CHAPTER 323: SOFT LIGHTS, BOLD HEARTS ( 323 )

Hazuki adjusted the bag of fruit in his hand, glancing at the shop signs ahead when a familiar, gentle tug on his sleeve made him stop.

"Hazuki..." Ellyn’s voice was soft, almost playful, as she looked up at him with her bright eyes.

He turned toward her, the faint light catching in her hair. "Hmm? Yes, Ellyn?"

"Buy me a dress~" she said with a small, expectant smile.

Hazuki smirked. "Okay, sure. Since you don’t have any spare clothes... Let’s stop by the shop you want to check before they close. It’s already evening."

"Mm~" Ellyn’s smile widened before she stepped closer, placing a small hand on his shoulder and beginning to climb. Hazuki bent slightly to make it easier for her, the motion so practiced it felt natural between them. Once settled, her legs dangling, er tail sway lazily.

He glanced up at her. "Ellyn?"

"Yes?"

Hazuki kept walking, hands casually hooked into his belt straps, his boots tapping against the stone road in a slow, steady rhythm. "You’re... smiling more than usual lately," he said, tone calm but carrying a hint of curiosity.

Ellyn tilted her head, her soft ears twitching. "Hmm? Maybe I’m just... happy."

Hazuki raised a brow, but didn’t press. "Alright. If you say so."

From her perch, she leaned forward just enough for her cheek to graze against his hair, the warmth of her skin lingering there. "Mm... I like it when you let me ride like this. Makes me feel... close to you."

Hazuki chuckled quietly. "Well, you don’t weigh much. And it’s easier to keep an eye on you up there."

Her fingers idly played with a strand of his black hair. "Keep an eye on me, huh...? I like the sound of that."

Inside, her thoughts curled like her tail: Tonight... I’ll make sure you’ll never want to take your eyes off me again.

The tip of her tail brushed along his jawline, a soft, teasing motion disguised as casual. Hazuki didn’t react much beyond shifting the bag of fruit in his hand. Ahead, the dress shop’s warm light spilled across the cobbles, drawing them closer.

"You’re picky about inns, picky about houses... I have a feeling you’ll be picky about dresses too," Hazuki said, glancing up briefly.

"Of course," Ellyn replied sweetly. "If I’m going to wear something for you, it has to be perfect."

Hazuki blinked at her words before looking ahead again, missing the deeper meaning tucked inside her smile.

Hazuki still couldn’t figure out why Ellyn insisted on paying for an entire year, and decide to ask.

"Seriously... why a year rent?" Hazuki said, glancing up at the catgirl perched comfortably on his shoulder, her tail swaying in slow, lazy arcs.

Ellyn didn’t hesitate. "Hmm? Of course. I don’t want you sleeping on the street again."

Hazuki let out a quiet sigh. "Hey... at least it’s free. And besides, Ridan’s always with me."

From above, a smug voice cut in. "Yeah, yeah~ and I’ve had to listen to you snoring in the middle of the street. Not to mention when you passed out on park benches..." Ridan floated overhead, his "girlfriend" Syaria clinging to him with an amused smile.

Hazuki tilted his head up. "It’s not like I do that every day. I do rent an inn room if I want to sleep on a real bed."

Ridan grinned wider. "Yeah, and the innkeepers keep getting complaints about your loud snoring."

"O–oi! Ridan! I don’t snore."

The purple cloud spirit’s smirk deepened. "Yeah, you don’t... reaaalllyyy... don’t."

Hazuki narrowed his eyes, but the spirit only chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.

While Hazuki kept bickering with Ridan.

Ellyn’s mind drifted elsewhere.

She had already seen it once, back when Hazuki slipped on the burning lava and emerged from it as if nothing had happened, completely unbothered, like stepping out of a calm pool. The sheer size of what she’d glimpsed had burned itself into her memory.

...Can I even handle it? she wondered, her cheeks warming.

She had never had a boyfriend before.

The only man she ever have was hazuki.

Even if he still treated her like a child because of the disguise, she remembered vividly how his eyes had softened with that quiet, undeniable attraction when he saw her adult form once, believing it was merely a "future" transformation she was showing him.

Her gaze slid down to his face now, the stubborn human arguing with a floating purple cloud.

She leaned forward, resting her chin gently on his head, her tail swaying in slow thought.

When we go buy my dress... and when we reach our home...

I’ll tell him.

That I’m not a kid...

But already an adult.

I wonder... if he’ll show that look.

Ellyn lips curling into a faint smile.

That look of a man desperate to marry the woman he wants.

Her mind wandered back to that moment.

When Hazuki had seen her adult form before. Back then, he thought it was just a transformation to show her "future self," but even in that brief instant, she had caught it. The hunger in his eyes. The way his calm mask had cracked.

And once Hazuki knew she wasn’t a child... that she had always been an adult...

Wonder if he’ll hold back...

The thought alone sent a small shiver down her spine. Her tail swayed lazily, brushing against his back. She rested her chin lightly on his head, looking down at him.

At least... if they did it, sealed their first night together.

The Pinky Promise Oath would bind them in more than spirit. No one would be able to touch her, not even lay a finger on her skin without Hazuki’s permission.

No noble. No royal suitor. No man except him.

