Chapter 60: Femme Fatale
Chapter 60: Femme Fatale
Bonus chapter...
At last, the 'Straw Millionaire' event has come to a close. This is the last one.
The final mission is to bring the 'Enchanted Dress' to a certain place. That place is a theater in the center of the capital.
Since it is a holiday, many people come and go in the circular domed theater.
In this theater, a performance by a popular theatrical troupe took place every week. Therefore, on weekends, the theater is filled with many spectators, young and old, men and women.
"Hohou, this is a very crowded place."
"There are many couples, desu~no. They seem to be on a date too, desu~no"
Nagisa and Urza are looking around with a curious look at the crowd gathered in the theater.
It seemed that today's performance is a love romance, and more than half of the audience entering the theater are young couples.
Nagisa is from the East, and her martial arts-oriented character probably has no connection to the glamorous place. The same is true for Urza, who is a demi-human.
So, this is the first time for both of them to visit such a dating spot.
"I'm just here to deliver something..."
"Oh, they sell snacks and drinks too, desu~no! I'm going to eat while we watch the show, desu~no!"
"They were handing out pamphlets over there! It seems to be a story about a warrior who rescues a girl from bad undead!"
"......"
It seems that they are interested in the show.
And it would be foolish to just barter with them and go home.
"...Well, today is a date. I guess it's okay."
I shrugged my shoulders and took out my wallet to buy tickets for the show.
I buy three tickets at the reception and hand one to Urza and one to Nagisa. In addition, I give Urza a few silver coins.
"I'm going to take care of a few things. Go in first and save me a seat. You can go buy whatever you like with this, okay?"
"Yes, desu~no! I'll get the popcorn!"
"Yes... If you need someone to help you, I'll go with you."
"It's a simple errand. I'll be right back."
I tell Nagisa and checks my watch.
There is still an hour or so before the play is to begin. That would be enough time for me to give the 'Enchanted Dress' and receive my reward.
So, I leave them and head for the back entrance of the theater.
On there, a man who looked like a member of the troupe is standing, and when I tried to enter, he stopped me.
"This is a restricted area."
"I have a delivery for Catherine Rose Red. I found a rare dress."
"Hmm... this is...?"
I took out the 'Enchanted Dress' and showed it to the troupe members, who gasped for breath.
The crimson dress has an amorous design, and at the same time, it is a mysterious dress that evokes a sense of nobility.
Even to the untrained eye, this is sure to be an amazing dress.
"...All right. But don't be rude to Rose Red-san"
The troupe member looks at me with a suspicious look on her face, but still invites me into the back of the theater.
Catherine Rose Red is the director of the troupe and the wealthy owner of the theater. She herself is known as an outstanding actress, and her fame reaches to other countries.
Therefore, she has many admirers and must be very careful about the people who ask her.
If I hadn't brought the "fascinating new dress design" that Catherine was looking for as a stage costume, I would have never met her.
Now, I am taken by the troupe members to a room at the back of the theater. On either side of the door is an archway decorated with brightly colored flowers.
"Director, a guest is here to see you."
"Come in."
The troupe member knocked discreetly on the wooden door and immediately received an answer from inside. Inside came a beautiful voice as sweet as the nectar of a flower.
"Excuse me. Someone has come to submit an application for the dress contest."
"Ara? I'm looking forward to it. Could you like to sit over there?"
The woman, Catherine Rose Red, greeted us while sitting on the sofa with her legs folded.
She had long burgundy hair and two eyes of the same color. Her face with a deep bridge of the nose is exactly shaped like a "Femme Fatale". Once someone sees her face, it will be burned into their retina and they will never forget it.
She wears an aggressive purple dress on her undulating and glamorous body, and her long legs peek out seductively from the hem of the dress with a deep slit.
"Gulp..."
The sound of spitting is heard loudly. Was it the troupe member who had brought me all the way here? Or was it my own?
"Could you please sit down over there? Can I see the dress?"
"...Yes, of course"
I sat down on the sofa across the table from Catherine and offered her the 'Enchanted Dress'.
Catherine's eyes widen when she sees the dress.
"...It's wonderful. It's more than I expected."
Katherine takes the dress from my hand as if to snatch it from me, and then she looks at it intently, examining every detail.
"The design is very passionate and innovative. It is very revealing, but the curves are exquisite without being vulgar. The details are so carefully designed that it could not have been made overnight. I can see the passion and diligence of the craftsmen who made it."
"......"
"It's good, it passes the test without a doubt."
Catherine nods her head in satisfaction and glances at the troupe member standing by the door.
"Could you leave us, please, so that I can have a word with this gentleman? Would you please go back to your work?"
"Yes, but..."
"I told you to leave, didn't I?"
"...!"
The troupe member jumps up and down on his shoulders and quickly tries to leave the room.
In this troupe, Catherine is not only a star in the flowery style but also a director. She is the boss of the house for the lower-ranking members of the troupe. So, it was easy for her to fire them.
"......!"
As he walked through the door, a member of the troupe glared at me with hatred in his eyes. Perhaps he doesn't like me approaching their star, Catherine.
Anyway, I shrugged my shoulders and waved him off.
"Then... first of all, who made this?"
"...The dress is made by a young man named Dallas, who lives in the commercial district of the capital. Miss Rose Red, he said he made this with you in mind."
"...I see, he is the one who made it. For me."
Catherine murmurs gloomily and a sigh escapes her red lips.
It is revealed later that the dressmaker named Dallas and Catherine have been childhood friends, and that they promised each other their future when they were children.
Although they had to separate due to the difference in their status and position, it is said that they still had feelings for each other secretly even after their separation.
This 'Enchanted Dress' is originally made by him as a gift to Catherine, but he could not find the courage to meet his childhood friend who became a top actress.
He, who could not give the dress he had made with all his heart to the woman he loved, yet could not throw it away - finally gave it away in barter to break off his attachment to Catherine.
"He seems to have become a fine artisan. I'm glad."
"That's good. By the way, I'd like to get paid for the dress."
"I know, I know. How about this?"
Catherine stood up and brought a small jewelry box from a shelf by the wall. When she put the box on the table and opened it, it contained what looked like a rainbow-colored crystal ball.
The crystal ball is a skill orb.
It's a rare item that allowed the user to acquire one of the rarest skills in the game, the 'Growth Acceleration' skill.