Prodia turned slowly according to her guidance.
Then, in the mirror across, I saw a completely transformed version of myself.

A bright red dress.

With minimal decorations and lace, it was an innovative design that emphasized a fit tailored to the body.

Moreover, it felt like it was sewn with consideration for the comfort of the wearer.

As she combed Prodia’s long hair, she asked in a whisper-like manner, “By the way, who is that person? Your boyfriend?”

At those words, Prodia looked serious. “A colleague.”

“Oh, come on, what colleague gives such clothes as a gift? It seems like the teacher has caught his interest.”

“It’s just because he has a lot of money.”

When Prodia bluntly said this, De Jain didn’t ask any more questions.

She just smiled and said, “Well then, should I show it to the person who will pay?”

With those words, the curtain suddenly opened.

De Jain glanced at Irtis’s reaction.

It seemed like there was something between them.

And she was sure of it.

Without saying a word, Irtis’s eyes behind the mask were telling everything.

Suddenly enlarged pupils. A moment of silence.

Then, a reddening of the neck.

‘How can that be just a simple colleague, teacher?’

Running the boutique and witnessing such reactions countless times, De Jain couldn’t help but smile.

That was love.

However, the person gifting the clothes seemed oblivious to his own feelings.

“…Just go ahead and pay.”

That was the only comment after seeing such a lovely appearance.

She sighed.

The road ahead for the two seemed ominously long.

And a little later.

Wearing the red dress, Prodia and Irtis left the dressing room together.

De Jain watched them through the window.

It seemed like it would take some time for good news to reach the Duke’s mansion.

By the way, where did she meet such a handsome man?

Lately, all the young men in the empire were going to the Buma Contest, making it hard to find suitable marriage partners.

Although she couldn’t see the face under the mask, he must be a handsome man.

Thinking like that, she turned her head.

Meanwhile, Prodia felt dizzy because of the cost of the dress Irtis bought earlier.

‘Is it okay to keep receiving such expensive gifts?’

She pondered if there was any way to repay Irtis, but nothing appropriate came to mind.

There was nothing she could do but give her best to ensure his victory.

But for now, they decided to enjoy the festival as he suggested.

Receiving such a gift and immediately going home would be impolite.

The two headed towards the square.

Fortunately, both of them were wearing masks, and no one recognized them.

They spent some time watching performances and buying street food.

Of course, Prodia also worked in the meantime.

Since they came to the festival, it was also a precious opportunity to open the status window of people.

There were still suitable candidates she hadn’t found, and she couldn’t miss this chance.

‘Status window.’
So, Prodia checked people’s status windows while wandering around the street.

However, finding suitable talent was still not an easy task.

After countless frustrations, Prodia finally stopped checking the status windows.

‘I’m tired. I just want to rest…….’

At that moment, something in the distance caught Prodia’s attention.

It was a ride that looked like a small Ferris wheel.

Of course, the difference was that it operated manually, requiring people to turn the mechanism.

Although she had forgotten about it for a while due to her busy life, in her past life, Prodia quite enjoyed riding terrifying amusement park rides.

When she couldn’t take her eyes off it for a long time, Irtis asked, “Do you want to ride that?”

Prodia hesitated for a moment.

Normally, she would have just passed by.

But with the continued disappointment in finding suitable candidates, she was in a state of extreme fatigue.

So, she ended up saying this.

“Well… Would you like to ride it with me?”

At that, Irtis was surprised.

It was the first time Prodia had made such a suggestion.

She always showed enthusiasm only when it came to the Buma Contest.

But more than surprise, another emotion was stronger.

‘…Why is it cute?’

It was just an amusement park ride for kids.

Yet, Prodia, of all people, wanted to ride it.

Seeing a different side of her than usual made his heart ticklish.

So, he eventually agreed to Prodia’s request.

There were already many children waiting in line in front of the ride.

Among them, there were only two adults – themselves.

Realizing the situation, Prodia felt embarrassed belatedly.

‘I must be crazy. Why am I doing things I’ve never done before?’

She pulled Irtis’s sleeve.

“…Let’s just go back.”

But Irtis had no intention of doing so.

“It’s okay. Even a much taller me is standing in line.”

That’s true.

Certainly, standing behind Irtis made her feel a bit less embarrassed.

Prodia resolutely got back in line, and finally, their turn arrived.

However, they were immediately rejected.

“Ugh, we can’t let two big adults ride.”

Flustered, Irtis quickly attempted to negotiate.

“Then, just one person, please. I’ll pay double, no, triple the price.”

“Even if you offer ten times the price, it’s not possible. Do you know who has the stamina to turn this thing around?”

The two had no choice but to step back.

Irtis looked at Prodia with an awkward expression.

She didn’t say anything, but her disappointment was clearly visible on her face.

Seeing that, Irtis felt somehow uncomfortable.

‘This is the first time she has suggested doing something she wants to do.’

Prodia always lived for work.

So, he was curious.

What would it be like to see Prodia genuinely enjoy something?

Irtis lowered his head to her and whispered, “Shall we go try another ride together?”

“Can adults ride that too?”

“Yeah.”
Not long ago, perhaps due to being rejected from riding the previous attraction, Prodia found herself smiling brightly without realizing it.

She quickly composed her expression, but Irtis had already sensed her feelings.

“Let’s go.”

He took the hesitant Prodia somewhere.

And a moment later,

Prodia was flying through the sky, embraced in Irtis’s arms.