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“ARK, is it really okay to buy so much?” Lille asked in disbelief.
In the ten minutes or so since arriving, her arms had vanished under a mountain of candy and sweets. The main street was lined with food stalls, and among them was a stand selling freshly baked goods. Ark had bought far more than she could ever eat—custard pies, lollipops, bottles of apple cider—but he kept piling them into her arms.
“Sure is. Master Charlie isn’t short of money, so munch away to your heart’s content.” He grinned.
“But won’t it come out of your salary?” She nibbled her lip.
“Lille,” he said seriously. “Do you really think I have any use for money? It buys me the best-quality meat, but that’s about it.”
Oh, that’s right, Ark’s a bird.
She had already adjusted to his human form, and her brain was getting all jumbled up.
He shrugged. “If you can’t eat it all today, you can just take it home. …Ah-ha! The candy in this jar looks like it’ll keep for a long time. Here.” He placed another item on top of the increasingly growing stack.
“Ark!” she protested. “I already have more than enough.”
“Are you sure?” He looked hesitant. “Master Charlie told me to buy whatever you wanted. If you see anything good, just shout.”
“Master Charlie said that?”
He nodded. “Yup. He said you wouldn’t be able to sightsee in peace if he were around, so that’s why I’m the one in charge of you this trip.”
“He should’ve come with us. I don’t mind being interrupted.” She frowned.
“But he does,” Ark said. “There’s still a bit of a walk ahead of us, so why don’t you get started on that tasty-looking pie? I know it’s bad manners to walk while eating, but oh well—who cares?”
Ark kindly took over carrying the snacks so Lille could properly eat her warm custard pie. When she bit into it, thick cream oozed through the flaky crust, and a rich sweetness filled her mouth.
“Mmm…!” she hummed in delight.
“Tastes good, huh? Phew, I’m glad.”
With Ark at her side, she walked past all sorts of stands, marveling at the items for sale. An accessory stall caught her eye, but she politely refused when Ark offered to buy her something.
“Here’s the place,” Ark announced. She had finished both her custard pie and a lollipop by the time they came to a stop in front of a building whose sign read “The Three Needles, Tailor.”
“We’re regulars here, so don’t be nervous. In we go,” Ark said, opening the door. A bell jingled as they entered, and a smooth voice rang out clearly.
“Well, if it isn’t Ark! It’s been quite some time! Leo and Master Charlie aren’t with you today?”
The source of the voice was a middle-aged woman with a kind face. She had a pear-shaped body and wore a navy-blue dress with an apron tied around her waist. Her black hair was gathered in a bun at the top of her head.
“Nope. Today, I’d like to order some clothes for this one here.” Ark put a hand on Lille’s shoulder.
“Oh my, what a sweet little girl!” the woman cooed. “…Something about her reminds me of Master Charlie. Ark, don’t tell me she’s…” A look of realization on her face, the woman clapped a hand over her mouth.
“No, no. She’s not his daughter,” Ark snickered. “She’s his newest apprentice.”
“Oh, really?” she replied. “You had me speechless for a moment there. Now that I think about it, he’s probably not old enough to have a child her age.”
“Ma’am, just so we’re clear…Lille might look young, but she’s sixteen.”
“Sixteen…?” she repeated, gaping. But within seconds, she shook herself and smiled gently. “So, your name’s Lille, is it? It must be difficult living in an all-male household. But don’t you worry about finding fashionable clothes. I’ll make you something lovely!”
The seamstress’s eyes shone with care and concern, and made Lille feel warm inside. She nodded enthusiastically in reply, convinced that she could trust this woman.
“First, we’ll take your measurements in that little room over there. Since he’s a man, Ark will unfortunately have to wait out here,” the seamstress said, gesturing.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Technically, I’m not a man, I’m male.” Ark pouted but sat down on the indicated sofa all the same.
Lille followed the seamstress to the fitting room.
“What sort of clothes would you like, Lille?” she asked, making conversation while she pulled a tape measure taut against Lille’s arms, hips, and shoulders.
Her movements were so quick that Lille began to doubt she was even reading the numbers. It was like magic—or maybe it really was magic. In a country where sorcerers were so commonplace, there was no way to tell who was one just by looking at them.
“Umm… I’d like something that’s easy to move in for when I do chores,” Lille suggested.
“In that case, a pinafore dress should work well for you. I’ll make a selection of dresses and aprons that you can mix and match as you like. You can choose from a variety of aprons—the usual type that you tie behind you with string, ones that are like short-sleeved dresses, or ones that hang from your hips… What do you think? Of course, I’ll design the dresses so you can wear them without the apron when you go out, too.”
“I think that sounds wonderful.” Lille smiled.
