The moment they stepped into the shop entrance, which was visible from anywhere, all gazes converged on the two individuals.
Yuder never quite got used to those stares, no matter how many times he experienced them. Kishiar, on the other hand, seemed unfazed and shrugged it off with a smile.
"Welcome, Duke Peletta. Did you perchance inform us in advance of your visit? We've had no notice..."
A merchant hurried over, head bowed, to inquire. Although he pretended to be discreet, his words essentially amounted to a subtle complaint about their unannounced visit from such important guests.
"No, when have I ever done such a thing? Hahaha. I was just out for a walk and found myself here," Kishiar replied with a sunny smile, unswayed by any passive-aggressive grievances.
"Is this a place where one must call ahead?"
"Well, not exactly, but it would help us to prepare for your specific needs if you did..."
"It's fine, don't worry about it. Can't wait even if there's something specific? That's part of the fun too!"
Ultimately, the merchant lost this invisible battle of wills.
"Very well... What would you like to see? Our shop mainly handles bespoke tailoring and alterations, so it may be difficult to showcase ready-made garments."
"Don't worry about that; I've seen enough of those elsewhere. I'm here because of this."
Kishiar gestured to the hem of the long coat he was wearing. The outer garment he'd chosen for today was far more extravagant than his usual casual attire. The black outer layer shimmered as if one were looking at the Milky Way, with gold embroidery and an abundance of jewels. The inner lining was a rich, deep red. The coat was long enough to almost touch his ankles, despite his towering height.
Despite the coat resembling a winter garment more often worn by ladies, it suited him remarkably well and didn't look ridiculous in the least.
"This garment was refashioned from the winter dress of the late Empress. However, it doesn't seem to fit quite as well as I thought it would. I was thinking of getting it further tailored for the upcoming party. Do you think you can finish it in time?"
Faced with an order far grander than anticipated, the merchant momentarily found himself at a loss for words. Yuder was also inwardly stunned.
He had just thought it was a somewhat uniquely shaped garment. Who would have guessed it was refashioned from the dress of a former Empress?
Finally regaining his composure, the merchant licked his dry lips and managed to ask with forced calm, "Firstly, could you please specify the alterations you would like, Your Grace?"
"I don't have many requirements. Remove all the decorations attached to it, adjust the collar to be more formal, and change the lower hem's inner lining to the same black. Keep the removed lining separate and return it."
"You want all the jewel embellishments removed?"
"Yes. From the pearls on the collar to the sapphires on the hem—take them all off."
"Wouldn't that make the garment look rather bare? Even if we remove the decorations carefully, it may not be possible to erase all traces of them."
"That's fine. Don't worry about it. So, can it be done, or not?"
"If you insist on these exact modifications, then yes, it could be done within a few hours."
Though he had received a response, the merchant's expression was far from pleased. No matter how he thought about it, he doubted the modified clothing that Kishiar wanted would be appropriate as formal party attire.
"As expected, tailors from Da Fiel are adept at using magic tools. I've long wanted to meet the master of this place, Shufiel. Might I have that opportunity now?"
"I apologize. Master Shufiel had an appointment this morning and is currently out."
"Shufiel received an appointment and left? Was it a summons from Duke Diarca or Crown Prince Katchian?"
"No, it was... Baron Durmand who made the contact. If he knew His Majesty was coming, he would have rescheduled, but unfortunately, we were not aware..."
The moment the merchant mentioned Baron Durmand, his eyes darted sideways as though stung by something. Avoiding eye contact is a typical behavior exhibited by liars.
'Baron Durmand, huh? One of the old Duke Diarca's confidants. If Duke Diarca had summoned him, there's no reason for him to be so jumpy. It must have been Prince Katchian.'
This gave him a clue as to what Kishiar was searching for here.
'The master of this place was sent to Katchian by Duke Diarca. If they trust him enough to send him to assist the reclusive Crown Prince, then it's highly likely they've also sent impostors disguised as tailors.'
Emperor Keilusa had subtly mentioned yesterday at dinner about fake healers infiltrating Prince Katchian's palace. Kishiar seemed to suspect that the leads to find these people might be here.
"Well, that's disappointing. If fixing the clothes will take just a few hours, can I wait here? My arms and legs are sore from all the wandering."
Kishiar feigned weakness, making a similar face.
"I wish someone could massage them, it might help...”
Hearing Kishiar express a wish for the black-haired beauty to tend to him without a hint of embarrassment, the merchant, visibly startled, quickly retreated to an inner lounge.
