Chris and Elsa headed to the mall following Dr. Arden's instruction to purchase clothing for Chris. Elsa took charge of selecting his shirts and pants, as she hated every item that Chris picked. His choice of pants and shirts doesn't match at all as if he was from a different era.
"Where the hell did you come from anyway? Your taste in fashion is really turning me off, ugh…" Elsa remarked while browsing some shirts for him.
Chris casually slipped both hands into his pockets and leaned against the display rack, asking, "So, does it mean that I turned you on when I was naked?"
Elsa's eyes widened, and she promptly placed her hand over Chris' mouth, whispering urgently, "Shh! Are you insane?! People might hear you and they might tell my dad. This is a small town and everyone knows literally everyone!"
"Oh, ok. I'll stay quiet. But answer me first…" Chris leaned forward and whispered, "Did I turn you on when you saw me naked?"
Elsa rubbed her temples and let out a sigh, saying, "I cannot do this anymore… Dealing with you is impossible!"
"I'm just kidding. Take it easy; why are you so tense?" Chris grinned when he noticed Elsa glaring at him.
"Here, please try these on to see if they fit," Elsa said as she passed a pair of shirts and pants to Chris. She then guided him to the fitting room.
Elsa continued to browse clothes for Chris while keeping an eye out for familiar faces. When she spotted two people she recognized, she thought, 'What are they doing here?' She then made her way over to the two individuals.
She positioned herself behind the two individuals who were engrossed in browsing clothes and quipped with a broad smile before startling them, "Are you both here to witness my misery in this town, or are you two dating?"
"Gosh, you really startled me!" Nadel exclaimed before embracing Elsa in a hug.
"Just to be clear, we're absolutely not dating," Dr. Jai Chaudhary clarified.
"I was just teasing. Come on, why so defensive? By the way, what brings you here? This is very far from where you live," Elsa remarked, crossing her arms as she awaited their response.
Before Nadel and Jai could respond, Chris approached Elsa, showing her the shirts and pants. "The pants fit, but these shirts are a bit snug. Did you pick them knowing my size?" he questioned.
Elsa was taken aback and left speechless by Chris's swift return. She had entirely forgotten about him after encountering Nadel and Jai.
"Ahem, ahem," Nadel cleared her throat, wearing a teasing smile as she noticed how handsome Chris looked.
"Oh, right. This is Chris," Elsa introduced, "Chris, meet Nadel and Jai. They're both doctors, like me."
Nadel swiftly extended her hand, saying, "I'm Dr. Nadel Sand, Elsa's best friend. Nice to meet you."
After Chris shook Nadel's hand, Jai followed suit, introducing himself, "Dr. Jai Chaudhary, Elsa's close friend."
"Nice to meet you both," Chris replied, "I'm Christopher Jorgensen, Elsa's fiancé."
All three of them were taken aback by Chris' revelation, but the surprise didn't end there. Chris pulled Elsa closer to his side, his hand resting on her waist, wearing a sly smirk.
"What? You're engaged?" Nadel exclaimed, utterly flabbergasted.
"H-He. I-I. W-We, n-no," Elsa stammered, flustered, and covered her face with both hands. It seemed Chris was truly determined to tease her, and she felt like she had no choice but to surrender.
"Oh, my apologies. It was supposed to be a secret. I completely forgot. Forgive me, princess," Chris said, grinning playfully.
Elsa glared at Chris before gently removing his hand. "I'll explain later, but right now, I think I need some coffee or I'll pass out. Could you two go ahead and grab a table at the coffee shop? We'll join you," she suggested.
Nadel nodded, and she and Jai left right away.
Elsa angrily exclaimed at Chris, "What's wrong with you? Why did you say that?"
Chris continued to gaze in the direction Nadel and Jai had gone and replied, "I know that woman, and that man definitely has a thing for you. I can sense it."
"I have to admit, you're right about Jai, and I like him too. So please, stop whatever you're planning and tell them you were just joking about being my fiancé, okay?" Elsa requested.
"No way. You are my mate, and I won't let any other man have you," Chris firmly replied.
Elsa sighed, contemplating how to undo Chris's actions later. "If you knew Nadel, why didn't she recognize you?"
"Elsa, I want you to be extra careful around that woman. She's not entirely human; I've seen that face before, and I can smell her rotted scent," Chris warned.
"Well, you must be quite serious to not call me 'princess.' Look, Nadel has been my best friend for years. I can assure you she's harmless. Perhaps she just resembles the person you knew, and she always smells good," Elsa reassured.
Chris pursed his lips, he knew that there was no point in making Elsa understand what he was saying now... Nevertheless, one thing was clear: Elsa held significant importance to Nadel for her to stay close to her.
Thanks to Nadel, he had now gained an idea about what he needed to do in order to find Princess Hera.
Elsa grabbed Chris' wrist when he remained silent and simply gazed at her. "Let's settle the bill first, then join them. I'll show you that Nadel is a good person and not the person you thought she was," Elsa said as she pulled Chris toward the cashier.
Elsa noticed how Chris' playfulness and naughtiness had vanished and were replaced by complete seriousness. He seemed to be lost in thought while waiting for Elsa to complete the payment for the items she had chosen.
Before leaving the store, Chris halted Elsa and made a request, saying, "Elsa, can you please trust me on this? Just pretend that you're my fiancé for now. I need to investigate some things about that woman. And if I'm mistaken, you can simply inform them later that we broke up or it was just a prank. If they are truly your close friends, they should understand, right?"
Confused but willing to avoid further argument, Elsa reluctantly agreed, saying, "I'm not sure what's going on, but okay, I'll go along with it. I'm just tired of arguing with you. Is she perhaps your ex-girlfriend?" Elsa couldn't help but wonder, given Chris's behavior.
Chris flashed a smirk and leaned in close to Elsa, whispering, "Are you feeling jealous?"
Elsa rolled her eyes, thinking, 'Oh, here he goes again,' before turning and heading toward the coffee shop, leaving Chris behind.