Chapter 22: Trouble inside the mall!

"Ugh!" I let out a sigh. "Dodged 'em without stepping into Elion’s route."

Lucky me, those two were still busy picking clothes. All I had to do was knock on the fitting room door and talk to Maxi… The problem was, in my rush, I’d dragged along the entire mountain of clothes.

"What an idiot."

For some reason, I could hear Carlotta’s voice in my head, calling me stupid. And… in this situation, I had to admit she had a point. God, that sounded so bad. Anyway, the point is: I admit it, it was really dumb of me.

I felt a little guilty. I didn’t like leaving these pretty outfits scattered around carelessly, but it was that or bump into Elion and trigger some event that could spiral out of control.

What surprised me wasn’t that it happened, but who it was that showed up in this event. I thought it’d be Kaelvarion. After all, even if it hurts to admit it, Kathryn—the original one—was already in his route.

That’s why, when I first woke up, I had that crazy blonde aiming her blood straight at my face.

Anyway… I just needed to get Maxi out and sneak away without drawing attention.

How hard could that be?

I got closer to the fitting room door, just five steps away from knocking and calling out to whoever was inside, when—

"Could you hurry up, my dear? I’ve got business to attend to that’s far more important than watching you shop for clothes to mask your venomous attitude."

"Your Majesty, let me remind you that all of this is your fault. Your behavior as of late hasn’t pleased your father, so he thought this would be a good way to show everyone that our relationship is close."

"Hmph!" the pathetic fiancé grumbled.

Y-You’ve gotta be kidding me…

I screamed inside my head as I realized who was approaching the fitting rooms.

Kaelvarion and Carlotta.

The idiot walked a few steps ahead, radiating his natural air of superiority. Carlotta, meanwhile, practically floated with elegance. She wore a simple, one-piece black dress, sober and beautiful, highlighting her pale skin even more.

Thank God, the two of them stopped and turned toward a rack of clothes. From the way they moved, I was sure they hadn’t seen me. Otherwise, I’d already have that annoying bargain-bin prince breathing down my neck.

Just to be safe, I buried my face into the mountain of clothes, hiding my beauty from Kaelvarion’s vulture eyes.

"Huh? Who’s there? Ryn, is that you?"

That was Maxi’s voice. She must’ve seen my shadow through the little gap at the bottom of the door.

"Ah… yeah. W-We gotta go, like, super quick! … I forgot I left a potion in the lab?"

"…Why did you say that like a question? You know what, forget it. Just give me a second to change. I already picked what I’m buying—this pajama set."

"Perf! Just hurry up, okay?"

I babbled. This wasn’t lost yet, I just had to grab her and run!

Or, that would’ve been the plan… if not for the voices behind me. Even from a distance, I could make out Elion and Clementine.

I turned around and saw them coming my way. Elion was buried under a pile of dresses up to his face, and Clementine had her arms stacked full of suits and ribbons. They were done picking clothes already? That was way too fast! Judging by Clementine’s usual pickiness, I thought she’d take at least a few more minutes to find the “perfect outfit.”

"Oh, for f***’s sake. Now what?!"

I spun around, searching for another escape. On the left, there was a hallway leading close to the exit. If I got Maxi out fast enough, we could leave without bumping into them.

But like a bad joke with no setup and no punchline—

Fisalia appeared.

She walked calmly, her steps sharp with cold intent. She was clearly looking for someone, and I had a sinking feeling it was Auren. My stomach flipped.

"Sh*t!" I thought. "Now what? All the exits are blocked."

I froze for a second, analyzing. Carlotta was still browsing dresses with that natural, icy calm; Kaelvarion—her prop fiancé—was distracted by something else, so for now, they hadn’t noticed me. I breathed out. I had to think fast.

I looked in every direction: Fisalia on one side, Clementine on the other. It felt like I was trapped, an insect caught in a lamp. Then I remembered: the fitting rooms.

Not elegant, but it’d work.

Oh god… she’s gonna kill me.

I planted myself in front of the door and knocked, trying to sound casual.

"Maxi! Try this on already! I’m back! Open up!" I barked.

"No. I already told you—"

"Just do it, please! I’ll let you copy all my homework for the whole year!"

Lucky for me, Kathryn’s brain came with the package, so my grades had been decent so far. Hopefully, that bait would be enough.

The lock scraped. A few seconds of hesitation, then Maxine’s pale hand peeked out from the crack.

"Okay, but just one, got it?" she said, her flat voice heavy with storm clouds.

I didn’t wait for her to finish. I shoved the door open and slipped inside with her, shutting it behind me as fast as I could. My chest pounded so hard I could feel it in my temples. The clothes I’d carried, I dumped onto a red leather chair by the wall, next to a mid-sized mirror.

I quickly turned and locked the door. Only when I heard footsteps passing by with a shrill voice trailing after them did I finally breathe again.

Because of how rushed and clumsy I’d been, I hadn’t noticed a certain detail. I felt a burning glare of pure hatred drilling into my back.

Turning slowly, with dread, I came face-to-face with what I feared most.

Maxine was staring at me furiously, her hands crossed protectively over her chest, which was covered only by a beautiful navy-blue bra.

Inside, the fitting room was lit by a warm glow that made the dust in the air shimmer. For a fleeting second, her pale skin—soft as cotton—shone like a sublime porcelain statue. Her cleavage deepened slightly when she pressed her arms tighter, drawing attention to a long scar cutting across the center of her chest. The light caressed it with masterful tenderness.