"Pl-please follow me. I'll show you a comfortable place to rest."
Yuder smirked confidently, thinking that if his fellow members saw Kishiar pretending to be frail, they would have a harder time holding back their laughter than they did in Tainu.
The merchant led them to a room furnished with luxurious sofas and tables, offered them drinks, and hastily left. Although he said he would return if called, his eyes strongly suggested he hoped that wouldn't be necessary.
"Finally, we're alone."
"So now I should massage you, Commander?"
"That would be nice, but we don't have much time."
At Yuder's composed question, Kishiar broke into a smile.
"It seems the master here is busy preparing the Crown Prince for the party, so this is our opportunity. I'll stall for time here; can you go catch the tails of those suspicious healers infiltrating the Crown Prince's palace? Don't push yourself too hard."
He thought as much. The role Nathan Zuckerman had back in Tainu was now his to play again. Yuder nodded in agreement.
"I'll return as soon as possible, but if a problem arises, I'll make a loud noise to signal you."
"No, use this instead."
Kishiar extended one of the rings he was wearing towards Yuder.
"It's a disposable magic item for signaling. Turn the gemstone one full rotation, and the ring I'm wearing will emit light."
Leaving two such expensive and disposable items on his fingers spoke volumes of his wealth and audacity. Yuder slid the ring that had fit on Kishiar's ring finger onto his middle finger, noting how loose it was. Silently, he left the room.
"I'll be back, then."
The hallway that led to the lounge was deserted. Though the shop was spacious, it was noticeably empty. Yuder moved quietly, looking for a place where workers might be.
'The first floor seems mostly for customers, so the workers are probably on the second floor or in the basement.'
While mulling over these thoughts, he carefully made his way toward what he suspected was the central staircase. It was then that he locked eyes with a newly arrived customer who was slowly rounding a pillar.
Had it been anyone else, they would have passed by without a second glance. However, this customer was different. His eyes widened, his mouth dropped open, and he pointed directly at Yuder.
"You...you...! What are you doing here...?"
Yuder clicked his tongue inwardly but maintained a neutral expression outwardly. Of all the people to run into, he had to encounter Kiolle da Diarca here. His luck was not favorable.
The moment they stepped into the shop entrance, which was visible from anywhere, all gazes converged on the two individuals.
Yuder never quite got used to those stares, no matter how many times he experienced them. Kishiar, on the other hand, seemed unfazed and shrugged it off with a smile.
"Welcome, Duke Peletta. Did you perchance inform us in advance of your visit? We've had no notice..."
A merchant hurried over, head bowed, to inquire. Although he pretended to be discreet, his words essentially amounted to a subtle complaint about their unannounced visit from such important guests.
"No, when have I ever done such a thing? Hahaha. I was just out for a walk and found myself here," Kishiar replied with a sunny smile, unswayed by any passive-aggressive grievances.
"Is this a place where one must call ahead?"
"Well, not exactly, but it would help us to prepare for your specific needs if you did..."
"It's fine, don't worry about it. Can't wait even if there's something specific? That's part of the fun too!"
Ultimately, the merchant lost this invisible battle of wills.
"Very well... What would you like to see? Our shop mainly handles bespoke tailoring and alterations, so it may be difficult to showcase ready-made garments."
"Don't worry about that; I've seen enough of those elsewhere. I'm here because of this."
Kishiar gestured to the hem of the long coat he was wearing. The outer garment he'd chosen for today was far more extravagant than his usual casual attire. The black outer layer shimmered as if one were looking at the Milky Way, with gold embroidery and an abundance of jewels. The inner lining was a rich, deep red. The coat was long enough to almost touch his ankles, despite his towering height.
Despite the coat resembling a winter garment more often worn by ladies, it suited him remarkably well and didn't look ridiculous in the least.
"This garment was refashioned from the winter dress of the late Empress. However, it doesn't seem to fit quite as well as I thought it would. I was thinking of getting it further tailored for the upcoming party. Do you think you can finish it in time?"
Faced with an order far grander than anticipated, the merchant momentarily found himself at a loss for words. Yuder was also inwardly stunned.
He had just thought it was a somewhat uniquely shaped garment. Who would have guessed it was refashioned from the dress of a former Empress?
Finally regaining his composure, the merchant licked his dry lips and managed to ask with forced calm, "Firstly, could you please specify the alterations you would like, Your Grace?"
