"I would like..." Klein began, his voice sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet shop, "to arrange for a few sets of fitting clothes for her... for Miss Ophelia."
He placed special emphasis on the word "fitting," his gaze drifting imperceptibly over Ophelia's maid uniform, which looked awkward no matter how one viewed it.
On her, that outfit felt entirely out of place.
'Miss Ophelia?'
Lillian's eyebrows raised slightly, her inner confusion deepening.
This was the first time she had seen the lord of the manor come to buy clothes himself, rather than the chattering maids from his estate.
In the past, the maids would come in groups, bustling about as they picked fabrics and discussed styles, making the place quite lively.
But today, Master Klein had actually brought a strange lady to the door in person...
She peeked at Ophelia, who simply stood there quietly, like a silent statue, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her.
This steady, composed temperament had absolutely nothing to do with the word "maid."
Furthermore, that maid uniform she was wearing...
If Lillian remembered correctly, it was clearly the one she had sewn for Martha half a month ago.
Yes, the size was completely wrong.
Lillian became even more curious about the identity of the lady before her.
'Could it be... that she's Master Klein's woman on the side...?'
Her face flushed slightly, and she quickly shook that bold assumption out of her mind.
Her professional discipline allowed her to suppress her curiosity.
She nodded and turned her gaze back to the ledger on the counter, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of a yellowed page.
"Very well, Master Klein," her voice remained very soft. "May I ask... what are this lady's measurements?"
Klein looked at Ophelia.
Ophelia met his gaze, her golden eyes calm and rippleless; she simply shook her head slightly.
"We don't have her measurements ready," Klein answered for her, suggesting in a gentle tone, "Could you measure her here?"
He was also somewhat curious. Although he could roughly see that Ophelia's physical proportions were quite outstanding after spending the last few days together, he truly didn't know the specific data.
"Ah, of course!" Lillian seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, as this question was clearly within her familiar scope of business.
She hurriedly set down her book, sliding a feather bookmark into the page she had just been reading.
Though her movements were quick, they were not frantic, showing a steadiness that could only be cultivated by years of dealing with fine work.
She emerged from behind the counter, a measuring tape, a palm-sized notebook, and a sharply sharpened charcoal pencil already in her hands.
"Then... then please have this lady come over here."
Lillian pointed to the center of the shop, where there was a small fitting platform less than half a finger high, specifically prepared for measuring and fitting. "The light is better here; it will be more accurate."
Ophelia said nothing, only looking at Klein to ask with her eyes.
There was a hint of imperceptible hesitation in that look, as if to say: 'Must I really do this?'
Klein nodded to her, giving an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, it won't take long."
And so, Ophelia stepped onto the fitting platform, her straight back making her already tall figure even more prominent.
She stood there quietly, her hands hanging naturally at her sides, like a perfect sculpture waiting for an artist's inspection.
Sunlight filtered through the window, casting a faint golden outline around her, making her entire being seem to glow.
Lillian took a deep breath as if to steel herself, and then stepped over with small paces.
"Pardon me, Miss," she said softly, then carefully unfurled the measuring tape.
Klein stepped back a few paces, found a chair to sit on, and watched with interest.
It was his first time seeing the process of a woman being measured for clothes, and it felt somewhat novel.
Furthermore, he actually wanted to know what Ophelia's physical measurements were.
This was purely... academic curiosity.
He justified it to himself in his mind.
Lillian's movements were professional.
Her fingers were slender, bearing several tiny scars from needle pricks—marks left by years of needlework.
She first measured the shoulder width, the measuring tape wrapping around Ophelia's back; her expression was focused as she whispered numbers, her charcoal pencil flying across the notebook.
"..."
She murmured to herself, her eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly.
This shoulder width was quite excellent for a woman, yet it wasn't bulky like a man's; it was a type of symmetry filled with a sense of strength.
She was like the warrior women described in knight novels, possessing strength without losing elegance.
Next was the bust.
Lillian's cheeks turned red involuntarily, and she tried her best to make her movements seem less offensive.
