Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Chapter 115: Chapter 71: Through the Iron Red Pupils

Approaching the end of the workday, Hexia and 'Deklabi' were seated around a small table inside the library.

"Does Raby know where in Payin City is good to buy clothes?" The most relaxed interactions Hexia had in the store were with Deklabi, so the lovely little angel was the first one she thought to ask.

"You can go to Redwood Street. It's more expensive, but the quality is very good," 'Deklabi' replied.

"What kind of style is Dantalion looking to buy? Actually, there aren't many choices within Payin City. If you have time, you could also go to Moly Crystal City, where there are many more stores."

"I probably want to buy two sets, one for everyday wear and one a bit more formal," the girl pondered.

"I see," 'Deklabi' tilted her head, thinking.

"I can accompany you shopping, but we can't be out too late, because I need to be home by 7 o'clock."

"Raby's family is quite strict, huh."

"Mhm."

For the first time going out shopping with a companion from the store, after work, they both changed into casual clothes and headed straight for Redwood Street. This was an old street in Payin City, and many shops had a quaint decoration style, lacking the chaotic neon lights.

"Follow me." Arriving at Redwood Street, tiny Deklabi took the lead, indicating Hexia to follow her.

Since Raby couldn't stay too long, she directly took Hexia to the best few shops she knew.

As expected, the prices were not cheap.

'Through-Iron Red Pupils,' this store used large panes of translucent light red glass for decoration, leaving the entire storefront clear and transparent, showcasing hundreds of red dresses inside, from darker shades like pomegranate red and vermilion to lighter shades like crabapple and rose red, all the way to nearly white colors like pink and peach white.

This shop seemed to focus on this single color and had taken it to the extreme; varying hues of red were like overlapping petals, presenting a stunning beauty.

"A red palette…" Hexia recalled that her clothes had always been predominantly black and blue, with only a few white pieces.

Although the shop's décor was particularly beautiful and the clothes almost resplendent, there weren't many customers inside—probably because wearing such vibrant red demanded exceptionally good skin and body shape from the wearer.

Upon entering the shop, Deklabi seemed quite familiar with it and went straight upstairs, finding a clerk she knew.

"I want to buy clothes for a friend, is your manager here?"

Stood to the side, Hexia watched as the little angel was so direct and bold, blinking in surprise.

"Ah, she is." Recognizing Deklabi, the female clerk quickly understood and then picked up the phone to notify.

Soon, a manager wearing a white women's suit came down the stairs.

Seeing her approach, Deklabi spoke up in advance, "Help my friend choose some clothes, I trust your professionalism."

The manager looked a bit surprised, but after glancing at Hexia beside Deklabi, she seemed to get it and nodded.

"Please, miss, come with me."

Hexia went into the fitting room where her body measurements were directly confirmed by laser. Then the manager, looking at Hexia and giving it some thought, instructed a nearby clerk.

"Bring down clothes A-23, B-192, and B-207 from upstairs."

To finish, she added, "Also, find two pairs of the right size women's shoes from the RJ-4 storage room, one pair of sandals and one pair of light-colored casual shoes."

"Okay."

It wasn't long before two clerks brought up three sets of dresses and four pairs of shoes. Although the manager had only mentioned two pairs, considering that Hexia would choose, they prepared two extra pairs.

Among the three sets of dresses, one was a summer dress suitable for the current season, alternating between lovely red and white, with off-shoulder design, followed by a row of wavy pleats, then it cinched in neatly to highlight the curves of the waist and bust, and finally flowed into a wavy skirt hem.

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The second set had a more demure style, with a top featuring light floral patterns against a white background, followed by a wide fitted waistband in white, tying into two slender straps on one side, paired with a light pink and neatly pleated skirt—simple yet beautiful.

The third set was the most luxurious, entirely in a fiery, vivacious red with intricate lace and a grand four-leaf skirt body, reminiscent of an ancient court princess's formal gown, and it demanded the highest standards of body shape and proportion; anyone who was slightly overweight or had mismatched body proportions would look out of place if they wore it.

When the protective covering over the clothes was lifted, Hexia was stunned for a few seconds, feeling that either the manager or Deklabi had misunderstood. In fact, she had just wanted to buy a fitting dress, not something so extravagant.

"Dantalion, try them on," Deklabi urged, her eyes sparkling with little stars, really wanting to see Hexia dressed in them.

"Uh, okay." Since she was already there, she couldn't very well back out at the last moment.

Hexia entered the dressing room, first trying on the summer dress which was the closest to her preference.

Soon, a beautiful young girl emerged, her fine, light gray hair and skin whiter than snow complemented by the red and pink-white dress. Her demeanor seemed utterly different from before. If she put on strappy sandals now and carried a simple handbag, she would pass as the very image of a young lady.

This wasn't completely untrue, for when Hexia was very young, her mother had taught her all the details of etiquette—whether it was posture or walking, dining manners, or the art of curtsying. But as she later developed an introverted personality, her movements became more restrained, gradually fading until she became what she was now.

"Indeed, I was not wrong; Dantalion has just this kind of potential." Raby seemed particularly excited about her own judgment.

"This..." With her legs moving slightly, Hexia looked at her own dress, bright and unparalleled, and felt somewhat unaccustomed—as if a mushroom that had always stayed in a corner was suddenly placed under the sun.

