"..."
"So why is Ian the one helping with this?"
Hearing Habetrot's words, Mélusine couldn't help but feel suspicious.
"I mean..."
"You're the tailor, aren't you? And if you need something like this, couldn't I just give it to you myself?"
"Of course I'm the tailor, meow!"
"But!"
Habetrot wagged her little finger.
"This kind of thing, I can't just ask you for it yourself."
"Because there's a high chance of false reporting—if that happens, the quality of the finished dress will be much worse than expected!"
"It would damage my reputation!"
"But if you let the person giving you the dress do it, then there won't be any problems, meow!"
Although Habetrot's swaying head made her words sound more credible, Mélusine immediately sensed something was off.
The person giving the dress—in this case, Ian—could just as easily lie.
But...
Mélusine glanced around.
Because of the work on the ley lines, there weren't many idle people on the streets.
This meant that if she took this opportunity to be alone with Ian, it would probably be fine.
In that case...
"I understand."
Mélusine nodded.
"If that's the case, let's get started quickly."
"Now that's more like it, meow!"
Habetrot nodded, indicating her satisfaction with Mélusine's answer.
"Let's go!"
---
After simply purchasing the necessary materials from the tailor's shop, Ian, Habetrot, and Mélusine went together to a small house in the city.
This was where Habetrot lived.
She was actually eligible to live in Camelot Castle like Ian and Morgan.
But the little catgirl had refused Artoria's kind offer, claiming that "staying in a place like that for too long would kill most of my inspiration."
"Go on, measure up, meow~"
Habetrot tossed a coiled, marked hemp rope to Ian, then flopped down onto a chair.
"I'll wait for you two out here."
"The rooms inside are empty, perfect for what you need to do, meow."
"Well—"
Mélusine had just looked at Ian when he swept her into his arms and walked straight towards the room.
Click.
The door opened, then shut.
"Be gentle, meow!"
"I happen to like this house very much."
Mélusine didn't hear Habetrot's voice at all.
Because at this moment, her mind was completely focused on the Ian before her.
"Well then, I'm starting, okay?"
"Mhm."
"Your reaction is so calm..."
Mélusine muttered this softly, then followed Ian's gaze and began making the necessary preparations for the measurement.
Maybe...
...things will change in a moment?
But they didn't.
Even as the clothes Mélusine usually wore fell to the floor, Ian's expression remained as calm as ever.
This annoyed Mélusine a little.
"Honestly!"
The petite swordswoman put her hands on her hips, a look of dissatisfaction on her face.
"Why is it that when you see Artoria and Morgan like this, you get so excited?"
"But when you see me, you seem to feel nothing at all!"
"You liked it so much under the city wall!"
"I just don't understand one thing," Ian said with a frown.
"What's that?"
"Why did you have to take off your clothes?"
"Eh?"
A blush quickly spread across Mélusine's cheeks.
Only then did she realize she seemed to have completely misunderstood Habetrot's meaning.
It was just a measurement!
She didn't need to get herself so bare!
Doing this now, wasn't it basically a mating call?
But it seemed it was already a little too late.
Their experience under the city wall seemed to have conditioned Ian into a mistaken belief about Mélusine—that if she stood before him like this, she must be thinking about that sort of thing.
Thud—
Clack—
CRASH—
Strange noises came from within the room.
This caught the attention of Habetrot, who had been contemplating how to best design the wedding dress.
"What are you two doing in there, meow!"
"Don't wreck my house, meow!"
"N-Nothing!" Mélusine's voice came from the room, though it sounded a bit panicked.
"Are you sure, meow?"
"Yes!"
"At least—not right now!"
After dealing with Habetrot outside the door, Mélusine turned frantically to Ian behind her.
"What are you doing?!"
"The rope... it's not for tying me up!"
"Let me go!"
"So cute."
Ian looked at Mélusine, who was now prone before him, and suddenly said this.
"You, like this, are so cute."
"..."
"What's cute about this! Let me go!"
Mélusine said this, only to find another rope had been added.
Her hands were bound behind her back, forcing her head to arch upwards.
"Why do you like this sort of thing?!"
"I don't know."
"But I feel... Mélusine, like this..." Ian pulled on the rope, almost lifting Mélusine up like a wrapped-up piece of food. "...looks delicious."
"..."
"That's not it!"
Mélusine, whose feet could barely touch the ground as she kicked desperately, dangled in Ian's grasp.
"How are you going to explain this to Habetrot later?!"
"We just need to measure the length and width, right?"
Ian suddenly asked.
Mélusine froze for a moment, then nodded.
"Y-Yeah."
"Otherwise, how can we give Habetrot the data she needs?"
"The rope... it's all on me now!"
"It's fine."
Ian stroked Mélusine's head.
"As long as I have something to measure with, it'll be fine."
"Eh, huh?"
"Mmph—"
"Gulp, this is humiliating."
Mélusine said this, yet she couldn't help but want to clamp her legs around something.
It had been so long since she had done something like this.
.....
A short while later.
"Meow?"
Habetrot had a confused look on her face.
"What do you mean, Mélusine's total height is one and a half units?"
"And what's this 'width of one point two units'?"
"I don't get it, meow!"
"It's—"
"It's nothing!"
Before Ian could explain, Mélusine leaped up and covered his mouth.
"I'll tell you!"
"I'm all measured!"
"How strange..." Habetrot muttered. "But whatever, just hurry up and tell me!"
"Mhm, I'll tell you right now!"