“Ma… Mr. Li Xian, where exactly are we going?” Sara was being pulled forward by Li Xian without any resistance, but a trace of doubt lingered in her heart.
“There are so many people waiting at the academy gate. Do you really think we can just wait there forever? Even if we waited until tonight, we might never get our turn. It would all be a complete waste of time,” Li Xian explained.
“Oh.” Sara nodded absentmindedly, her mind still trying to catch up, and she let Li Xian lead her forward.
The Magic Academy covered a vast area—several times larger than the palace—almost like a small independent city.
So, going around the academy meant a rather long walk.
Fortunately, taking a shortcut through the alleys saved some time.
With a clear sense of direction, getting lost was unlikely.
Before long, Li Xian had bypassed the Magic Academy and arrived at the bustling district opposite it.
Next to the Magic Academy was one of the Imperial Capital’s most prosperous areas, rivaling the vicinity around the Royal Hotel.
The shops lining the streets here were more numerous and varied than those in front of the academy, and unlike the street packed with people by the academy, this area was spacious enough for a proper stroll.
“Looking for clothes…” Li Xian scanned the shops on both sides, searching for a suitable store.
“There! This one looks pretty good…”
Soon, he found a shop that seemed decent—not overly luxurious, but with a tasteful atmosphere.
He brought Sara inside.
The shop was quite large, with a row of attendants standing at the entrance.
Wary of the Imperial Capital’s prices, Li Xian quickly glanced at the price tags on the clothes.
Thankfully, these were just ordinary clothes, so the prices weren’t outrageous—mostly around twenty to thirty Gold Coins.
That was well within Li Xian’s budget.
“Sir, can I help you with anything?” Just as Li Xian breathed a sigh of relief, a friendly attendant approached.
“Um… I want to buy a few outfits for both myself and her,” Li Xian pointed at Sara.
Since he knew nothing about choosing clothes, it was easier to let the attendant help pick out some.
“Clothes for you and this young lady?” The attendant briefly sized up the two before nodding.
“Understood. Please wait a moment…”
“How about this outfit?” The attendant first brought out a pink and white dress.
It looked delicate and cute—very much like Sara herself.
Li Xian’s eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, he immediately decided, “Alright, I’ll take this one!”
The attendant smiled and then handed the dress to Sara.
“Please have this young lady try it on to see if it fits.”
“Um… okay.” Sara took the dress and, following the attendant’s guidance, glanced back at Li Xian nervously as she headed toward the fitting room, glancing back repeatedly.
“Next, sir…” The attendant thought for a moment and then went to fetch some clothes.
When she returned, she was holding a black inner garment and a long white coat.
At the sight of the white coat, Li Xian raised an eyebrow.
It looked like it would suit him very well.
Professional attendants really had a good eye—one pick and they found clothes that fit perfectly.
“Sir, would you like to try it on?”
Li Xian nodded and took the coat, heading toward the fitting room as guided.
The shop was apparently larger than it appeared from outside.
The fitting rooms were designed in a row, separated by walls with a long curtain covering the open side.
A hook at the end of the curtain could be fastened to the wall—signaling that the room was occupied.
Li Xian hung the hook and began trying on the coat.
He had to admit, the quality of the clothes here was quite good; the fabric felt fine to the touch, justifying the slightly steep price.
Twenty or thirty Gold Coins might not seem much, but for a single piece of clothing, it was quite expensive.
In the small town where Li Xian had lived before, that amount could buy dozens of outfits.
This was probably why there weren’t many customers here; most fitting rooms were empty.
However, just as Li Xian took off his clothes to change into the new coat, strange sounds suddenly came from the fitting room opposite him.
“Princess Ellie, this outfit really suits you. How about trying it on?”
“No.” The reply was unusually firm.
Ellie pouted and looked at the cute dress.
It was adorable, no doubt, but too childish, making her feel immature.
Looking down at her slender frame, Ellie felt a surge of helpless frustration.
“Speaking of which, Sister Karinya seems to have grown a lot recently…” The youthful voice carried a hint of teasing and slight jealousy—one could easily picture a clingy little kitten.
“Well…” The voice on the other side sounded embarrassed and helpless, soon drowned out by a muffled scream.
“Princess Ellie, you…” Karinya blushed as she looked at the princess who suddenly surged forward and attacked a particularly sensitive spot.
“It’s so soft…” Ellie seemed to confirm the texture by squeezing several times, instantly turning Karinya’s face a deep shade of red as her body gradually went limp.
“Princess Ellie, please… not there…” Karinya’s suppressed whispers were not contained by the thin curtain.
The melodious sounds seemed to pour into Li Xian’s ears like a waterfall, leaving him embarrassed.
Something quite extraordinary was happening in that fitting room…
Li Xian’s hands froze mid-change.
What should he do?
Pretend he didn’t hear anything?
Or should he say something?
Neither option seemed good.
While Li Xian was torn, the noises from the other side grew more intense.
Ellie, emboldened, let loose her dissatisfaction about her own development, playing with this rare “elder sister” she could completely trust.
Karinya looked helplessly at the princess, letting her antics go unchecked.
Yet, just as their playful frolicking escalated, a sharp “click” came from above the curtain…