“It looks like there’s nothing here that fits me~”
After stowing away the pile of miscellaneous goods they’d bought earlier, Hualí and her companion aimlessly wandered through the clothing store.
Most of the clothes in the shop were designed for the peculiar tastes of certain races, with hardly any styles that matched the Human Race’s aesthetic.
She was about to escape Demon King Castle, leave that Sidella behind—there’s no way Hualí could still wear this Maid outfit, right?
Hualí tilted her little head, her gaze swirling between wardrobes, picking and choosing.
Suddenly, among a pile of flashy garments, a piece of lace underwear in plain black, hanging high up, caught Hualí’s eye.
Compared to the flimsy sports bras around it, the Black Lace Underwear looked sturdy and thick, obviously padded inside, plump like a small steamed bun—just looking at it made one want to reach out and squeeze.
Hualí guiltily averted her eyes.
Well, confidence boosters and such, Hualí didn’t need them at all!
But Jeilinfa beside her had already noticed Hualí’s fleeting strangeness.
She followed Hualí’s gaze to the lace underwear and raised her brows in understanding.
To be honest, perhaps it was the Blood Clan’s inherent flaw—most of the young Maids in the Palace were petite, with undeveloped chests. She often heard their complaints.
So even Hualí, the Hero, suffered such troubles?
A gentle light flashed in Jeilinfa’s eyes.
Like a big sister next door, she took it upon herself to help the young girl out of her inferiority, stepping up to Hualí and taking down the Black Lace Underwear.
“Hualí, this looks like it would suit you. Want to try it on?”
“Guh?!”
***
Hualí really didn’t want to wear it. Really!
Even if she was forced to become a cute, beautiful girl, she never thought those heavy things were good—better to be lighter in front so nothing bounced around when jumping.
But you know, Hualí had never been good at refusing people—especially when that person was Jeilinfa, who’d always taken care of her and used such a tempting tone.
She had just changed her clothes and sprayed perfume all over herself.
The elf girl put her mask back on and stepped out of the dressing room—only to run into the two walking toward her.
Jeilinfa pushed Hualí from behind, saying,
“Hualí, don’t you want His Majesty to be shocked and see you differently next time you meet?”
“Even His Majesty isn’t that big. Don’t you want to surpass Her Majesty, Hualí?”
Hualí hugged the underwear Jeilinfa had shoved into her arms, her eyes already spinning like mosquito coils.
Sidella, that annoying fellow, had mocked her as trash last night.
The words about her figure being so lacking that even an all-night stay at a brothel would only cost five silver coins still echoed in her ears.
The humiliating memory was still vivid.
A thought emerged in Hualí’s mind—she had always been forced underneath, and even if she wanted to resist, her current strength was far from enough.
The obsession to defeat Sidella grew wild in her heart, even twisting a little.
To surpass Sidella in size—couldn’t that count as a small victory for the Hero Hualí over the evil Blood Queen?
Once such thoughts surfaced, they were hard to ignore.
Hualí mumbled, “Guh… Then I’ll try it on for a bit…”
Of course, this was only so she could mock Sidella in return.
She really didn’t want to wear it!
Just a try. If it doesn’t fit, she’d take it off immediately!
The elf girl standing nearby watched as Hualí was pushed into the dressing room, hugging the Black Lace Underwear with the ‘Seed of Epiphany’ hidden inside.
Her beautiful eyes behind the mask widened in disbelief.
Was someone really so insecure that they’d buy that kind of underwear?
No, that wasn’t the point!
The elf girl shook her head hard, forcing herself to calm down.
The point now was—the ‘Seed of Epiphany’ had ended up in the other’s hands!
“Wait! You can’t try on that piece!”
“Guh?”
Stopping in her tracks, Hualí and Jeilinfa both turned curious gazes to the elf girl.
The elf girl had changed out of the Linen Cloak used to conceal her figure, now wearing a white casual top and black sports shorts, her long, fair legs fully exposed, looking soft and plump.
The Silver Mask couldn’t hide her beautifully contoured pointed ears, and the gold hair behind her gleamed, attracting attention.
“Elf?”
Hualí blinked and asked in confusion.
Since Demon King Castle was a melting pot of races, encountering an Elf in the black market didn’t surprise Hualí much after a moment’s thought.
“Why not?”
Hualí’s suspicious gaze swept openly across the elf girl’s chest, then she seemed to understand something and blinked, putting on a ‘see-through’ expression.
“Do you want to pad yours too? But let me try it on first to see if it fits.”
“No, I…”
The elf girl shut her mouth tightly, fearing she’d reveal the ‘Seed of Epiphany.’
The ‘Seed of Epiphany’ was something anyone would covet—if even a trace was exposed, she couldn’t be sure the other wouldn’t try to swallow it.
She hurriedly changed her words, suppressing the burning heat on her cheeks:
“Can I try it on first? I really like that piece…”
“No.”
But Hualí shook her head, eyes resolute.
“Even if I’m only trying it on and don’t plan to buy it, I was still first. You’ll have to wait until after me.”
After saying this, Hualí’s gaze drifted.
Hey!
No matter how you look at it, you’re obviously looking forward to it!
What are you pretending for!
Beneath the mask, the elf gritted her teeth.
Before she could say anything else, Hualí slipped into the dressing room like a mudfish.
“You wait outside. If it doesn’t fit, I’ll give it to you.”
“Annoying, insecure, flat-chested brat!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine~,” Jeilinfa consoled.
“Even being flat-chested is fine~”
Jeilinfa, fully immersed in the big sister role, even wanted to pat the girl’s head, but stopped since they weren’t familiar.
The elf girl leaned against the counter nearby, resigned to waiting.
Now, all she could do was pray that Hualí didn’t notice the ‘Seed of Epiphany’ hidden inside while changing and would return the underwear if it didn’t fit.
If the other discovered the ‘Seed of Epiphany’ inside the padding, or bought the underwear…
Clutching the Short Blade hidden in her sleeve, a flash of hard-to-detect killing intent flickered in the elf girl’s eyes.
Then she would have no choice but to kill.
Time ticked by, but Hualí still hadn’t come out of the dressing room.
The elf girl grew impatient.
Could she have found the ‘Seed of Epiphany’ hidden inside?
The thought made the elf girl uneasy.
She confirmed that Jeilinfa’s attention was elsewhere, then quietly moved toward the dressing room.
Her steps made no sound. She grasped the doorknob with her small hand.
At that moment, a commotion erupted outside the shop.
“Quick! The scent is strongest here—the Thief must be hiding inside!”
The elf girl’s body tensed, instantly alert.
With the ‘Seed of Epiphany’ out of her hands, if she was discovered now—even if she escaped, precious time would be lost, making it hard to retrieve the missing ‘Seed of Epiphany.’
She had to hide, fast!
She yanked open the dressing room door and darted inside, locking it behind her.
When she turned, her vision was filled with a swath of snowy white.
She almost bumped into Hualí, who was in the middle of changing.
“Human Race?!”
Removing her mask, the elf girl finally saw Hualí’s sweet face clearly.
Hualí had just taken off her camisole and was about to try on the underwear.
Her body froze, and a large expanse of skin was exposed as she blinked in confusion.
“Wha—Wha—?! How did you—”
Quick as lightning, a hand clapped over Hualí’s mouth, soft skin pressed against her delicate body.
The elf girl removed her mask and pressed a finger to her lips.
“Shh! Don’t panic. I’m a girl too, I won’t do anything to you. Don’t make a sound!”