Every adventurer that enters his property, instead of paying him with money, will request their assistance to train me to become a mighty adventurer as well. That's where things started to change. They taught me a lot of fighting styles using different kinds of weapons and it is very tiring for me. I have been doing it for a long time and that is where I gained this perfectly molded body. It seemed to me that I lost my ability to become a proper woman, having to be raised by multiple adventurers who will visit my father and have them train me for a couple of months. Since then, I wasn't able to act like a normal girl and I have lost the feelings of becoming one as well. That might be the reason why I feel uncomfortable in wearing these kinds of things and most people don't seem to see me as one of a kind." She explained.
"I see... And the loss of your mother is a major shortcoming because there would be no one to teach you the ways of being a woman as well." Aran followed.
Eunice nodded in agreement. Drowned by the sudden flow of bad memories, her institute of being strong and rational has depleted their existence in her personality. Being part of many kinds of directions has turned her into something that she wouldn't be expecting. A simple child with a bright future has turned into a pupil of adventurers which leads to her inability to become natural in her position.
It stemmed from the fact that her father wouldn't want her to die as well. And because of that, she became a combat major and she lost her inability to become a natural in person. Many people expected greater things from her and that made her stronger.
However, those are just facades she made up in order to cover her true feelings. She would try to lock her own nature and become what her father wanted her to become.
"I wasn't really resenting my father for taking this with me. I just felt like he would be happy with my mother not being around if I fulfilled his wish. I think he made me into a good warrior because he doesn't want me to die as well. In order to protect myself, I need to be good at fighting. That must be the sole reason why is he desperate. But at the same time, I felt like, I really lost my free will of what I wanted to be. I don't have control over my life anymore after experiencing all of that. And now, I lost my confidence in wanting to be a normal girl. Even now, as we speak, I am not really comfortable with wearing this. I see the stares of people." She continued.
"Then, why don't you start a new book?" Having to hear all of her struggles, Aran defined a structure of solutions to her problems.
"What–"
"I really do think that you are beautiful with that dress. In fact, when I first saw you back in my room, you struck me. And, with our friendship for the last few weeks, I didn't even see you as someone who is not capable of your own kind. You are cute, you know?" Aran continued on his insight, forging her feelings with his impressions all throughout their time.
"If you went to spend the rest of your time training and holding your forth, then why don't you spend the next path of your life being the 'normal' you sought?" He asked with an appealing smile.
"But then... I don't know... I am scared of what people will think of me. I am not ready for those things." She doubted.
"What people say doesn't matter, Eunice. Your job for your next life is to become the kind you wanted, not to listen to what they are saying. Your job is to fill the holes in your heart and in your nature, not to fill people's impressions. That doesn't matter to me at all, I and the others liked you for who you are. And if you wanted to fulfill that lost piece of the puzzle in your life, then we are here to support you." Aran showed his smile once again partnered with a wink that caused the destruction of Eunice's insecurities from her look.
She finally found the hope of starting a new book.
She stared widely at Aran, losing the words that she is trying to find for a long period of time. Her self-depreciation was extinguished. Once again, it reminded her of how he is able to change her view in life and what started her affection for him.
It was because that Aran is understanding and compassionate that he is able to view people without any difference and disgust from his perspective. He spent his entire life on a lonesome nature with only Lisa on his side. There was no group out there that can influence him. He made his own point with his own view on the matter.
"I... Do you really think I still have the chance?" Eunice raised the final question, still holding to the doubt that she gave to her old and current self.
"Of course, you are strong. I am sure that you can pull it off. I am here to support you, I am here to shield you from what people think. I am here to help you build your confidence if you want. And if they toss you around with their pitiful impression of you, I'll strangle them." Aran confidently replied.
"Hahaha!" His words were meaningful and direct to the point. It still feels like she is old. But now that she gained confidence, it leads her to a firmer path.
"You shouldn't waste that womanly figure, you know? I really like it!" Aran teased her.
"Ara... It seems like we have a pervert here" Eunice teased him back.
"No no no no! That's not what I meant!" Scared by her sudden change in personality, Aran backed off, raising both of his arms on his chest, shielding himself.
"Pfft! Hahahahahahahahah!" Eunice laughed.
