While Freya looked beautiful right now, she gave off the impression of a commoner who had suddenly put on a magnificent dress. Although that was technically the truth, Euphy couldn't sense any aristocratic elegance from her at the moment.
Euphemia thought about it for a moment and quickly figured out the issue. She jogged away, and when she returned, she was holding a pair of black high heels. “Who wears flat shoes with a formal dress? You absolutely have to wear high heels.”
“Eh?” This time, Freya showed a troubled expression. “But I've never worn high heels before.”
Euphy said, “It's fine, it's fine. I deliberately picked a pair that isn't too high—only about five centimeters. It'll be very easy, even for a beginner.”
Ultimately, Freya accepted the high heels. She felt that Euphy was right; pairing a formal dress with ordinary flats did look a bit strange.
There was no need to go back into the fitting room just to change shoes. Freya sat down in a random spot, took off her shoes, picked up the high heels next to her, and slipped her small feet inside.
Since these high heels had pointed toes, her first sensation upon putting them on was a slight squeezing of her toes. After slipping into the other shoe, Freya tried to stand up.
Naturally, her immediate feeling was one of sheer unfamiliarity. It was incredibly awkward. It felt like she was walking on a tightrope instead of normal ground, with her entire center of gravity pressed onto her toes.
Looking at her current posture, Euphy burst out laughing. “Fufu, what kind of strange posture is that? Leaning forward and hunching your back like that... you look just like an old granny!”
Freya herself didn't feel anything was wrong. “Eh? Really?”
After laughing for a bit, Euphy walked over to support Freya and said, “Of course! Keep your head up and chest out. Don't put your center of gravity on your toes; shift it to your heels. When you walk, don't let your toes touch the ground first. Let the heel of the shoe land first, and then roll your foot forward onto your sole.”
Freya tried taking two steps, producing a series of crisp, rhythmic clack-clack sounds. “Like this?”
Euphy continued to correct her. “That's a bit better than before. However, don't take too large of a step when you walk, and keep your legs straight. Don't walk with bent knees.”
Under Euphy's continuous instruction, Freya's posture became more and more proper. Of course, she was still far from used to it. After walking for just a brief moment, her toes already felt slightly sore.
Euphy nodded and said, “That's about right. Now you just need to wear them more often and get used to them.”
Freya immediately made a bitter face. “Eh? I have to wear them more?”
Euphy replied, “Of course!”
As she spoke, she walked behind Freya, untied her plain ponytail, and began styling her hair.
She neatly gathered Freya's light brown hair into an updo at the back of her head, securing it in place with three beautiful golden hairpins. The remaining hair was left to cascade downward. There was a saying that revealing everything actually diminished the charm; true allure lay in the tantalizing half-hidden, half-revealed look. This was exactly what Euphy did. The loose strands partially veiled Freya's smooth, pristine back. If anyone wanted to get a clear view of her back in this state, they would probably have to stare at her for quite a while.
Once everything was finished, Euphy circled around Freya a few times, nodding in approval. “Mhm, yes! This definitely gives off the right vibe!”
But Freya still wore her usual miserable expression. “But it feels so troublesome.”
However, as she said this, she glanced at the nearby mirror. Upon seeing her current appearance, she couldn't help but daze for a moment.
Because the high heels lifted her heels, her ankles and calves did not form a rigid right angle, but instead curved into a beautiful, elegant line. Since she wasn't wearing stockings, her small, delicate ankle bones were clearly visible.
Furthermore, because her legs were artificially lengthened by five centimeters, Freya looked much taller. Her legs appeared longer, and her overall body proportions became absolutely perfect.
Combined with the hairstyle Euphy had just done for her, Freya had completely shed her previous pure and cute student style. Instead, she now exuded a luxurious, noble temperament.
Freya blinked, then said blankly, “It really does look a bit beautiful.”
In an instant, the fatigue and pain of wearing high heels were completely swept away. After all, her efforts had yielded a fitting reward.
Euphy said, “That's why I said you should try to get used to high heels first. At the very least, make sure nothing goes wrong during those few hours of the aristocratic gathering three days from now. When the time comes, you'll wear this outfit, use this hairstyle, and I'll put some light makeup on you. Perfect!”
After picking everything out, Freya returned to the fitting room to change back into her own clothes. When she went to the front counter to pay, the price of the outfit gave her a huge fright.
The receptionist smiled and said, “That will be fifty thousand in total. Thank you for your patronage~”
Freya: “???”
Euphy, on the other hand, didn't look surprised at all and paid the bill directly.
Only after they left the clothing store did Freya speak up. “Wait, isn't this a bit too expensive? The price of a single outfit is actually comparable to a Rank One potion?”
Euphy replied, “Yeah. After all, Rank One potions themselves aren't very valuable.”
Freya's lips twitched slightly as she silently lamented the extravagance of this world's nobility.
After all, her current concept of money was still stuck on her original self's monthly part-time salary of two thousand, and the fact that she could only borrow one hundred thousand at a time when she asked Brother Scar for money.
In other words, her original self would have to work for more than two years without eating or drinking just to buy a single dress like this, and borrowing from Brother Scar would only buy two at a time.
After leaving the clothing store, the two walked toward Euphy's home. There was definitely no need to rent a place in the capital, since Euphy owned a house here.
During the previous simulation where she returned to the past, Freya had already visited Euphy's home once. In reality, Euphy's house wasn't much different from the one in the simulation.
Just as they arrived at the entrance, the guard recognized his young mistress and opened the gates immediately to let them in. As they passed by the garden, the gardeners pruning the plants waved and greeted Euphy one after another, and she smiled and responded to each of them.
It was clear that Euphy got along quite well with these people.
...
Rate on N.U.
