Chapter 46
“Try this one on too.”
“My lady. I think that’s enough now…”
“We’re not done yet. There are still so many things I want to see you wear.”
At Shanelica’s firm words, Derwin closed his mouth.
It was the weekend, and the two had come out to the boutique district. This area, frequented by the wealthy, was lined with dozens of high-end boutiques. Since the wealthy class mostly consisted of nobles, many people recognized Shanelica and Derwin as they walked down the street—after all, they had become well-known figures in the royal palace.
Currently, Shanelica was specifically choosing boutiques that sold only men’s clothing and dragging Derwin from one to the next.
On the day she received her recent paycheck, Shanelica had given Derwin her second payment, just like the first—saying she wanted to repay the money she owed.
While Derwin had accepted the first one as a formality, he refused the second. But since they were now officially engaged, simply saying he wouldn’t take her money didn’t work on Shanelica. So Derwin suggested she spend the money on something she wanted. After all, it was money she had earned.
And this was the result. Derwin had no choice but to repeatedly try on the countless outfits Shanelica picked out for him.
“How can you be this handsome? You look amazing in everything!”
Shanelica marveled as Derwin stepped out in a purple vested suit.
“This one’s going on the shortlist too.”
“Wouldn’t it be best to stop here? I usually wear armor most of the time, so I don’t have much use for these.”
“What are you talking about! You can wear them when you’re with me. Just seeing you try them on makes me happy. Imagine how thrilled I’ll be every time I see you in something I picked! It’ll be a treat for my eyes and heart.”
“……”
“And besides, you always wear the same things—armor or that gray shirt with black pants. Sticking to those is a waste of your stunning looks.”
Shanelica still felt they hadn’t visited enough shops. At each boutique, she’d only made him try on four or five outfits. They were only on the third store.
She wanted to buy everything, but her paycheck wasn’t quite enough. Though she couldn’t afford the really expensive stuff, she could buy four or five mid-range outfits. So she carefully considered her options, wanting to choose the perfect clothes that suited Derwin best.
Unfortunately, Derwin, who had no interest in clothes, didn’t understand any of her efforts and kept trying to stop.
“Didn’t you say you’d do your best to stay by my side?”
“I did.”
“Well, this is my happiness. Seeing my handsome man look even better.”
Shanelica pouted slightly. That seemed to jolt Derwin awake.
“I’ll try on everything. Even if there are hundreds of them.”
His sudden shift in attitude made Shanelica burst out laughing.
“Hundreds might be too much, even for me… Okay, just one more boutique.”
“Understood.”
“Oh, and I’m not saying you don’t already look great, okay? You know how I feel, right?”
Derwin nodded a little awkwardly. Shanelica nearly burst into laughter again—he clearly didn’t get it but pretended he did.
Hehe, it really feels like I’m walking around with a big black bear.
After visiting one more boutique, Shanelica wrapped up the shopping trip. She selected five outfits she liked most and had them tailored. Then, she linked arms with Derwin and began walking slowly toward the street where their carriage waited.
“They said it’ll take about two weeks to get the clothes. I’m so excited!”
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“But my lady. You bought nothing but clothes for me, and didn’t even look at anything for yourself.”
Derwin finally voiced a thought he’d had all day. He had told her to buy something she wanted with the money she’d earned, but she’d only looked at men’s clothing. She hadn’t bought a single thing for herself. That bothered him.
“I’m fine. You already bought me so many clothes, my wardrobe’s full. I probably won’t even get to wear them all.”
“But those aren’t your taste, are they?”
“Hmm. They’re all pretty! I like them.”
“Is there something you’ve really wanted to wear? Maybe something you’ve had your eye on? I’d like to give you a gift too, just like you did for me.”
Shanelica thought for a moment and looked around.
“Oh, yes! That one! I want to wear that!”
She grabbed Derwin’s arm and pulled him along. Her enthusiasm made him smile. But when he saw the outfit she was pointing to, he thought she was teasing him.
“Please don’t joke.”
“Huh? I’m serious! I followed that dancer at Lila’s tavern before because of an outfit like that. Isn’t it pretty?”
She didn’t seem to be joking. Her eyes held no trace of mischief. Derwin’s smile vanished.
“Absolutely not.”
“What? Why not?”
