***
4 days later.
Yunho was looking out the carriage's window. He could see the moving fronts of the buildings alongside the roads and hear the clops of the horses pulling the carriage along. In front of him were Marella, his closest maid, and the butler, who he had convinced to come along.
The past four days, the physician had looked him over and deemed him well enough to complete the trip. Yunho was ready to start packing, but he realized that he had no suitcase or heavy winter clothes, so a bit of a shopping trip was needed. That's what led to Yunho and the poor maid and butler he dragged along now being on a carriage on their way to the nearest city.
They were using one of Evastine's carriages and two of the estate's horses, all that would be given to him for his stay away. It was a mess for Yunho to plan the trip. He had almost finished the stack of papers on the desk by now, and the butler had been questioning him to make sure he had a proper plan, which Yunho very much didn't. He didn't think moving would be so much work, especially since there was already a house! But after some deliberation on his part, Yunho was able to boil down the bare basics he needed. He just needed a suitcase, a wool jacket, stationery, and some other clothes appropriate for the chilly, northern weather.
Yunho sighed as he looked out the window. Everything was so different than what he was used to. It gave him whiplash as it was even more confirmation that this really was another world. He couldn't help but miss the hospital. At least there had 5G.
"Young Master is really staying somewhere else for a year..." Marella, the maid, said with a smile.
She was still in awe at the major personality change Iris had recently, but it seemed permanent. And it certainly wasn't a bad thing that he was less demanding. The new Iris also was interested in seeing the world and getting new experiences. It was much different than the old Iris who would only try if it meant something bad for Irene.
Yunho looked at the older woman and smiled. Marella was the maid he was most familiar with. She was typically the one who brought up his breakfast in the morning, and Yunho liked talking to her. She was one of the few people he regularly talked to in the estate, and Yunho was reminded of the nurse everytime he looked at her.
The original Iris seemingly didn't have many friends and stayed at the estate the majority of the time. It made sense considering in the book, he was somehow always there to make some sort of snide comment when Irene was still living in the Evastine estate, but Yunho was anticipating having to act in front of friends. But surprisingly, no one ever came to visit and it seemed that the only people Iris talked to (and liked him) were the Lord and Lady, the butler, and a select few of maids with Marella included. Yunho couldn't help but feel empathetic. His friend circle wasn't bursting at the seams with people, especially after he became a permanent patient at the hospital.
"Yes, but I think it'll teach me a lot," Yunho started, pausing before he said his next words, "and while I stay in the North, I'll still need some type of help...not much, maybe only five people or so..."
Yunho looked up, hoping the two people would get what he was implying.
The butler sighed.
"The North is quite dangerous...It would give me more peace to know you were well."
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind going with the young master. It wouldn't be much different than my usual work," Marella added.
Yunho smiled, his eyes curving up into half-moons. Both servants couldn't help but feel grateful that their young master had grown so nicely
"We've arrived!" The coachman called out.
The carriage slowed down to a halt. Yunho looked out the window and let out a soft, but audible gasp.
The city had paved stone paths and multiple upright buildings of whites and beiges. It resembled a modern, deconstructed mall with multiple buildings surrounding a common center. The center had a white fountain with clear water trickling down. Yunho couldn't help but stare. This was probably a high class place to shop, seeing the quality of everything around him.
"Young master needs a packing case and clothes, yes? I think the apparel store would fit your needs," the butler said, gesturing to a large, white building with a front window space.
Yunho thanked the coachman and walked towards the store with the butler leading and him and the maid following. The group walked inside the building and was greeted by the scent of fabric and perfume.
Yunho looked around the building and enjoyed the spacious interior. There were many windows that kept the inside bright and shelves with accessories and perfume bottles. A few wealthy-looking customers were pursuing the showcased items or talking to salespeople. Before the draft from opening the door could even dissipate, a saleswoman approached them.
"Greetings to you all. Welcome to Barnett's Apparel and Assorted Items Store. What are you guests looking for today?" The woman said with a lipsticked smile.
"I'm just looking for a suitcase and some clothes appropriate for very cold weather," Yunho replied. He felt a bit shy since he'd never done anything like this before. When he was young, his parents did all the shopping, and no one really cares for fashion when they're fighting a terminal illness.
The saleswoman nodded and gestured for the group to go up the stairs as she went to inform another group of workers.
Yunho walked upstairs and let out an impressed hum at the upper floor furnishing. It had racks of readymade clothes and seats for customers to wait for service. Yunho felt surprised seeing how the store operated. It wasn't much different than a modern department store, but then again, "The Mistreated High Priestess Is Now a Princess" didn't have any clear time setting and wasn't ever stated to even take place on Earth.
