Helos stood in front of the fitting mirror, her slender fingers gently brushing over the decorations on the hem of her dress.
The girl in the mirror was only ten years old, yet she already displayed astonishing beauty.
Her silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall to her waist, shimmering softly under the light.
The gown perfectly outlined her delicate figure, the sapphire embedded at the neckline shining like the brightest star in the night sky, making her skin appear even more translucent.
She hesitated as she lifted the skirt and slowly turned around.
The hem traced an elegant arc through the air, like a flower blooming under the moonlight.
Though her figure was still small, every gesture carried the graceful demeanor unique to a noble lady.
Is this really me?
Helos scrutinized her reflection carefully, her cheeks inexplicably flushing red.
Actually……….. I look pretty good?
Just as she was lost in this shock, the magical lamp above suddenly flickered, snapping her back to reality.
Damn.
The Curse is about to take effect.
At that moment, Julius’s slightly bored voice drifted in:
“Miss Helos, are you ready?”
She took a deep breath and placed her hand on the door handle.
“Yeah… I’m ready.”
As she pushed the door open, she instinctively clenched the folds of her skirt.
Julius stood with his back to her by the window; upon hearing the sound, he turned around.
“How is it?”
Helos twined a lock of her silver hair nervously between her fingers, which trembled slightly.
She had never imagined she would be so nervous over a single dress; this feeling was even more unsettling than the first time she accidentally blew up the Workshop.
Julius’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before he nodded lightly.
“Hmm, it’s alright.”
His tone was so calm that no emotion could be read. “Much better than your previous dull and dusty look.”
“You really don’t know how to speak!”
Helos puffed out her cheeks in frustration; the tips of her silver hair swayed with her sudden upward glance.
But soon, her shoulders sagged in resignation. “Forget it, I don’t really care anyway…”
“Oh my~ This young lady looks absolutely stunning in that dress!”
A shop assistant suddenly interjected, crossing her hands dramatically over her chest, her voice sugary sweet to the point of cloying, “So beautiful that it almost makes me…”
Her body wobbled suddenly; she pressed a finger to her temple, “A bit dizzy~”
Helos’s pupils sharply contracted.
She watched the assistant’s staggering figure and suddenly gasped inwardly.
If it had been anyone else, they might have thought the assistant was just giving empty compliments.
But the girl knew very well that the assistant was probably expressing her actual physical state.
Damn, if I don’t leave now, she might just faint right here!
“I-I think we should go!”
She grabbed Julius’s sleeve and dashed toward the door.
Julius stumbled a few steps from the sudden tug, then caught her wrist with his other hand; his warm palm pressed against her cold skin.
“Slow down.”
His voice was soft, like a whisper beside her ear. “You’re a noble lady dressed in a gown now; you should watch your image.”
Helos was stunned for a moment, then looked down at her exquisite skirt before raising her eyes to meet the calm black depths of the boy’s.
…Got it.
She slowed her pace and, imitating Miss Eleanor, straightened her back.
Her silver hair swayed gently with her movement, making her appear a bit more composed.
“By the way…”
Helos had only taken a few steps out of the shop before she sneaked behind Julius, tugging at his sleeve and whispering:
“How much is this dress anyway?”
Julius didn’t stop walking or turn his head as he answered.
“Uh… about thirty thousand Soli.”
“Thirty thousand?!”
Helos yanked hard on the collar of his jacket, forcing the boy to stagger back two steps.
Her voice was much louder than usual, drawing curious glances from passersby, making her instinctively lower her head again. “Thirty thousand?! Why don’t those guys just rob the place!”
Julius rolled his eyes at her grip and hurriedly tried to pry her fingers loose.
“L-let go… I’m suffocating…”
Helos had just released her grip and was about to apologize when she suddenly remembered something and grabbed him again, shaking him vigorously:
“You didn’t spend all the money for buying tools, did you?”
Julius was dizzy from her shaking and helplessly held her flailing hands.
He pulled out a reasonably full pouch of money from his pocket. “Miss Eleanor’s budget still has quite a bit left; it should be enough.”
“That’s good…”
Helos finally breathed a sigh of relief and let go for good. “Since I’ve met your requirements, you should fulfill your promise, right?”
“Of course. Let’s go.”
***
Inside Olivius City’s most prestigious Alchemical Workshop, Julius stood before a display case, his gaze fixed on the cold-glowing alchemical tools inside.
The price tag made his breath catch:
Twenty-nine thousand Soli.
The workshop owner was wiping dust off the tools with a velvet cloth, pride barely concealed in his voice:
“This is the last set personally crafted by Master Wells this year. Look at these patterns, this quality—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance!”
Julius clenched the money pouch at his waist; the weight against his palm made his heart sink.
If he remembered correctly—the pouch still held twenty-seven thousand Soli, his final budget.
His throat moved as he glanced at a cheaper apprentice-level set nearby, but its rough workmanship immediately made him frown.
“If the customer thinks this is too expensive, we have apprentice-grade tools over here…”
“No, thank you.”
Julius cut in, his voice firmer than expected.
He turned toward the shop entrance—Helos was standing on tiptoe, pressed against the glass, her pale violet eyes fixed unblinkingly on the tools like a hungry fledgling waiting to be fed.
The boy took a deep breath and slowly reached for another hidden pouch in his pocket.
That was the Saint Knight Squire stipend he had been saving for… well, retirement, more or less.
But honestly, after daily expenses, there wasn’t much left.
Still, he could spare two thousand Soli.
He had originally thought the tools wouldn’t be this expensive, which was why he had bought the dress worth thirty thousand Soli without hesitation.
Now, it seemed Helos wasn’t entirely wrong.
Master Wells’s handcrafted set was only twenty-nine thousand Soli!
And a single dress dared to cost thirty thousand Soli?
Why don’t those guys just rob the place?!
Unfortunately, it was too late to turn back.
He scratched his nose and, with the workshop owner’s beaming smile, accepted the neatly packed set of tools.
He turned and wobbled his way over to Helos.
“Oh~ These are the real alchemical tools—”
The girl’s eyes lit up as she looked at the tools in the box.
But as she looked up, she saw Julius’s pained expression.
“Uh, why do you look a bit upset?”
“Nothing.”
The boy took a deep breath and placed his hand on Helos’s shoulder, looking at her gently.
“Promise me you’ll take good care of these tools, okay?”
“Eh? O-okay.”
“YOU GET WHAT YOU FUCKING DESERVE!!!!”… of course, it’s going to work out for him in the end.