Chapter 40 : Black Mist
The torrential rain couldn’t douse Aurora’s blazing shopping fervor.
Ailiya was practically dragged into the capital’s most prestigious lingerie boutique, “Venus’s Secret.”
As the door opened, a warm breeze of high-end incense and fabric fragrance swept away the chill and dampness outside.
The store glowed with soft, bright light. Countless styles of vibrant lingerie were displayed like precious artifacts on velvet stands and in ornate glass cases.
Ailiya felt like she’d stumbled into a noble’s secret vault, the air thick with the scent of money.
She instinctively covered her face, wishing for a crack to crawl into, as Aurora hauled her like a sack into this dazzling feminine dreamland.
Even in the downpour, the vast store buzzed with customers—elegant noblewomen and young ladies, leisurely selecting items with staff assistance.
“Look, isn’t this lace one gorgeous? And this one with the bow!” Aurora’s eyes sparkled like an explorer discovering new lands.
A well-dressed clerk approached, offering a professional smile and a slight bow. “Good afternoon, ladies. How may I assist you?”
“I want—” Ailiya began, ready to say “we’re just browsing,” but Aurora cut in.
“It’s for my friend here.” She pointed at Ailiya, who wished she could shrink into a ball.
The clerk’s gaze shifted to Ailiya, her smile growing warmer. “Very well, miss. What’s your usual size?”
“S-Size?” Ailiya’s face flushed, her voice barely a whisper. “I… don’t know…”
In her poor commoner family, having any underwear was a luxury; sizes were never a concern. Her plain sports bra was a random pick from her unreliable mother.
Before St. Freya’s, Ailiya had no money of her own.
The clerk, unfazed, maintained her perfect smile. “No worries, miss. We can measure you now. Please follow me to the fitting room.”
“N-No, really, I’m fine!” Ailiya tried to back out. “My sports bras are good enough…”
“I’m paying!” Aurora declared, pushing Ailiya’s back toward the fitting room. “Go, go!”
The clerk led Ailiya into a spacious room draped with heavy purple curtains, pulling out a measuring tape with a smile. “Please remove your outer clothes, miss.”
Under the clerk’s professional coaxing, Ailiya relented, blushing as she stripped off her damp clothes.
Standing in just her underwear before a stranger felt mortifying.
Glancing at her flat, beanpole figure, she sighed. What’s wrong with sports bras? With a body like this, does it even matter what I wear?
Lost in self-pity, Ailiya didn’t notice the curtain parting slightly. Aurora’s blonde head sneaked in, a grin suspiciously akin to a creepy uncle’s as she ogled.
In their past life, Aurora had always been curious about her reserved senior. Now, as a girl, that curiosity doubled.
As the clerk prepared to measure, Aurora tapped her shoulder, exchanging a few gestures.
The clerk paused, flashed an “I get it” smile, handed the tape to Aurora, and slipped out silently.
Ahem.
Ailiya sensed something off.
The clerk’s technique suddenly felt… rougher? Even her voice sounded odd.
“Stand straighter,” the “clerk” said, pinching her nose, sounding nasal.
She wrapped the tape around Ailiya’s hips, pulling tight.
“Ow… too tight!” Ailiya complained.
“Oh, my bad, adjusting!” the “clerk” replied with a grin.
While adjusting, she sneakily grazed Ailiya’s thigh.
Nice texture!
“It tickles!” Ailiya’s cheeks burned, squirming. “Is… is this really how you measure?”
“Have you ever been measured?” the “clerk” asked sternly.
Ailiya shook her head. “…No.”
“Then trust me!” the “clerk” said confidently. “This is how it’s done!”
She continued her handsy work, lost in her own world.
Ailiya, red-faced and fed up, finally leaned down to confront the unprofessional clerk—only to see Aurora’s beaming face.
“Ahaha…” Aurora laughed awkwardly.
The next second, Ailiya’s furious scream echoed as she hurled Aurora and the tape out like a ball.
The real clerk, waiting outside, gracefully sidestepped the flying “Aurora ball,” catching the tumbling tape with ease, her professional smile intact as she reentered.
After measuring, the clerk recommended several suitable pieces.
Before Ailiya could choose, Aurora waved grandly. “Wrap them all up.”
She flashed a gleaming gold card at the clerk.
What are you, a CEO?! Ailiya thought. “Are you really a minor noble? Spending like that?”
This was the capital’s top lingerie store—prices were astronomical.
Even nobles wouldn’t buy so casually, right?
“Minor official,” Aurora corrected matter-of-factly. “The kind with no real power, just a few mines at home.”
Ailiya’s face flushed with envy, teeth grinding.
As the clerk handed Ailiya two massive bags, a commotion erupted.
“Sir! This is a women’s lingerie store! You can’t barge in!” a clerk screamed.
A group of burly men stormed through the door, eyes an unnatural blood-red, as if drugged—or suffering from pink eye?
Customers and staff screamed as the men smashed displays and lunged at defenseless girls.
“Get down! Don’t move!” Aurora’s face turned deadly serious, yanking Ailiya behind a stand and pinning her down.
In the chaos, she whispered urgently, “Can you see it?”
“See what?” Ailiya was bewildered.
“Their heads—”
Ailiya peeked out, following Aurora’s direction.
Above each man’s head floated a faint, ominous black mist.
Not mana, nor any magical aura.
What was it?