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Time passed by very quickly, and by late afternoon, three sharp knocks sounded at the door, and Leo returned.
He stumbled inside carrying several large shopping bags, polished dress boxes, and a neat stack of forged identification papers.
"I got everything," Leo said, catching his breath as he dumped the boxes onto the table.
He slid a crisp, official-looking document toward Alex, followed by a new communication device, linked to her new identity. "Your new identity: Lady Veronica Sterling."
"She's a wealthy gemstone merchant from the northern border. Rich, mysterious, born in a Noble family and well-known for throwing large amounts of money into underground fights. Nobody will question your identity."
Alex picked up the paper, scanning the fake seal and his new name with a conflicted grunt. "Veronica Sterling? Sounds like a spoiled aristocrat."
"That all right," Liria chimed in with a smirk, walking over to grab the clothing boxes.
She turned to Leo and pointed toward the door. "Good job, Leo. Now get out of the room and wait in the hall. The 'Lady' needs to get dressed."
Leo reddened slightly, nodding quickly before shutting the bedroom door behind him.
Once the latch clicked, Liria turned to Alex, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. "Alright, handsome… or what should I say, my lady, I don't even know what you are anymore, let's see what we're working with."
Having the papers was the easy part; actually, putting on the clothes was a completely different story.
Luckily, Leo was smart enough to avoid tight corsets or frilly skirts.
Instead, he bought a stunning, high-fashion white silk suit with intricate gold trim, paired with matching tailored wide-leg pants.
It was powerful and elegant, looking like something a high-ranking noble or royal merchant would wear.
But when Alex started stripping down to try on the formal attire, "Hold still," Liria murmured as she began to explain how to dress up and act like a true lady.
Stepping close to wrap a sleek, supportive silk bralette around his chest to keep his breasts held firmly in place under the suit jacket.
Alex gasped slightly as the cool silk slid over his heightened, sensitive skin.
The trousers fit snugly around his thighs and gripped his newly widened hips and fuller ass with surprising tightness.
Next came the blazer.
As Liria wrapped the white silk jacket around his shoulders and began fastening the double-breasted gold buttons, Alex felt the fabric press firmly against his chest.
The jacket was cut to accentuate an hourglass figure, hugging his slim waist while tightly framing the gentle, undeniable swell of his chest that was now just shy of a B-cup.
"What now, why the hell do women wear these things?" Alex grumbled, catching his breath as the snug fabric compressed his sensitive chest.
"It feels like something's trying to choke my ribs. And these pants, they're tight around the hips! How am I supposed to walk properly in this?"
Liria giggled, her bright green eyes glowing with mischief as she smoothed down the shoulders of the jacket. "Because it makes you look absolutely breathtaking, Alex. Or should I say, Miss Sterling?"
Followed by another familiar, echoing giggle suddenly chimed in the back of his mind.
"Oh, stop whining, little serpent," the Empress teased, her voice dripping with amusement. "Oh my, would you look at that!"
"You look absolutely divine! Little Alex is finally dressing up like the queen she was born to be! Don't complain so much, darling."
"That heavy, clumsy male brute is shedding away nicely. Look at those hips, they were made for swaying, not for brute-force kicking. Embrace it! You make a much better enchantress than anyone else out there."
"Shut up," Alex shot back mentally, his face heating up as he pulled the gold-trimmed white suit jacket over his shoulders. "I'm only doing this to get close enough to rip Clara's throat out."
"Of course you are, darling. Whatever helps you sleep at night~" she purred before fading back into the recesses of his mind.
"You look incredible," Liria whispered, stepping back to admire him. The tailored white silk suit hugged his narrowed waist perfectly, while the gold embroidery highlighted the graceful, dangerous aura he naturally radiated.
With his short black hair, he looked every bit like a cold, untouchable noblewoman.
"I feel ridiculous," Alex muttered, adjusting the gold cuffs. "And we haven't even gotten to the worst part yet."
He stared down at the floor, where a pair of strap-on white leather shoes sat waiting. They had three-inch stilettos.
Gritting his teeth, Alex strapped the shoes onto his feet and tried to stand up.
Instantly, his knees wobbled. The added height, combined with the way his center of gravity had shifted from his developing hips and breasts, threw his balance completely off.
He took one step forward, his ankle twisted slightly, and he cursed, pitching sideways.
Before he could hit the floor, Liria was there, catching him by the waist and pulling him flush against her body.
"Easy, easy," she laughed softly, her breath warm against his ear. "You can't walk like a brawler anymore, Alex. You're marching on your heels like you're trying to stomp holes in the pavement."
For the rest of the evening, Liria patiently taught him how to walk. She locked her hands with his, guiding him across the small bedroom floor.
"Shoulders back," she instructed, placing a warm hand on his lower back and pushing gently. "Let your hips take the weight. Don't fight the balance, let them sway naturally with your step. Like this."
She demonstrated with a smooth, hypnotic sway of her own waist, her hips moving like liquid.
Alex tried to copy her, stepping forward with measured breaths.
"Step... step... don't stomp… Fuck I wont get it in my entire life," he muttered under his breath, concentrating entirely on his feet.
But every time he tried to turn or speed up, the narrow heels betrayed him, sending him stumbling right back into Liria's waiting arms.
Those clumsy, awkward moments didn't stay innocent for long.
On his fifth fall, Alex lost his footing entirely and crashed into her chest, driving them both back against the edge of the mattress.
Liria didn't let him push away.
Instead, her arms tightened around his waist, her green eyes darkening with a sudden, heated intensity as she looked up at his flushed face.
"You're getting better," she whispered, her voice dropping into a husky purr. "But you need to relax your tension."
Before Alex could answer, Liria leaned up and captured his lips in a deep, wet kiss.
Alex gasped at the sudden contact, and Liria took immediate advantage, her tongue slipping past his lips to tangle deeply with his.
The hyper-sensitivity of his shedding skin made every point of contact feel electric, followed by his nervous body.
His hands, originally gripping her shoulders for balance, slid up into her blonde hair, pulling her closer.
Liria groaned softly into his mouth, one of her hands dropping from his waist to slide possessively over the curve of his hip, fingers digging slightly into the smooth silk of his trousers.
The taste of her sweet, warm, and desperate kiss made Alex completely forget about his sore feet and the ridiculous heels, the walking lessons slowly dissolving into quiet, heavy-breathing intimacy.
Every time Alex stumbled or lost his footing, it ended with their bodies tangled together against the wall or the bed, exchanging long, passionate kisses and wandering touches that pushed both of their self-control to the absolute edge.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the room in deep shades of evening light, Alex was finally walking with a smooth, lethal grace, thanks to his Flowing Spirit Sword Forms experience, his hips swaying naturally without him even having to think about it.
Liria stood near the doorway, adjusting her jacket and smoothing down her messy blonde hair, looking reluctant to leave.
"You have the walk down perfectly now, Lady Veronica," she said, offering him a soft, lingering smile as she touched her swollen lips. "Clara won't suspect a thing."
"Be careful walking back," Alex replied, his voice still slightly breathless and deep as he leaned against the dresser, effortlessly balancing on the heels. "Play your part well. I'll see you at the colosseum the day after tomorrow."
With one last nod, Liria slipped out the door, leaving Alex alone in the dim room to prepare for the bloodshed to come.