It was a cheap-looking bracelet inlaid with what looked like rubies and glass beads. Not exactly fancy, but it could make for a good memento of this trip.
Maybe having matching souvenirs with Sérignan and Lysa to take home isn’t such a bad idea.
“I’ll take it. How much?”
“Thirty rupinas for three. I’m cutting you a real bargain here.”
I didn’t know what the market prices were, but I did have money. I handed him the thirty rupinas and took the bracelets.
“Could you tell me about Khalkha’s specialties?” I asked.
“Specialties?” The merchant frowned. “Well, that’d be the pleasure district, but I doubt you ladies would have much to look for there. Nothing else really comes to mind. Oh, but the clothing stores in the pleasure district are pretty fancy. I mean, they outfit the people working in that part of town.”
They’ve got clothing stores, huh?
I wasn’t particularly interested in the pleasure district. It gave the impression of a place with a lot of shady establishments, and I wanted nothing to do with that. Clothes were something I was interested in, though. Sérignan and Lysa could put them on, after all, and I felt like dressing them up. Sérignan was always in that suffocating armor, so seeing her in something cute would be a nice change of pace.
“Erm, milady, I don’t mind this armor at all. I also have the dress you had made for me in Marine,” Sérignan said nervously, sensing my intentions.
“Clothing stores it is, then,” I said, ignoring her reservations.
The merchant told us about an area in the pleasure district that housed all the clothing shops, so I made my way there.
“Oho!” I exclaimed upon seeing the place. “This is impressive.”
There were all sorts of clothing stores lined up around the block. Some places handled evening dresses, others sold everyday wear, and others still had clothes for special and unusual occasions.
“Let’s start with dresses, then. Are you ready, Sérignan?”
“Yes, milady...”
I had her take off her armor before we entered, so she was currently wearing an everyday dress I had prepared for myself in case I needed to lie low. It was too big for me at present, but I’d gotten it in case I regained my normal height or ended up going back to Japan.
“Don’t you think that dress would look good on her?” I suggested, pointing at one piece in particular.
Lysa nodded. “Yeah, I think it looks nice. It’d be pretty sexy on Sérignan’s figure.”
The two of us were looking at a dress with a dangerously deep neckline and an open back down to the waist. It had a slit that showed off one’s thighs too. If Sérignan were to wear this, it would be an alluring sight indeed.
“I-I personally prefer this one...” Sérignan gestured toward a very modest piece. It was shaped like a Vietnamese ao dai dress and decorated with a corsage.
“How about this one?” I offered another one resembling a cheongsam.
Sérignan shook her head, looking uncomfortable. “No, milady, that one shows off too much of my legs.”
This dress also had a deep slit that would highlight her healthy thighs. They were a far cry from my scrawny excuse for legs...
“My lady, please don’t bully me too hard...”
“I’m not bullying you, though?” I said matter-of-factly. “I’m just picking out a dress for you.”
We ended up buying all three dresses. I looked forward to seeing Sérignan in them. She was absolutely adorable when she got all teary-eyed.
“Next we’ll need to get you some everyday dresses. You’re always in armor, and that could draw attention. So you should have a set or two of casual wear.”
Sérignan was almost always in her armor. It was technically part of her body, but it looked menacing, and we sometimes needed to keep a low profile. Having a casual outfit would help.
Besides, Sérignan is a girl.
“Whoa, that one’s cute!” Lysa pointed at a blue apron dress designed like something out of Alice in Wonderland.
I agreed. “Oh, yeah. It is.”
A smaller girl could wear it and pass as an Alice lookalike, but Sérignan was a bit too big for it, and she would probably come across as some kind of maid.
“What kind of dress do you want, Sérignan?”
“Oh, no, I could never want for anything,” she said, ever modest.
“Ah, come on. It’s not every day we get to go shopping. Enjoy it with us.”
Sérignan was definitely a bit of a late bloomer when it came to these kinds of things, which could take the fun out of it.
“What about this outfit, then?” Sérignan pointed at a man’s suit.
“It’d look good on you, yeah, but that’s men’s clothing,” I said.
“But compared to a skirt, pants would be easier to move in if need be,” she argued. “After all, I must guard you at all times.”
Sérignan, as it turned out, preferred practicality to fashion. I couldn’t very well force her to change her personal tastes. Also, she’d look good in a suit.
“All right, let’s ask for a suit for women, then. We’ll find something that’ll look good on you.”
We then went on to deliberate for quite a while about what kind of suit would work for her. In the end, we went with one that incorporated a black shirt and jacket. She tried it on, and indeed, it fit her perfectly. Sérignan was pretty impressive, all in all.
“Let’s pick something for Lysa next.”
“I-I don’t need one. I like my current outfit just fine.”
Lysa already had a set of casual clothes and a dress too, but we couldn’t walk out of here without getting her something as well. Besides, Lysa’s figure was similar to mine, so picking a dress for her was fun.
“Okay, we’ll find you something! How about that apron dress you said was cute earlier?”
“It was cute! But I don’t think it’ll look right on me...”
“Oh, hush.” I waved my hand, dismissing her claim.
That settled the first choice.
“Next we should find you something sexy.” I hummed as I picked out a dress for her. “You might be young, but I know you can show you’re just as charming as she is.”
Even if the dress didn’t show off much cleavage, one with a nice slit could be nice. That would be plenty alluring. I always used to buy my clothes at big-box stores, so I wasn’t exactly one for fashion, but still.
“This one with evening gloves might be good, milady,” Sérignan suggested.
I praised her choice. “Good eye, Sérignan. Now for some lingerie.”
Thus, we had Lysa play the part of a dress-up doll for a while. In the end, we got her an apron dress, a ladylike dress, and a gown complete with evening gloves, a garter, stockings, and more.