I was hypnotized by what I was seeing—until a voice, filled with murderous intent, shattered the trance.

“What the hell are you doing!?” Maxi shouted automatically, the shock of what I’d done already fading.

“Shh!” I covered her mouth with my hand before she could cause a scene.

I knew perfectly well I had no right to do that. I was the one at fault, barging in without her consent. But seriously, I didn’t want to stumble into either of those two routes outside, much less deal with their villainesses.

Obviously, Maxi wasn’t having it. I could feel the icy stab of her gaze pierce me like a needle. The weight of her silver eyes was so sharp, I swore she was killing me with just a look.

My heart jumped into my throat. Adrenaline turned my blood into a pounding drum. I hated myself—for barging in without a plan, for dragging that mountain of clothes along, for looking like the desperate girl I worked so hard not to be. Maxine stayed frozen for a moment, studying me, her narrowed eyes sharp with judgment.

“Mmm! Mmm!” Maxi tried to speak, but all that came out were muffled noises.

“I’m really sorry. But don’t talk, I swear I have a good reaso-Ouch! Did you just bite me!?”

I yelped when her teeth sank into my skin. Before I could even complain, she punched me square in the stomach, knocking the air out of me and dropping me to my knees with a groan.

“Be thankful that’s all I did, instead of ripping your hand off entirely. Don’t you ever do that again, got it, cat?” she growled, her voice dripping with threat but laced with restrained frustration.

My heart pounded like it was going to explode. “Ugh… there it is again, ‘cat,’” I thought, caught between guilt and the tiniest flicker of pride. I felt like I’d asked for that scolding… and, at the same time, part of me couldn’t help but savor the tiny chaos I caused.

“W-Wait… please, let’s not make any noise…” I whispered, doubled over, still trying to catch my breath.

“Huh? Do you seriously think that’s the thing you should be saying right now?” She looked at me with a mix of disbelief and disdain. “I should throw you out right now.”

“No! Please, anything but that!” I begged in a hushed voice, exaggerating my desperation. “It’s just… all the crazies are out there. If I step out, I’m dead.”

“…What? Just leave,” she said, cracking the door open—thankfully stopping right away.

“Well, if it isn’t the lovely Clementine and my dear companion Lysandre!”

“Greetings, Von Lysandre and Lady Marinette. What a pleasant coincidence. I see you’ve also come shopping for a new wardrobe.”

“Kaelvarion, Lady Wiebke, a pleasure indeed. Yes, Clementine dragged me here. Come on, be polite, say hello.”

“…Hi. And here I thought we’d get to spend some time alone…”

“…I see,” Maxi muttered as she shut the door again and stepped back, ending up very close to me. This fitting room wasn’t exactly spacious; there wasn’t much room for two people to keep a safe distance.

“Lady Wiebke and Lady Marinette. So, what trouble did you get yourself into this time?”

Wait—just those four? Where was Fisalia? But my attention snapped elsewhere, to the gall in how confidently she’d thrown that accusation.

“What? No!” I defended myself, though it came out more like a forceful whisper. I wasn’t dumb enough to raise my voice when my goal was to stay hidden. Still, I couldn’t let Maxi slander me like I was some chaos magnet.

Maxine glanced sideways at me, like I was a mischievous child.

“I didn’t do anything, okay? It’s just… believe it or not, I’m not exactly popular around here.”

“Yeah. I believe that completely. You’re not my favorite person right now, either,” she shot back with that dry, blunt tone of hers that could wound without raising her voice.

I fumbled for words, trying to explain myself.

“I said I’m sorry. I really didn’t want to barge in. But when I tried to leave, Fisalia blocked my way.”

Maxine arched a brow, her skepticism palpable even without looking me straight in the eye.

“That sounds way too convenient, don’t you think? And why here with me, instead of another fitting room?”

She had me cornered. I had no plan, just panic and improvisation. So, I resorted to the one thing I did best: flattery.

“Flattery!” I muttered to myself, forcing out a timid smile.

“By the way… nice pajamas,” i said, my tone aiming for casual. “And… nice chest? What happened there?”

Once again, my eyes betrayed me, drawn to her natural charms. Before, adrenaline had stopped me from really noticing, but now… Her chest was smaller than mine, and by logic, smaller than Clementine’s too. Still, it carried a serene beauty that almost hypnotized me. The shop’s warm light caressed her skin delicately.

My gaze lingered where it shouldn’t have. Before I could repair the damage, Maxine’s fingers jabbed hard against my cheek.

“ARGH!” I groaned. “Dammit!”

I clutched my face with one hand and shielded my eyes with the other, trying to soothe the sting. Her strike had been so sharp it left me seeing stars; for a moment, I worried she’d popped my eyeballs out. I staggered back to my feet, humiliated and aching.

I replayed the words in my head: “Nice chest? What happened there?” Yep, it sounded just as bad as I remembered. And then staring like an idiot on top of that? No wonder she was mad again—my mouth always outran my brain, dragging me straight into disaster.

Blinking through the pain, I saw Maxine shielding her chest with both arms, as if I were some kind of predator. The sting wasn’t just physical; it hurt seeing her push me away, putting that wall between us again.

“…I’m opening the door,” she said flatly, voice devoid of warmth.

Oh god—she really meant it.

“Please no! I beg you!”