The following morning, Klein experienced a strange sense of peace.
He had breakfast with Audrey without the scrutiny of her parents. He spent time in the Hall family's library. He even played with Susie for a few hours. This life now felt like a precious miracle he had to protect.
As the day passed, he found himself looking forward more and more to the date with Audrey later tonight.
Soon, nightfall was approaching.
She told me to show up at the entrance in one hour... What should I wear? Klein found himself in a predicament. He couldn't possibly wear the same outfit as he did on the day of the party when he was summoned by Audrey. He also couldn't wear the other outfit he used for their first date.
Sigh...
Klein had an extensive wardrobe, but most of it was either uniforms or too casual for a proper date. He also had the outfits from his Dwayne Dantès days, but they looked too out of place on the current young Klein Moretti persona.
After a few moments of considering his options, he suddenly thought of an idea.
He prayed to The Fool and answered his own prayer, successfully summoning an item from Sefirah Castle into the material world. It was the notebook that Audrey gave him.
He remembered skimming a section dedicated to men's fashion, and so he quickly flipped to that section.
So this is what is trending with men... Kind of reminds me of...
Klein had an idea.
...
Inside Audrey's room.
Audrey looked through her wardrobe, but nothing felt right for the date.
One dress was too formal, another too plain. She wanted something special. Her eyes then landed on a garment bag she had tossed onto a chair after her first date with Klein.
Her heart skipped a beat. She knew exactly what was inside. Her mind hesitated for a second, but she still decided to open up the bag.
A tight-fitting dark green dress came out. Quite the revealing dress.
A hot blush immediately spread across her face as she remembered what happened on the night that she wore this dress.
"This dress is... It's completely improper for a lady..." she whispered, the memory of her own shame repeating in her mind. The thin, clinging silk felt scandalous in her hands, and the thought of wearing it in public was unthinkable. "But..." Klein flashed in her mind. "...Klein might like it—No! I can't wear this!"
Susie, who was also in the room, turned her head in confusion.
"Can't wear it? Why not? The dress looks so pretty!" Susie said.
Why... not? Audrey once again recalled the steamy moment she shared with Klein on that one hill. Then, her mind went a step beyond. What if she wore that dress again? What if Klein's hand explored her thigh deeper than last time? What if Klein was so captivated by her appearance wearing this dress that he became a wild beast?
"Klein, that's too soon!" she exclaimed. By this point, her face was so red that one could even see steam coming out.
"Klein? But Audrey, Klein is not here?" Susie was confused by her sudden outburst.
Audrey looked at Susie and said, "Uhm, never mind." She then swiftly put away the dress somewhere in her closet, somewhere where one would not easily find it. Not gonna wear this again! Unless Klein... Ah!
...
Klein was led out of his room by the head maid of the Hall family out to the entrance of the mansion.
"Klein!" Audrey waved, trying to get Klein's attention. Her smile was as bright as ever.
She was wearing a stunning, dark blue long dress. The dress was fitted perfectly to her form and had a modest cleavage. She wore long, white gloves that reached her elbows, and a simple silver necklace rested against her collarbone. Her golden hair was styled in a waterfall braid, where a neat braid ran horizontally across the back of her head while leaving selected locks to tumble freely over her shoulders.
An outfit truly befitting of a noble.
"Audrey, you look... perfect." He said 'perfect' quietly, as if it were a truth he had just discovered. For a moment, he was stunned by her beauty and radiant smile. He couldn't believe that this woman was actually his lover. He finally added, his voice soft, "You look truly perfect, Audrey."
"Thank you~ You also look stunning, Klein, but... I don't think I've ever seen such formal attire. Is it a new trend?"
Klein was wearing a suit, but it was a style she had never seen before. The dark jacket was much shorter than the long coats men usually wore, and it was cut to fit his body perfectly. His pants were simple and fell in a clean, straight line to his black shoes. At his neck, instead of the usual frilled cloth, was a long, narrow strip of dark silk tied in a neat, unfamiliar knot. The look was sharp and clean, making him seem incredibly handsome in a way that felt entirely new. It was the perfect formal attire.
It was a classic suit from Klein's memories of Earth, a suit he had simply Wished into existence.
"A new trend? More like an old trend... I really like the style."
An old trend? But I don't recall ever seeing such a clean and handsome attire before... Audrey slightly tilted her head. "I see... Alright, well, let's go. I planned everything tonight~" She urged Klein to get on the carriage.
...
The carriage stopped in the richest part of the city, on a street filled with high-end shops.
"We're here!" Audrey said happily, taking Klein's hand and leading him out of the carriage. "First, we need to get you some more clothes."
"More clothes? Audrey, I think I have enough," Klein said. Was my modern-day suit not good enough?
