Chapter 59: Dignity in White

Chapter 60: Dignity in White

As Eris dragged me toward the bridal shop by the wrist, I planted my feet against the floor and tried to slow us down.

My small act of resistance accomplished nothing. Eris was far stronger than an ordinary person and continued walking as if she couldn’t even feel my weight.

"Oiii, slow down! People are staring at us."

"Let them stare. If you stop trying to escape, we’ll attract less attention."

"I’m not escaping. I’m only considering whether this is a good idea."

"You already agreed to wear a wedding dress. We’re far past the point where you get to think about it."

"You can’t hold me responsible for decisions I made under duress."

Instead of answering, Eris opened the store’s glass door and pulled me inside.

Tall mirrors lined the walls of the spacious store, which had been decorated in different shades of white. Warm lights hanging from the ceiling made the tiny stones on the displayed wedding dresses sparkle. Dozens of different designs hung from racks along the walls, while the mannequins in the center wore more elaborate gowns.

Everything here looked expensive.

The moment I saw the number on one of the price tags from a distance, the regret I felt over buying my new phone became insignificant.

"Eris, maybe we should order something cheap online."

"If we order one without trying it on, we might discover that it doesn’t fit you on the day of the contest. Besides, this store offers a special discount to contestants."

I didn’t understand why a bridal shop offered discounts for a cosplay competition, but it was still good news.

"How much of a discount?"

"That depends on the dress we choose."

That answer wasn’t reassuring at all.

A middle-aged saleswoman approached and greeted us with a warm smile. A measuring tape hung around her neck, while a small badge on her chest displayed the store’s name and her employee number.

"Welcome. Are you looking for a wedding dress?"

I frowned at how unnecessary the question was. What else could we have come to a store filled with wedding dresses for?

"No, we’re looking for something to wear to a funeral."

Eris’s elbow suddenly drove into my stomach.

"Ugh!"

I took a step back and turned toward her in irritation.

"What? What else could we possibly be looking for in a bridal shop?"

"You could have tried answering like a normal person."

While the saleswoman struggled to decide how to interpret our conversation, Eris pushed me forward without hesitation.

"Yes, we’re looking for a wedding dress. Our bride is a little shy."

"I’m not a bride!"

My voice rose more than necessary inside the store. Two customers examining the dresses turned toward us, while the saleswoman stared at me in surprise.

"I’m sorry," she said. "You’re not the one getting married?"

"There is no wedding, and I’m a man."

The woman’s gaze moved from my face to my blue hair, then down to the loose black pants I was wearing. Her professional smile froze for only a second before returning with a more understanding expression.

"Ah, I see." She softened her voice and leaned slightly closer. "You don’t need to worry. Our store serves everyone, and I want you to know that I support you."

I stared silently at her for several seconds while a voice inside my head screamed that she was thinking something strange about me.

"What exactly are you supporting?"

The knowing smile on her face widened.

Before I could explain anything, she had already created my entire life story in her head. She probably thought I was about to marry my boyfriend and felt nervous because I wanted to wear the wedding dress.

My eye twitched slightly, but I decided it wasn’t worth making another attempt to correct the misunderstanding and shrugged.

This woman was just as dangerous as the saleswoman who had sold me my phone. She possessed the kind of calm found only in people who wouldn’t let me leave the store without buying something, no matter what I said.

Eris pressed her lips together to keep herself from laughing.

"We’re preparing for a cosplay competition," she finally explained. "The character we’re doing wears a bloodstained wedding dress. We’ll use the dress we buy here as a base and make some changes to it."

The overly understanding expression on the saleswoman’s face disappeared, replaced by genuine curiosity.

"What kind of character?"

Instead of answering, Eris looked at me.

If I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, I needed to explain what we were looking for properly. As I examined the wedding dresses around the store, I brought the image of Evelyn back into my mind.

"She has white hair and red eyes, and she looks like a dead bride. I don’t want the dress covered in flashy stones. It should look old, elegant, and a little gloomy. The skirt should look good when it moves, but it can’t be so long that it prevents me from walking onstage."

Once I started speaking, I realized I was giving far more detail than I had expected.

"It could have long lace sleeves. The waist should fit closely around the body, but the neckline shouldn’t reveal too much. We’ll distress parts of it later and add fake blood. The red and black stains need to stand out against the white fabric."

As the saleswoman listened carefully, Eris watched me with a mischievous smile.

