Obedience had a price. Usually, only afterwards was it known if the price would be joy or sorrow. The price I paid today for my obedience was the height of difficulties. This was because I had to try on and check the fabric of nine sets one by one, including gloves, hats, etc.
"That's much better."
Furthermore, the main orchestrator of this doll-dressing play was Rue, not me. He played with my body at will—which, I know, sounds weird, but I'm not exaggerating. Rue, who checked the color, brightness, design, and combination of materials one by one while lying on the long sofa, was unpleasantly demanding and meticulous.
"This is also good."
"Good? It's a popular color these days. It will suit your fair skin well. I usually recommend monochromatic fabrics to the young ladies who come here, but I think this pastel turquoise would suit her a lot."
Even to my eyes, which had absolutely no experience with design or art, I could feel its aesthetic excellence.
"With that fabric."
Furthermore, he didn't even bother to consider the fabrics the owner suggested; instead, he chose only the ones he liked. If you're going to choose it according to your tastes, why bother putting it on me? My legs hurt because I had been standing for almost two hours. It only took him a few minutes to look at it with irritation.
"This time, choose the fabric you like, Miss Daisy." He gave me the decision with the pretext of being generous.
Wow, thank you so much. But what was the point of this anyway? This wasn't clothes I would wear anyway, was it? "That and that." I chose two of the most striking fabrics of the ones scattered around the place along with different types of lace. A zebra pattern over a green fabric and spring flowers embroidered over lace.
"Do you mean... these fabrics?" A nod. Contrary to my expectations, instead of looking confused, the owner seemed to have a new gleam in her eyes.
"I see. Well, in fact, sometimes women are drawn to underwear with daring designs." Wait, was it for underwear?
I turned my eyes toward Rue, who was smiling with an expression that clearly said "what a bad combination and what poor taste." Brat. On the contrary, the owner, who had been holding her chin for a while as if impressed by something, approached and whispered in my ear: "The perfect combination for an impressive night. You have a good eye."
At that moment I realized something. This woman sees Rue and me as the Viscount couple who went out together in disguise. Actually, it wasn't surprising. Even to me, Rue's evil appearance and relaxed attitude didn't look like those of a commoner. Furthermore, he was getting the Viscountess's clothes made to his liking, which would be impossible unless the real couple was already involved in the process.
This is the end of the checks for both the design and the fabric. What a liberating feeling! I ran to the dressing room, got dressed, and came out. My old and raggedy clothes had never looked so beautiful to me as they did now. Rue smiled as he looked at me while I got ready to run while putting on my hat.
"Was it so terrible?"
"I'd rather be cleaning the mansion." At least I wouldn't shake with boredom.
It was after Rue, who paid for everything, approached me. The clerk who greeted us before at the store entrance asked him a question with a nervous expression.
"Well, sir, do you work at the Weatherwoods mansion?"
"Yes."
"If you don't mind... I'd like to know your name..." The clerk's cheeks were tinged cherry red.
Rue, who smiled softly, responded in a calm tone. "When the clothes are ready, you can contact the Weatherwoods mansion."
"Oh, no. that's not what I was saying..."
"Why are you standing there, Miss Daisy? You said you were having a terrible time."
"Sir!" The clerk urgently grabbed Rue's sleeve, but he gently pulled it away.
Unlike the boss who doubted our identity, the clerk seemed to believe in Rue's status. Well, he was real. Rue, who passed by me, opened the heavy door and held it with his back. He pointed to the street with his chin and I followed him gently in that direction.
Walking casually down the street, after reaching a point not far from the Western-style boutique, Rue patted the tip of his sleeve. It was the area the clerk had grabbed for a moment. Did he just have a preference for neatness or was his personality simply twisted? It could be both since the other party is Rue.
"I brought you to practice speaking, then you bought some weird underwear that looks like something is running through the meadow. I can't believe going out was so useless." Definitely both.
"If you want me to practice speaking, you should tell me in advance." But I wasn't too worried about my speech. I was sure that once in a man's body, I would spit out anything I was asked with ease.
"Rue."
"Rue?"
"Mr. Rue, have you changed the plan? Am I going to be the Viscountess and you the Viscount?"
"The Viscountess will be me," he replied with such pride it seemed he had been born a Viscountess. "Then why did you measure my body for the test?"
"Because it's more efficient. And follow me this way, not that way. It's too early to go back to the mansion. You need men's clothes and shoes."
"Would men's clothes fit my height?"
"Of course." Rue, who responded lightly, looked at me.
They would be made according to Rue, which meant I would have to become a tall, thin, and solid-bodied man with a height of at least 190 cm. "To start with, my body right now isn't that comfortable, and you want me to be a man 20 cm taller?"
That wasn't very efficient. If you were going to change your body to fit anyway, wouldn't it be easier to fit into one you were already familiar with? I vaguely remembered Andert's structure and spoke: "Can you do another height?"
"For example?"
"It is 180 cm tall, his chest, biceps, and triceps are more developed than yours and his neck is a little shorter. The waist is a little thinner, but the hips..."
"Is that your type?"
What? I shook my head, surprised. "No? No way? All that doesn't matter to me."
Rue tilted his head toward me with a suspicious look. "You say no, but then how do you give such a detailed description? How fascinating."
Well, it was my body, so... "Well, I'm just saying that because it sounds like a more comfortable alternative." Now that I thought about it, I must have sounded like a pervert for going into so much detail. Luckily, Rue didn't ask any more questions.
Instead, he turned and entered a narrow, dark alley between the houses. I saw a scared gray mouse running to hide. Why are we going here? Is he going to give me a beating because he thinks I'm a pervert? When the steps following him faltered, Rue turned his back to me. All this?
I felt like something had changed somehow. His sight of looking at me seemed closer than before. Did you use transformation magic without uttering a spell? Silent magic. It wasn't easy to acquire at all. He was only a step behind the sword master, which was the highest grade a knight could reach.
The speculation that Rue was the Imperial Magician weighed even more on me. "...these shoulders are too wide. Make it more human." Rue's body changed again with a creepy sound of skeletal alignment. The length of the shoulders became a little smaller as needed.
"Also you need to be more tanned. The wrists are thicker and the hands too." Rue's skin color darkened as if a shadow fell on him. "Hmm, the shape of the skeleton is a bit different..." Rue clicked his tongue and asked in a rather unpleasant tone. "Who do you imagine looks like that?"
I thought about it for a second. I can't say "me of the past". Should I just tell him it's my younger brother? But if you think about it, isn't it strange that the skeleton shape matches your brother's? Rue urged in a cold voice.
"Well, answer me. Should the national treasure be larger or smaller?"
"What do you mean by national treasure?"
Rue, who was looking at me, suddenly laughed with a happy face. "Where is it?" Yes, where could it be? Let's not lower our heads. I'll stare straight at Rue's face and pretend I don't understand what he means. I mustn't answer "of course it's bigger!" with useless pride.
Rue felt embarrassed by the long silence. "If you can't say it, let's keep it this way."
"...yes, that's enough."
"Of course it's enough, I feel like I'm walking stuck to the ground." With 180 cm, my height definitely must be like walking stuck to the ground for him.