Once she finished her tea, Emily prepared to leave, but Shui stopped her.
"Wait. Do you have anything planned at the moment?"
"Not really."
"Then, please come with me. I can't leave you alone when you still look so down."
"But, your condition..."
"I can still walk. And I could use a change of pace as well. What do you say?"
Emily didn't trust the safety of her inn, so she didn't plan on returning yet. Therefore, she figured there wouldn't be an issue with following Shui instead.
Shui didn't know much about the hobbies and interests of the current Emily, outside of arrays, but he took a chance and brought her to a boutique.
"Why did you bring me here?" she asked.
"I don't know. Call it a hunch, but I think you'll like it here."
Shui didn't want to ruin her experience with his own unknown level of fashion sense, so he relied on one of the store attendants.
"Please choose some outfits that fit her. Money isn't a problem."
"Understood. Please wait here for a moment."
The clothes here were made with special material so even cultivators could wear them in battle while still looking stylish. They paled in comparison to special-rank defensive artifacts when it came to protection but were better than the armour that mortals wore.
When the store attendant came back with several pieces of various types of clothes, Emily's left eye twitched, but she showed no further change in her facial expression. Shui didn't have a special image in mind, so he talked with the attendant and gave Emily a simple short-sleeve magenta dress to wear first.
"Try it on. I'm sure it'll fit you."
"Is there any point to this?"
"No. It's just to have fun. If you really don't want to, I won't force you."
If his guess was wrong, then she would try to refuse, but since she reached out and took the dress, albeit hesitantly, Shui knew he was right about her.
'That's my junior sister.'
Shui recalled that during the trial of the Primordial Library, Emily wore fancy outfits when he first met her, but gradually after becoming Nikolai's disciple, the clothes she wore became plainer. Her attire still consisted of expensive accessories, but that was only because those accessories were beneficial to her as an array master. He hadn't sought confirmation, but Shui suspected that Nikolai was the reason for her change in style.
Shui's guess wasn't far off the mark. Emily did like to dress up, and she sometimes envied the jade beauties who flaunted their charm, but she didn't want to disappoint her master.
As a child, she was allowed to buy almost anything she wanted, but she rarely met her own parents. She had tried begging for their attention, but the best she could receive was new jewellery and sparkly clothes; not once did they actually take time out to spend with her. And so, when she became Nikolai's disciple, she subconsciously swore that she wouldn't let the same thing befall her again. Maybe she wasn't even aware of it, but she suppressed her own desires to retain Nikolai's interest. Of course, she sincerely respected him, but she still feared that she would lose his favour one day, a fear that Nikolai never noticed.
In the Primordial Library's trial, Shui would go out with her and watch her dress up on her birthdays, so he hoped that this would still be able to bring out that radiant smile in his memory.
After taking the magenta dress, Emily went into a room to change and came out soon after. It was just one dress, but on Emily it made a world of difference. It had been many years since she last shed her baggy robes in public, so there was a faint blush on her face as she stood with Dull Harmony in hand.
She was already cute before, but now it was clear that her splendour had been hidden. Magenta was usually a bold colour, but on her slender figure it accentuated her innocence. The slight redness of her cheeks paired with the defiant look in her eyes was a winsome combination, but the sceptre perfected her young princess image. Her stunning appearance mesmerised both Shui and the store attendant, leaving them speechless. Even Alia had to nod in approval.
And for the finishing touch, with her gaze shifting between their faces and the floor as she fidgeted in embarrassment and anticipation, she asked with those endearing eyes, "Well, don't stay silent. How is it?"
As if pierced by an arrow through the chest, Shui and the store attendant jerked and held their chests while quickly saving this image in their minds. Even the actual pain that terrorised Shui's body had to retreat before this precious angel. The pair of spectators then looked at each other, nodded, and faced Emily with equally bright smiles.
"Absolutely adorable!"
The two of them then had Emily dress up in a variety of outfits. From sweet to sexy, casual to graceful, Emily managed to pull off every outfit she wore. At first, she remained humble and replied to their generous compliments with a shy acknowledgement, but with every excited cheer, a lock that was inside her cracked.
Objectively, she knew that she possessed an appearance that was pleasing to the eye, but this was the first time since she was a child that she had been fawned over with such passion. And so, the compliments dragged out the little girl who had suppressed herself.
"Amazing!"
"Too precious!"
"Oh well, I suppose I am. I'm just so cute, aren't I?"
"So cute!"
"Too cute!"
"Aren't you glad you get to see me in these clothes?"
"This is the best present ever."
"I would give away my life savings for this."
Shui and the store attendant knew that the compliments were making her act conceited, but they poured them on anyway because smug Emily was like a rare item that they couldn't miss. Some other staff members and customers started to notice them because of the commotion, but Shui risked aggravating his injuries and used illusion spells to ensure that sight of this precious treasure didn't spread too far. Who knew what sort of disaster such beauty could bring?
Once Emily tried on most of the outfits, Shui bought everything she wore. Furthermore, the store attendant was so pleased by Emily's fashion show that she gave Shui an amazing discount. She would have even given the clothes for free if she was able to afford it. If it was before, Emily would have stopped him from buying so many clothes, but while wearing one of the glossy robes he bought, she quickly compromised when Shui suggested that she pay at the next place.
The clothes were generally cheaper than spirit-rank artifacts, but even with the discount, the total price might have ruined Emily's mood so Shui kept it out of her sight.
Shui brought Emily to a jewellery store next. Unlike the clothes, these jewels were actually artifacts and talismans, so the individual prices were in another league, but now they could say that this was a practical expense.
The store was set up like an antique shop, but despite the dim lighting, the jewels filled the room with an artificial brilliance. As soon as they stepped into the jewellery store, Emily openly showed her interest while searching for the right item. Even though it seemed like she had reverted to her childhood self, she was smart enough to know that jewellery wouldn't be so cheap that she could make excessive purchases like with clothes. Therefore, she needed to find that one jewel that sparkled in her heart. However, this choice was extremely difficult for her regardless of whether she prioritised functionality or appearance. It was then that she had an idea to solve her issue.