Shopping spree

Mirror, mirror, who's the most beautiful of all?

Me!

IT'S ME!!!

NYAHAHAHAHA!

I twirl in front of the mirror, my reflection twirling with me as I admire the masterpiece standing before me. With this final touch, I'm complete! No more flat chest! Thanks to the generous pads that Lenore gave me, I've gone from pancakes to HUGE BOOBIEWOOBIES!!!

Oh, and that's not even the best part! Lenore also hooked me up with the cutest shoes to match my dress and an adorable hat with ribbons! Ribbons! I'm basically a walking fantasy princess now.

OH MY GOSH…

I'm SO cute right now!

"I love it!" I squeal, barely able to contain myself as I strike a pose.

"Yes, I love it too!" Lenore claps her hands together, beaming like a proud artist admiring her finished work.

But now… the ultimate test. What will Eris think of me?

As that thought crosses my mind, my heart takes off like a racehorse. My hand trembles as I pull back the curtain. Slowly… dramatically, I step out of the changing room, bracing myself for Eris' reaction.

"Eris… how do I look?"

…

…

…

Eris just stares at me. Her bright blue eyes widen as she stands there, frozen. Why hasn't she said anything yet? Is it… is it bad? Oh no, what if—

Suddenly, the stack of clothes in her arms tumbles to the ground in a soft plop, her mouth hanging open in shock.

And in that instant, I know.

HECK YEAHHHH!!! SUCCESS!!!

"UUWOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!" Eris practically yells, her whole body vibrating with excitement. "Felicia, y-you look AMAZING!!!"

I can't help it—I grin so wide it feels like my cheeks might fall off. My heart is practically tap dancing inside my chest.

"You… you really think so?" I ask, feeling giddy from head to toe.

"Nnn!" Eris nods so hard I'm surprised her head doesn't fly off.

"Like… REALLY really think so?" I ask, just to confirm I'm not dreaming.

"YEAHHHH!!!" Eris practically bounces on her toes, turning to Lenore. "Miss Lenore, we're taking this WHOLE set!"

And just like that, the rest of the evening turns into the most epic shopping spree ever. I lose count of how many outfits I've tried on. We go through a hundred different designs—at least—and I'm having so much fun that I can't stop giggling every time I twirl in a new dress.

By the time we're done, my arms are full of clothes, and my face hurts from smiling too much.

I get it now.

So this is why girls love shopping so much!!!

This is so addictive!

But then…

As our shopping is completed, Lenore steps up to the counter, smiling ever so sweetly. "The total will be… four thousand nine hundred and eighty-two crowns, please!"

The cheerfulness vanishes.

Uhh… what?

Four… what now?

…

"AAAAAAAAA!!!"

I'm screaming internally again.

Almost five thousand crowns?!

That's literally my entire month's salary!

Oh nooooo!!!

"E-Eris…" I turn to her, my ears drooping dramatically as I whimper, "I-I'm soooorryyyy~~~"

But before I can spiral any further into despair, Eris just smiles like it's no big deal. "Don't worry," she says casually and hands over the money like she's buying a loaf of bread.

Then, without warning, she takes my hands in hers, looking at me softly, almost too softly, and says, "As long as you're happy, I don't mind."

BADUMP!

AAAAAA!!!

My heart does an Olympic-level flip.

"E-Eris… are you secretly a millionaire or something?!" I blurt out.

"Haha, no, no," she laughs. "But don't worry about the money. I've got plenty."

I stare at her, still a little dazed by her calmness.

But even then, I can't just accept such a huge gift without feeling guilty.

"I'll pay you back, I swear! As soon as I get my salary!" I declare, trying to stand tall and proud.

After all, I'm a proud catgirl with dignity.

I am not a gold digger!

"Alright, alright," Eris says, amused, clearly not worried about it.

We wave goodbye to Lenore, who smiles warmly as we leave the shop.

This has been an amazing experience—but wow, definitely expensive!

I make a mental note: no more spontaneous shopping sprees without checking prices first!

—————————————————

A long walk later, we finally make it home!

It's really late now. The streets are almost empty, and only a few people linger in the bar at the Gilded Horn.

"Welcome back, Eris and Felicia!" Lilly greets us with a cheerful smile.

