"I want to try wearing a skirt," Peruere said softly.
Her voice was so quiet, even softer than the buzzing of a mosquito.
"What?" Yu Xie didn't quite catch it.
"You asked me what I wanted to do, right? I want to try wearing a skirt," Peruere raised her voice slightly, though it was still very faint.
This time, Yu Xie heard her clearly.
In the nearly eleven years he had known Peruere, Yu Xie had never seen her wear a skirt.
He always remembered her in more androgynous clothes, exuding a strong and heroic aura, with none of the "fragility" that one would expect from a typical girl.
"But I don't want anyone else to see," Peruere added softly.
"Alright, I'll take you to try on a skirt!" Yu Xie said with unusual certainty.
This was perfectly normal. No matter how "cold-blooded" Peruere seemed, she was still a girl. She would like beautiful things and want to wear pretty clothes.
The love for beauty is something everyone has.
And more importantly, what Peruere was essentially saying was, "I don't want anyone else to see me in a skirt, but if it's you, that's fine."
What other reason could there be to refuse?
So, Yu Xie led Peruere over the high walls of Hearth Manor and took her to a clothing store on Fontaine Street.
With strict guards on watch, sneaking out of Hearth Manor wasn't easy, but both Yu Xie and Peruere were quite skilled at "sneaking around," so the journey went smoothly.
In the private fitting room, Peruere tried on several dresses, ultimately settling on a black strapless evening gown.
The dress fit her perfectly, its tailoring accentuating her figure. Even though Peruere's body was not yet fully matured, the dress made her look flawless.
The strapless and corset-style design highlighted her curves even more.
She stood in front of Yu Xie, her fingers lightly tracing her collarbone, looking slightly awkward and unaccustomed.
"How is it?"
"It suits you perfectly, it looks amazing!" Yu Xie struggled to find the right words. "Compared to the others, this one feels like it was tailor-made for you."
It sounded a bit like something out of a cheesy drama, but Yu Xie truly thought so.
The black evening gown, on Peruere, seemed to have finally found its rightful owner.
"Then... I'll take this one," Peruere said with a soft smile.
Her smile caught Yu Xie's eye, and he froze for a moment.
He realized that, in his memory, he rarely saw Peruere smile.
"Peruere, you should smile more. You look much better when you smile."
Afternoon.
Yu Xie and Peruere returned to Hearth Manor.
The two of them entered Peruere's room.
After putting the black evening gown away, Peruere turned around to look at Yu Xie, her expression somewhat conflicted.
"Why insist on buying it? I don't usually wear dresses."
"But you really like it, don't you?"
Peruere didn't speak, but nodded slightly.
"Then that's a good reason to buy it," Yu Xie said with a smile. "By the way, Peruere, there's something else I want to talk to you about."
"What is it?"
"If... I'm saying if..." Yu Xie's smile faded, and his expression suddenly became serious. "If you become the next 'Knave,' I believe you'll do a great job. You'll become a worthy king."
Peruere was momentarily taken aback. She looked at Yu Xie's serious eyes, unable to discern what he was thinking.
But there was a strange feeling in her heart, as if... Yu Xie was saying goodbye.
"Why are you suddenly saying this?"
"Because I think that once Crucabena steps down, you'll be the best candidate to become the next 'Knave.'"
"But I think you're more suited for it," Peruere said. "I think you have the ability to change the current state of Hearth Manor."
"No, you're the best candidate," Yu Xie's tone was firm, without a hint of doubt.
Peruere didn't know how to respond, falling into silence.
She had a feeling in her heart, but she couldn't quite describe it. It felt strange, like a mix of "anxiety" and "irritation."
But she didn't even know where that feeling of "anxiety" and "irritation" was coming from.
"Alright, I should head back to my room now. See you later," Yu Xie gave Peruere one last smile and left.
Peruere stood in place for a long time, the strange feeling in her heart lingering.
It wasn't until a few birds flew past the window, their chirping breaking her thoughts, that Peruere snapped back to reality.
She slowly walked over to her desk, opened the drawer, and took out a scarf that was nearly finished being knitted.
She had started knitting this scarf last winter.
Since she wasn't very good at this kind of thing, she hadn't finished it yet.
This scarf was meant to be a gift for Yu Xie.
It was strange, though. Peruere didn't really know why she wanted to knit a scarf for him. She couldn't even explain it to herself.
...
Another night passed.
Yu Xie woke up, and like every other normal day, he got dressed, washed up, tidied his room, and headed out.
Ninety-eight days left.
After breakfast, he grabbed a takeaway breakfast and headed to the training grounds.
As expected, Clervie was already there.
The girl with pink hair was focused on practicing her swordsmanship, holding a wooden sword and not even noticing someone had approached her.
"Clervie, good morning," Yu Xie greeted her.
Only then did Clervie stop her movements, panting lightly, and turned to look at Yu Xie.
"Yu Xie, what's up?"
"You haven't had breakfast, have you?" Yu Xie gestured to the breakfast in his hand.
Then, the two of them sat down on a bench by the training ground.
"Even if you're training seriously, you should eat breakfast first," Yu Xie said.
"I was planning to do some morning exercises first and then eat, but I ended up losing track of time," Clervie said with an embarrassed smile.
"If I hadn't come, you probably wouldn't have had breakfast today, right?" Yu Xie stared into Clervie's eyes. "You're doing intense training every day, yet you can't even eat your meals on time. If you keep this up, your body won't be able to take it. Did you forget what I told you last time? Be careful, or you might end up with developmental issues."
"I..." Clervie paused for a moment. "I just overlooked it this morning. It won't happen again."
"It better not," Yu Xie narrowed his eyes.
"I promise!" Clervie raised her hand and made a gesture as if swearing an oath. "I'll take good care of myself!"
Seeing Clervie's serious expression, Yu Xie decided not to press further.
"How about taking a break today? Don't train for now. Is there anything you especially want to do? I'll go with you."
"Something you really want to do..." Clervie thought for a moment. "I'll save it for later. Once we're free, it won't be too late to do it."
"Mont Esus, I remember you mentioned before that you really wanted to go see it, right?"
"Yes, I do want to go, but..."
"Today! I'll take you there!"
End of chapter
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