"Texas came out, but Anna... isn't with him?"
"The Phoenix Evening Dress didn't max out Anna's affection?"
"I told you, my wife isn't the type of woman who's dazzled by vanity."
Sir, I'm not your wife.
Watching Texas's somewhat dejected retreating figure, I suddenly realized that this process must be what they call the affection rating system.
Just now, there was indeed an affection change notification that only Texas and I could see. Unfortunately, the evening dress couldn't move my heart, and although I tried to return it to Texas diplomatically, he wouldn't take it back.
When giving gifts to girls, it's embarrassing to ask for them back if they don't achieve the desired effect. I understand Texas's thinking, but I really have no use for the [Phoenix Evening Dress]... Ah well, I'll just store it in my storage space.
Giving gifts to gain affection is the most common method in virtual gaming worlds. Getting a low-cut evening dress as my first-ever gift after becoming a girl—I must be the only person in the world with such an experience.
"So many people..."
The sea of people outside the fence gave me a headache.
At my reception speed, even if I worked without rest for an entire day, I couldn't handle the endless stream of players.
The Kingdom of Michel's laws enforce curfew from 9:30 PM until 5:30 AM the next morning. Don't tell me I'll have to face waves of players' advances during all hours except those? I have other things to do!
"Heh, Texas, I told you that square face of yours couldn't win a girl's heart."
"..."
Another man, draped in fine silks, emerged from the crowd. With handsome features and a well-defined face, he was clearly someone blessed with good looks in the real world, too.
The man with a movie star face strode into the courtyard without hesitation, brushing past Texas as if to provoke him.
"Enrique? The Grand Council Member of the Watertown Merchant Association is here, too?"
"If he's here to raise Anna's affection, could it be... that rumor was true?"
"What rumor?"
"Haven't you heard? It was all over the place a few months ago—supposedly, the Watertown Merchant Association's mercenaries invaded Midgard and hunted the elven race's sacred beast."
Enrique, Grand Council Member of the Watertown Merchant Association, equivalent to their second-in-command.
I couldn't help but smile wryly—so the Kingdom of Michel's top-ranked merchant association has come too.
The players were discussing an incident from several months ago when bandits invaded Midgard, home of the elven race, targeting their sacred beast: the unicorn. The legendary horse that only pure maidens can approach is set in the game as the elves' most sacred spiritual beast. They take the unicorns' safety extremely seriously because unicorns are rare and have almost no combat ability, making them coveted by many players.
Rumors suggested the Watertown Merchant Association was behind the attack on Midgard, but without direct evidence, the matter was eventually dropped.
It's said the Watertown Merchant Association nearly monopolizes the Kingdom of Michel's maritime trade, with their governor's coffers even fuller than the king's, earning them the nickname "little kingdom" within Michel. Since the Kingdom of Michel is far from the elves' Midgard and wasn't a major trading partner to begin with, plus the Watertown Merchant Association's previous hostile actions toward the elven race, the suspicion wasn't unreasonable.
I searched my memories for relevant knowledge, preparing to deal with Enrique.
Undeniably, Enrique was a very handsome man.
I was surprised to have such an absurd thought, but quickly realized it was probably due to [Charm]. Noble attire may have low defense, but its [Charm] value far exceeds knights' armor, giving it high attraction to the opposite sex.
What a frivolous fellow, carelessly spreading his hormones around, I thought to myself.
"Good day, Lord Enrique. May the Goddess of Fortune smile upon you."
"I am indeed blessed by the Goddess of Fortune to have the honor of beholding Lady Anastasia's beauty."
Enrique responded with a gentle tone and kind smile, slightly bowing while extending his clean palm—I immediately realized this was Enrique's etiquette.
A hand kiss, is it... Sorry, I can't accept that.
Seeing I had no intention of extending my hand, Enrique's expression showed no displeasure as he calmly straightened his posture.
"Might Lady Anastasia be familiar with the current fashion trends in the Kingdom of Michel?"
"Somewhat."
Selecting and coordinating appropriate attire for one's master is part of a servant's duties, but Enrique's question likely had a deeper meaning.
Most things in virtual games are prepared in advance—hidden quests, items, etc. Whether players discover them or not, they're always there. However, The Eternal Pacificus allows players and NPCs to innovate, be it items or magic, creating new schools through research and invention.
In principle, things too ahead of their time can't appear in Lemoria, but some things are exceptions to the exception.
For instance, the pursuit of beauty.
Enrique sighed regretfully.
"If that's truly the case, it's too unfortunate. For a beautiful flower like Lady Anastasia to not keep pace with fashion trends..."
No, I have no interest in fashion, nor shopping—even if I go to town, I won't be obsessed with buying clothes and bags, though Lemoria doesn't have fancy bags anyway.
"Lady Anastasia's beauty rivals any noble lady's, she just needs some embellishment..."
Enrique smiled as he took out his gift. The moment it appeared, it emanated a dazzling radiance entirely different from the [Phoenix Evening Dress]. If the [Phoenix Evening Dress] symbolized burning life, Enrique's gift represented gentle compassion—a pair of crystal-clear high heels, as if recreating the glass slippers from Cinderella's encounter with the prince.
"These crystal shoes, crafted from a unicorn's horn, perfectly suit Lady Anastasia!"
"...Oh."
Um, should I try to look happier?