She smiled softly, her gaze never leaving the man who walked so casually below her, completely unaware of the storm she was quietly preparing for him.

The little bell above the door chimed softly as they stepped inside. Warm light spilled over rows of finely tailored dresses.

Silks and satins in deep colors, elegant cuts meant to cling and flatter an adult woman’s figure. The air carried the faint scent of lavender and polished wood.

Hazuki slowed, scanning the racks. "Ellyn?"

She was already drifting forward, her eyes sparkling as though she’d stepped into some kind of treasure room.

"Yes?" she replied without looking back.

"This is a dress shop for adults," Hazuki said, brows lifting.

"Mmm..." she hummed, trailing her fingertips along the smooth fabric of a midnight-blue gown.

Hazuki tilted his head. "Huh? Why?"

"Just buy it when I finish choosing."

"Err... you’re still a kid. There’s no way this kind of dress will fit you," he said, confusion creeping into his voice.

She turned halfway toward him, lips curling in a playful pout. "Mou~ just let me browse and buy it."

He let out a quiet sigh, watching the way her tail swayed behind her as she moved deeper into the shop. "Alright... but don’t blame me if it’s too big for you."

Her ears twitched faintly at his words, but she didn’t turn around. "Mm... I know~" she replied softly, a smile tugging at her lips.

Hazuki followed a few steps behind, hands in his pockets, while Ellyn wandered between the displays. Her fingers lingered on a cream-colored dress with lace sleeves, and for a moment, she pressed it lightly against her body as if imagining how it would look on her—an image she didn’t let him see.

Inside, her thoughts whispered, It won’t be too big. Not for me.

Ellyn’s steps slowed as she reached a quieter corner of the shop, where delicate fabrics in pale shades were folded neatly into small wicker baskets and hung along the wall. Satin ribbons, lace trims, and soft silk caught the warm lamplight.

She approached the counter where a dwarf woman with a tidy braid and sharp but friendly eyes stood arranging stock.

"Excuse me," Ellyn began, her tone polite. "Do you have underwear for catgirl?"

The dwarf shopkeeper’s gaze swept over her briefly, then softened. "Oh? Lovely lady... you mean for catfolk? Aye, but this section here’s for adult sizes."

"Yes," Ellyn said smoothly, "but I want to buy it for my sister." Her voice carried an effortless, innocent lilt—just enough to sell the lie.

The dwarf nodded knowingly. "Ah, I see. Well, you pick what you like, and I can adjust it to fit."

"Okay~" Ellyn’s tail gave a faint, pleased flick before she glanced toward Hazuki. He was seated in the waiting area, leaning back in the chair, arms folded loosely, eyes drifting lazily across the shop without paying too much attention.

A small smile curved her lips before she turned back to the shelves.

She picked five sets of matching underwear and bras—lace-trimmed, silk-soft, in colors ranging from pale cream to deep wine red. Each one she handled with an almost tender care before setting it aside.

Then, moving down the racks, she chose five dresses—each with a cut meant to flatter curves she hadn’t yet revealed to him—and, at the very end, her fingers stopped on a single nightdress. It was soft, flowing, with thin straps and a neckline just daring enough to make her heart quicken.

She carried the pile to the counter and said simply, "All of this... adjust for catgirl adult."

The dwarf grinned. "Alright, lass. You’ve got a fine eye."

Ellyn just hummed, her gaze flicking once more toward Hazuki—still oblivious to exactly why she’d chosen these.

"Hazuki!!" Ellyn called from the counter, her voice carrying a little too much cheer.

Hazuki looked up from where he’d been lounging, one eyebrow raised. "What now?"

"These," Ellyn said, patting the neatly stacked pile of dresses, underwear, and the nightdress on the counter, "this human will pay for all of it."

The dwarf shopkeeper chuckled warmly. "Oh my~ so you’re the popular black-haired adventurer I’ve heard about."

Hazuki tilted his head. "Popular? That’s news to me."

"Of course!" the shopkeeper said with a grin. "Every dwarf here knows you, lad. The night you first arrived in this city, you treated every dwarf in the tavern to drinks—a whole night’s worth! And..." she leaned slightly over the counter, voice lowering with amused emphasis, "you’re the one they call ’Heelsman’, aye?"

Ellyn blinked, caught off guard. "Heelsman...?" She turned her gaze toward Hazuki, who was now rubbing the back of his neck with a vaguely embarrassed expression.

"Aye," the dwarf continued, "he’s gone around askin’ every blacksmith and accessories maker in the district if they could craft special heels."

Ellyn’s eyes narrowed into a sharp glare, her tail giving an annoyed flick.

"Heels for a girl? WHO!?" she demanded, voice just shy of a growl.

Hazuki blinked, then tilted his head innocently. "Hmm? Ah... Ridan suggested I should sightsee the world, remember? And while doing that, I thought—why not prepare for our wedding when you turn adult?"

Her ears twitched, but she kept pouting as he went on.

"So the heels were part of that special preparation,"

Hazuki continued, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"You already have the bridal gown I bought back in the Beastkin capital, remember? The one you insisted on? After that, I figured—yeah, why not heels, a bracelet, a veil? Or maybe even a tiara? You’ve already got the necklace, after all."

His gaze softened as he looked at her, completely oblivious to the way her cheeks were starting to flush.

( End Of Chapter )