“It’s far too revealing.”
Derwin’s expression turned stern.
The outfit Shanelica pointed to resembled a ballerina’s costume—something fit for a royal palace performance. It began just above the chest and ended in a skirt that barely reached the upper thigh. While it was beautiful and refined, just imagining Shanelica in it made Derwin’s hair stand on end. It was too much.
“Really not okay?”
“No.”
So firm. And he was the one who asked if there was something I wanted.
Shanelica clicked her tongue but still couldn’t give up.
“Your Grace, as I’ve said before, dragons don’t even wear clothes, so you don’t have to worry—”
“No.”
It seemed that once Derwin set a boundary, it was immovable. Then Shanelica rose on tiptoes and whispered in his ear.
“Then… what if I wear it when it’s just the two of us? I only want you to see me looking pretty.”
Hoo.
Her warm breath tickled his ear. It wasn’t just her breath—her seductive tone and suggestive voice made Derwin clutch at his fading self-control.
“…No.”
He finally managed to say.
“Tch.”
Tap.
Shanelica suddenly let go of his arm. Then she stepped away and started walking off on her own.
Derwin needed a moment to process what had just happened.
Since their engagement announcement, had she ever let go of his arm like that? Just walked away?
Panic rose like a wave. This sudden shift, in just seconds—it made him fear it might become his future in a few months.
Striding quickly, Derwin caught up and grabbed her hand.
“My lady!”
“Let go. Why are you holding my hand?”
Derwin realized she was sulking over the outfit. The panic he’d felt faded.
“I’ll buy that outfit for you later. On one condition—it’s only to be worn in front of me.”
“…When exactly is ‘later’?”
Shanelica pressed for specifics. Derwin didn’t hesitate.
“When we’re married.”
“Marriage? But as dragons, we’re already bonded like a married pair—”
“I mean human to human.”
Shanelica clamped her rosy lips shut. There was desperation in Derwin’s eyes.
So if I say “that’ll never happen,” it’ll hurt him, huh?
She didn’t know why he was tying the outfit to marriage, but Shanelica decided to stop sulking. She had accepted his confession and announced their engagement because she wanted to respect this version of Derwin—his sincerity and honesty.
I don’t want to hurt him.
She knew they could never marry as humans. Which meant she’d never get to wear that outfit. It was a bit disappointing, but her relationship with Derwin mattered more. She could’ve pushed a little more and gotten her way, but seeing how serious he was… she didn’t want to.
“Alright. I’m hungry after all that walking. Let’s head back.”
Shanelica changed the subject naturally.
Back at the estate, after dinner, the two spent some quiet time in Derwin’s room. They were working on a bead painting—placing colored beads into a patterned board to make an image.
“At this rate, it’d be easier to just dip twigs in paint and stamp them.”
Shanelica was worn out from focusing so hard. She had no idea if her bead pattern was forming anything. It just made her tired. Meanwhile, Derwin, seated beside her, arranged his beads with expert precision. Though she still didn’t know what he was making.
“Ugh, I’m tired.”
Her eyes weren’t the only thing hurting—her shoulders and neck were stiff too. She leaned against Derwin’s upper body.
Clink.
The beads in his hand fell to the floor. His hand hovered for a moment before returning to his lap.
“My lady. This is… rather troubling.”
“Because of the beads? Just pick them up later.”
Before long, Shanelica had buried her face in his arm and closed her eyes.
“That’s not what I meant. I meant, suddenly hugging me like this…”
The sentence trailed off. No follow-up came. So Shanelica asked,
“What about hugging you?”
“…Never mind.”
She noticed he was breathing a bit deeper than usual.
“I really like hugging you. You’re so warm.”
It was true—Shanelica had always loved hugging him. Even before his confession, she had startled him with sudden hugs now and then.
“…You don’t do this with others, do you?”
The question slipped out of Derwin’s mouth before he could stop it. Then he immediately regretted it. It sounded like childish jealousy.
“Huh? Hugging like this?”
Shanelica blinked and looked up at him. Derwin turned his head away awkwardly.
“Of course not. You’re the only one I want to hug like this.”
Her hand gently turned his face back to her.
“Now that you mention it… I wish I could hug you while we sleep too.”
“…?”
“Can I sleep in your room tonight?”
