Until the next morning at work, Lynette still hadn't answered Clorinde's question.
But that question had definitely sounded an alarm in her mind; even the one person least likely to head into battle, Clorinde, was now volunteering for deployment.
That made Lynette suspicious. Why did Clorinde suddenly start showing interest in Richard?
From Lynette's observations, Clorinde had always been the cool, untouchable type, someone who'd never easily fall for a man. In fact, over nearly a year of working together, Clorinde had never shown Richard any emotion beyond ordinary friendship… until last week.
And yet, just after one weekend, she seemed like a completely different person.
Lynette noticed her eyes lingered on Richard far more often than before, and with an intensity that could only be described as hungry. There wasn't even an attempt to hide it.
To make things worse, Lady Furina's gaze toward Richard had grown gentler and fonder too; anyone with eyes could tell she'd already fallen deep.
"This is getting troublesome…" Lynette sighed, her head starting to ache.
"Lynette, are you free tonight?" Richard asked.
At once, all three women in the office turned to stare at him. 'An evening invitation? What was he guy planning?'
"I am… but what for?" Lynette asked carefully, glancing at Furina and Clorinde, asking the question both of them wanted to.
"You forgot? The outfits from Chioriya Boutique are finished. We're supposed to pick them up after work," Richard said.
Lynette finally remembered. Chiori had messaged her earlier that the custom-made clothes were ready for pickup, and Richard was supposed to come along to try his samples.
It wasn't her fault she'd forgotten; Clorinde's strange question last night had occupied her whole mental CPU. Between work and figuring out how to handle two rivals in the same office, there wasn't much brain space left for something as trivial as clothing.
Hearing what the plan was, both Furina and Clorinde turned back to their work. 'Oh, it's just that?' For a moment, they'd both thought the two were planning something indecent.
"Speaking of which," Furina added suddenly, "the dress I ordered from Chiori hasn't even had its prototype made yet."
"I'll ask her about it while we're there," Richard replied.
Furina smiled faintly. "Thanks. I'd go myself, but there's a trial at the Opera Epiclese tonight I can't miss."
"I…" Clorinde started, meaning to say she was free after work, but Lynette beat her to it.
"Lady Furina, are you going to the opera alone?" Lynette asked sweetly.
Furina thought about it, and the idea of going alone sounded lonely. She turned to Clorinde.
"Are you free? Why don't you come with me? Afterward, dinner's on me."
"Yes, Lady Furina." Clorinde agreed immediately.
Though… she couldn't shake the feeling that Lynette had deliberately intercepted her.
Of course, Lynette was being cautious. If she didn't start setting up defenses now, she might as well hand Richard over herself; at least that way she could keep some dignity.
Compared to Furina, whose feelings were still naive, Clorinde was far more direct and dangerous. Considering her looks, curves, and mature allure, Lynette now viewed her not as a harmless coworker but as an S-rank threat.
That combination of cold grace and sensual charm was lethal to any man.
Lynette's own vibe leaned more toward quiet purity, soft, doll-like, and reserved. Lovely, yes, but not nearly as bold or voluptuous.
When they arrived at Chioriya Boutique, the designer greeted them warmly.
"Ah, you're here. Would you like to see the finished pieces first or try on the samples?"
Lynette let Richard choose, but of course, he was more curious to see her in her new outfit.
"In that case, come with me," Chiori said, leading Lynette to the fitting room.
Richard blinked. "Why do they both need to go in?"
Turns out, Chiori's work this time included some… extra items.
Her designs weren't limited to outerwear; she'd included a few special "gifts," delicate undergarments with rather intricate fastenings.
"Chiori, you're really… something," Lynette said quietly, eyeing the barely-there fabric in her hands.
"Fashion is about emotion," Chiori said without a hint of shame. "And seduction is a kind of beauty."
She guided Lynette through the fitting, explaining the "mechanisms", detachable pieces here, adjustable straps there, even a few removable parts…
When Lynette finished, she couldn't help but blush. The result was far more daring than she expected, and included a pair of delicate anklets "to accentuate her best features."
"If you're wearing it for someone," Chiori added cheerfully, "have a little red wine first. Don't get drunk, just warm. It'll bring out a glow in your skin. With my design and your looks, even a stone could bloom."
"Chiori…" Lynette's face turned crimson.
Afterward, she followed Chiori out of the room, her face still hot. She tried to act normal, but every time she remembered what she was wearing underneath, she nearly combusted.
When Richard saw her in her new outfit, he was speechless, in a good way. He simply wrote Chiori another check on the spot.
That evening, as Richard tried on his own suit, Chiori recommended,
"If you two are eating out later, there's a fine winery near the Debord Hotel. They carry imported Dawn Winery red, fruity, and smooth. Perfect for a glass before bed."
"Red wine?" Richard repeated, puzzled.
Lynette, however, blushed so hard she thought she'd pass out. 'Before bed, huh?'
