No way, that little white-haired nut probably hasn't left the academy for a long time and must have been bursting with shopping desire. She probably thought, since we're already here, let's head into town and pick up some local specialties, right?

Vinny couldn’t help but think that.

So what should he do now?

The leader of the group went into town to shop; there was no way he could rashly go to Lake Village alone.

Thinking about it carefully, Vinny realized that he hadn’t really prepared well for this trip. There were some things he needed to buy.

His luggage had been packed by Shikondell, so he hadn’t packed enough clothes.

Since this test wouldn’t end in just a few days, Vinny figured it would be better to buy some clothes locally.

He walked into a fancy clothing store, choosing from the clothes displayed on the wooden racks. There was a subtle wood scent in the air, indicating that this store was well-known, and its clothes were certainly expensive.

But Vinny had no choice. After walking through a few streets, this was the only clothing store he found.

This town couldn’t possibly only have this one clothing store. There had to be other more affordable ones, right? How else would the people who live here buy clothes? Surely, they couldn’t make their own or only buy from big cities, could they?

Since this was Vinny’s first time here in this small town on the edge of the empire, he didn’t know where the other stores were. He wanted to ask someone, but the people on the street seemed busy, none of them interested in talking to a stranger.

"Excuse me, sorry to bother you, but...?" Vinny tried to talk to a passing guard, but the guard completely ignored him, walking on without even acknowledging Vinny's words.

This town’s people had no manners, did they?

This guard had no sense of aesthetics either! A handsome guy like Vinny, with his graceful and charming demeanor, couldn’t even stop him?

Tsk, these people not only lacked manners, they had no appreciation for his looks or his radiant face.

Vinny had no choice but to make do and enter this clothing store.

However, for some reason, as he was picking through the men’s clothes, his gaze was suddenly drawn to the various women’s garments hanging on the other side of the store.

Hmm, as expected from a luxury store, the craftsmanship was exquisite, with many creative designs. These weren’t the kind of flashy, gold-covered clothes that screamed vulgar wealth, but rather a refined, luxurious beauty stemming from the elegance of both the material and design.

This rose-red ribbon with a white-edged open-back butterfly dress felt amazing. The light shone on the fabric, making it sparkle, like a tipsy glass of wine, with pearl-white sleeves that gleamed like precious jewels.

Vinny ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) couldn’t help but imagine how beautiful Vanessa would look in this dress, as if she were a swan dancing at a ball.

The burgundy color, combined with the soft, falling cherry-blossom-like hair, the milk-white skin of the girl, and the pearl-white, luxurious fabric, created a breathtaking, dreamlike painting.

With this thought in mind, Vinny couldn’t help but feel a little admiration. His gaze then drifted to the blue mermaid dress next to it. In his imagination, the cherry-haired girl looked like a fluttering blue butterfly.

After a moment, Vinny began to realize something wasn’t right and frowned.

Wait, wasn’t he supposed to be here to buy men’s clothes? Why was he now so captivated by the women’s clothing?

"This gentleman has a great eye. These two dresses are designed by the fashion master, Remk Gelatus himself," a shop attendant appeared at Vinny’s side, smiling as she introduced the dresses.

"Ah, I see," Vinny said, with a thoughtful expression, though he had no idea who Remk Gelatus was.

Wait, Gelatus? Isn’t that...

"Are you picking clothes for your girlfriend?" the attendant asked warmly.

"Uh... yeah, that’s right," Vinny replied, hastily agreeing. What else could he say? He couldn’t exactly admit that he was imagining what he would look like in them, could he? That would make him seem like a weird guy!

Vinny didn’t want to be seen as a weirdo.

"Really? In that case, could you tell me your girlfriend’s size?" the attendant asked enthusiastically.

"Ah, uh, does your store have all sizes?" Vinny asked without thinking.

"Yes, we have a full range of sizes, sir," the attendant assured him.

"Does that mean if I tell you the size, you can provide me with a matching one?" Vinny asked, starting to feel a little interested.