"Eh?! Huh? Umm..." Confused, Aran gave her a weary expression not knowing what she is indicating at all.
After countless laughs, Eunice leaned on the bench and calmed herself down. She looked at Aran once again and started talking.
"Thank you so much, Aran. I finally know what to do because of you." Her gaze had a special kind inside of it that is coming deeply from the root of her feelings. It was hard for her to open up on this thing especially for her own sake of commitment. Though, gaining a few inches of confidence because of his words, she gratefully accepted his advice and turned it into the opposite of what's holding her in the past.
"Yeah, you're welcome," He replied with a smile.
"Hey, guys!" Lisa can be seen approaching the two with a bunch of bags in her arms.
"Oh! Lisa, how did it go?" Eunice asked nicely.
"Welp! We managed to buy a few things. I really like that shop over there, they had so many sparkling jewels. I think I may have spent a lot of money for today." Lisa glossed over to a pound of things she bought from the shop.
"I didn't know that you are the type to spend on these things..." Soon after that, Mahrisse came from her back.
"Well, it is my first time here in this new place anyway! I need to see and try all of the things." Lisa replied.
"Hey, just make sure that you save one for your food, you know?" Aran warned her.
"Don't worry about that! I still have a lot here."
"Anyway, are you guys hungry?" Mahrisse asked them.
"Yep! We have been shopping for like a couple of hours now, I didn't even feel my stomach growling." Lisa answered.
"Why don't we go over there? I think I saw a cafe on that side." Pointing with his index finger, Aran suggested everyone head over to the nearest cafe.
"Good idea... Come on guys, let's go." Eunice stood up to lead the way.
The group started to walk again. The sun was already shining brightly but as the afternoon session goes into the table, the heat of the whole place emitted more than usual.
(Oh god, I am sweating now.) Aran loses the speed to continue walking with them. Noticing his tiredness, Mahrisse goes over to walk at his pace as well.
"So how did you like your shopping spree?" She interviewed him.
"Well, I find it really hard to enjoy at first. I think it is fine, I guess?" Aran replied nonchalantly.
"That doesn't sound 'fine' at all, haha! So umm... About the dinner later..." Mahrisse brought up the topic of the invitation.
"Oh yeah, now that you mention it, umm... I am really new to this kind of stuff, but I think the clothes have pretty much-solved half of it. What should I do when I am in front of your father?" Aran asked for tips.
"Well, since you are not from here, I think it would prove difficult for you to handle the strict rules of being a noble. You need to remember and learn a lot of etiquette as well as various rules and proper manners and gestures to use when you are inside the place." Mahrisse replied.
"Is that really necessary?"
"Of course! You are going to be meeting the duke directly within his invitation. Even if you are the entitled visitor, you still need to practice your manner and proper way of acting in front of him. We have a lot of set rules inside the palace, but most likely they are for big events and meetings. But then, even if the dinner is mere gratitude, you must possess great manners." She answered.
"So how will I greet or introduce myself?" Aran raised another question.
"If you can meet royalty, or if you're writing a letter to someone of royal ranking, you need to know how to correctly address them. You want to make sure you do not displease a member of a royal family. You need to learn the proper title to use given the royal person's ranking and ensure you follow rules for conduct when in their presence. One formal thing that you should do is that you need to bow in front of the duke as you introduce yourself. If they were to offer a handshake, then you should take it. Follow rules regarding physical touch. You do not want to offend a king or queen by touching them. You should always wait for royalty to touch you first. Do not attempt a handshake until a person of royal ranking has reached out to you. The protocol is to stand up and wait for the royal to extend their hand to you and say, 'how do you do?'. Stay somewhat formal in your interactions. You do not want to come off as too informal when meeting royalty. Avoid addressing people of royal ranking by their first name or nickname. You should also avoid laughing or making jokes. Always make eye contact when someone of royal ranking is speaking. You want to make sure you're giving royalty your full attention."
"Uh, that's a lot to take in... I am lost." Aran stopped for a while to think.
"Don't worry, you will learn how to approach it when we're there. I will hold you off and guide you. I already told my father that you are not from here, so I think he will give you some pointers or he will let you off the hook. Besides, this is not a formal meeting or an evening ceremony. It is our way of thanking you so shouldn't worry about anything else when you are in his presence." She reassured.