Chapter 34: Giving (2)
Kaya’s eyes sparkled with amber glee as she spoke, her enthusiasm almost contagious.
Mili couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and bewilderment.
Having spent time in Eisenburg, she’d grown used to Seraphina and Evelyn’s cold, serious demeanor.
This woman’s blunt, almost naive honesty threw her off completely.
“I’m a trader, but today I’m on your queen’s payroll, so I’m her woman!”
“Until the job’s done, I won’t sell you off!”
“…??!” Her bluntness left Mili speechless.
“Besides, if I sold you now, where’d I find another client worth the queen’s crazy price… cough, I mean, customer?”
Mili was at a loss for words.
How could she switch from “We’re like this, and I’m damn proud!” to such casual frankness?
What kind of brain worked like that…
“Alright, little Saintess, chat time’s over.” Kaya sprang up from the sofa with a flourish:
“Time to get moving.”
“Got any special clothes? You’re meeting people today.”
“I do…” Mili pointed to the wardrobe.
“Seraphina prepared a… white one…”
Kaya strode to the wardrobe, yanked it open, and pulled out a neatly folded white Saintess robe, shaking it out.
“My god…” She eyed the intricate lace and layered skirts, her face twisting in exaggerated disgust.
“How do you run in this? If an assassin shows up, you couldn’t even dodge.”
“Uh…” Mili’s gaze drifted aside, not responding.
“This thing’s only good for making your blood pop like a flower on white cloth if a stray bullet hits you.”
Mili’s cheek twitched.
“Ugh, whatever, it’s safe enough here.”
Kaya ignored her, stepping forward to hold the robe up against Mili.
“Up, up, arms up.” She peeked over the robe, grinning.
Mili instinctively took the skirt, pausing: “I… I’ll change myself…”
“What’s the big deal? You’re so slow.” Kaya said matter-of-factly.
“…”
“Oh, fine—” Beep beep beep—
As Kaya eagerly tried to pull her up, a communicator in her pocket buzzed.
“Hm?” She stopped. “Hold on, change yourself if you want. I gotta take this.”
She tossed the robe onto Mili’s face and pulled a palm-sized metal device from her pouch, its screen flashing red.
Kaya held it to her ear, darting outside: “Yo? Oh—! Your Majesty, haha, what’s up…”
Her voice faded.
Mili sighed, peeling the robe off her face, and hurried to the bathroom to change.
Was Seraphina busy again?
Recalling Kaya’s rushed phone exit, Mili grew curious about the other end of the call.
Finally dressed, she stepped out of the bathroom to find Kaya at the door, arms crossed, looking pained.
“Ughhh…”
“Uh… what’s wrong?” Mili asked, puzzled.
“The queen… she’s gonna dock my pay…” Kaya rubbed her cheeks, her voice dripping with grievance.
“Huh?”
“Damn it! Little Saintess, you gotta give me a good review!” Kaya jogged over, clasping her hands pleadingly, her face the picture of pitiful:
“Please tell the queen not to cut my pay…”
“I can’t lose that money! Please, please…”
“Pfft—w-why’s she docking you?” Mili nearly laughed, curious.
“She said I was too casual in here…” Kaya gestured indignantly: “How was I casual? I just ate an apple! And I said it was good!”
“It was good…”
“Argh, I can’t take this!” Kaya sighed heavily, pushing Mili to a full-length mirror to check her outfit per Seraphina’s instructions.
While tying the robe’s intricate back laces, she kept muttering:
“What a waste of fabric, like a giant target…”
“This could make ten water filters for our caravan!”
Mili’s head spun from the complaints, torn between amusement and restraint, her shoulders shaking.
In the mirror, the girl wore a pure white robe edged with pale gold thread.
Its wide sleeves and hem pooled on the floor, making her already slight frame look even more delicate.
Her black hair cascaded down her back, stark against the white, paired with her pale face and clear blue eyes, giving her an ethereal, holy aura…
“Hm… looks the part.” Kaya nodded, satisfied, rubbing her chin.
“But… something’s missing.”
She dug into her bag, pulling out a delicate silver necklace:
“Here, put this on.”
“Isn’t this… too fancy?” Mili hesitated, taking it.
“Nah, it’s a prop, not real.” Kaya waved it off.
“In our line of work, you need fake bling for appearances.”
Mili relaxed, carefully putting it on.
“Pfft—don’t forget the good review…” Kaya whispered, hand by her cheek.
“Haha… okay, okay.”
Mili looked in the mirror, feeling like she’d been draped in an ornate shell that wasn’t her, awkward and out of place.
Kaya glanced at her watch, yelping: “Oh no! We’re late! Gotta go!”
“Move, move! If we’re late on my first gig, the queen’ll dock me again!” She grabbed Mili, rushing out before she could react.
Unlike with Seraphina, the soldiers they passed eyed Kaya curiously but didn’t stop them.
Seraphina must’ve arranged everything.
They hurried through the old museum’s corridors, reaching the waiting armored car.
“Quick, quick! To the outer district’s plaza!” Kaya shouted to the driver.
“Ahem, buckle up,” the driver coughed, unimpressed, not turning.
Mili, nearly flung forward by Kaya’s pull, panted against the seat.
Looking at the robe’s hem dragging on the floor mat, she hesitated.
“Isn’t this… a bit much…?”
“Much?” Kaya laughed loudly.
“No way! You know how the Purification Church’s envoys roll?”
“—Shiny gold armor!”
“And giant mechanical wings on their backs! My god!”
“This? Way too tame.”
Kaya glanced at Mili’s mussed hair, thinking to fix it, but paused at the sleek, black strands.
“Uh, your hair… I’m no good with that.” She scratched her head awkwardly:
“I can do braids or beads, but this… too fancy. I’d mess it up.”
Mili glanced at Kaya’s beaded braids, exotic but unfit for a Saintess.
“It’s fine like this.” Mili shook her head, pulling her hair from under the robe’s collar:
“She didn’t specify anything.”
“Phew…” Kaya exhaled.
“First time being a nanny, you know.”
“Usually, we’re running around, trading intel or goods…”
She leaned back, seatbelt tucked under her elbow, fingers tapping a rhythm on her knee, humming a desert folk tune Mili didn’t know, its lively beat oddly soothing against the engine’s roar.
The car sped toward the outer district, the scenery outside blurring.