Chapter 106: Dazzling
“Eh, Grey, did you get yourself a thief?”
The guards grinned at him.
“Nope. I just did a good deed.”
Grey answered with a smile.
“A good deed? What, did you give some young lady a face full of pimples again?”
Another guard chimed in.
“Please, can you not bring that up? It’s embarrassing.”
Grey put on a helpless expression.
“Hahahaha—just kidding, just kidding.”
The guards burst out laughing.
“You lot carry on. I’m off.”
Grey waved and left.
“He’s been sharp lately, hasn’t he?”
“True enough. He might be the only manservant in the whole school that every young lady remembers.”
“Haha, exactly. That’s a kind of fame too!”
The guards looked at one another and laughed again.
He slept soundly until dawn. After a quick wash and a simple breakfast in the dining hall, Grey began another day’s work, the little fellow still perched on his shoulder.
“Grey, Grey, someone’s here looking for you.”
At that moment, a guard came over.
“Oh? Libias, who’s looking for me?”
Grey asked in surprise.
“No idea. But it’s a lovely girl, you know. When did you meet her?”
Libias gave him a wink.
“Where would I have met a girl from outside?”
Grey scratched his head.
“Oh, right—she’s holding a coat.”
“Oh, her.”
Grey understood at once.
“How is it, how is it? She looks like a fine girl. How long have you been seeing her?”
Libias kept going.
“Have you two already—”
“What are you imagining? Didn’t I say I did a good deed yesterday? I just gave someone my coat.”
Grey rolled his eyes.
“I don’t even know her name. How could I be seeing her?”
“You’re something else!”
Libias laughed.
“So that works too, huh? I learned something new.”
“Come on. If you took off that suit of iron, who’d want you?”
Grey snorted.
“No problem. I’ve got plain clothes. Anyway, hurry up and go. You can’t keep a girl waiting forever.”
“Fair enough. I’ll go see her.”
Grey said.
“She’s probably here to return my coat.”
“Then hurry up.”
Libias chuckled wickedly.
“She does seem like a good girl. If you’re not interested, introduce her to me.”
“There are plenty of girls in the academy. Take your time and pick one.”
Grey laughed.
“You can save it. Those young ladies? Even if they were handed to me, I wouldn’t dare take them. Leaving everything else aside, that haughty air they all have—who could stand it?”
After so many years as a guard, Libias had long since seen through the so-called young ladies.
“Ha, at least you know yourself.”
Grey smiled.
“Of course. That’s always been one of my strengths.”
Libias said with pride.
“But honestly, if I were looking for a wife, I’d still prefer an ordinary girl from outside—someone who could treat me well for a lifetime.”
“Then good luck to you.”
Grey laughed, then noticed a somewhat timid girl standing outside the gate.
“Why aren’t you dressed warmer?”
The girl was wearing a coat far too large for her. It clearly wasn’t hers. Thinking back to yesterday, Grey frowned slightly.
“Hello. I don’t know your name, so I came to ask around. Luckily, they were very kind. And thank you as well.”
The girl bowed to the guards. They smiled back, then resumed their serious expressions.
“How about this? I’m going out to buy a few things. Would you mind showing me the way?”
Grey asked.
“Well, I can. And thank you.”
The girl said shyly.
“Thank you.”
Then she reached out and handed him his coat.
“I don’t exactly have a free hand.”
Grey laughed, lifting the tools he was carrying.
“Then... what should I do?”
The girl asked, flustered and helpless.
“Come on.”
Grey said with a grin.
He set the cleaning tools aside and left with her.
“My name’s Grey. What’s yours?”
He asked the still-nervous girl beside him.
“Oh—my name is Michelle. Michelle Roratester. Thank you for saving my little sister yesterday.”
“Is Elia feeling better?”
Grey asked.
“Yes, much better. She’s awake now. Thank you, Grey.”
Michelle said softly.
“It was nothing. Just what should be done.”
Grey smiled.
“By the way, where are your parents?”
“We’re orphans. My sister and I have always relied on each other.”
Michelle said quietly.
“How do you usually get by?”
Grey asked.
When he had visited their home, aside from the bed, he had not seen a single piece of furniture. Even the bed itself was old beyond belief. He had always wondered how the two girls had managed not to have it collapse beneath them.
“I sell flowers, and my sister helps me from time to time. Yesterday really was terribly embarrassing.”
Michelle said.
