I am back – Chapter 170

When faced with such a beautiful person, my confidence tends to wane.

Right now, that’s exactly how I feel.

“Why… what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, not at all.”

To be honest, I was slightly looking forward to what kind of outfit my older sister might wear. It’s not something you see her in very often.

In fact, the chances of seeing my sister dressed like this outside of this world are virtually nonexistent. After all, it’s a dress, isn’t it?

Perhaps I might get to see the dress she’ll wear for our wedding. But that’s… a wedding dress, so it’ll certainly look quite different from the ball gown she’s wearing now.

Though it’s called a ‘ball gown,’ it doesn’t mean it’s just oversized shoulder embellishments that are as big as a person’s head. Especially here, while at a glance it resembles the ‘medieval fantasy’ seen in movies, dramas, or comics, when you dig a bit deeper, it shares many similarities with the Earth I live on.

It’s hard to simply judge which of the two worlds is more advanced.

In that sense, the ‘design’ of this world is surprisingly sophisticated compared to the apparent period atmosphere.

Of course, the concept of sophistication is somewhat different from that of the modern Earth I lived on.

On Earth, ‘sophisticated’ fashion usually applies to casual wear. Honestly, the high fashion created by world-renowned designers worn by global supermodels on runways is… well, it feels too ‘high’ to apply directly to everyday life. Such clothes are more like works of art rather than everyday wear.

Of course, I know the elements of that high fashion do influence trends in casual wear to some extent… but, well, I’m not sure how accurate that is since I’m just picking this up from the internet.

I don’t exactly dress remarkably well on a daily basis either.

Anyhow, dresses that go up on runways or gowns that actors showcase at award ceremonies are different from how nobles in Irrelaysia live their lives wearing such dresses all the time.

Nobles must always appear noble, even amidst war.

Naturally, such precious garments are rare during wartime. As the prices of everyday items and food soar, the price of valuable silk wouldn’t remain unscathed.

So, completely new clothes are practically impossible to produce. Though there are importers, the raw material prices have skyrocketed to ridiculous levels.

Thus, by the mid-war period, many began to repurpose existing dresses.

A bit of expensive silk here and there, or perhaps removing some.

Being far from the political center and out on the battlefield, I’m not aware of how trends have flowed, but if I had to call it convergent evolution, ultimately, the fashion trend for dresses in Irrelaysia has been leaning toward minimalism.

That’s why the dark blue dress my sister is wearing now wouldn’t look too out of place at any award ceremony in our world.

Her shoulders are bare, and there’s a slight exposure of her cleavage. Below it is a dress that leaves no skin visible but is overall form-fitting.

And there’s a side slit that starts around her left thigh.

Though on the leaner side, my sister’s figure is certainly not flat… she would most certainly catch the attention of many.

“Ah.”

And just as that thought crossed my mind, I recalled the conversation I had with Louis last night.

Both my sister and I could potentially receive someone’s hand in marriage.

Of course, the reason for this was that we were ‘the lions sent by the goddess.’

But that doesn’t mean I can consider myself like an ordinary person. No matter how much I wish to claim that, others would never see it that way.

A hero who saved the world.

Someone who died and came back to life.

A hero sent by the goddess.

I sure have a lot of titles.

…However, that said, my and my sister’s appearances would definitely have quite an impact. At least the phrase ‘let’s get married’ would likely come up more easily.

“…Why? Is it strange? It really is strange, isn’t it?”

Objectively, it was slightly absurd to hear such words from my sister, who has such a beautiful appearance.

“No, it’s fine. Really. You look incredibly pretty.”

As I said this with a big smile, my sister’s face turned red.

It was no exaggeration; it was simply how I felt.

“…But, you know.”

And then, Dana, who had been watching the two of us, finally opened her mouth.

“Aren’t you going to wear something?”

“Hmm?”

In an instant, I didn’t quite grasp what she meant and asked her again, but Dana sighed heavily.

