[CHAPTER 8: BOUTIQUE SHENANIGANS]
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Two days before the Imperial Summer Balls, Serina sent a letter to the ravenette. The contents of the letter were about his fittings for his outfit; she wanted him to visit 'Clair de Lune' so that they could discuss further details about the outfit. He could feel the urgency with each sentence and imagined how Serina scurried around the boutique with extreme stress.
He alerted Albert about it and stated that he wouldn't be in the office for the day. Albert reassured him that he would deliver the message of his trip to the Emperor- just in case he starts looking for the ravenette. He didn't even have time to sit down for breakfast and left the palace with his horse, not caring to use a carriage. When he arrived in the busy streets of the Capital, the sun was already in the sky. He took his horse to a nearby stable before approaching the boutique.
When he entered the boutique, he was startled by the sight of dozens of tailors looking half-dead from overworking. 'It must've been a hectic week for them since the imperial ball is just around the corner,' He awkwardly chuckled while scratching his cheek with his index finger. He felt a bit guilty because he was one of the many people that suggested the event.
"You're finally here...!" Serina's voice caught his attention and he looked in the direction where it came from. His eyes widened in shock when he spotted the woman peeking out from piles of sketches on a table. Her hair was standing in every direction and dark circles were seen under her eyes. Her sleeves were messily rolled up to her biceps and her shirt was slightly unbuttoned.
Hurriedly, she gestured for him to come closer with eagerness. He couldn't help but dread the thought of fitting countless outfits on. With a deep sigh, he dragged his feet towards her, completely unaware of the intense stare she was giving him. Her gaze was pinned on his body with each step he took; taking in what he was wearing. He was dressed in a loose emerald green long-sleeved coloured shirt and tight black trousers with boots.
Once he was in front of the desk, he folded his gloved hands behind his back and leaned to the side to peek at the sketches. Instantly, a scent of expensive tobacco and roses floated past her nostrils, causing her to blink in surprise. 'I didn't expect such an aroma from him,' She watched how he picked up a sketch or two to look through them, curious to see what she designed for him, 'It kind of fits him...?'
"You haven't been pulling all-nighters for the past few days, I hope?" He questioned as he turned his head towards her. A look of worry was written on his face. "You know what my answer is, even if I don't tell you," She mumbled with a pout, avoiding his gaze. "You're right, haha..." He chuckled, shaking his head at her. "So, what outfits and colour schemes did you have in mind for me?" He asked with a raised brow while placing the sketches back onto the desk.
With a gentle tug on his sleeve, she pulled him to a private fitting room. Once they were inside the fitting room, a certain glint appeared in her eyes that clearly said 'Go sit down so that I can do my job.' He let out a small amused scoff at her expression and nodded. While she sat down on one of the couches in the room and organized the sketches, he undid a few of the buttons on his shirt and approached the couch opposite of her.
Patiently, he sat down across her on another couch, crossing his left leg over his right thigh. In a relaxed manner, he leaned back with his arms resting on the backrest. "Would you look through these and tell me which you like?" She asked with a business-like smile as she pushed the sketches towards him, "Since the ball is three days long, you can choose between three outfits..." He hummed in an 'I-understand' manner and picked up the sketches.
He took his time looking through the designs of the sketches; placing the ones he disliked to the side while holding the ones he liked in his hand. Serina hid a smile behind her fingers when she spotted the sketches that she knew he wouldn't like. She knew that he didn't like a style that exposed a lot of skin or the shape of his body, but that type of style catches people's attention when someone wears it.
After forty minutes, he finally chose three designs that he liked. All of them had a few similar aspects - they were in dark colours and comfortable looking. He handed her the five designs and she grinned when she took them. She stood up from the couch and brought out three mannequins from behind a folding screen. He observed how she took out dozens of dark-coloured silks and needle equipment before creating the outfits.
A gentle white mana flow fluttered through the room as she used magic to aid her in her work. One by one, she finished the outfits with a proud smile on her face. That was one thing he liked about Serina; it was her magic that felt like he was watching the rain from inside a library - it was peaceful and soothing to him. Every time she used her magic, he would get so relaxed to the point that he gets drowsy.
Just like now, his eyes were half-lidded with comfort and enjoyed how his entire body had no signs of being tense. "Is my magic that nice?" She asked while her back faced him yet he could see the amused smile on her face. "Hmhm," He answered with a grin, closing his eyes, "It always makes me feel so light." A small chuckle escaped her lips at his words and she turned around to face him.
"Well, I think you should look over here for a few seconds," She mused while patting her shoulder in a proud manner, "Because they're all finished now." Immediately, his eyes opened in surprise and snapped his attention towards the three mannequins. The first outfit consisted of a black long-sleeved shirt with a white sleeveless vest over it that was tucked into tight black trousers. A black cape with golden borders at the hems of the sleeves, as well as the bottom of the coat, rested over the mannequin's shoulders.