“I shouldn’t have kept you waiting for so long.”
“That’s nothing.”
Grey smiled.
“Fortunately, I didn’t leave. If I had stayed any longer, I’d have had to go back to the academy.”
“How do you usually live?”
Grey asked again.
“Most of the time, the neighborhood ladies help us out. And sometimes we go to the market and pick up discarded vegetable leaves.”
Her voice gradually grew softer.
“No wonder you’re undernourished.”
Grey murmured thoughtfully.
“Oh, let’s go take a look in that shop.”
He lifted his head and saw a clothing store ahead, then smiled at the girl.
“There?”
Michelle looked up and was instantly alarmed.
“No, no, no. That’s not a place I should go.”
“It’s fine. If you look neat enough, I can take you to the interview.”
Grey gently took hold of her arm. It was thin as a stick, so slight it made one ache with pity.
“Let’s get you changed first. The clothes you’re wearing are far too big.”
Michelle’s face turned red at once.
The clothes she wore had been torn up yesterday and used as bandages. This outfit had only been given to her by the woman next door; otherwise she would not even have been able to leave the house.
“Welcome.”
The pretty saleswoman greeted them warmly at once.
“Would you mind helping me pick out two suitable outfits for him?”
Grey asked with a smile.
“Certainly. This way, please.”
The saleswoman showed no displeasure at their status, greeting them with a full smile.
“Grey.”
Michelle said pitifully.
“Go on.”
Grey replied.
Then Michelle was led away by the saleswoman.
“I should get a couple of outfits for my sister too.”
Grey thought to himself.
“Grey?”
He turned his head and saw the girl from the Alphonse family.
“Lisana?”
Grey said happily.
“Perfect. I need a favor.”
He stood up and whispered a few words into the girl’s ear.
“Your friend?”
Lisana frowned.
“More or less. Just help me out.”
Grey said, raising his hand.
“All right then.”
Lisana turned and went into the fitting room.
He suddenly felt a chill down his back. Looking around, he saw a beautiful girl—probably someone who had come with Lisana.
“Who is that young lady?”
Grey asked.
“Oh, easy. Just call me Elika.”
The girl touched her chin and patted Grey on the shoulder.
“So you’re the manservant Lisana likes, huh? Never mind. Anyway, just keep trying.”
With that, she laughed and went inside.
Grey rubbed his forehead helplessly.
“What in the world is going on here...”
At that moment, a timid voice sounded beside his ear.
“Grey... does it look good?”
Grey looked up and immediately let out a low whistle.
“Don’t be so strange!”
Michelle blushed and hid behind Lisana.
“Wow!”
Grey exclaimed.
“Miss Lisana is beautiful too!”
“Good. At least you’ve got good taste.”
Lisana sighed lightly.
“All right, all right. You can’t keep hiding behind me forever. Let him see you.”
She pulled the still-shy Michelle out in front of her.
A pure white dress falling to the knees, paired with Michelle’s creamy skin, made the whole shop seem brighter. The small floral trim along the hem gave her a sweetness that was also a touch playful. Add to that her shy expression, and the result was simply perfect.
“Stunning.”
Grey praised.
“No, not really!”
Michelle’s face flushed red again, and she immediately wanted to hide behind Lisana once more.
“You can’t always hide behind someone else. When you need to stand out, you have to stand out.”
Lisana said softly.
Michelle’s body trembled slightly, but she nodded and did not hide behind Lisana again.
“What about me?”
Lisana leaned lightly against Michelle, and the warmth of her skin gave the girl no small amount of courage.
“Beautiful?”
Grey praised.
“That’s all?”
Lisana looked a little disappointed.
“Your beauty has run out of words to praise.”
Grey suddenly blurted out.
“How could that be?”
Lisana’s face turned bright red in an instant, even more so than Michelle’s.
“And me? Me?”
At that moment, Elika, who had gone in last, came out.
The long red gown trailing to the floor made her look especially dazzling.
“How do I look?”
Grey praised her at once.
“Like a blazing flame.”
“Such a boring man.”
Elika turned gracefully, her skirt whirling around her like fire in motion.
“One doesn’t seem enough. How about helping me choose a few more?”
Grey said with a smile.
“All right. Just remember to pay for them!”
Elika said with a bright smile.
“Come on, let’s go in.”
With that, she led the girls inside.
Grey chuckled.
“Say what you will, the young ladies really are beautiful.”