Chapter 8 : The Witch’s Costume 

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In Roseithe’s room, in front of an unusually spacious and extravagant bed.

“This is too cute! I knew it—Lanafit, you look adorable in this outfit!”

Roseithe’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Lanafit, squealing non-stop with excitement. 

But deep within those eyes… there was something a little dangerous.

“Lanafit, come on, spin around—just once!”

“Ah? Like this?”

Lanafit did as she was told and spun in place.

“Eeeek—!!! This scene is just too perfect! I have to capture it with a memory crystal and preserve it forever!”

Roseithe shrieked like she was having a manic episode. 

To be honest, it was getting a bit noisy…

Choosing not to pay attention to Roseithe’s madness, Lanafit walked over to a massive full-length mirror and looked at her reflection.

Her long, pale gray-white hair still reached her waist, and her light green eyes stared back at her. 

She still looked like a girl of about sixteen or seventeen.

But compared to the black dress she had worn that day, her clothing was quite different now.

A white one-piece dress, the hem stopping just above her knees. 

Over that, a wide black cloak draped across her body. 

The front panels were long enough to almost cover her entire arms, and her shoulders and chest were fully concealed. 

A green gemstone clasp held the two sides of the cloak together at her chest, and the fabric behind her extended all the way down to her calves.

On her feet was a pair of black leather ankle boots with lace trim.

But the most eye-catching part of her outfit wasn’t the clothes.

As her gaze moved upward, Lanafit looked at the top of her head—there sat a large-brimmed black witch’s hat, so wide it could probably shield her entire body from the rain. 

The tip of the hat was long and drooped backward because of a dangling lantern-shaped ornament at the top, making it impossible for the hat to stand upright. 

It was… a very strange hat.

How to put it? 

To her straight-man soul, it felt like an embarrassingly intense cosplay.

But matched with that beautiful face, it was undeniably adorable.

“Lanafit, what do you think? Are you staring at the new you, completely mesmerized?”

Roseithe scooted up beside her with a huge grin, clearly fishing for praise in an “I did a great job, right?” kind of way.

“Uh…” Overwhelmed by embarrassment, Lanafit didn’t quite have the courage to say outright that the outfit was beautiful. 

Still, since she had received a thoughtful gift, she couldn’t not express some gratitude. 

Blushing, she hesitantly spoke:

“Thank you… I really like it…”

Who would’ve guessed that Roseithe would suddenly fall backward onto the bed the moment she heard that.

“Ahhhhh… I didn’t see wrong, did I? Lanafit—sweet, precious Lanafit—actually showed such a cute expression… I can die with no regrets now…”

Lost in her own bliss, Roseithe began fantasizing even further.

Lanafit’s affection level must’ve shot up after this!

The progress bar on the “Lanafit route” had to be more than halfway full by now. 

If she just kept up the gentle persuasion step by step, then one day—without a doubt—Lanafit would fall in love with her!

“The day I finally get to roll in the sheets with little Lanafit is just around the corner—!!!”

“It’s more like never in this lifetime!”

Hearing Roseithe blurt out her unfiltered thoughts, Lanafit mercilessly snapped back.

“Anyway… can I change into a different skirt? Pants would be even better. I feel kind of chilly like this.”

Looking at her reflection—where everything from her calves up to mid-thigh was fully exposed—Lanafit felt the urge to cover herself up.

“Absolutely not—!!!”

To her surprise, Roseithe leapt up from the bed and grabbed her by the shoulders, her expression brooking no argument.

“Lanafit’s legs are so beautiful! Of course you have to show them off! Hiding such pretty legs? I won’t allow it!”

“Uh… alright, I guess.”

Faced with Roseithe’s overwhelming insistence, Lanafit could only yield.

If she had to show a little skin, so be it. 

At least this was better than yesterday’s wardrobe malfunction of a dress—which had been basically see-through. 

Today’s outfit, at least, came with proper undergarments and felt much more substantial.

“My, my… To think I’d see Lanafit make so many cute, bashful expressions today—and even thank me. 

What a fruitful day it’s been! 

But… looking at you being this adorable right in front of me, I’m honestly struggling to resist the urge to gobble you up.”

Roseithe stared at her like she was some delicious treat, even wiping the corner of her mouth as if to clean away nonexistent drool.

“If you try, I’ll make you bite into a chunk of ice.”

Raising her right hand, a crystal rose of solid ice bloomed in Lanafit’s palm. 

She gave Roseithe a warning glare.

“Ahahaha… I was just kidding! Just a joke! Don’t take it seriously!”

Roseithe gave a sheepish laugh, though inwardly she sighed—it seemed she still needed more time to win Lanafit over.

Lanafit continued to admire her outfit a little longer—though she tried to play it off by “accidentally” glancing at the mirror every now and then. 

She thought she was being subtle, but Roseithe noticed everything.

Surprisingly, Roseithe didn’t tease her. 

She just stared at Lanafit, likely imagining all sorts of things that were not innocent.

“By the way, is this what a witch’s outfit is supposed to look like? Do all the others dress like this too?”

Realizing the question only now, Lanafit asked.

“Not exactly,” Roseithe replied. 

“This kind of outfit is just popular among young female magic users in this world. 

The other sisters in the Witches’ Covenant dress however they like. But personally, I think it’s important to have a bit of ceremony in your appearance, so I really like this kind of look.”

Snap!

As she spoke, Roseithe suddenly snapped her fingers. 

Her clothes instantly vanished in a flash of white light.

Caught off guard by the sudden display of skin, Lanafit hurriedly covered her eyes—but still peeked through her fingers just enough to see.

Before she could get a proper eyeful, the white light quickly condensed and reconstructed into clothing. 

When the glow faded the second time, Roseithe stood there in an outfit similar in style to Lanafit’s.

The change had happened so fast that Lanafit hadn’t actually seen anything scandalous.

The main differences were the shoes—Roseithe wore dark red high heels—and her legs were clad in sheer black thigh-high stockings that hugged her long, shapely legs. 

Her cloak’s front was much shorter, covering only her chest and shoulders, and her dress was a tight-fitting style instead of loose.

She wore the same oversized witch’s hat as Lanafit, though hers was crimson like her cloak, with white trim and golden accents along the edges.

“See? Now we’re wearing the same outfit, Lanafit~!”

“Uh… sure. Whatever makes you happy.”

Not knowing what else to say, Lanafit gave a half-hearted reply. 

Honestly, aside from the hat, the two outfits looked nothing alike.

Roseithe also admired herself in the mirror, brushing through her deep wine-red hair. 

Then she turned to Lanafit with a smile and suggested:

“Well, no time like the present! Why don’t I take you out for a stroll? The weather’s nice today—it’s the perfect day to go outside.”