King's footsteps paused slightly.
Lynette felt a bit nervous; had she said something wrong?
"...Lord King?"
King didn't reply, his gaze shifting behind them. Lynette sensed something as well and alertly turned her gaze toward the rear.
King sighed and spoke somewhat helplessly toward the shadows of the street corner behind them: "Come out."
The person in the shadows remained silent for a few seconds, and then, a tall and curvaceous figure walked out somewhat stiffly.
It was indeed Clorinde.
She had changed out of that eye-catching evening gown and back into dark, tight-fitting clothes suitable for action. The lingering blush on her face and her slightly evasive eyes betrayed her guilt.
"Su... Lord King..."
Clorinde tried her best to maintain her usual cool and elegant demeanor as a Champion Duelist, but the touch of unnaturalness in her voice gave her away: "I was just worried about your safety. Fontaine hasn't been... very peaceful lately..."
This excuse was truly quite lame.
With the strength King had displayed, did he need her to worry about his safety?
Lynette glanced at Clorinde expressionlessly, then looked at King, and silently turned her head away with an air of "I didn't see anything, I'm just a maid."
King glanced at Clorinde, a rare trace of helplessness appearing on his cold face: "Why are you following me?"
"I wish to follow and learn from you," Clorinde replied without hesitation, her eyes burning with intensity. "Please allow me to follow. I won't interfere with your business; I will only offer you everything when you have need of me."
King looked at Clorinde, feeling a bit of a headache.
How could this child be so persistent?
He had clearly rejected her already.
"There's nothing to learn," King finally spoke, his tone flat. "I'm just buying clothes. If you want to go, then come along."
He couldn't be bothered to drive Clorinde away, nor was there any need.
If she wanted to follow, let her. She was a great beauty after all, easy on the eyes, as long as she didn't start another "apprenticeship" drama.
Clorinde's eyes lit up and she immediately nodded: "Yes! Lord King!"
She ran to King's other side, flanking him with Lynette on the left and herself on the right, her cheeks still a bit red.
Thus, a rather peculiar scene appeared on the streets of Fontaine: the indifferent-faced King in casual wear walking in the middle, with a nervous yet curious cat-eared maid on his left, and a cool, elegant Agent on his right trying her best to remain serious while her eyes burned with fervor.
Wherever the three passed, the head-turn rate was a full two hundred percent, and whispers were incessant.
"Look! It's the legendary Lord King!"
"As expected of Lord King, even Miss Clorinde is..."
"Heavens, the strongest Agent and fontaines strongest man! Are they off to handle some major incident?!"
"Could it be..."
"Shh! Don't guess wildly! We shouldn't pry into the affairs of the powerful!"
Along the way, the whispers never ceased.
But under Lynette's lead, the three soon arrived at the "Chioris Shop" she had mentioned.
This was an elegantly decorated shop with a style that blended Fontaine and Inazuma.
The display windows showcased several sets of well-crafted, trendy ready-to-wear clothes, ranging from elegant gowns to sharp casual wear. The storefront wasn't particularly large, but it exuded a sense of low-key sophistication.
At this moment, the shop's owner—Chiori—was sitting behind the workbench, her brows furrowed in worry as she looked at the design draft in her hand.
She was a woman with a capable aura and unique attire, wearing clothes that fused the styles of a craftswoman and an artist.
Suddenly, the shop door was pushed open, and the wind chimes let out a crisp ring.
Chiori instinctively looked up, a professional smile appearing on her face: "Welcome to Chioris... Shop..."
Her smile instantly froze on her face when she saw the three people walking in.
The man in the middle, though wearing ordinary casual clothes, had that face... that fierce and indifferent expression... and then there were the terrifying rumors that had spread through all of Fontaine this morning about "Lilianes Bakery being turned into ruins"... Chiori's heart skipped a beat, and the brush in her hand dropped onto the design draft with a 'clack'.
It... it was him!
That "fontaines strongest man"!
The monster rumored to have defeated a Fatui Harbinger with just two fingers, whose heartbeat could shatter glass!
What was he doing at her shop?
It couldn't possibly be to buy clothes, could it?!
Chiori's brain worked at high speed, instantly remembering that she seemed to have two small pending orders from the Opera Epiclese... could he be here to rush her?
Or was he here to hold her accountable for something?
Chiori felt an immense sense of dread.
She had poured countless efforts into this "Chioris Shop"; every piece of clothing was like her child.
If "Chioris Shop" was demolished like "Lilianes Bakery"... "..."
Absolutely not!!
"Hello!"
Chiori almost launched herself up from behind the workbench, her body standing bolt upright, her voice tense: "Welcome to Chioris Shop! How may I be of service?"
Her gaze darted rapidly between King, Lynette, and Clorinde, trying to judge their intentions, as fine beads of sweat already began to seep from her forehead.
King looked at the obviously over-tense Inazuma girl in front of him, feeling a bit bewildered.
He hadn't even spoken yet; what on earth had she imagined to be so terrified?
Lynette stepped forward at the right moment to explain their purpose: "Shopkeeper Chiori, we need to select a formal suit for Lord King for tonight's banquet at the Opera Epiclese. Ready-to-wear is best, but if there's nothing suitable, we need one custom-made as soon as possible. It must be ready before tonight."
"A formal suit?"
Chiori blanked for a moment, then let out a massive sigh of relief—he wasn't here to demolish the shop! But then her heart tightened again—making clothes for this man? The pressure was even higher! What if he wasn't satisfied... "We have them!"
Chiori forced herself to calm down, her professional standards temporarily overriding her fear. "Please, Lord King, follow me to take your measurements. I'll see which ready-to-wear sets can be altered, or I can tailor one for you immediately. It can be finished in three hours... no, two hours at the fastest!"
She spoke extremely fast, fearing that speaking too slowly would cause dissatisfaction.
King nodded: "Just take a ready-to-wear set and alter it. As long as it fits."
He didn't want to wait, and he wasn't that picky.
"Alright!"
Chiori hurriedly led King toward the fitting room and workspace inside, and Clorinde and Lynette naturally followed.
The interior of the shop was more spacious than it looked from the outside, filled with various fabrics and garments.
Chiori scrambled to find a suit that matched King's build and aura, while secretly observing King's physique to make mental estimations.
"This deep blue tailcoat is made of Fontaine's specialty 'Starry Night Silk'; it's steady yet elegant. Or this black set, the cut is sharper..." Chiori brought out several sets of clothes and suggested carefully.
King didn't have much of a concept of styles, but since black was resistant to dirt, he pointed casually at the black suit: "This one then."
"Okay! Please go over here to try it on. If there's anything that doesn't fit, I'll modify it immediately!" Chiori pointed to the fitting area partitioned by a curtain.
King took the clothes and walked in. The curtain fell.
Outside, Chiori, Lynette, and Clorinde waited quietly, the atmosphere a bit subtle.
Chiori kept wiping her sweat, her eyes wandering.
Lynette stood quietly, her cat ears twitching slightly.
Clorinde stared intently at the fitting curtain, as if trying to see through the fabric to the situation inside, her cheeks still a bit flushed.
Suddenly, as if having made a decision, Clorinde turned to Chiori and said in a low voice: "Shopkeeper Chiori, do you have any ladies' evening gowns suitable for me here?"