"Do you want to try this on? I think it'll look good you."
I took the clothes handed to me and checked them out. Holding the shoulder straps between my index and thumb, I could see the full outfit as if it were hanging on a rack.
This time, it was a blue-toned dress. It wasn't overly decorated, but there were butterfly-shaped jewels near the chest, adding a nice touch. Since this was a personal dressing room, there wasn't a fitting room. The whole space acted as one, so I had no choice but to slowly undress in front of the mirror. Yuri was watching me intently, and though I felt embarrassed, it was only me feeling awkward. While I thought of myself as undressing in front of the opposite sex due to memories of being a man, Yuri was just watching a same-gender friend change clothes.
I quickly pulled off the shirt I was wearing, unzipped the pants, and removed them. Being down to just my underwear, I felt exposed. Yuri's gaze made me even more self-conscious, so I hurriedly slipped into the dress. Except for one spot, the dress fit well, given that Yuri and I had similar body types. It was only a bit looser in one area.
"As expected, this looks great too! What do you think Elys?"
Yuri spoke as she looked at me through the mirror. When I looked at my reflection, I had to admit that the blue dress surprisingly matched my silver hair.
To be honest, it wasn't just that it suited the silver hair—it matched my overall appearance. Every time I looked in the mirror, I couldn't help but think the same thing: there wasn't an outfit that didn't look good on this face. If there were, it would be the outfit's fault, not mine. Even if I wore a clown's costume, it would probably look fine. Aside from one slightly lacking area, even my figure was pretty good. In fact, that one area only seemed lacking compared to Yuri or Cilly, but it wasn't exactly small.
I don't know if it's the effect or side effect of the TS spell, but no matter how much I train, while I can feel my strength increase, there's no visible muscle gain. When I was a man, I had some muscles—enough to look good—but now my body is just smooth, which feels a bit strange.
"...It looks nice."
I gave Yuri my honest opinion and turned to look at her. This was already the third outfit I had tried on. But I knew this wouldn't be the end. I had experienced the length of a fashion show during shopping trips with Cilly before.
"Alright! Now, try this one!"
As expected, Yuri had already grabbed another outfit. Actually, 'grabbed' might not be the right word. She just picked another dress from the nearby rack.
It was another dress, but this one didn't seem very practical for movement. It looked like something you'd only wear to a formal party. I took off the blue dress and tried on the new one. It was more glamorous than the last, but not overly frilly or covered in unnecessary embellishments. Even with the mind of a guy, I thought, 'This design is reasonable'. I had heard that corsets are sometimes worn with these types of dresses, but I didn't think it was necessary for me. After all, it was just Yuri and me watching, and my body wasn't the type that needed a corset. If it came to the point where I had to wear one, I would decline.
"Um... Can you help me tie the strings?"
I had managed to put it on, but to keep it from slipping down, I needed to tie the strings at the back. Since they were behind me, it was a bit tricky to do alone. While my body was flexible enough to manage, I didn't see the point in struggling when someone was there to help.
"Wait a second."
Yuri moved behind me, and I stood still, facing forward, so I wouldn't get in her way. Each time her fingers grazed my back, I flinched slightly from the ticklish sensation, but I managed to hold in any sounds. Her fingers brushed my back more than I expected as she tied the strings, making it hard to stay still.
"All done!"
Looking in the mirror, I saw a delicate woman standing there. Just by changing clothes, I no longer had the lively appearance from before. The saying 'clothes make the person' really seemed true.
"...All set?"
Since this dress wasn't suited for moving or wielding a sword, I was eager to change out of it and asked Yuri, hoping for her approval. But there was no answer. When I glanced at the mirror, Yuri was staring at me through the reflection.
"Yuri?"
I turned halfway to look at her directly, causing the dress to flutter slightly as I moved.
"Uh, yeah!"
"So, I guess this one's a no. It doesn't feel right to me either."
"No, no! It's not that! It's just... it's so pretty. I mean, you're always pretty, but..."
For some reason, Yuri started stammering. I didn't know why, but I took this chance to finish the fashion show while she was flustered. Reaching behind me, I quickly untied the strings and slipped out of the dress. I reached for the clothes I had worn before.
Or at least, I tried to.
"Elys?"
"Huh? Yeah?"
"Why are you grabbing those?"
"Well, I figured I've tried on enough clothes, so... haha..."
As I reached for my original outfit, Yuri grabbed my wrist. Despite her grip being something I could easily shake off, there was an odd pressure emanating from her hand and presence that I couldn't explain. My instincts screamed at me to stay still. I couldn't ignore them.
"Elys?"
Yuri smiled at me and said, "You've only tried on four outfits."
"...Not 'four is enough'?"
Instead of letting go of my wrist, Yuri picked up my school uniform with her free hand.
"I'll keep this safe for you, so how about we try on the next one?"
It felt like deja vu. No, it was deja vu.
* * * *
In the end, it took several more outfit changes before it was finally over. Not only did Yuri make me try on all those outfits, but she also forced me to take them. The servants, under her orders, moved all the clothes into my dressing room. Even the casual outfit I was wearing now had been one of the first ones Yuri had me try on.
"I'll come by your room in a bit."
It was almost time for the dinner I had arranged with Marquess Craig. Leaving Yuri, who was changing into something more comfortable, I returned to my room.
When I entered my dressing room, the once-empty space was now filled with the clothes Yuri had given me. Even the school uniform I originally wore was hanging in one corner.
"Huh?"
But something was off about the uniform. It looked... too new. The one I usually wore was a bit worn out from wearing it every day, but the one in front of me looked almost pristine.
"What's this?"
Knock knock
Just as I was pondering, there was a knock on the door. Despite being in the dressing room, the sound echoed clearly.
"Let's go?"
I put the uniform down and stepped outside. Yuri had changed into the comfortable clothes she often wore. As we headed to the dining room, I asked the question that had been on my mind.
"By the way, Yuri? The uniform in my room didn't seem like mine..."
"Oh, sorry! The maid accidentally tore your uniform while moving the clothes earlier, so I replaced it with one of mine."
Yuri explained, already aware of the situation. With all the clothes being carried around, it wasn't surprising something got caught and torn. But replacing it with one of her uniforms...
"Do you not like it since it was mine? Should I get you a new one?"
"No! It's fine. It's in much better shape than my old one, anyway."
If I was going to refuse, I should've done so when Yuri first gave me all those clothes. But there hadn't been a chance. Yuri had practically forced them on me. Asking for a new one at this point would feel too shameless.
"Oh! And don't scold the maid, okay? It was just an accident."
"Don't worry. I won't say a word. Actually..."
"Actually?"
"Oh, it's nothing!"
Worried that the maid might get punished, I had brought it up, but Yuri seemed to have no intention of reprimanding her.
While the other clothes were fine to wear occasionally, the idea of wearing Yuri's uniform to school every day during the semester made me feel... strange.