The World Is Mine For The Taking

Titania was practically overflowing with every detail of her night with Mr. Leon, like she was a dreamy princess swept off her feet by her charming prince. I didn't quite grasp everything she was saying, though—it all just seemed to blur together.

"Please focus on the task at hand," I reminded her.

"Oh, right," she replied.

Titania started searching for clothes for me, but eventually gave up.

"Ahhh~" she moaned. "You don't have anything decent, Shreddy. I'm not even sure if your clothes can be considered suitable for women. Honestly, you don't even have a skirt."

"I have my uniform skirt," I replied. "I think it's best if I go to the castle in my uniform."

"No!" Titania's voice rang out with urgency. "Are you alright, Shreddy? You can't just stroll into the royal castle wearing nothing but your uniform. While it's important to maintain your student status, you need to leave a lasting impression on the King. If you can do that, he'll be more inclined to listen to your requests, no matter how challenging they may seem. Impression is everything, Shreddy."

"But I don't have anything suitable to wear," I confessed.

"Don't fret. Leave it to me," she reassured, determination shining in her eyes.

***

Leonamon.

It felt strange to see a mall in this almost medieval world. While the mall wasn't drastically different from the other buildings, it closely resembled what you'd find in my world. Our malls had long been destroyed by wars, but if they hadn't been, I imagine they would look similar to this, albeit more modern.

"Why are we here?" I inquired of Titania.

"What else? To find you some clothes!" she replied.

"I didn't bring much money with me," I noted.

"It's fine. I am royalty. Buying clothes is nothing for my pocket," she assured me.

Sometimes, I forget that she's a princess. I wonder why she ended up in this kingdom, though? I heard from the Leader that Bethlan was going through some kind of civil war, and some of the nobles were trying to overthrow the king of Bethlan. I wonder if Titania is really okay here.

After strolling for a bit, we finally arrived at the clothing store.

"Wow! These look amazing. Who's the designer behind these?" Titania exclaimed as she admired the clothes.

Did they really look good? I'm no fashion expert, so I couldn't really judge.

"Huh? This is a new one. I didn't know there was a designer with this name. Maybe they're just starting out. But to come up with such great designs as a beginner, they must be really talented."

Titania seemed really intrigued. I didn't quite understand what she was so excited about, but I glanced at the designer's name on the clothes. It read Karina. They must be fairly new to the scene, considering even Titania didn't recognize the name.

"Check this out! Doesn't this look like something a high-powered executive would wear? And this one! It's totally secretary chic, and these dresses are fit for royalty. Man, Leonamon really has a knack for bringing out the best in fashion, huh? And look at these lingerie sets!

They're a bit on the skimpy side, but damn, they're sexy. Some of them are surprisingly comfy too!"

It was difficult to reconcile her regal status with her casual demeanor. But then again, if she acted all high and mighty, I'd probably despise her to the point of avoiding her altogether.

"Can we please focus on the task at hand? I have a meeting with the king at 3 P.M. and it's already 10 A.M.. I can't afford to miss it."

"Don't worry, Shreddy. I've got your back," she said with a smirk.

Titania and I put a lot of effort into finding something that would suit me, like a frilly dress. But when I tried it on, it just didn't click. Showing it to her, she remarked, "The dress doesn't quite match your face." Frilly dresses are usually reserved for those with cute, smiling faces. I wasn't cute, and my smile was far from convincing. Frills and I just didn't mix.

Next up was something more akin to what secretaries or executives wear. It was similar to what Professor Irene always had on: a tight pencil skirt, stockings, and a crisp white blouse. "This one suits you," Titania said. "But let's keep looking for something even better. This one's a bit too formal and stiff."

She was spot on. Even I could sense that the outfit was a bit too rigid. It might work for someone like Professor Irene, who exudes a stern vibe, but for me, it wasn't the right choice for a meeting, especially with a king.

"Oh, then how about this?" she suggested, holding up another option.

What she had was a more modest dress. It wasn't overly frilly, nor was it too stiff. It struck a nice balance between formal and casual. I slipped it on and showed her.

Titania smiled approvingly, "That's perfect. You look fantastic in it, Shreddy. As expected, you're stunning."

Her compliment caught me off guard. Was I really beautiful? In this outfit? Well, if she said so, then I'll trust her judgment.

After a bit more shopping, we finally returned to my dorm room. It was already 1 P.M. by then.

"Now that we're done with that, let's get you dolled up, Shreddy!" Titania suddenly exclaimed.

"What? You mean you're going to put makeup on me? I don't need that," I said.

Titania looked at me earnestly. "Listen, Shreddy. If you want to make a great impression, you need to look your best. And by 'your best,' I mean really, really polished. I don't think we can fix that scowl on your face, but we can certainly improve it with a little makeover."

"I don't really think it's necessary," I replied.

"As I said, Shreddy, you need to look your best! Come on, I brought my makeup kit with me, and you can see how good I am at it by how pretty I look today, right?"

I sighed, resigned. "Fine. You can have your way with me."

"Yes!"

With that, Titania unpacked her makeup kit and began instructing me to present my face for beautification. The brush gliding over my skin, the sensation of lipstick against my lips, the delicate touch of mascara on my eyelashes, the transformation of my skin into softness—these were all entirely new experiences for me. I had never felt anything like it before, not in my world.

In my former world, I was merely a tool for killing, a weapon wielded at the command of others. I was born and bred for combat, trained to be a natural-born killer. I had seen countless battles, fought in wars, even played a part in liberating occupied territories. My hands were stained with the blood of many.

That's why I struggled to fit in, to be normal. But as Titania applied those cosmetics, I couldn't help but feel drawn into this world, even though I resisted.

No. I couldn't form attachments to the people in this world, not to Titania, and not to Mr. Leon either. My sole focus should be finding a way back home. That's all there is to it. And then, maybe then...

"It's done, Shreddy," she announced. Holding up a mirror to my face, I hesitantly looked at my reflection. Was this really me? The transformation was startling. That same fierce scowl remained, but now it seemed somehow fitting. I looked truly beautiful.

"See how good I am? You look very pretty, Shreddy!" she exclaimed. "Now, the only thing you need to work on is your smile. That way, maybe you can catch someone's eye. A man, perhaps?" She grinned mischievously.

There was no man around to impress, and I had no interest in dolling up just to catch a man's eye, so I simply gave her my icy stare.

"Come on, Shreddy. Smile. Smile!" Titania urged.

I attempted to curl my lips upward, but Titania's expression twisted into horror.

"Okay, it seems like smiling isn't going to happen for you yet. But maybe we can work on practicing your smile from now on," Titania suggested.

I stole a glance at Titania. Perhaps if I befriended her, I could uncover the truth behind my recurring dreams. Maybe I could finally understand why they haunted me. But I reminded myself not to form attachments. Getting too close to anyone would only make it harder for me to escape this world. My hope of returning home was within reach.

There's a chance I might find the answer on how to return home from the king himself, after all.