"For someone who hates cosplay, you know exactly what you want."

"Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m only trying to do a good job."

"Sure, sure... You’re such a tsundere."

Rolling my eyes, I turned back toward the saleswoman. After thinking for several seconds, she took the measuring tape from around her neck.

"I have a few designs in mind, but we’ll need to take your measurements first."

"My measurements?"

Eris placed both hands on my shoulders and pushed me toward the woman.

"Don’t worry. It won’t hurt."

"That makes me more worried."

I tried to remain still as the saleswoman measured my waist, shoulders, and hips. When she moved on to my chest, the smile at the corner of Eris’s lips grew even wider.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"If you say one word, I’ll leave you here and walk away."

"I haven’t said anything yet."

"Your face is saying enough."

Once the measurements were finished, the saleswoman led us toward the wide display area in the center instead of taking us to the back of the store. Dozens of wedding dresses covered the mannequins standing on white platforms of different heights.

As she walked between them, the woman gestured toward the first design.

The wedding dress left the shoulders completely bare and was covered in sparkling stones and silver embroidery. Its long train and full skirt looked impressive, but I was certain it would reflect every light around me and turn me into a walking chandelier.

"Too bright," I said. "Evelyn is a dead bride, not a light fairy."

The saleswoman nodded and led us toward the second mannequin.

The layered, voluminous skirt of this dress covered almost the entire platform. It looked as though it had been taken from one of the princess movies I watched as a child. Forget fighting in it—I wouldn’t even be able to take two steps across the stage.

Eris lifted part of the skirt and examined it carefully.

"You could hide inside this and stay there until the competition ends."

"That’s not funny."

"It was a little funny."

When I saw the third mannequin, my gaze lingered on it without meaning to.

The dress was made from fabric close to ivory, and its long, semi-transparent sleeves were covered in lace patterns. Although the neckline wasn’t particularly high, it completely covered the chest. Several layers of fabric began beneath its fitted waist and widened toward the feet.

The skirt was neither as full as a princess dress nor tight enough to restrict my movement. The short train at the back could suit Evelyn’s dark appearance once it had been cut and distressed.

Its decorations were quite simple. Pale silver patterns embroidered into the white fabric gleamed faintly beneath the light.

It wasn’t exactly the dress I had imagined, but it could work with a few changes.

Eris must have thought the same thing.

"Let’s try this one."

"Weren’t you going to ask me before deciding?"

"I could tell you liked it from the look on your face."

When I couldn’t answer, the saleswoman called another employee over. After the dress was carefully removed from the mannequin, Eris placed it in my arms.

The pile of fabric made it difficult to see where I was going as I was guided toward a spacious fitting room at the back of the store. When Eris silently tried to follow me inside, I stopped in front of the entrance and turned toward her.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

"To help you."

"I can dress myself."

"Have you ever worn a wedding dress before?"

"No. Have you?"

"No, but at least I know how one works. You need to arrange the layers properly, put your arms through without tearing the sleeves, and close the zipper at the back."

"I can do all of that myself."

Eris took another step toward the fitting room.

"I can turn around if you want."

"No."

"I can close my eyes too."

"Eris, get out."

"I’m only trying to help."

I placed both hands on her shoulders and forced her out of the fitting room. Eris didn’t even try to hide her laughter as she walked backward.

"If I’d known you would be this embarrassed, I would’ve brought you wedding dress shopping sooner."

"If you try to come inside again, you will face the wrath of Great Noctis, mortal."

Still laughing, Eris sat on the small chair outside the fitting room.

"Call me when you can’t reach the zipper."

"I won’t."

After pulling the curtain closed in her face, I hung the dress on the rack. For several seconds, I stared at the mirror in front of me and the anime girl printed across my shirt.

If someone in my previous life had told me that I would wear a wedding dress one day, I would have called them insane and probably punched them in the face several times. Now I was standing among layers of full skirts and lace so I could win a five-star card.

The System wasn’t buying my dignity directly. Instead, it was slowly convincing me to give it up willingly.

"No matter what happens, I’m p

lacing in the top three."

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A/N: Hiii, humanoids!

I’ve decided to change this novel’s title... I’ve noticed that the word "femboy" in the title hasn’t been very well received, and it’s been hurting the novel.

Anyway, if you have a title in mind that you think would suit this novel, feel free to share it in the comments! ^_^