Kamisama Shop de Cheat no Kaori

Chapter 110. Thrilling First Date In The Wilderness

“Ah!”

“Whoa.”

It happened right after we left the Veliero warehouse.

Cherina stumbled over a small step and fell towards me. I quickly caught her by the shoulder. Though she wasn’t wearing high heels, it must have been the unfamiliar shoes. She should’ve stuck with her usual boots.

Cherina, leaning on me, wrapped her arm around my left arm.

I tried to read her intentions by looking into her eyes, but she turned her head away, showing only the back of her ear, which was as red as her hair.

It’s hard to grasp her intentions, but if she’s embarrassed, she shouldn’t do it.

We stayed like that for a while, but she didn’t let go.

“…Let’s go.”

I have no idea what she’s planning, but I’ll go along with it.

“Yes…”

Her response was so faint it didn’t seem like her voice.

This is unsettling. It’s really unsettling. With a vague feeling of unease, we started walking.

——

As soon as we stepped onto Central Street, we drew attention. The children noticed Cherina and waved or tried to approach.

“Cherina-sama!”

“It’s Cherina-sama!”

“Miss! You’re well!”

Children gathered around us, but the adults quickly pulled them away.

“Fool! Cherina-sama is busy! Don’t disturb her!”

“I never thought I’d see the day when Miss would go on a date…”

“Oh… my Cherina with such an outsider…”

“I’m glad, really glad.”

The adults, with tears in their eyes, pretended not to notice us to avoid getting in our way. But we can hear you.

…Wasn’t there one odd one among them?

For some reason, we were being looked at warmly by the residents as we moved. Some were even going ahead to inform others not to interrupt us. It’s an annoying kindness. I wish they’d leave us alone.

“…Hey, what about your guards today?”

“Wha?!”

Cherina, who was leaning on me, jolted up.

“Oh, the guards. I asked them to refrain today.”

“Refrain… You’re a VIP in this country. Isn’t that risky?”

“It’s fine. I’m in disguise.”

…Wha, t?

“In this outfit, no one will recognize me.”

…

Seriously? Is she for real?

“Hey, haven’t you noticed anything since earlier?”

“…? Noticed what?”

Seriously? She hasn’t realized at all. Too many things to point out. What should I do? Well, there must be hidden guards around. …Right?

I moved the light sword’s scabbard from the container to my pocket. If necessary, I’ll use overkill without hesitation.

“So, where are we going now?”

“Huh? Oh, I thought we’d check out some clothes.”

“What?!”

She suddenly shouted, making me flinch.

“What? Is something wrong with clothes?”

“No, no! Have you already decided on a store?!”

“N-no, I thought we’d just look around…”

Why is she so frantic?

“Then! Let’s go this way!”

Cherina pulled my arm. Through the thin fabric, I could feel her warmth and softness. It’s a bit unsettling.

“I get it, don’t pull!”

For some reason, her mysterious tension was making me nervous too.

After a short walk, we arrived at a rather impressive clothing store. Since glass isn’t common, window shopping wasn’t an option.

Following Cherina inside, I found it completely different from the clothing stores I knew, with no ready-made clothes on display. Instead, samples of fabrics were the main feature, making it look like a fabric shop at first glance.

“Oh, Cherina-sama, welcome.”

An elderly man writing on a wooden board at the back of the store immediately noticed us and approached. He glanced at me briefly before continuing with a smile.

“The item is ready.”

Cherina’s body trembled.

“T-that is!”

Clinging tightly to my arm, Cherina raised her voice. Was it something I shouldn’t hear?

“If you want, I can wait outside…”

I started to say, but her nails dug into my arm. I’m wearing a dress shirt today, so it really hurts, you know?

“S-stay!”

For some reason, she commanded, her face bright red. This is troubling. I can’t read her at all today.

“Understood.”

I decided not to resist. No matter what I do, I might step on a landmine. Let’s just get this over with.

“I’m sorry, but I’d like some clothes that fit my size.”

I spoke in merchant mode. Acting as usual might inconvenience Cherina.

“Tailoring will take at least seven days, is that alright?”

