“Hey, Cheshire, do you think this is good? Ah—no, what about this one? Or maybe… this?”

Alice’s voice carried a mixture of excitement and nervous energy as she held up one dress after another, shifting through the collection in her wardrobe at an almost frantic pace.

Silky fabrics of varying colors draped over her arms, some slipping onto the floor in the chaos of her indecisiveness.

“B-but since it’s our first official date, maybe I should go with the first one since it’s white? White is classic, right? But then again…” She bit her lip, holding up a soft lavender dress against herself before quickly discarding it. “No, maybe something more elegant—ahhh, this is hard!”

Sitting lazily atop a plush pillow nearby, Cheshire flicked his tail and observed her struggle with an amused glint in his sharp, green eyes.

A sense of déjà vu stirred within him.

He had seen this before.

Yes, exactly this.

A memory surfaced of Alice fumbling through her wardrobe in a near-identical manner, her face just as flustered, back when she was preparing for that one unofficial date she had with Riley in the past.

Ahh… young love. It never changed.

With a teasing smile, he finally spoke.

“Master~ I think you’d look beautiful in any dress you wear, though~” he purred, stretching his limbs like a satisfied cat. “And besides, this is Riley we’re talking about. I don’t think you need to put that much effort into dressing up~ You might just end up killing the poor young man.”

Alice turned to him, hands still clutching a handful of fabric, her cheeks slightly pink.

“What are you talking about, Cheshire?” she huffed. “It would be rude of me not to dress up properly for a date! You know that!”

Cheshire chuckled internally.

Ah, such a pure and innocent way of thinking.

Of course, Alice would never consider the possibility that Riley was already utterly englamored by her, regardless of what she wore.

The truth was, to him, she was stunning no matter what.

Even in her usual academy uniform.

Even in her sparring clothes, sweaty and breathless after a fight.

Even in something as simple as a casual dress.

But alas, his dear master was far too oblivious to grasp that concept.

And perhaps… that was what made her so endearing in the first place.

“Cheshire, help me out here, will you?!” Alice whined, turning toward her familiar with wide, pleading eyes. “Junior said the other girls are joining as well—I need to stand out, right?”

She clutched the dresses in her arms tighter, her golden eyes filled with urgency.

Across the room, Cheshire lounged comfortably, his tail flicking idly in amusement. He met her gaze with a smirk, his sharp feline eyes glowing with mischief.

“Kukuku~ I don’t really think that’s the case, Master~” he purred.

Alice blinked, caught off guard. “R-Really?”

“Yes~ Just being yourself is more than enough,” Cheshire said smoothly, stretching lazily as if this entire matter was nothing but an amusing spectacle to him. “I don’t think Riley is the type to compare his lovers as well~”

Then, his smirk widened, his golden eyes glinting mischievously.

“Unless, of course, you’re planning to keep his entire attention on you for the whole night~?”

“Th-That’s—”

Alice’s breath hitched slightly, her cheeks immediately flushing a soft pink.

She hesitated.

Because, in all honesty… that was exactly what she wanted.

She knew Riley had a harem. She had already come to terms with it—she had accepted that the love he held for her was equal to the love he had for the other girls.

But even so—

Even so, as a young maiden in love, she couldn’t help but crave his attention.

Even if it was selfish.

Even if it was irrational.

Even if, just for tonight, she wanted to be the one who shined the brightest in his eyes.

“Kukuku~ So that was the case, hmm?” Cheshire chuckled knowingly, his whiskers twitching in amusement. “Though, standing out isn’t such a bad thing, I do think going a bit simpler this time would be better, Master. After all…” He grinned. “This is the first time you’ll be meeting Riley’s other lovers, right~?”

Alice opened her mouth to argue—but then she paused.

He had a point.

If she went too overboard, it might come across as… desperate. Or worse, as if she were trying too hard to compete with the others.

And that wasn’t what she wanted.

She wanted to stand out naturally.

After a moment of internal debate, she exhaled softly, reluctantly conceding.

