Chapter 65 - What Do You Think Of Hugo?
Chapter 65 – What Do You Think Of Hugo?
I underestimated Hugo's sisters. They were full of energy as we roamed the bustling imperial capital. They were all excited about choosing a variety of clothes, ornaments, footwear, and many more. I would be lying to say I didn't feel exhausted about going from boutique to boutique, testing out the new dresses varying from import goods from other lands and the imperial traditional clothes.
Although the trend in the Ronmin Empire about their clothing changed over time because of the influence of the allied kingdoms, the Royal Family still preferred wearing peplos and chiton inside their homes.
I held my hand in front of me, pressing my lips as I stood in front of Hugo's sisters. Right now, I gave in after they all insisted on me trying out the empire's traditional clothing. A white backless tunic that reached above my knee; its ends were tied around my neck, sleeveless, with a neckline showing my collarbones and a little of my upper chest. To highlight my back, the attendant even tied my hair in a ponytail.
I felt naked.
Although it was thick enough to cover what was hidden beneath, this loose garment was still light. They said that the reason some still preferred to wear the traditional clothes was that it was easy to wear them after they shift. Make sense since their wolf's form doubled or triple the size of a normal wolf. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to compare their size to a bear.
"My gosh… you look more like a princess than Cora," Alice was the first to break the silence, covering her lips as her eyes were fixed on me. "My… how pretty!"
"I'm a she-alpha, but yes, if I'm a man, I will surely make you mine, sister," Cora muttered in the same breathless tone.
Teresa's eyes brightened up as she skipped towards me, standing to my side for a closer look. "Sister Rinnie! How come you look good in everything?! Are you sure you like brother Hugo?!"
"Brother Hugo surely hit the jackpot, huh?" Sally also chimed in, blinking countless times. "Did he use his lifetime of luck to seduce you?"
"I bet he did." Priscilla nodded.
"Uh, hehe…" I sported an awkward smile, looking away bashfully as they were too much with their compliments. "Thank you for the compliment."
I cleared my throat, but I still sounded uncomfortable. For me, they were exaggerating because I believed it was because they liked me. It was not like I deemed myself ugly, but compared to Alice's sophisticated beauty and Cora's beguiling charm, I didn't think I could even compare. I didn't even want to think about it since appearance was the least of my concerns.
What was important was hygiene, after all. But still… it was strange to be looked at like this whilst receiving nothing but compliments.
"Ah! Why don't we all wear the same so Rinnie wouldn't feel uncomfortable?" Alice clapped as her eyes glimmered excitedly.
The first to react was Cora as she scrunched her nose up. "Can we just walk naked? Heh. My adorable Garrett will surely lose his mind if he sees me walking naked."
"Sister Cora, please have mercy on brother Garrett," Sally commented, gazing at Cora with dismay. "But I don't mind changing! Excuse me, do you have anything for my size?"
Sally skipped her steps towards the attendant, going on her own as if she already decided, and it didn't matter if everyone changed their minds.
"Sally, wait for me! Let's change together~!" Teresa giggled as she followed Sally and the attendant. Priscilla said nothing as she got up from her seat and wordlessly followed the two.
"Rinnie, sit here, dear." Alice patted the empty space beside her, and I walked towards it and sat down. "Do you like it? It really suits you, dear sister."
I glanced at her before I reluctantly replied. "It feels weird." I studied Alice's reaction, but she just giggled. So I expressed my thoughts honestly.
"It's a bit loose and very unlike the dresses I used to wear where I had to cover a lot of my skin. Not that I dislike the comfort and the less weight I had to carry, but it will take time for me to get used to this."
"Aren't you honest, Rinnie?" Alice chuckled as she played with the tip of my hair with her index. "But I get that. After all, when Father allowed the other styles of clothing to enter the empire, we were all excited to try out a variety of clothes. But it somehow felt strange. Those multiple layers of dresses, the corset, the weight, the strange hats, and heavy hair ornaments, we weren't all used to that."
"Then how did you adjust?"
"Well, we're not the type of people who will not try something just because it doesn't fit our taste the first time. We gave it a try until we appreciated their beauty." Her kind smile remained, soothing my worry with just that. She then leaned forward and whispered in my ear.
"Also, aren't you curious about Hugo's reaction if he sees you wearing our traditional clothes? I bet he will drag you into his room and embrace you passionately." Alice wiggled her brows as she winked, sporting a mischievous smile. But her expression didn't last long as she looked at the innocence on my face. Not that I didn't get the gist of what she was implying, but Hugo wasn't that type of person.
"Rinnie, hadn't he touched you yet?" Cora inquired bluntly, catching me off guard as I bit my tongue. But that was enough for her to make her assumptions. "What? Not even once throughout your journey? Didn't you say you sleep in the same room?"
"We did, but that is because he was afraid I'd get abducted," I explained in the same tone. "Hugo usually sleeps on the floor or the window or does not sleep at all. Only during the last days before we reach Ronmin did we share the bed."
"Shared the bed and…?" Alice raised her brows, intrigued.
"And sleep,"
The both of them looked at me in surprise as if doubting my claims. But neither of them voiced that out.
"Haha! Sister, I'm sorry, but it's not like I don't believe you. The person I don't trust is my little brother." Cora shook her head while chuckling, raising her hand to excuse her words.
"But Hugo wouldn't do anything without my consent."
Alice and Cora looked at each other before setting their eyes back to me.
"Rinnie, can you tell us what kind of person you see Hugo?" asked Alice out of nowhere, confusing me a bit. But it was not like I didn't have an answer to that. So, I pondered about it briefly before my lips parted.
"Hugo is… a warm person." I simplified, as that was my overall opinion about him, but the two of them knitted their brows.
"Rinnie, we were asking about Hugo and not your previous lover." Cora waved as she thought I was describing someone else.
"But… I am telling the truth." I frowned as I gazed down, revisiting the first time I met Hugo. "At first, I thought he was arrogant and did whatever he pleased. But the more I spent time with him, he may be arrogant and overly confident, but Hugo is also considerate and reliable. He is strong and yet gentle in his own way. The way he speaks may be brash, but his eyes whenever he looked at me give me this sense of security and warmth."
As I described Hugo, I didn't realize the subtle smile that appeared on my face.. Cora and Alice didn't try to change my mind this time as they looked at me with gentle eyes.