Compared to the clumsy Vina, Hilda was much more agile. Opening the outer packaging and taking out the beautiful three-dimensional castle, a smile appeared on Hilda's face.
"What a delicate paper sculpture, did you make it?" she asked.
"How could I?" Field shook his head, then continued, "Keep going, it's not over yet."
With even more anticipation, Hilda opened the lower packaging, and her eyes lit up.
"What a beautiful dress!" Hilda exclaimed with delight.
She took out the dress, unfolded it, and looked at the beautiful garment with affection. She didn't like the heavy and flashy evening gowns; instead, she loved this kind of light luxury style. Not only was it beautiful, but it also didn't hinder movement and wasn't overly revealing.
But...
Her expression became somewhat strange as she looked at Field. "Why did you buy a dress?"
Indeed, why would a big man like Field buy a dress?
But Field was well prepared for this.
Although this dress was originally intended for Vina, the pure white one was more suitable for her, while the one with gold and silver threads was more suitable for Hilda.
Since this dress hadn't been given away yet, and Hilda happened to need one, he decided to give it to her to gain some goodwill.
As for the explanation... it was simple.
Field maintained a calm expression and said, "This dress was bought for me to dismantle."
"What? Such a beautiful dress, why would you dismantle it?" Hilda asked, somewhat reluctant to let go of the dress, successfully distracted by Field's explanation.
"Because I plan to design a set of women's light armor. The armor you wear is fine, but in my opinion, it's still lacking. So I plan to design a set of armor with a skirt, which requires using this dress as a sample."
"I want to see where I can add light armor, which areas need special protection, and how to make the overall design not too heavy while still maintaining aesthetics."
"Oh, I see..." Hilda didn't doubt it; Field's explanation sounded very professional.
The need for skirt armor justified buying a dress to dismantle it for design purposes. It made sense.
"So, do you want me to give you the dress now?" Hilda asked, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Field naturally wouldn't disappoint her, smiling and saying, "The armor design isn't urgent, but you need the dress the day after tomorrow. So I thought I'd show you if it fits, and if it does, you can take it."
"Really?" Hilda was delighted, her face showing sweet dimples.
"Of course." Field nodded casually and took a sip of tea, appearing very calm.
"Then I can't just take your dress for nothing, how much?" Hilda asked.
"Not expensive, fifteen thousand gold coins," Field replied.
Hilda wasn't like Vina; she could tell that this dress was pricey, so she needed to be honest.
"Fifteen... thousand... gold coins?" Hilda was taken aback.
She looked at the dress; her taste was good, and she could tell that the craftsmanship was excellent, definitely worth fifteen thousand gold coins. But the problem was... she didn't have fifteen thousand gold coins right now.
Although she had tens of thousands from her family, she didn't want to rely on them. Even now, she asked her family not to give her living expenses. She could support herself through the projects of the Student Union and be self-sufficient.
But as a beginner, she had only saved up about seventy to eighty thousand gold coins, far from being able to afford Field's fifteen thousand gold coins.
Suddenly, Hilda felt a bit disappointed, holding the dress and looking at Field with some reluctance.
Field almost burst out laughing.
He knew Hilda was independent and didn't want to rely on her family. Otherwise, fifteen thousand gold coins would be nothing.
So he smiled and said, "If you want it, you don't have to pay."
"But that's not right!" Hilda immediately objected. She wouldn't accept such a thing, even from a friend.
But Field waved his hand and said, "Let me finish."
"No need to pay, but there's a condition."
"What condition?" Hilda asked eagerly, afraid that Field would just give her the dress without any requirements.
That would disappoint her, as it would be no different from those pursuers who did things she didn't need without asking.
"One, find a way to let me sneak into the ball. I'm very interested in the merchants you mentioned," Field said.
"Two, try to introduce me to some people. As a mercenary, my best partners are weapon merchants. The goal of the introduction is those who sell weapons, equipment, or magical devices."
With that, Field stopped.
Hilda pondered for a moment, then nodded. "That's no problem. I can add you to the guest list, and as you're the captain of the guard, it's reasonable for you to attend the ball in that capacity. Of course, you'll also be responsible for ensuring the safety of the members of the Student Union to a certain extent."
"The second condition is also fine. I'm already sponsoring the Student Union and Haidisla, so when the time comes, I'll introduce you. Specific actions will depend on your discretion."
