Klein followed Ophelia's gaze.
He knew what that was.
Sea monster blood.
He had researched it himself and even wrote a detailed experimental report on it, which was currently locked in a drawer in his study.
It was said that those tainted by this substance would have their souls eroded and their bodies manipulated, eventually turning into mindless puppets.
However, that only applied near the ocean—specifically the west coast.
Away from those waters, the danger of this substance was significantly reduced.
A sea monster's power originated from the ocean; once far from the sea, this blood became nothing more than an alchemical material with slight hallucinogenic effects, used for brewing certain specialized potions.
So here, in this inland town, it was merely an ordinary alchemy material.
Of course, the means of obtaining such a thing weren't exactly legal.
Klein knew well that for this stuff to circulate in town, it most likely came through smuggling channels.
The shop owner dared to display it for sale largely because of Klein's tacit approval—after all, Klein himself occasionally needed it for experiments that weren't convenient to make public.
As he was thinking this, he sensed a change in the atmosphere behind him.
Ophelia's brow furrowed as she stared intently at the pale blue liquid, a sliver of icy coldness flashing in her golden eyes.
Her left hand, hidden behind her back, clenched slightly, her knuckles turning white.
Klein could feel her aura shift in an instant. That cold, oppressive atmosphere was like a blade drawn from its scabbard—sharp and dangerous.
In the next second, Ophelia turned her head, her golden eyes looking straight at Klein.
"Are you allowed to buy and sell this kind of thing here?"
There was questioning in her tone, along with suppressed dissatisfaction and even a hint of unmistakable anger.
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word sounded as if it were being squeezed through her teeth.
Klein was stunned for a moment.
This was the first time he had seen such an obvious emotional ripple from Ophelia.
Ever since she arrived, she had always been expressionless and terrifyingly calm.
But now, there was warmth in her eyes.
The warmth of anger.
Klein cleared his throat, feeling a bit awkward.
He naturally knew why Ophelia was angry.
As the knight who had single-handedly pacified the west coast wars, she had seen too many victims eroded by sea monster blood.
Those people lost their consciousness and their sense of self, eventually becoming nothing more than the walking dead.
To her, the existence of this substance was a profanation.
Furthermore, it was being sold openly on a shelf.
"Uh..." The owner sensed something was wrong and gave a forced laugh, peeking cautiously at Ophelia. "Master Klein, the saltpeter you wanted..."
"Just leave it there," Klein said with a wave of his hand, interrupting the owner.
He stared at the blue liquid for a few seconds and then looked up at the owner's face.
"How much for this?"
The owner hesitated, saying uncertainly, "Five... five gold coins."
His voice trembled slightly as he spoke, clearly intimidated by the aura Ophelia was radiating.
Ophelia's expression turned even colder.
Her gaze swept across Klein's face, her eyes filled with scrutiny.
Klein let out a sigh.
He pulled several gold coins from his purse and slapped them directly onto the counter, his voice calm and firm. "I'll buy it."
"Huh?" The owner didn't react immediately, staring blankly at the gold coins on the counter.
"I said I'm buying it," Klein added, his tone more serious than before. "This is not to be sold again in the future, and you are not to restock it. Do you understand?"
The owner's face instantly slumped. "But... Master Klein, this is a best-seller. Many alchemists..."
"I'll compensate your loss," Klein interrupted, pulling more gold coins from his purse. "This bottle is mine, and you can name a price for the remaining stock. I'll buy it all."
The owner opened his mouth to say something, but seeing Klein's unquestionable expression, he ultimately swallowed his words.
He hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and quoting a number. "There are three bottles left in total... fifteen gold coins."
Klein didn't haggle and paid directly.
The gold coins made a crisp clinking sound on the counter, sounding exceptionally loud in the quiet shop.
The owner took the money, gave Klein a complicated look, and turned to walk toward the back room.
He muttered something as he walked, his voice too low to be heard, but from his pained expression, he was clearly grieving the loss of a steady source of income.
Ophelia stood where she was, her gaze lingering on the bottle of sea monster blood without saying a word.
But Klein could feel her aura gradually softening.
"Don't misunderstand," Klein said as he put the bottle away, his tone nonchalant. "I just don't want this stuff circulating haphazardly. While it's not as dangerous inland, it could still cause problems if used by someone with ill intentions."
He paused and added, "Besides, I'm not short of research materials. I can do experiments without it in the future."
Ophelia was silent for a few seconds, her golden eyes searching Klein's face as if trying to discern the truth in his words.
Finally, she nodded.
"You did the right thing."
The owner emerged from the back room carrying three small wooden boxes, which he handed to Klein with great care.
Klein took them, weighed them in his hand, and then turned toward the door.
"Let's go. It's about time."
Ophelia followed behind him, her left hand behind her back twitching slightly before she finally released her clenched fist.
...
When the two returned to Lillian's Sewing House, the sunlight was already leaning toward the west.
The last rays of the setting sun spilled through the windows, coating the entire room in a layer of warm yellow light.
Klein pushed the door open, the crisp ring of the bell breaking the silence of the shop.
Lillian was sitting behind the counter, fiddling with a roll of pale purple silk. Her fingers were very nimble as they glided over the fabric, seemingly estimating dimensions.
Hearing the bell, she looked up, her chestnut hair swaying slightly by her face.
After seeing that the arrivals were Klein and Ophelia, her previously downcast eyes instantly lit up like small lamps, and her breathing quickened.
"Y-you're back?" Lillian's voice was still small, but there was a hint of cheerfulness in her tone, along with an irrepressible sense of anticipation.
She stood up and hurriedly pulled a paper-wrapped bundle from beneath the counter. The bundle was wrapped in light blue paper and tied with an exquisite bow, looking exceptionally well-prepared.