It had white fur on the shoulders and collar while golden tassels were attached to the shoulder pads. There was also a harness that was attached to the right side of the cloak that allowed the mannequin to wear the cloak as a single-shoulder cloak. The second outfit of a white long-sleeved shirt tucked into dark ashy-coloured trousers with garters wrapped around the left thigh and hips. It also had a cloak, however, it was a dark ashy-blue colour with black fur on the collar and shoulder area.
The cloak had a chain attached to each side of it with diamond-shaped oceanic blue-coloured brooches. The third outfit was a maroon-coloured long-sleeved shirt that showed off a bit of cleavage and was tucked into black trousers. It also had a cloak, but it was in a black colour with silver tassels with small diamonds stitched into it. There was also a harness around the waist and shoulders.
"Oh damn..." He mumbled in a breathless manner, scrambling to his feet with wide eyes. Satisfied with his reaction, she placed her hands on her hips and grinned. "They look amazing, Serina," He complimented with dazed eyes as he stood in front of the mannequins and touched the material, "I... I don't know what to say." She gestured for him to choose one so that he could change into it; she wanted to see which one would look the best on him for the first day of the ball.
One by one, he changed into the three outfits and once he was done, he was buttoning up his shirt with a small hum. Serina held her chin in a pondering manner and groaned with furrowed brows as she glared at the mannequins. 'They all look good on him!' She frowned in a frustrated manner, ruffling her hair with a silent scream.
Suddenly, she froze when a sudden thought crossed her mind. "Hey, Erix?" She called out to him with furrowed brows and he hummed as a response, his back facing her. "Do you have a partner for the ball?" Her question caught him off guard and cold sweat dripped down his face when she added, "Because this morning, the newspapers talked about how the other four archduchies' heirs would be partners with each other..."
"Fuck..." He muttered in a panicked manner, realizing that he messed up. He completely forgot to ask the other heirs or anyone to be his partner for the ball, so now he was in a dilemma. "...Don't tell me that you don't have a partner!" She screeched in horror when he didn't say another word, "Erix, please tell me that you have one!" Shakily, he turned his head to face him and a crooked smile stitched itself onto his lips.
"Oops?" He sheepishly chuckled while rubbing the back of his nape. Another loud screech of disbelief escaped Serina, startling him and the other tailors outside the room. He watched how she sprinted towards the door, slamming it open. "Boys! One of you needs to make three dresses, asap!" She yelled with fury, causing the other tailors to stiffen up. "Um, for who are the dresses for, Madam?" One of the tailors nervously asked and yelped when she looked at him.
"For me, obviously?" She stared at him as if he had grown three heads and turned halfway to look at the ravenette over her shoulder, ignoring the stunned expressions from the other tailors. "I, Serina Blanchet, will be your partner for the Imperial Summer Ball," She stated with a smirk, determined and stubborn. He couldn't help but burst out laughing, completely amused by her.
"I accept that then," He mused while wiping a tear away and approached her, teasingly wrapping his arm around her waist when he stood next to her. "Congrats on being my partner for the ball, Serina," He teased with a charming smile which she scoffed at. Out of nowhere, the entire boutique burst out with commotion from the other tailors; it sounded like they were fangirling or weeping from surprise.
"Hm?" She hummed with wide eyes when two female tailors snatched her from the ravenette. They sent him a thumbs-up while saying in unison, "Count on us, Suzerain Malefic! We will make Madam Blanchet the prettiest woman for the ball!" Clearly amused, he nodded and watched how she got dragged away, screaming bloody murder and cursing at him for betraying her like that.
"Pack those up for me and send them to the Imperial Palace under the name Suzerain Malefic," He told one of the tailors with a kind smile as he gestured to the three outfits behind him. The tailor nodded with a flustered expression and watched how the ravenette left the boutique, humming a tune. The ravenette took out his pocket watch in a good mood and noticed that it was around midday.
'What should I do now? Hmm...' He pondered while walking through the crowded sidewalks, ignoring the glances people were sending him. Suddenly, his stomach growled and a small 'ah?' left his lips, shocked at the sound. "Right..." He mumbled with an embarrassed expression, realizing that he didn't have breakfast before leaving the palace. He decided to head towards 'Alora' to have lunch.
The moment he entered the building, he was greeted by Riyana, who seemed happy by his arrival and escorted him to his usual spot on the second-floor balcony. It was a wonderful time to spend lunch at his favourite restaurant before heading back to the palace, leaving a genuine smile on his lips for once.