The shopkeeper lifted the wooden board with a gentle expression.

Shoot. If there’s no ready-made clothes, I’ll have to get it tailored. I held my head.

“Do you have no ready-made clothes?”

“Ready… made clothes?”

“No, never mind.”

From his reaction, I understood they didn’t exist. And it doesn’t seem like there are any such stores around. I whispered to Cherina.

“Hey, what’s the clothing situation around here? Does everyone get their clothes tailored?”

“Wh-! Well, usually, they buy second-hand clothes. Didn’t you see the stalls in the square?”

As I brought my mouth close to her ear, I noticed a pleasant scent. Maybe she’s wearing perfume?

“Oh, now that you mention it, there were many. …Honestly, I didn’t feel like wearing most of them.”

“There are stores that handle better-quality second-hand clothes, but…”

“I see. Then I’m sorry, but can we go to one of those stores…”

“Th-that’s not necessary!”

She suddenly straightened her back. At that moment, she finally let go of my arm, but the lingering soft feeling around my elbow remained. Both mother and daughter have quite the weapons!

“Shopkeeper! The item!”

Cherina, stiff as a board, pointed at the shopkeeper. …Isn’t that rude?

But the shopkeeper, maintaining a gentle smile, brought out an elaborately designed wooden box from the back. It wasn’t very thick, but quite large.

“Cherina-sama, Akira-san, please inspect it.”

The shopkeeper carefully opened the lid of the wooden box, revealing a beautifully crafted outfit in purple and navy with red and blue accents. It seemed to be based on the national costume, with subdued decorations giving it a mature look.

It resembled the attire of traveling merchants I had seen, but with much better fabric and craftsmanship.

The box’s size was to accommodate the unfolded outfit without wrinkles. The wood used for the box was also good, with intricate carvings. It wasn’t something that could be prepared in a day or two.

I looked up at Cherina.

Noticing my gaze, she blushed and turned away.

“This… While your current clothes are fine, they are a bit too conspicuous. So I had an outfit prepared that befits my advisor.”

It’s about time to acknowledge it.

I sighed, but it wasn’t out of exasperation.

“I see… Should I pay for this?”

Cherina turned and glared up at me, her face still red.

“Akira-sama, you’re being mean!”

I can’t deny that.

After placing my hand on Cherina’s head and saying “I’ll go change.”. I was led to the changing room.

The shopkeeper taught me how to wear it. It fit my body surprisingly well and was more comfortable than I expected.

Without boasting about the quality, the shopkeeper quietly assisted me in putting it on. He stepped back to avoid obstructing me when I left the changing room.

“…How is it? Does it suit me?”

I spread my arms in front of Cherina. She stared blankly for a moment before straightening her posture.

“It… It suits you well. With your black hair, I thought the deep purple and navy would look good. To avoid it being too plain, we added lilac, red, and blue accents to give it a subtle elegance. It’s been modified to become a light shirt when you remove the jacket, similar to your suit. This style might become fashionable.”

I smiled at Cherina, who was unknowingly thinking about business.

“Something wrong?”

“No. Thank you, Cherina.”

“Eek! Y-You’re welcome!”

The shopkeeper, who was watching Cherina’s reddened, stiff face warmly, stepped aside.

“In this country, a gift of purple means…”

“Shopkeeper!”

Cherina, blushing furiously, glared at him. The shopkeeper took a step back.

Cherina made a noise like a growling dog.

—I knew it all along.

I scratched the back of my head roughly.

I’m not one of those oblivious guys. I don’t know when it started, but I knew she had feelings for me. I was sure when she came to rescue me when I was captured.

But I tried to convince myself otherwise. Acknowledging it wouldn’t make anyone happy.

I have to leave, and Cherina has to stay. Besides, I’m not suitable for her. Someone like me is only fit for a backstreet businesswoman. Not that I’m interested.

It’s easy to push her away. But maybe just for today, it’s okay?

For both of us to dream a little.

I approached Cherina and took her hand.

“Now, Princess, where will you take me next?”

Her face turned as red as a bomb explosion.