After spending nearly four hours at the store 'Nobelesse Suits', having tried on almost every damn suit that's ever been freaking created, Jasmine was finally satisfied with a white and purple suit. She said the white matched my hair, and the purple accent made my eyes stand out; I was many things, but I wasn't a stylist, so I just accepted her words without much consideration. Besides, after today, I didn't want to think about suits again.
After paying a hefty sum of fifteen gold coins, half of what we earned for the quest we accepted on Duke Gorgans' behalf, an unreasonable amount for a damn suit, we left, heading towards the market to grab some food.
"You sure paying fifteen gold coins was necessary? I could've gotten a good suit for like one gold coin… Thank you." Paying the stall owner two silver coins, I handed a crab kebab to Jasmine while I took a bite of my own. "Hmm, not bad… And yes, Alex, it was very necessary. It's actually the whole point, as a matter of fact. The suit itself is mostly irrelevant." Listening to Jasmine, I tilted my head in confusion, not following her line of thought at all.
"Could you perhaps dumb it down?" "Listen, the King has eyes and ears everywhere. The instant we entered the city, we were being constantly monitored. I'm sure if you looked hard enough, you'd notice them." Furrowing my brows slightly, I activated [Heroes Gaze], my sight expanding as I quickly noticed several people spying on me.
The spies weren't assassin-type figures that wore black and hid in the dark; they looked like normal people. They blended in perfectly. If it weren't for my skill, I would've never noticed, but now I could. I saw them constantly taking glances at me and making contact with each other as they moved their hands, as if they were speaking sign language.
Deactivating my skill, I took another bite. "Okay, but what does that have to do with spending nearly half of my current wealth on a suit I'll probably only wear once?" "It's all about the thought, Alex. You could've gotten the same suit for much cheaper, but then the King would've realized you only thought he was worth this much." "Okay, I get that, but you do realize 15 gold is probably chump change to royalty, right? I mean, hell, you were/are royalty."
Having been reminded of her status, Jasmine proudly puffed out her chest and flicked her golden hair behind her shoulders. "Heh, true, 15 gold was nothing to me; previously, I wouldn't even bother to pick them off the ground." 'Cute.' Jasmine wasn't the proud type, but when she acted haughtily, it was very adorable; it made me want to take her down an alley, pin her against a brick wall, and take her right there.
"However, you're the 'Savior' of Cassandra, one of their most flourishing cities, and they've probably done a deep background check of you, possibly even all of us, so do you think he doesn't know about our money situation?" Taking a bit of her kebab, Jasmine looked at me with a raised eyebrow, causing me to shake my head as she made an excellent point.
"Okay, now I'm starting to understand what you're getting at. The suit was still expensive, though." "Fufu, that I don't deny, but on the bright side, we've come here to be rewarded, one of the compensations will probably be in the form of gold." "Well, I hope it's a lot." Muttering under my breath, I finished my kebab and tossed it into the trash.
"So, want to visit this city's dungeon? I'm curious how far the two of us can go. Hell, since it's a Rare dungeon, we might even be able to clear it." Faintly smiling, I looked down at Jasmine, who flashed a charming smile, only for her to grab my ear. "Did you think today would be over after buying a suit?" Hesitantly nodding, Jasmine's face twitched before she softly sighed while releasing my ear.
"Well, no. I don't have much time, but I've got to teach you basic etiquette." "Eh, do you really think that's needed? I've met two different royal families before, and I've done pretty well." "Alex, I love you dearly, but your behavior before my parents was barely passable; the only reason why it felt like you did pretty well is because you're handsome and very likable."
Grabbing my heart in mock hurt, I looked the other way. "I can't believe you, Jasmine!" Earning a chuckle from Jasmine, she quickly composed herself and pinched me, causing me to snap out of it. "Okay, but if that's the case, I don't really need to learn basic etiquette. I'll just let my natural talent do the work." "I mean no, I guess not, but nothing beats talent and hard work, so c'mon and follow me, we're returning to the Inn." "Yes, Princess Jasmine."
Lowering my head in defeat, I followed Jasmine back to the Inn, where she then proceeded to spend the rest of the day teaching me basic etiquette. During this time, the others would slowly return one by one. Talis and Vanimo were the first, followed by Michelle and Chloe, and finally Yuki, Vanye, and Talis, who had spent time in the dungeon, as indicated by the brownish blood and their smell.
While feeling jealous of those three, we all ended up dining at a restaurant for the night before returning to the Inn and falling asleep; of course, I didn't fall asleep, as I was busy unleashing my annoyance at being unable to visit the dungeon on Jasmine.
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As noon approached, Michelle helped me get dressed since Jasmine was lying unconscious in bed from our 'intense' exercise. "Mhm, you look so handsome and strong." Brushing my hair back, Michelle looked in the mirror at me with a lustful gaze, causing me to smirk. "Ho, I didn't realize you were into those types of men, Michelle. What has Chloe been feeding you? You used to be so innocent."
Glancing up at Michelle, she pouted in embarrassment and pulled my cheeks, causing me to chuckle. After a few more minutes, Michelle finished tying my hair into a tight bun, which I hated because it pulled on my scalp slightly, but it looked more professional. "I'm going to be bald at this rate." "Oh, you're exaggerating. I made sure it wasn't that tight." Rolling her eyes, Michelle kissed my cheek, causing me to stand up and pose in the mirror.
"Being this handsome should be a crime." Smirking at myself in the mirror, I saw Vanimo leaning against the door frame with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. "Hehe, I'm on death row then." "Tsk, at least I don't look like a woman in feminine clothes." My words hit a sore spot as Vanimo's grin instantly vanished, replaced with an annoyed glare.
Because his curse was broken, he didn't look like a petite woman, but given his rather lanky frame, he can easily be mistaken for a woman in certain clothes. "Hmph, weren't you the one who fell for me when we first met?" "Huh, who fell for you? I know it wasn't me, I just thought you were a girl." "You expect me to believe that? You happily went out of your way to help me. Would you have done that if you knew I was a man?" "Tsk, it's possible!"
Our arguing escalated into us pushing each other around while Michelle watched us in amusement; though, since I had somewhere to be, I quickly ended it by tossing Vanimo onto the ground. "A real man has muscles like these." Flexing, my muscles noticeable even through my suit, I smirked at Vanimo before waving my hand at Michelle.
"Alright, I've got somewhere to be. Love you." "Fufu, love you as well." Leaving the room, I visited three different rooms where the others were also staying; after saying goodbye, I left the Inn, though just as I did so, a carriage was waiting directly outside.
"Sir Alexander, your carriage." Respectfully bowing, the steward gestured to the carriage, earning me a curious glance from passing nobles. "T-Thank you." Faintly smiling, I entered the carriage while the steward closed the door and climbed onto the driver's seat.
With a snap of the reins, the carriage began to move, causing me to kick my feet up on the bench opposite me while I glanced out through the window, staring at the large palace in the distance. 'Bigger than Palace in the Crestfallen Kingdom, but smaller in the Dryad Kingdom. Oh, speaking of those two Kingdoms, me technically being a prince won't be a problem, right?'
While thoroughly tapping my head, I stopped looking out the window, crossed my arms, and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "Trina, if I threw you into outer space, would you still come back?" 'Um, what's outer space, Master?' 'I believe he is referring to the void, Trina.' 'Oh, then, hmm, I don't know. Maybe?'