"Of course, our store offers dresses in all sizes for women of all ages," the attendant smiled.

"Well..." Vinny hesitated for a moment, just as he was about to make a decision, he heard a familiar, playful voice from behind him.

"Vinny, what are you doing here~?"

"?!"

Vinny jumped in surprise, quickly turning to see the silver-haired girl who had somehow appeared behind him.

What the hell? Was Aesphyra really some kind of cat who could sneak around without a sound?

"You’ve only been gone for a little while, and now you’ve come to the clothing store? Staring at women’s clothes so intensely... Are you planning to buy me a dress as a reward?" Aesphyra said, hands behind her back, head tilted in playful amusement.

"I see. So, sir, are you picking clothes for this lady?" The attendant suddenly brightened and looked at Vinny with a knowing expression.

"Actually, it’s not..." Vinny started to explain.

"I understand now. You two really are a perfect match, like a match made in heaven," the attendant praised. "Just one look at you two walking down the street, and you can tell you go so well together!"

"...A perfect match, like a match made in heaven?" Aesphyra looked at Vinny with a sly smile.

"Uh... uh..." Vinny began to sweat, feeling the weight of Aesphyra’s gaze on him.

"Is this the one?" Aesphyra casually grabbed the dress that Vinny had been looking at, feeling the fabric. She then lazily gave an order to the attendant, "Please prepare one in my size."

She tossed a delicate badge to the attendant.

What was going on?

Vinny was puzzled. He had expected Aesphyra to have some kind of VIP membership card for such a large, multinational clothing chain, but why did she just throw a badge at the attendant?

The attendant seemed confused at first but quickly became respectful, bowing and returning the badge.

"Apologies! I didn’t realize it was you, young miss!" the attendant exclaimed, lowering her head in reverence.

"Ha?!" Vinny stood frozen, muttering to himself.

Wait a minute, Gelatus? That was Aesphyra’s fake last name, wasn’t it?

In the original story, Gelatus was once a noble family loyal to the ancient imperial royalty. After the fall of the old empire, they vanished, but using their remaining power, they changed their name to Gelatus and spread their influence in various countries while secretly searching for the direct descendants of the old imperial family.

To protect Aesphyra, her surname had been changed from Carillian to Gelatus, and she publicly claimed to be a descendant of the Gelatus family.

While Gelatus was considered a small noble family in public, in secret, they were incredibly powerful, owning many well-regarded, high-class brands. This store was just one branch of those brands.

It made sense now.

Vinny smacked his head as he remembered the setup.

But this wasn’t directly tied to Aesphyra’s wealth. Aesphyra was an extremely independent, talented, and exceptional person who didn’t rely on her family for money. She had made a fortune through things like ancient alchemy, fashion design, scroll drawing, and factory investments.

Yes, Aesphyra was a great designer, known for her creative yet detailed and refined designs, which were loved by many nobles. Many Gelatus-brand clothes on the market had been anonymously made by her.

No wonder she was so fashionable and meticulous about her clothing.

Aside from her small height and body flaws, there was really nothing this girl couldn’t do. It’s no surprise she was the iconic "strong female protagonist" in the original story.

"Never mind," Aesphyra said, taking the badge back from the attendant. "Please wrap this dress in my size for me," she said gently, then looked at Vinny. "Vinny, do you like this dress?"

"..."

Vinny instinctively nodded.

Aesphyra smiled, gracefully lifting her hand. The attendant quickly approached to measure her size with a soft tape measure.

"Do you have my size in stock?" Aesphyra asked, her voice smooth and alluring.

"Yes, young miss, please follow me," the attendant said.

"Vinny, wait here for a moment," Aesphyra said as she followed the attendant into the fitting room.

Left alone, Vinny stared blankly, not sure what Aesphyra’s game was.

A rustling sound came from the fitting room, as though Aesphyra was changing clothes.

Vinny, who had been distracted before, couldn’t help but feel confused. He thought he was the one who came to buy clothes, yet now it seemed he was here just to accompany Aesphyra.

This was getting strange.