They were the only people upstairs, and Yunho felt a bit awkward waiting and sitting down in the empty floor. There was a small table beside the seat Yunho was sitting in, and a few issues of newspaper. He wasn't interested in reading but glanced at the headlines.
Eventually footsteps came from downstairs, and the saleswoman from before accompanied by an additional two workers appeared. The saleswoman was empty handed, but the two male workers behind here were holding 5 suitcases in total. The approaching group reached Yunho and the two Evastine servants.
"Sorry, sir, but we only have five suitcases in stock today. We can order more, but it would take some time to arrive," the saleswoman apologized with a bow.
"Oh, it's fine. Even just two is enough," Yunho said. He wasn't lying. It would just be unnecessary weight to bring more than two suitcases with him. It wasn't like there were cars in the book's setting, so the efficiency was near zero.
The saleswoman smiled, and the two workers placed down the five suitcases for Yunho to choose from. He didn't care much for how it looked as long as it worked. He picked a random two medium-sized cases and told them to put back the rest. The two male workers were already red in the face from carrying up the bags, but they complied and picked up the unchosen three, making their way back down the stairs. Yunho felt bad and wanted to call them back, but they were already too far away to do that.
"Mister also said he wanted some clothes for the cold, yes? I can show you our selection. It's right over here," the woman led them to a room with many racks. Furs and other soft, thick fabrics were seen everywhere. "This is it. The left side has the majority of the male options while the female designs are on the right. Should I leave you to browse by yourselves or show you some items?"
"It's fine. We can look on our own," Yunho assured as he walked over to the mentioned section. The butler and maid tagged along, but the butler wasn't paying much attention to the store's collection. Marella, however, looked rather interested and was looking through the racks as well.
Yunho frowned as he looked at what the store offered. Everything looked fine, but they were a bit big for his frame. Yunho had always been quite slim, and Iris was the same way.
"I don't know if they have anything in my size..." Yunho said, holding up a pair of brown, insulated pants that would swallow him if he ever wore it.
"Oh, young master, this could fit you!" Marella exclaimed. She was holding up a white fur hooded cape poncho. Yunho's interest was peaked, and he walked over to wear she was.
"In fact, probably everything here could fit you!" Marella said, gesturing to the rack that finally held smaller clothes. Yunho was happy that he finally found viable options and picked a few pieces he thought looked nice. The styles on this rack were lighter and far more flattering for his build. Why was this so different than the rest of the other racks on the left side? Maybe it was the section for smaller individuals.
Yunho shrugged and handed his chosen pieces of clothings to the butler who volunteered to carry them. Now where were the dressing rooms unless you had to buy the clothes without trying them first? Yunho looked around for the saleswoman and soon spotted her, approaching her to ask.
"Um, may I ask where the dressing rooms are?" Yunho asked after clearing his throat to get the woman's attention.
The saleswoman looked back at him, and her eyebrows slightly raised as she looked at him and the direction he came from.
"They're right over there, mister. Shall I guide you there?" The woman answered politely, her previous quizzical expression gone as she pointed to a few rooms annexed to the room they were currently in.
Yunho declined as he made his way to the dressing room. He was curious on why the woman made that sort of expression but didn't dwell on it. The clothes fit him well, and Yunho and the two Evastine servants went to pay for the items. The group went downstairs, leaving the saleswoman alone on the upper floor.
The woman rubbed her chin and spoke to herself now that she was alone.
"Why was he in..."
The place to pay for items was a white counter with two workers behind it. One was female, and the other was male. The girl was in charge of doing the transaction while the guy counted and stored the money.
The girl looked over the items and checked over a piece of paper to assign a price to each one.
"One black packing case...one blue packing case...one women's hooded cape..." The girl went on as she listed the brought items. Yunho's brain logged out as he heard that. The butler didn't comment while Marella looked to be on the verge of laughing.
They were women's clothes? Is that why they were so small? Hey designers, men can be small too! Yunho's face darkened, but he didn't have the heart to return the clothes. They did fit quite well, and clothes were clothes, right! Wearing women's clothing didn't make him any less masculine, alright!
The girl said the total price of 25 silver coins, and the butler reached in a small black sack tied around his belt and brought out the amount of coins needed. A curiousity rose inside Yunho. He really needed to learn about this world's currency system. The book told him some things like gems like diamonds were the highest form of currency, but he didn't have more in depth knowledge. Well, he could always learn.
The group of three made their way back to the carriage where the coachman was patiently waiting for them. The drive back to the estate was peaceful, but Yunho couldn't help but feel aggrieved everytime he looked at the bags that held the clothes he bought at the store.
Women's clothing?! Screw this Barnett's Apparel and Assorted Items nonsense!
...but they did fit him really well...
***
End of Chapter 8