"Of course!" Field nodded.
Then Hilda smiled and said, "So now this dress is mine?"
"Think again, there's a third condition," Field said.
"What is it?" Hilda asked.
"The third condition... you have to try it on for me first," Field said, pretending to be serious and talking nonsense.
"I can't dismantle the dress, but having a model will give me inspiration. I believe that the resulting armor will combine defense and beauty perfectly!"
"Ah, just thinking about it is intoxicating..." Field looked sentimental, as if the focus was on the armor, not the person modeling it.
Hilda didn't think much about it and nodded immediately. "No problem!"
She wasn't like Vina; Hilda could confidently and generously show off her beauty, raising her chin and neck high.
For her, Field's third condition wasn't a condition at all.
"Is there a fourth condition?" Hilda asked.
Field shook his head. "No, that's all."
It's easy to expose too much; this was good enough.
"Hehe, then I'll go change into the dress!" Hilda happily carried the dress and walked towards a room in the office, apparently her resting place.
Field lay on the sofa, feeling content, and even crossed his legs. He marveled at his own intelligence.
How am I so clever...
But before he finished marveling, Field shuddered and turned his head to see that a window was open, and the temperature seemed a bit low today.
"Kiki, go close the window."
"Yes, meow!"
The window closed, and the chill was gone, but Field still felt a chill down his spine.
It's not even winter yet, and it's already so cool. It'll be freezing when winter comes.
Meanwhile, on a high building in the distance.
Uncle Mai gritted his teeth.
"Sending two girls dresses in one day, one of them being my young miss. Well done, Field, you're damn... you're really damn..."
"Wait for tonight..."
"If I don't
"I will perish with you unless I break ten of your ribs!"
After waiting for about seven minutes, the door opened. Field immediately looked over.
As the figure walked out gracefully, bathed in the sunlight streaming through the large French windows, Field felt as though he was seeing an angel.
If Vina was like a fallen angel in the earthly realm, then the one before him was a holy angel with golden wings.
She wore a radiant smile, perhaps a bit shy, with a faint blush on her cheeks, surpassing any makeup.
The cinched waist accentuated her slender figure, and her tall stature stood gracefully.
Her sky-blue eyes sparkled with a smile as she looked at him, delicately holding the edge of her dress and turning lightly.
The cream-colored long dress with gold and silver threads seemed to bloom like a flower, revealing her pristine legs. The hem of the dress only rose to knee level, inviting further exploration.
"How does it look? Do you like it?" Hilda asked Field, her eyes filled with anticipation.
The dress was not revealing, but it showcased her slender neck and perfect collarbone. Her flawless calves were partially exposed, adorned with a pair of sandals embellished with flowers.
At that moment, Field remained expressionless, but inside, he was screaming wildly.
Beautiful!
Incredibly beautiful!
He had felt a bit regretful for not seeing Vina in the white dress, but now all regrets vanished. In its place was utter satisfaction.
This fifteen thousand gold coin expenditure was worth it!
Very much worth it!
But Field knew that Hilda was never lacking in appreciation.
Even if she wanted praise, it couldn't be now.
True happiness came from the praise of someone who cared, someone important, someone loved.
And it wasn't time for that yet, so...
"Hmm..." Field stroked his chin, appearing pensive.
Hilda was taken aback and couldn't help but glance at her dress. "Is it not nice?" she asked.
But Field just nodded. "It's nice, but..."
It was that "but" that mattered!
"But it feels like it's lacking something..." Field continued, walking around Hilda, pondering. "I feel like if the shoulder is like this, then the shoulder joint of the armor should be open, more flexible."
"When the dress spins, it should spread out. Perhaps there could be blades embedded under the skirt armor, or the edges of the skirt armor could be sharpened slightly, so it looks like blades when spinning, adding another form of attack."
Watching Field earnestly discussing, Hilda's eyes flashed with a hint of involuntary disappointment, her cheeks puffing up slightly. "Hey, I asked you if I look good in this dress!"
Field replied, "Yes, yes, you look good."
"And the armor plates around the waist need to be layered to not hinder movement..."
Seeing Field's perfunctory attitude, Hilda's cheeks puffed up even more, like an angry little hamster.
"Ugh, if you're going to be like this, I won't take you to the ball!"