Lucilline examined the outfit held in Azalea's hands. It was a green maiden dress, with spring flowers and peach blossoms sewed onto the torso. Overall, the maiden dress was delicate and beautiful, but...
"...I never knew you had this sort of hobby." Lucilline looked at Azalea with disdainful eyes.
Immediately, the hand holding the maiden dress had shaken. Azalea stiffened on the spot. This was a misunderstanding! He wanted to cry out, but he found himself unable to say anything. What, should he just say that he didn't want Lucilline to talk with Daphnne, so he came up with an excuse to wear an outfit... which turned into a maiden dress!?!
"I never knew that you had this sort of hobby either, Az..." Daphnne wore the same disdainful eyes.
"This..." Azalea was shaken to the core.
How should he explain this!?!
"You know what," Lucilline sighed dramatically, "I won't judge your tastes. I don't want to be the bad guy in this sort of situation."
"You're right, Lucilline." Daphnne played along. "I shouldn't judge Az because of some hobby he has and didn't tell me about..."
Azalea, "..." Why does he feel like the situation had gone worse!
"How about I choose a suit for you instead." Lucilline suggested. Azalea had no objections, so he nodded dumbly. After getting his recognition, Lucilline began to go through the clothes hanging on the hangars, while occasionally taking a look at Azalea.
Feeling the nobleman's gaze on his body, Azalea tensed up.
Lucilline was looking at him! He was being looked at! And those pair of golden eyes... are so enchanting...
"I've got the right clothes." Lucilline snapped him out of his trance. The young man pulled out a hangar, with many layers of clothing hung on it. There was a pair of dark purple double-breasted suit, then a daisy white tunic for the layer inside, a white tie, and a white ribbon.
Azalea was mesmerized at... not the clothes, but the slender black-gloved hand holding onto the hangar. Lucilline had no idea that the white-haired man was looking at his gloves.
"Is it good?" Lucilline felt proud. In the future, perhaps, he could be a designer.
Azalea found himself swallowing saliva at the back of his throat. He saw just how thin Lucilline's fingers were, even with the thin black gloves on. Azalea wondered how smooth, slender, and unblemished that hand would be once he took the gloves off.
"I think it'll suit Az perfectly!" Seeing that he didn't respond, Daphnne rushed to answer. "Come on, Az, tell Lucilline how you feel about the outfit!" She shoved Azalea forwards.
Azalea, who was hit for the third time that day, "..." Can this world please have mercy on him?
"I like it." Azalea learned his lesson from last time. He looked directly into Lucilline's golden eyes, which widened as the words said were sincere and kind.
Then, Lucilline smacked him on the head. "What are you looking at me for? With such a strong gaze, I would've believed that you are infatuated with me! It seems like you didn't learn well."
Azalea, "..." What did he do wrong this time?
"Go and wear these clothes." Lucilline shoved the clothes into Azalea's arms. The latter caught the hangar of clothes, then was ushered into the changing room.
Azalea hesitated. Just like Daphnne, he had no idea how to change into these type of luxurious clothes.
"Um... I-"
"You don't know how to wear clothes either, don't you?" Lucilline understood. His eyes flailed to look at Augustine, then noticed the latter staring at the changing room, with a dangerous look brewing in his silver eyes. It was then Lucilline hesitated. Augustine looked like he could strangle Azalea to death with merely one glance.
Lucilline coughed. Forget it, it was best to not mess with the butler.
"I'll help." He entered the changing room, drawing the curtain shut behind him. What he was unaware of... was after he entered, Augustine's eyes turned more deadly.
Even Willow, who was usually immune to these sort of tense moments... was able to feel the air thickening. She whipped her head around and glared at Augustine, "What's got your fur all ruffled up?"
Augustine didn't answer. He just stared at the changing room's curtain.
Inside the changing room, Lucilline held onto the piles of clothing he chose. He looked fixating on Azalea, feeling slightly confused at why the latter still haven't taken his clothes off.
"Are you going to wait until midnight to undress?" Lucilline was unamused.
Azalea came back to himself. He shuddered. Under the gaze of Lucilline, he slowly began to unbutton his school uniform. Beneath his white shirt, an expanse of healthy wheat skin was revealed. Unknowingly, Azalea began to feel shy. His face reddened, and was coated in a sweet blush.
Lucilline frowned. Was this silver-haired man feeling feverish from the little blow of wind? Geez, he never knew that people could get sick from just a little breeze! He felt like Azalea was a small flower, which can be blown over from a mere fan!
"You're so weak." Lucilline offhandedly commented.
Immediately hearing that, Azalea froze. Weak? How was he weak? Back when he was in the countryside, he would fight against boars, bats, wolves, and tigers! He was the strongest man in their village!
Feeling offended, Azalea directly took off his shirt, revealing the abominable muscles underneath.
Then, he felt Lucilline's confused gaze on him.
See? Azalea seemed to show off. I'm not so weak, am I?
Lucilline was genuinely confused. Then, if Azalea's red face wasn't from feeling feverish... then... was he embarrassed? Once that thought came to mind, Lucilline snickered, "You're such a child. Did you think I'd care how you look like? Now give me your arm."
Azalea, whose arm was ruthlessly grabbed, "..." He felt like his limb was about to be pulled off.
Lucilline helped him wear the white tunic. When it came to the buttons, he seriously began to button them up. Soon, he came to the section of Azalea's revealing chest.
By accident, Lucilline's gloved hands brushed over Azalea's skin.
Azalea bit his bottom lip. He was afraid that he might suddenly make a noise, which would alert Lucilline. He held his breath, not daring to breathe at all. The tips of his ears flushed into a colour of crimson red. From Azalea's perspective, it appeared like Lucilline was stuffing his face in his chest.