"I don't have many requirements. Remove all the decorations attached to it, adjust the collar to be more formal, and change the lower hem's inner lining to the same black. Keep the removed lining separate and return it."
"You want all the jewel embellishments removed?"
"Yes. From the pearls on the collar to the sapphires on the hem—take them all off."
"Wouldn't that make the garment look rather bare? Even if we remove the decorations carefully, it may not be possible to erase all traces of them."
"That's fine. Don't worry about it. So, can it be done, or not?"
"If you insist on these exact modifications, then yes, it could be done within a few hours."
Though he had received a response, the merchant's expression was far from pleased. No matter how he thought about it, he doubted the modified clothing that Kishiar wanted would be appropriate as formal party attire.
"As expected, tailors from Da Fiel are adept at using magic tools. I've long wanted to meet the master of this place, Shufiel. Might I have that opportunity now?"
"I apologize. Master Shufiel had an appointment this morning and is currently out."
"Shufiel received an appointment and left? Was it a summons from Duke Diarca or Crown Prince Katchian?"
"No, it was... Baron Durmand who made the contact. If he knew His Majesty was coming, he would have rescheduled, but unfortunately, we were not aware..."
The moment the merchant mentioned Baron Durmand, his eyes darted sideways as though stung by something. Avoiding eye contact is a typical behavior exhibited by liars.
'Baron Durmand, huh? One of the old Duke Diarca's confidants. If Duke Diarca had summoned him, there's no reason for him to be so jumpy. It must have been Prince Katchian.'
This gave him a clue as to what Kishiar was searching for here.
'The master of this place was sent to Katchian by Duke Diarca. If they trust him enough to send him to assist the reclusive Crown Prince, then it's highly likely they've also sent impostors disguised as tailors.'
Emperor Keilusa had subtly mentioned yesterday at dinner about fake healers infiltrating Prince Katchian's palace. Kishiar seemed to suspect that the leads to find these people might be here.
"Well, that's disappointing. If fixing the clothes will take just a few hours, can I wait here? My arms and legs are sore from all the wandering."
Kishiar feigned weakness, making a similar face.
"I wish someone could massage them, it might help...”
Hearing Kishiar express a wish for the black-haired beauty to tend to him without a hint of embarrassment, the merchant, visibly startled, quickly retreated to an inner lounge.
"Pl-please follow me. I'll show you a comfortable place to rest."
Yuder smirked confidently, thinking that if his fellow members saw Kishiar pretending to be frail, they would have a harder time holding back their laughter than they did in Tainu.
The merchant led them to a room furnished with luxurious sofas and tables, offered them drinks, and hastily left. Although he said he would return if called, his eyes strongly suggested he hoped that wouldn't be necessary.
"Finally, we're alone."
"So now I should massage you, Commander?"
"That would be nice, but we don't have much time."
At Yuder's composed question, Kishiar broke into a smile.
"It seems the master here is busy preparing the Crown Prince for the party, so this is our opportunity. I'll stall for time here; can you go catch the tails of those suspicious healers infiltrating the Crown Prince's palace? Don't push yourself too hard."
He thought as much. The role Nathan Zuckerman had back in Tainu was now his to play again. Yuder nodded in agreement.
"I'll return as soon as possible, but if a problem arises, I'll make a loud noise to signal you."
"No, use this instead."
Kishiar extended one of the rings he was wearing towards Yuder.
"It's a disposable magic item for signaling. Turn the gemstone one full rotation, and the ring I'm wearing will emit light."
Leaving two such expensive and disposable items on his fingers spoke volumes of his wealth and audacity. Yuder slid the ring that had fit on Kishiar's ring finger onto his middle finger, noting how loose it was. Silently, he left the room.
"I'll be back, then."
The hallway that led to the lounge was deserted. Though the shop was spacious, it was noticeably empty. Yuder moved quietly, looking for a place where workers might be.
'The first floor seems mostly for customers, so the workers are probably on the second floor or in the basement.'
While mulling over these thoughts, he carefully made his way toward what he suspected was the central staircase. It was then that he locked eyes with a newly arrived customer who was slowly rounding a pillar.
Had it been anyone else, they would have passed by without a second glance. However, this customer was different. His eyes widened, his mouth dropped open, and he pointed directly at Yuder.
"You...you...! What are you doing here...?"
Yuder clicked his tongue inwardly but maintained a neutral expression outwardly. Of all the people to run into, he had to encounter Kiolle da Diarca here. His luck was not favorable.