"Then you should also try on this set from Dantalion." Saying so, Deklabi brought over the third and most luxurious dress.

Even though Hexia felt that this evening gown would be expensive and beyond her means, seeing the sparkle in Deklabi's eyes, she just couldn't bring herself to say no and could only go back to change clothes again.

Not long after, a noble and elegant young girl with her hands clasped in front of her walked slowly out of the dressing room. If her gray hair were changed to gold or silver-white, some would believe her to be an elf princess.

"Hmm hmm, that's more like it," Deklabi circled around Hexia several times, as if she had discovered a new world.

"It's truly incredible," she muttered, while the manager and the clerks nearby were also quite astonished; after all, although Hexia had a not-so-bad appearance when she came in, there was always a common and easily overlooked illusion, but now it was as if a cover had been removed, revealing the mesmerizing colors underneath.

"It's just these few sets then, Dantalion~" Deklabi suggested.

"Ah, I haven't asked about the price yet." The girl thought that the money she brought might not even be enough to buy these dresses.

"It's alright, I have a membership card; I can get a discount," Deklabi raised the stamped card in her hand, then, out of Hexia's sight, she stealthily gestured to the manager.

"Is that so." Hexia bit her lip lightly, then asked the manager next to her for the specific prices.

"The prices of these three dresses?" While responding, the manager's expression twisted into a struggle, as though she was in a difficult position.

"Just a moment, I'll check." She decisively went behind the counter to work on it, entering data, and after glancing at Hexia and the petite figure beside her, she made up her mind.

"The total price is 12,562 Federation Coins, but with the discount, we can round it down to 10,000 Federation Coins," she finally announced the number, but from the looks on the two clerks behind Hexia, it was clear that this price was definitely unusual.

"It's a bit pricey, but the quality is there." Hexia hadn't planned on spending so much money on shopping this time, but she also knew the manager probably didn't cheat her, as she had seen her sister buy clothes before that cost several times more.

"Alright then." After hesitating a few seconds, the girl nodded her head, deciding to make the purchase despite the pain of spending so much money.

Upon hearing her decision, Deklabi quietly made a victorious gesture, but her facial expression and movements still gave nothing away.

"Okay, we will package them for you." The manager signaled discreetly to the two clerks not far away, and they understood immediately, proceeding to not only pack the three dresses efficiently but even included the four pairs of shoes as well.

Having received the clothes and with time getting late, Deklabi saw off Hexia at the entrance of Redwood Street before she herself had to leave.

As she watched Hexia's figure disappear into the distance of the street, Deklabi then turned back—the boutique they'd just exited, 'Through Iron Red Maw,' was her next destination.

"Second Miss, you've returned," greeted the manager, hastily approaching the blonde girl who came back alone.

"Hmm hmm, remember to keep today's matter a secret, and should that girl come back, you can only say I am a VIP regular here, so I was able to get a very favorable discount price," she instructed.

"Understood." The manager nodded, thinking that the earlier performance they cooperated in had indeed passed.

"Not bad, your judgment," Deklabi, now seated on a tall stool in the store, gently spun around, her white dress and golden hair fluttering with her.

"After all, she's a friend of the Second Miss, so it's natural to present the best status and dresses that most suit her temperament and figure," the manager said with some pride.

"Alright, I won't continue to praise you. How much exactly are those three dresses' prices? I will make up for it, or my sister will scold me for it later when she checks the accounts."

"How could that be..." Though the manager said this, she still quickly reported the amount.

"The total cost is 123,000 Federation Coins. The first two sets used T5 grade high-quality fabric and were designed by a clothier from the Flying Feather Star Domain, so each dress was priced around 10,000 Federation Coins. As for the last set, it was made with the famous 'Moon-Inlaid Flower Silk' from the Elf Race, with fabric costs alone nearing 30,000 Federation Coins, and after the master's design and tailoring, the selling price would normally double."

"'Moon-Inlaid Flower Silk,' no wonder it felt so meticulously fine yet soft to the touch," Deklabi nodded slightly.

"Regardless of the selling price, what about our production cost?"

"Just the manufacturing and labor costs amount to about 60,000 Federation Coins, so the actual price we're selling it for isn't high. But, unfortunately, in Payin City, we can only sell for so much. At our main store in the Northern First District, the price might double again, with the three sets going for 200,000 to 300,000 Federation Coins."

Clothing is like that, the more luxurious the brand, the steeper the markup; even a 500% premium is considered affordable.

"Alright, I've got it. Once my vacation in Payin City is over, I'll talk to my sister and have you transferred to the Northern First District," she assured.

"Thank you, Second Miss Bettina," the manager was thrilled, her years of hard work finally paying off.

Even though she had given her all for this boutique, the number of wealthy people in Payin City was limited, and those who favored the color red, even fewer. After all, as the saying goes, one cannot make bricks without straw. No matter how hard she worked, there was only so much she could do to increase performance.

Now, with the recommendation of the company's Second Miss, she could finally look forward to a much bigger stage.

"Once the holiday is over, I'll also be going to the Northern First District to study. We'll have a lot of time together in the future, so work hard, keen-eyed big sister," Bettina, or rather 'Dream of Glazed Glass' Deklabi, painted a new future for her family's employee.

After getting accustomed to working in 'Dream of Glazed Glass' at the White Feather Church, she found herself delivering such speeches more and more naturally.