This made his cheeks go tomato red.
"Tch." Lucilline struggled at the last button. His face was almost plastered to Azalea's collarbones, as he attempted to button up the top. He sighed. The reason as to why he was struggling is because of the gloves he wore. If he took them off, things would be much simpler.
As to why he wore them though...
Lucilline stopped hesitating. He gently took his gloves off, revealing a pair of slender and smooth jade-like hands. Upon seeing those hands, Azalea found himself tensing up furthermore. Those same hands had brushed past his chest, fumbling at the last button.
Azalea was about to melt at the spot.
It was then something struck him. Looking at Lucilline's left hand... there was an old and ugly scar. The scar had already faded into a light pink tone, but it was still very noticeable.
Seeing that, Azalea was no longer able to calm down. Somebody had hurt Lucilline in the past! Who would possibly do such a thing? Azalea swore to himself, as Lucilline's friend (maybe something more?), he must find the culprit and make them cry for mercy! This is all for the sake of justice!
"There you go." Lucilline buttoned up the last button.
He stood back, taking out the dark purple double-breasted suit. "You should be able to wear this on your own." Lucilline gave the suit to Azalea, and the latter took it expressionlessly, while trying to hide the bloodlust brewing in his amethyst purple eyes.
"...why are you looking away?" Lucilline was puzzled.
"It's nothing." Azalea hid the danger in his eyes. He turned back, revealing an easygoing smile. Only heavens knew that his mind was going haywire at the moment.
He wore the dark purple double-breasted suit, buttoning it up with no problem.
"Done." He proudly stated.
However, the moment after he said that, Azalea felt something ticklish poking him at the abdomen. Lucilline had taken the ribbon to tie it around his waist. His fingers touched Azalea's waist, making the latter feel like his heart had been scratched by a kitten.
"Here we go." Lucilline tied the white ribbon into a bow.
Azalea found his waist feeling tight, but his stomach felt like there were butterflies inside. The feeling of Lucilline's fingers touching around his waist... the feeling of skin against skin... Azalea had never felt this kind of ticklish before!
"Lastly, the tie." Lucilline wrapped a white daisy necktie around Azalea's collar, tying the necktie with ease. "I'm done." He warned Azalea, "You better not forget how to wear this outfit."
Azalea nodded. He will definitely not forget how Lucilline's hands touched his body!
"Good." Lucilline smiled solemnly. He put his gloves back on, covering the scar from his left hand.
Azalea found his eyes attracted to Lucilline's hands, unknowingly staring at it for too long. Lucilline noticed his stare, then immediately drew open the curtain.
"How does he look?" He asked the audience.
Daphnne's eyes brightened.
Azalea's suit made him appear especially noble-like, as if he was a nobleman and wasn't an orphan raised in the countryside at all. His skin was fair and healthy, and glowed from the contrast between the dark and light colours of his suit. His amethyst purple eyes went well with the double-breasted suit, while his snowy coloured white hair matched with the white tunic, tie, and ribbon.
"You look like a nobleman!" Daphnne was excited.
She never knew that her childhood friend could look so handsome. Well, he was always handsome, but that wasn't the point! She never knew that Azalea could look handsome as in a... luxurious way.
"Thank you." Azalea bowed his head.
He looked towards Lucilline. Would Lucilline compliment him as well?
"Huh?" Lucilline was sensitive to people's lingering gazes on himself. He noticed Azalea's look, then felt like he understood something. "Was the praise too mediocre? I can go purchase a thousand noblemen to applaud and cheer for your outfit."
Azalea, "..." No, I just wanted to hear your praise...
All of a sudden, a clamour of claps had erupted. Azalea whipped his head towards the noise, where Willow and Augustine had both expressionlessly clapped together. They didn't want their Young Master to go purchase a thousand noblemen (Willow: That would be a waste of money!), so they decided to applaud and make up for the awkward silence.
"Wow, Young Master's friend look so handsome in that outfit!" Willow praised, but her voice sounded like she was refraining herself from strangling the person in front of her.
"What does Butler Augustine think?" She wanted to drag the said-person down with her. If she was going to suffer from humiliation, then he must suffer with her!
Black lines ran across Augustine's face. He stammered, "I-I agree..."
Meanwhile, the clerk stood behind the counter, feeling lost and not able to understand what was going on inside her store, "..." Yeah, she couldn't understand what kids nowadays are up to.
Azalea turned to look at Lucilline. The person he most wanted to hear a praise from... didn't give him a praise. He didn't want to back down! He must get his praise!
"How do you think I look?" Azalea mustered up his courage, then asked.
Lucilline tilted his head. A strand of black silky hair fell across his face, enamouring him with a sense of puzzlement and yet... a tint of cuteness.
The great villain calculated many thoughts in his head. Is Azalea doubting his appearance and our praise? This child... does he have such low self-esteem that he must hear our praise multiple times?
Lucilline hardened his expression, then declared, "Azalea! Stop worrying about your appearance! You look good! After all, you have to remember that it was I who chose this outfit."
Azalea, "..." He heard the praise, but why does it sound so self-centered?
"Alright alright. We'll be buying these two sets of outfits." Lucilline decided. He forced Azalea to change by himself, even though the latter was reluctant (Azalea: I wanted Lucilline to help me). Daphnne managed to change back to her school uniform, with the help of Willow.
After the two protagonists changed back, Willow held onto the clothes and purchased them.
The clerk looked at her hesitantly from behind the counter. She wondered what kind of crowd has her clothing store attracted...?
Giving the right amount of bronze coins, the group set off.
When they left outside, Lucilline and his two servants parted with Azalea and Daphnne. They headed back to Duke Rubius' manor, eager for another day to begin. Well, unfortunately for them, the night was long. There were still battles yet to come.