“Aren’t you going to the ball too? You’re not thinking of leaving your ‘older sister’ all alone in a place full of wolves, are you?”

“Well, it’s just that…”

In response to Dana’s question, I hesitated for a moment before answering.

“I, I have the hero’s conquest to attend, so if I wear this—”

“Are you joking?”

Had it been any other time, Kalia, who usually nodded with a rather serious expression, interrupted me.

“There’s always a manner suitable for the place, no matter where you go in this world. Of course, some places with a relatively free atmosphere might have a loosely applied manner. But—”

With her arms crossed, Kalia looked at me with a stern expression.

“However, there are places where that manner must be strictly observed, and that’s exactly the social gatherings. Especially at noble social gatherings, it’s even more so.”

“But, I, but I’m a guy?”

“However, no one in this kingdom would confidently declare you as a ‘man’ based on your current appearance. At least, at first glance, you’re an extraordinarily beautiful woman.”

Even as I tried to defend myself in the midst of this, Kalia never once loosened her stern expression.

“Solds have to wear the attire befitting a soldier; men need attire fitting for a man; and women must wear attire appropriate for a woman in this kingdom’s social settings. I don’t know how it is on Earth where you lived, but at least here, the ‘dress code’ is that way.”

“…”

She sure put it that way, and I had nothing to retort.

It’s true that Kalia is one of the people who taught me the most about the common sense of this world.

The other companions aren’t exactly nobles. And it seems they don’t bear the nobles’ scrutiny in their organizations at all. So even if I act a bit out of line, it’s unlikely that Pia, Dana, or Arna’s honor would be tarnished. Even if that were the case, they wouldn’t care much anyway.

But Kalia is different.

Both as a noble and as a commander of the knights. She has to maintain a certain level of etiquette in front of nobles.

Of course, I’ve seen Kalia turn down a dance request countless times at dance parties, and I don’t think she’s completely trapped by the other nobles.

But still, there’s always a line drawn at least.

“Siyun. Kalia is saying it too.”

My sister, already dressed up, subtly urged me… but honestly, looking at her somewhat mischievous expression, I couldn’t help but feel that she wasn’t solely thinking from Kalia’s perspective.

How should I put it… it seemed like there was a bit of personal interest in there.

…Well, if it’s something that’ll show me in an embarrassing light later, I have to deal with that too.

“…Fine. I’ll wear something too.”

In the end, after nodding, Kalia smiled at me as if she were a lion watching a gazelle that just fell at its feet.

“…Are you sure it’s for manners, and not just to tease me?”

“Of course not. Do you not trust me, Siyun, your comrade?”

Since it has been quite a while since returning to my homeland, or rather, being gathered together with comrades from my hometown, perhaps that’s why Kalia appeared rather cheerful today, unlike usual.

“No, I trust you. I trust you… so, um, could you make sure it’s not too embarrassing?”

“I’ll definitely prepare an outfit that’s appropriate for the nobility of this kingdom.”

Seeing Kalia nodding her head vigorously towards me, I still couldn’t hide my uneasy heart.

*

And indeed, my anxious feelings were right on point.

“Say that again. You guys are just having fun, right? You’re really having fun, aren’t you?”

I covered my chest with my hands.

It was a deep red dress that thoroughly reflected Kalia’s opinion that ‘you have a beautiful figure, so you can show a little more.’

While it displayed bare shoulders, unlike the dress worn by my sister, there was no side slit on the skirt when Kalia showed it to me…

But when I actually wore it, the fluffiness of the skirt only escalated the exposure on the upper body beyond what my sister had.

“There’s no way that’s true. I’m quite serious. Don’t worry. With this outfit, you’ll receive both manners and popularity. And if you can surpass the realm of beauty, it might make the other person hesitant to ask for a dance.”

“…”

This feels suspicious. It feels suspicious no matter how I look at it.

But even as I glared, my sister and the others only held back their laughter.