"Nonsense! You deserve to have the very best as well as a lot of variety," she said with a wink.
She pulled him into a fancy tailor's shop. The inside was filled with rich fabrics and smelled of expensive wood. Without even asking Klein, Audrey started pointing at different materials.
"We'll take three suits made from this one," she told the tailor. "And two from that grey material. Oh, and make a formal coat from using this color, too. Please have them ready as soon as possible."
The tailor bowed. "Of course, my lady. The total will be 1,250 pounds."
Klein almost choked. "Audrey, that's too expen—!"
"Don't worry about it, Klein. This is nothing." Audrey just smiled and handed the man a stack of bills from her purse.
Before he could argue more, she pulled him into another store, this one filled with shiny things behind glass. It was a shop for men's accessories.
"You'll need things to match your new suits," she explained. She pointed to a set of silver cufflinks. "Those, please." Then to a gold tie clip. "And that one." She saw a beautiful watch with a leather strap. "That watch would look perfect on you! Mister, we'll take this one, too!"
"I already have a watch," Klein protested. He couldn't bear to see her waste more money on him. How does she spend so much without even flinching?!
"But this one is better," she said simply. She paid the shopkeeper without even looking at the price. When they walked out, a servant from the shop was already following them, carrying several fancy bags.
Audrey looked at Klein, who was speechless, and giggled.
"What's wrong?" she teased. "You just need to get used to it. I'm going to spoil you rotten~"
...
As they went from store to store, more and more servants began to follow them. By this point, every servant was carrying multiple bags filled with expensive suits, casual wear, accessories, and canes.
While Audrey was happily deciding between two different luxury coats for him, Klein's mind was at work. He quietly extended his control over the Spirit Body Threats of the city's hidden life.
A rat in a nearby alley suddenly froze. Its perspective became Klein's. Through its eyes, he saw a man in a plain coat pretending to tie his shoe, but his gaze was fixed on Klein.
A fly buzzing near a window froze for a split second and then resumed flight on the next. On the second floor of a building across the street, the fly's vision showed him another person inside the room, looking down at them through the glass.
Klein's senses expanded further.
A pigeon taking flight from a rooftop gave him the best view of all. From above, he could see two figures crouched behind a chimney—their behavior gave a sense of professionalism. On another roof, a lone man lay flat on his stomach, scouting the area.
They were all focused on him. They were skilled, but not skilled enough to hide from him. These people were Beyonders.
Klein pulled his senses back as he continued to smile warmly at Audrey.
Of course, he thought to himself. Earl Hall wouldn't just accept me without doing a thorough investigation. A powerful noble would naturally use his own Beyonders to check on his daughter's mysterious fiancé.
These Beyonders seem to be only Mid Sequence Beyonders. If the Earl used a private Beyonder team instead of ordinary investigators, then does that mean he believes I might be a Beyonder? No, it could also just be standard for anyone who approaches Audrey—this is his beloved daughter after all...
The real question is: Should I reveal that I'm a Beyonder? Would he have me killed if he finds out I'm a Beyonder because I will pose a threat to Audrey or will I gain his favor by proving that I have the skill and abilities to protect her? Hmm... What should I do?
"I think that's enough shopping for today," Audrey finally said. "We still have some time before dinner. I managed to get a private box for the premiere of 'The Sailor Lost at Sea' at the Grand Opera House. I heard it was a play inspired by Fors Wall's works."
"Lead the way," Klein warmly replied.
The opera house was a breathtaking building. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the air was filled with the chatter of Backlund's most prominent figures. As Audrey escorted Klein to their velvet-lined private box, he felt the familiar gazes of the Earl's men settle on them from across the hall.
They're still here?
As Klein sat down in his seat, his consciousness split apart once again. The Worm of Spirit waiting inside Sefirah Castle suddenly gained consciousness and transformed into Klein. As a Sequence 2 Beyonder, he was now able to be conscious in the material world as well as be in Sefirah Castle at the same time.
Inside Sefirah Castle, Klein looked through the crimson star representing Miss Justice to scout the area. He now had the full view of the entire opera house and its surroundings.
As he chatted with Audrey, he was also keeping an eye on the Beyonders trailing them.
It really does look like they're just here to keep watch on me...
That's when something caught Klein's attention, or rather, some people did.
Entering the Grand Opera House were two figures who looked very different from the crowd filled with nobles.
There was a man wearing a simple, clean suit. It was his best, but it wasn't fancy at all like the ones people wore around him.
Next to him was a young woman in a nice but simple yellow dress. She looked around with big, happy eyes, amazed by everything she saw.
They both looked so excited and full of wonder to be there. Klein knew them better than anyone. He knew they must have saved money for a long, long time just for this one special night.
It was his brother, Benson, and his sister, Melissa.