Meanwhile, back at the Opera Epiclese, Furina and Clorinde had just finished watching a trial.
Furina stayed behind to ask Neuvillette a few questions. "How old does a dragon have to be to be considered an adult?" she asked suddenly.
Neuvillette blinked. "Ordinary dragonkind vary, from ten to a hundred years, depending on their lineage. But higher dragons… well, their development is much longer."
"And dragons like you?"
"We Elemental Dragon Kings are different, born mature, shaped by the elements themselves."
At that, Neuvillette gave her a knowing look. "If you're asking about Mr. Richard… he's a special case."
"You know him?"
"A bit," Neuvillette admitted. "Let's just say, he's disguising himself. Like a lizard changing its color to blend into its surroundings. On the outside, he looks human, but…"
"You're saying he's pretending to be human?"
"Not pretending, concealing. He's hiding the part of him that isn't."
Furina frowned. "But he seems perfectly normal."
"So do I," Neuvillette said mildly. "But would you call me human?"
"Good point," Furina admitted.
"And compared to me, Richard's emotions are much richer. But perhaps too rich, unnaturally so. In that sense, he may also be… incomplete."
Furina thought it over. Indeed, Richard seemed too calm. Even surrounded by three attractive women daily, he never once lost composure.
Clorinde suddenly murmured, "Maybe he's… too proper?"
"Proper?" Furina scoffed, remembering how he'd teased her before. "He's anything but proper!"
But Clorinde persisted. "Do you remember the way he looked at me when I wore that gown?"
Furina did; the men at the party had practically been drooling. But Richard's gaze? It was… appreciative. Pure. Not lustful.
And come to think of it, he'd looked at her that same way when they'd danced, calm, admiring, but never indecent.
Now that she thought about it, that was the strangest part.
A man surrounded by beauty, and yet utterly unmoved. Either a saint… or…
"…or he's missing something," Clorinde concluded.
They both fell silent, staring at each other with growing realization.
The next morning, both women arrived early at the office, only to find Lynette already there, listless and hollow-eyed, as if questioning the meaning of life.
"Lynette, what's wrong?" Furina asked.
Lynette looked down, made a small grasping motion in front of her chest, and muttered weakly,
"Lady Furina… do you think I have no womanly charm at all?"
Furina blinked, then instinctively looked down at her own modest chest. 'If she doesn't, then what about me…?'
"Why do you ask?"
"...Sigh."
Lynette didn't answer, just sighed deeply.
"…Is this about Richard?" Clorinde asked cautiously.
After a moment, Lynette nodded.
The two women exchanged wide-eyed glances. No way…
"Lynette… you didn't… try to…" Furina trailed off, unable to say the word.
Clorinde finished it bluntly: "You mean seduce?"
Furina shot her a glare, but didn't deny it. Both waited for Lynette's answer.
After a pause, Lynette admitted quietly, "...Sort of."
Both: "!!!"
"What happened? What did he do?!" they demanded at once.
And that was exactly when Richard walked in, carrying a bag with Chiori's logo.
"What reaction? What are you three talking about?" he asked, utterly confused.
The women froze like statues.
"You scared me!" Furina exclaimed, clutching her chest. "How do you walk so quietly?!"
"I was walking normally," Richard said flatly. "Anyway, this is for you," he told Clorinde, handing her the bag. "Chiori said it's a gift."
Clorinde accepted it stiffly. "Ah… thanks."
Richard then turned to Lynette. "You okay? Any headache?"
The other two immediately perked up, watching closely.
"No… I feel fine," Lynette mumbled. 'Too fine, in fact'. That was the problem.
"Good. You scared me last night. One glass of wine, then you started unbuttoning your shirt and suddenly passed out cold."
"Don't… don't say that!" Lynette's face burned bright red. "I don't even remember…"
"You shouldn't drink if you can't handle alcohol," Richard said, shaking his head. "You passed out so fast I thought you'd died. Good thing it happened at my place, otherwise people might think I'd drugged you."
"Ugh…" Lynette buried her face in her hands.
By now, Furina and Clorinde had pieced together what happened. But still, Furina couldn't help asking, "If that's all, then… why are you doubting your charm?"
Lynette's voice trembled. "Lady Furina, imagine this: you dress up beautifully, get drunk at a man's house, and he doesn't touch you at all. Wouldn't you question yourself a little?"
"Wouldn't a normal person praise the man's integrity instead?" Richard retorted. "Also, if he did do something, that's called a crime."
While logical, Furina and Clorinde only exchanged a look, recalling last night's conversation with Neuvillette.
Then, in perfect sync, they both turned back to Richard and asked:
"Yeah, seriously, why didn't you do anything?"
Richard: "???"
Was it them who were crazy, or him?
And just when he thought it couldn't get worse, Clorinde quietly muttered the fatal line-
"Don't tell me… you're still a virgin?"