“Looking at your size, I think the sample dress will just about fit you. Wanna try it on?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
The seamstress disappeared for a moment, then came back with a bright-green, short-sleeved dress. There was a line of fabric-covered buttons across the neckline, and a large ribbon tied around the waist. The sleeves were ruffled, and all in all, it was a very charming garment.
“How lovely…” Lille said admiringly.
“The weather’s still a little chilly, so I recommend layering it over a blouse with a stand-up collar. Here’s one for you to try on.”
Once she finished changing, Lille noticed that the green of the dress complemented her hair and eyes perfectly. It almost matched her jade-green hair ribbon, too. However…
“I knew it’d suit you! It brings out the green in your eyes. Is green your favorite color?”
“Hmm… Pink used to be my favorite, a long time ago. But, now…,” she trailed off. Now, the color of Charles’s eyes was her favorite—the same color as the ribbon that made her heart feel strangely warm whenever she thought of it. “Green’s my favorite.”
“Oh, that’s lucky.” The seamstress smiled. “It’s a bit too loose around the bust and the hips, and the sleeves are a little big…but it should fit you perfectly before long. Now, let’s try this apron. It’s just a spare one, mind you.” She knotted a frilled waist apron at Lille’s back. “Very cute. You’re a delightful young lady, through and through!”
When Lille saw the reflection in the full-length mirror, she could hardly believe it was her own. Her appearance had gone through a major transformation since the day before, and the change was rather bewildering. She felt a sense of disconnect from how she looked. Of course, the clothes were lovely, and she liked them a lot. However, it seemed a shame to waste such beautiful clothes on someone like her.
“I don’t suit these sorts of cloth—”
“You’ll be fine.” When she heard Lille’s insecure whisper, the seamstress clapped her hands on Lille’s shoulders firmly, as though in support. “You’ll make a fine young woman—I guarantee it. Your eyes are full of promise. Your chest and hips will fill out, and you’ll quickly start to grow taller. In half a year or so, the boys won’t know what hit ’em.”
“…Really?” Lille asked, cautiously.
“I’ve seen many girls grow up during my time; I can tell.” She grinned. “Come to think of it, you’ll probably grow out of that dress about the same time the colder weather sets in. Come visit me again, and I’ll make you something new. I’m already looking forward to it. Hehe… I really do have a good head for business!” She wiggled playfully, and Lille couldn’t help but giggle.
All of a sudden, Lille felt as if she could truly bare her heart to the seamstress. “Excuse me, but could I ask you something?” she wrung her hands shyly.
“Of course. What is it?” the seamstress replied.
“How can I become an adult faster?” she asked.
For a moment, the seamstress studied her face silently. “Do you want to be an adult?”
“Yes,” Lille answered. “That way, I think I’ll be able to help everyone better.”
“Well…” The seamstress thought on it for a minute, and their eyes met in the reflection of the mirror. Eventually she smiled again, as if her expression had never faltered at all. “Personally, I think a girl becomes a woman when she falls in love.”
Lille blinked. “Love?”
“That’s right.” She beamed. “To find someone who’s very special to you. You’re already familiar with three men—do you have those sorts of feelings for any of them?”
Special…? Is that a different feeling than loving someone as family?
“Master Charlie…” Lille began, and the seamstress leaned forward excitedly, “…and Ark, and Leo…are all special to me.”
“…Oh,” the seamstress said, shoulders slumping in disappointment. “Well, I suppose that’s a good thing.” Lille felt a little sorry that her response didn’t seem to be what the seamstress had hoped for. “You can keep those clothes, so feel free to wear them home. As for the others, you can come pick them up as soon as they’re done. Our seamstresses are very skilled sorcerers, so we should have it all ready for you in about a week.”
“Thank you,” Lille said. “What about the clothes I wore here?”
“Oh, yes. Naturally, I’ll wrap those up for you to take back home. I need to give you a proper bag for that huge pile of snacks, too!”
Lille breathed a sigh of relief that she wouldn’t have to worry about the snacks falling from her hands anymore and turned to face the mirror. In the reflection, she happened to glimpse the seamstress stifling a huge yawn behind a hand. She wouldn’t have noticed otherwise, but the angle of the mirror was such that she saw the motion quite clearly.
The seamstress rubbed her hand against her apron awkwardly. “Oh my—how rude of me. Sorry about that. It’s just…lately, I’ve been having trouble getting to sleep. Then, when I do sleep, I have bad dreams. I suppose it’s all part of getting old…” she sighed, rubbing at her temples.
Lille suddenly remembered her conversation with Charles. It was possible she was overstepping both his and the seamstress’s bounds, but she had an overwhelming urge to return this woman’s incredible kindness.
“Ma’am, I have a suggestion…”