"The clothes... have been altered." Lillian held the bundle with both hands and offered it carefully, as if she were presenting a precious treasure.
Klein was somewhat surprised. "Really that fast?"
"Because... it was just adjusting the size."
Lillian lowered her head, her fingers pinching the edge of the paper bundle as her voice grew smaller. "And... and I wanted to see the results as soon as possible."
Her cheeks flushed slightly as she said this.
She didn't dare look at Ophelia while speaking, but Klein noticed her eyes constantly drifting toward the woman. That cautious yet expectant look was like a student waiting for a teacher to judge their work.
"Thank you for your hard work." Klein took the bundle and felt its weight. "I've really troubled you this time."
Lillian shook her head, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. "It's no trouble, it's what I should do. It's an honor to serve a guest like this."
Ophelia remained as expressionless as ever, but Klein noticed her gaze linger on the bundle for a second.
Klein cleared his throat. "Then, many thanks. We're not in a hurry for the rest of the clothes, so take your time. No need to rush."
"Yes!" Lillian nodded vigorously, then quickly lowered her head again, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Um... would you like to try it on? There's a changing room in the back. You can see if it fits, and if there's anything wrong, I can adjust it immediately."
She pointed toward a small door behind the counter, her fingers trembling slightly.
Klein looked at Ophelia.
Ophelia took the bundle, nodded silently, and turned toward the changing room with a straight back and steady steps.
Once she was inside, Lillian breathed a sigh of relief, shrinking back behind the counter like a deflated balloon.
She leaned against the counter and whispered, "Master Klein... your... your wife is very impressive, isn't she?"
"How so?" Klein leaned against the counter, looking at her with curiosity.
"It's just..." Lillian bit her lip, her voice dropping even lower. "When I was taking her measurements, I felt the muscle definition in her arms. That kind of firmness... ordinary girls don't have that. I've been a tailor for many years, and this is the first time I've met a woman with such perfect proportions and beautiful muscle lines."
As she spoke, her eyes lit up again, as if she were reminiscing about something beautiful.
"And her skin is also very good, without a single blemish. I couldn't believe it at the time; it's hard to believe such a perfect person really exists."
Klein smiled but didn't respond.
Lillian added softly, "Um... Master Klein... will... will your wife think I was being too forward..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, her fingers twisting the edge of her apron in a display of nervousness.
"She won't." Klein waved his hand, his tone relaxed. "She isn't that petty. You were just doing your job; she understands."
Just as he finished speaking, the changing room door was pushed open.
Klein instinctively looked over and then froze.
The whole world seemed to go silent at that moment.
Ophelia had changed into the deep blue dress.
The cut of the dress was simple, with no unnecessary decorations, but every line was just right. The high neckline wrapped around her slender neck, tracing an elegant curve. The sleeves gathered at the wrists, perfectly concealing her thin gloves while revealing a sliver of her delicate wrists.
The waistline was fitted perfectly, accentuating her slender waist, and the hem ended just above her ankles, revealing a portion of her straight calves. The deep blue fabric shimmered with a soft luster under the evening sun, looking like the deep sea under a night sky.
Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, glowing with a warm yellow light that formed a sharp contrast with the deep blue dress.
She stood there with a serious expression and a perfectly straight back, but her entire aura was completely different from when she wore her knight's uniform.
It had lost some of its sharp edge, becoming a bit more... soft?
No, it wasn't just softness.
Klein stared at her for several seconds as a word suddenly popped into his mind:
Elegance.
Not a forced elegance, but one that radiated from her bones, entirely natural.
Like a famous sword returned to its scabbard; its sharpness was contained, yet it appeared even more noble.
Klein found himself unable to look away.
He had seen Ophelia in her knight's uniform, where she looked like an unsheathed sword—sharp and dangerous.
He had seen her in that ill-fitting maid uniform, where she looked like a caged beast—awkward and comical.
But now...
Now, it was as if she had finally found the right shell.
Lillian leaned against the counter, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Ophelia with a look of ultimate satisfaction. Her eyes shone with the joy of an artist seeing their work perfectly presented.
"It fits perfectly!" she whispered, her voice carrying a rare hint of pride. "I knew this color would suit you best!"
Ophelia looked down at her dress, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
She raised her hand to tug at the collar but stopped halfway, seemingly realizing the gesture was unladylike.
"These clothes... are they perhaps too..." Ophelia paused, her golden eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Too inconvenient for movement?"
There was a hint of uncertainty in her tone as she said this.
Klein snapped out of it and cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound normal. "It's not like you're going to wear it to a fight. These are for daily wear; you don't need to consider combat."
Ophelia pursed her lips and didn't argue.
She looked down at her dress again, a complex emotion flashing in her golden eyes.
Lillian leaned forward slightly and asked cautiously, "If you feel uncomfortable, I can adjust it further... for example, shortening the hem a bit or loosening the waist..."
"No need." Ophelia shook her head, her voice low. "It's fine."
As she said this, her gaze fell on her reflection in the mirror, lingering for a few seconds.
Lillian breathed a sigh of relief and then asked with anticipation, "In that case... would you try the other one? The light-colored one; I think it will also suit you very well."
As she spoke, she pulled another paper bundle from beneath the counter, her movements even more lighthearted than before.
Ophelia was silent for a moment and then nodded.
Klein stood to the side, watching Ophelia walk back into the changing room, and suddenly realized something.
He seemed... to be looking forward to seeing her in the other outfit.
As soon as that thought appeared, he startled himself.
He shook his head, trying to shake the thought from his mind, and then leaned against the counter, waiting as if nothing were the matter.
But his gaze instinctively remained fixed on the door of the changing room.
Rate on N.U.
