“Young Master Xisi, this price… I… I can’t afford it…”
Rafina lowered her head, her voice growing smaller and smaller.
In the past, even a skirt priced at a few copper coins, she couldn’t bear to buy just to make life at home a little easier.
But now, every piece of clothing displayed in the shop window cost a few silver coins…
“Who said you have to pay for it yourself?”
Hearing the matter-of-fact tone in Xisi’s voice, Rafina lifted her head.
“Let’s go, let’s go. Let’s go in and take a look first.”
Seeing that Rafina was still hesitating, Xisi directly pushed open the shop door and walked in first.
“Huh? Young Master Xisi?!”
Rafina quickly followed.
“Welcome! Oh my…”
The shopkeeper was originally sitting behind the counter, but the moment Xisi walked in, she immediately stood up to greet him.
Of course, even if this young master of the Blackstone family originally had a not-so-good reputation, he was absolutely one of the biggest spenders in the area, so naturally, she had to find a way to please him.
“Young Master Xisi, what brings you here in person today? Please, have a seat. Let me brew you some tea first!”
“No need.”
Xisi waved his hand.
“Pick out a few sets of clothes for our little maid here.”
“Certainly, Young Master Xisi. Do you want maid uniforms again?”
It was only then that the shopkeeper saw Rafina standing behind Xisi.
“No, today I’m here to pick out some casual clothes for her.”
“Casual clothes, huh…”
The shopkeeper gave Rafina an up-and-down look.
“Understood. Young lady, please follow me.”
With that, the shopkeeper enthusiastically pulled Rafina into the back room of the clothing store.
Ignoring the look of help Rafina sent his way, Xisi found a seat in the store and casually picked up a newspaper from a nearby rack to read.
A few minutes later, Rafina’s voice reached his ears.
“Young Master Xisi, th-this… how does this look?”
Xisi looked up and froze.
Rafina had changed into a light blue dress, the hem just reaching her calves. A thin belt cinched her waist, accentuating the girl’s slender figure.
After taking off the maid uniform, she had a different charm about her…
“Pretty good.”
Hearing Xisi’s affirmative response, Rafina let out a long breath.
Among the large pile of clothes the shopkeeper had helped her pick out, this dress was the only one whose price she could barely accept.
Thinking about how her sister had already taken a gold coin from Xisi without any restraint the other day, Rafina didn’t want Young Master Xisi to spend even more on her.
“Go try on some more.”
“Huh?”
Xisi’s voice interrupted the girl’s thoughts.
“Young Master Xisi, I really don’t need that many sets of clothes…”
“Just go when I tell you to. Don’t worry about the money.”
“Yes…”
Seeing Xisi’s unquestionable gaze, Rafina could only trot back to the back room of the store.
Xisi leaned back in his chair and let out a soft sigh.
‘Just a few clothes.’
‘What a silly girl.’
‘Unlike someone…’
In the end, Rafina tried on four outfits in total. Xisi waved his hand and bought them all, additionally matching two pairs of shoes and a small shoulder bag for going out.
The shopkeeper was grinning from ear to ear, packing all the items as quickly as possible, afraid that Xisi might change his mind.
After leaving the clothing store, Xisi strolled around town with Rafina.
As they passed a tea shop, Rafina’s footsteps unconsciously slowed down, and she stole a glance at the display window.
Of course, this didn’t escape Xisi’s eyes.
“What? Want some?”
“No… no!”
Rafina quickly shook her head.
“I was just looking…”
Xisi ignored Rafina’s words and walked into the tea shop as if he hadn’t heard.
Soon, he came out carrying two cups of steaming drinks and handed one to Rafina.
“Young Master Xisi, this…”
“It’s their signature. Drink it while it’s hot.”
Rafina took the cup with both hands, blew on the rim, and then took a careful sip.
The sweet, warm liquid flowed down her throat, and the girl immediately felt a warmth in her stomach.
“Delicious!”
Seeing Rafina’s happy smile, Xisi also took a sip from his own cup.
“Yeah, it’s pretty good indeed.”
The two of them wandered around town for a few hours like this. During the process, Xisi could clearly feel that the tension in Rafina was gradually dissipating.
By the end, she could even initiate a few words with him, instead of just saying “Okay,” “Yes,” “Thank you, Young Master Xisi,” and the like.
“You know… Young Master Xisi.”
Rafina looked up at the sky, which was starting to darken.
“Shouldn’t we head back?”
“Alright, let’s go back then.”
Xisi stretched.
“I’ll give you more days off from now on. You should go out and take a walk when you have nothing to do.”
“Mm!”
***
The carriage slowly drove back to the gates of the Duke’s Mansion.
Rafina returned to her room carrying a paper bag full of new clothes, her face still beaming with a happy smile.
Ni Wei sat on her bed, staring straight at her sister.
She had never seen her sister smile like this.
“Sister, what’s this?”
“Ah, Ni Wei.”
Rafina turned around.
“Today, Young Master Xisi took me into town and bought me some new clothes.”
Rafina’s voice carried a hint of undisguised joy.
Wrong.
Something was very, very wrong!
Ni Wei’s hand unconsciously clutched her skirt.
She suddenly remembered that even when Lila was forced to leave the Duke’s Mansion, she had told Ni Wei before she left that Xisi was a good person.
Could it be that that evil young master had also used that kind of magic on her sister that made people obey him?!
Otherwise, how could her sister have changed like this?!
“Ni Wei? What are you thinking?”
Seeing that her sister kept staring at her without speaking, Rafina reached out with some concern.
“No! Nothing!”
Ni Wei flinched back suddenly.
“I… I suddenly remembered I have something to finish. I’m going out!”
With that, Ni Wei turned and ran, quickly leaving the room.
Rafina stood there dumbfounded, staring blankly in the direction her sister had gone.
“What’s wrong with that child?”
Thinking about the Ni Wei she had seen in Young Master Xisi’s study earlier, who was completely different from usual, Rafina couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.
***
“Hey! You!”
Inside the study.
Xisi looked up at the girl standing before him, hands on her hips, glaring at him furiously. He couldn’t help but put a hand to his forehead.
“What is it now?”
Ni Wei wanted to loudly demand what Xisi had done to her sister, but just as the words reached her lips, the memory of the crisp sounds in the study yesterday and the lingering pain on her bottom made her momentum falter.
“You… what did you do to my sister?”