When the measuring tape pressed against Ophelia's body, she could clearly feel what a magnificent figure was hidden beneath that ridiculous maid uniform.
The tape was pulled almost into a straight line.
Lillian's hand trembled slightly; she looked down at the markings on the tape, then looked up at Ophelia's calm face, her mouth opening slightly but no sound coming out.
'It's terrifying...'
Lillian's heart was in turmoil, but she didn't dare stop her hands.
She quickly recorded the number—a string of digits she could hardly believe herself, even wondering if the measuring tape was broken.
Lillian took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and continued to the waist.
When the measuring tape touched that waist, which seemed as though it could be snapped with one hand, her hand shook again.
She took a sharp breath.
That waist was simply too thin.
It was impossibly thin.
It formed a powerful contrast with those straight shoulders and that startling chest, outlining a curve that was nearly perfect yet entirely unscientific.
This curve had been mostly hidden by that ill-fitting maid uniform, and only now, under the outline of the measuring tape, did its thrilling silhouette reveal itself for the first time.
Lillian's breathing stalled for a moment.
She was now completely immersed in her professional field, her initial awe quickly replaced by vocational excitement.
"S-such perfect proportions..."
She marveled almost unconsciously, her eyes shining. "This is simply... a creation of the gods..."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her slip of the tongue and immediately covered her mouth, her face turning bright red.
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
Ophelia remained expressionless, as if it weren't her being praised.
She simply stood there quietly, letting Lillian continue her work.
Klein, on the other hand, didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
However, Lillian was not wrong.
Ophelia's physical proportions were indeed perfect.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed such a figure existed in this world.
Suppressing the shock in her heart, Lillian continued measuring the hips and leg length...
With every part she measured, the shock on her face deepened.
By the end, her entire being was somewhat dazed, as if she weren't recording measurements for a person but cataloging a work of art.
Having finished the lower body measurements, Lillian moved to Ophelia's side to measure the sleeve length.
She took a deep breath, trying to let her heartbeat settle.
She naturally lifted Ophelia's right hand first, fixing one end of the measuring tape to the shoulder and drawing the other end down the arm to the wrist.
The arm was long and well-proportioned, with smooth muscle lines that held both strength and grace.
"..." She recorded the number and then moved to the other side, preparing to lift Ophelia's left hand.
"It should be the same..." she murmured, reaching out.
However, just as her fingertips brushed the back of Ophelia's left hand—
The sensation was as cold as if she had touched winter ice.
Shock filled the air.
Ophelia's body tensed instantly; it was a violent reaction, as if she had been stung by a venomous snake.
She jerked her left hand back, hiding it behind her.
The movement was so fast it stirred a gust of wind, and the measuring tape was knocked flying.
In those golden eyes, a flash of nearly instinctive coldness and vigilance appeared; that gaze was as sharp as a knife, causing the temperature in the entire shop to seemingly drop several degrees.
The air froze instantly.
Lillian was so frightened she stumbled back several steps, the measuring tape hitting the floor with a clatter.
She looked at Ophelia in terror, her small face pale, completely failing to understand what she had done wrong.
"I-I'm sorry... I... I didn't mean to..." her voice was trembling.
Klein also stood up abruptly, his chair legs letting out a piercing screech against the floor.
He saw the unusual wariness in Ophelia's eyes.
"Ophelia?" He walked over quickly, speaking tentatively, "What's wrong?"
Ophelia's gaze moved from the shaken Lillian to her left hand hidden behind her back, her eyes filled with complexity.
She remained silent for several seconds; only the breathing of the three people could be heard in the shop.
Ultimately, she did not answer Klein, but simply extended her hand again—
But this time, the hand she extended was still her right.
"This side... is the same."
She spoke, her voice flat and without a ripple of emotion, as if nothing had just happened.
But Klein noticed that her right hand was trembling slightly.
It was a tremor caused by suppressing some powerful emotion.
Lillian stared at her blankly, completely unsure of how to react.
Rate on N.U.
