"Again, again, again!!! Alex, do you even realize you've dragged us through every clothing store in the capital already?"
On the very same day he arrived in the capital, Ella accompanied Alex to buy clothes, but he seemed utterly uninterested.
Alex: "You know, there's no need to shout, Ella. You'll just draw attention to us."
Overwhelmed, Ella lowered her head and muttered to herself:
(He's right, we're standing in the street, and people are already staring at us weirdly. But what am I supposed to do? Everywhere we go, he doesn't even bother choosing a single outfit… I'm going to lose it.)
But then, a woman walking by with a basket of flowers spotted her.
???: "Good heavens, isn't that Ella? My dear, what are you doing here?"
Ella looked up, and to her surprise, exclaimed:
Ella: "Lady Rachel? What are you doing in the capital? Last I heard, you'd gone to Rempart."
Rachel placed a hand on Ella's shoulder and smiled.
Rachel: "That's true, but I decided to end my career as a mage. But tell me, is that your fiancé standing over there?"
Ella: "What? Have you lost your mind?!"
Rachel: "Oh? But he is rather charming."
Alex (thinking): (Would it kill someone to explain what's going on here?)
Rachel: "Never mind. Come, let's talk at my place."
A few minutes later.
Ella and Rachel sat across from each other, sipping tea, while Ella explained the situation.
Rachel: "Hmm. And why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Ella: "Would it have changed anything?"
Without warning, Rachel smacked Ella on the head.
Rachel: "My former student really is blind. You haven't even noticed this is a clothing and flower shop!"
Ella: "Ow! That hurts!"
Looking around, Ella finally realized it was true.
Ella: "Wait… seriously? We were in a shop this whole time?"
Alex (thinking, sipping tea): (And she only just noticed…)
Ella: "Since when have you been running this?"
Rachel: "Not for long. But everything here is handmade. Tanya helped me set it all up. Turns out she's not just annoying—she's actually kind."
Ella (thinking): (On that point… she's not wrong.)
Rachel then approached Alex.
Rachel: "So, none of the clothes interest you?"
Alex: "I never said that. Every outfit they showed me was fine."
Ella (shocked): (What did he just say?)
Rachel: "Oh? Then why didn't you try any of them on?"
Alex: "Because I didn't need to. They were already good. But Ella took it to mean I wasn't interested."
Ella (boiling inside): (I swear, I'm going to strangle him.)
Rachel: "Your name's Alex, right? Come with me, let's find something for you. Ella, you stay here. I've got shoes as well."
Alex: "Fine by me."
They left, and Ella slumped into her seat.
Ella: "This boy is going to drive me insane… Ugh, I wonder what he'll end up choosing."
After a few minutes, Rachel and Alex returned. The sight left Ella speechless.
Ella (thinking): (You've got to be kidding me… it was that simple?)
Alex now wore a long-sleeved white shirt, black trousers slightly loose at the legs, leather shoes, and a leather jacket.
Ella (thinking): (And it suits him? Since when is this guy… handsome?)
Rachel: "I've picked out several more outfits for him. Since you said the king will cover everything, just send servants later to collect the rest—it'll be easier."
Alex bowed slightly.
Alex: "Thank you again for your help."
Rachel: "No need. Honestly, thanks to your understanding, we got it done so quickly."
Ella: "I officially give up on trying to understand this guy…"
Rachel: "You two should get going. It's getting late."
Ella: "You're right. I owe you so much, Lady Rachel. Without you, I wouldn't have accomplished anything."
Rachel: "Think nothing of it. Oh, and tell Tanya I'll be at her birthday."
Ella: "I'll try to avoid her, but… if she corners me, I'll tell her."
Rachel: "That's fine. Now hurry along."
Rachel walked them to the door.
Ella: "Thank you again."
Rachel: "Enough thanks already, out you go!"
And so they left.
On the way back, Alex asked:
Alex: "You two seem close?"
Ella: "Yes. Like Lady Iris, she was also one of my teachers at the academy."
Alex: "That explains a lot."
And thus their trip to town ended.
The next morning.
As usual, Ella made her rounds in the castle, but when she reached the training grounds, she froze in shock.
There stood Alex, shirtless, running laps around the field, dropping into push-ups, squats while carrying a tree trunk, then sit-ups, and finally practicing sword strikes against empty air.
In the middle of the field, arms crossed, stood Arthur.
Arthur: "You lost, so now you endure. Start with five sets of fifty push-ups, five sets of a hundred squats, and five sets of fifty sit-ups. After that, you'll give me two thousand sword strikes, every morning, for two weeks. That's how you'll sharpen your skill."
Alex gritted his teeth, swinging the blade.
Alex (thinking): (Sadist… he just wants me dead.)
Ella crouched down nearby, quietly watching.
Ella (thinking): (What a shame… I wanted more time to understand him. But still, this training… it's brutal.)
She stayed until he finished. When Alex finally collapsed, Arthur left without a word. Ella hurried to his side.
Ella: "You okay? Still alive?"
Alex (panting): "You were here the whole time… For now, I'm alive. But I don't know for how long."
END OF CHAPTER
NEXT CHAPTER: Training (2)