"Yes, thank you, Lilly," Eris replies casually.

But I can't even manage a response—I'm too focused on dragging myself over to the nearest table.

"Phewwwww!!!" I exhale dramatically as I drop the two bags full of clothes onto the table with a heavy thud, gasping for air. My entire body feels like it's been through a full workout. My arms are jelly, tingling from the strain, and I'm sweating like crazy.

Walking all the way back from the clothing store with those bags was no joke! I had to stop three times just to catch my breath, and even then, I barely made it.

Meanwhile, Eris, who's carrying three times the number of bags I am, sets hers down gently, without so much as breaking a sweat. She casually stretches her arms, cracking her neck as if the walk had been nothing more than a leisurely stroll.

I can't help but gape at her in awe.

Damn!

Eris is strong. Like, really strong!

At the end of the day, we ended up buying a little bit of everything: casual clothes, dresses, shoes, sandals, hats, sleepwear, undergarments, jackets, coats, and even scarves for winter. Basically, we picked out a whole new wardrobe.

Now that I think about it… does Eris even have room in her closet for all this?

"Alright, let me take these upstairs for you," Eris says, effortlessly grabbing all the bags, including mine.

"T-thanks, Eris!" I say weakly. "Sorry, I… don't have any strength left…"

"Don't worry about it," Eris replies, smiling. "Just leave it to me!"

As Eris heads upstairs, Lilly suddenly chimes in from the hallway, her voice cheerful, "You two want a bath? I've already prepared a hot bath for two!"

"Yup!" Eris calls back over her shoulder from the stairs. "Thanks, Lilly!"

My ears perk up instantly at the word bath.

"Oooooh, a bath!?" I blurt out, feeling a rush of excitement. "YES! I need a bath so bad!!!"

After all that walking, lugging bags, and sweating like a pig, a bath is exactly what I need! Plus, there's no way I'm going to bed smelling like this—Eris would be fleeing for her life!

And let's not forget, this isn't just any bath—it's a hot bath!

HECK YEAH!!!

"Alright, Lilly, can you show Felicia the way?" Eris asks as she disappears upstairs. "I'll be down in a few minutes!"

"Yes! Leave it to me!" Lilly says brightly, beckoning for me to follow her.

She leads me down a quieter hallway to another section of the inn where I notice three rooms, each marked with a sign:

Hot Water Bath

"Hihi," Lilly giggles, handing me a towel, a brush, and an impossibly fluffy bathrobe. "You can put your dirty clothes in the basket inside. The soap, shampoo, and conditioner are all on the shelf. I'll be right outside, so just holler if you need anything!"

"Woaaah, thank you!" I squeal, wide-eyed with amazement.

For a medieval inn, isn't this a bit… too modern? Hot baths, soap, and shampoo? Am I in a 5-star fantasy hotel?! This place is awesome!!!

I waste no time kicking off my boots and padding across the cool wooden floor, feeling a delightful chill on my bare feet.

As I open the door, my breath catches in my throat. The room is stunning. The floor and walls are made of stone, and in the center is a large wooden bathtub, filled with steaming, fragrant water.

And the smell? Oh my gosh—it's like a bouquet of the freshest flowers ever!

I practically glide over to the tub, my fingers barely grazing the water's surface.

Aaaaaaaa~~~

It's hot, perfect, and feels like heaven itself!!!

I'm just about to strip down and jump in when—

"Lilly, is this the room?" Eris' voice echoes from just outside.

"Yep, the middle one! Felicia's already in there," Lilly replies cheerfully.

"Thanks!" Eris says.

Wait…

Wait a minute!

Hold up!

Didn't Lilly say this bath was for TWO?!?

FOR TWO?!?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Oh no, this is bad. This is really bad!!!

I want to run, but my feet are glued to the floor. It's already too late—Eris steps into the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

"Hi, waiting for me?" she says with a calm smile, her voice so casual it's almost unsettling.

…

I can't respond. I'm standing there, trembling, my brain short-circuiting, heart pounding in my chest like a drum solo at a rock concert.

I'm fucked…

I'm so fucked!

Eris starts undressing, casually tossing her clothes into the basket. Her figure is blurred in the steam, moving gracefully as she removes her undergarments.