“…I guess you’re right,” she murmured, sighing to herself.

Then, she turned to the full-body mirror beside her, her fingers brushing over the fabric of a simple yet elegant black-and-white dress.

It wasn’t as grandiose as the other elaborate outfits she had picked earlier. It lacked the intricate embroidery and flashy designs of the fancier gowns she had considered.

But, strangely enough…

It complimented her the best.

The simplicity of it enhanced her natural beauty rather than overshadowing it.

She ran her hands over the smooth fabric, tilting her head slightly.

“Then… maybe I should go with this?” she mused aloud.

Cheshire’s eyes twinkled with satisfaction as he watched her come to her decision.

“Kukuku~ A wise choice, Master~” he purred. “After all, nothing is more alluring than confidence, wouldn’t you agree~?”

Alice stared at her reflection in the mirror once more, her golden eyes tracing over the simple yet elegant dress that now adorned her figure.

She exhaled softly.

Cheshire was right.

Riley wouldn’t care about any of the nonsense swirling around in her head right now. He wasn’t the type to judge based on appearances or rank his lovers in some arbitrary way.

Just like how lovely she viewed Riley, that feeling should also be something natural to him as well…

She placed a hand over her chest, steadying her heartbeat.

“Master, you better go now—time is ticking,” Cheshire chimed in, breaking her thoughts.

Alice hesitated, glancing around the room.

“But the room—” she frowned, eyeing the mess she had made. Piles of dresses were scattered across the furniture, shoes lay abandoned on the floor, and accessories were tossed haphazardly on the vanity.

This was Riley’s room, after all. She couldn’t just leave it like this.

Cheshire, however, simply waved a paw in dismissal.

“Ah~ I’ll take care of all this. Don’t worry, just go ahead and have some fun~”

Alice blinked at him in surprise.

Normally, Cheshire was far too lazy and whimsical to bother with troublesome chores like cleaning up after her. But whenever it was something that even remotely related to her happiness, he never hesitated to make sacrifices—even at the cost of his own entertainment.

Alice felt warmth bloom in her chest at the thought.

She smiled softly, her golden eyes filled with appreciation.

“…Thank you, Cheshire.”

With that, she hurried to finish getting ready.

Using her telekinetic magic, she quickly adjusted her hair into an elegant bun with effortless precision.

The strands wove together seamlessly, framing her face in a way that enhanced her natural beauty.

She then paused, briefly contemplating whether or not she should apply a bit of makeup.

Would it be necessary?

Since she had already chosen a more simple route tonight, maybe she should just leave things as they were.

Besides, she had never been overly haughty about her looks, but… she was well aware that she could be considered very beautiful.

In the end, she decided against it.

Natural is best, she reassured herself.

She turned to Cheshire one last time. “I’ll be going now.”

“Kukuku~ Have fun, Master~” he purred, his sharp golden eyes gleaming with amusement.

Alice chuckled softly before giving him a final wave.

In the next instant, crimson mana enveloped her body, and with a single swift motion, she launched herself gracefully out the window, disappearing into the night sky.

….

Under the dim glow of the night sky, I found myself seated at a circular table with Rose and Snow, the three of us basking in the serene ambiance of the evening.

The stars above shimmered like scattered diamonds, while the soft glow of the moon bathed the balcony in a gentle silver light.

Despite the absence of the sun, there was a distinct warmth in the air—an unspoken, lingering heat that came not from the temperature but from the presence of those sitting beside me.

The setting was undeniably romantic.

With our table positioned on the restaurant’s balcony, the scene felt like something straight out of a novel—a grand, elegant dinner under the vast expanse of the cosmos.

The candlelight flickered softly between us, the sound of faint music drifting from within the restaurant, mixing harmoniously with the occasional whisper of the night breeze.

Everything was perfect.

Or rather, it should have been.

Until I made a critical mistake.

“Riley… I believe that was a gift for me, right?”

Rose’s voice cut through the air, carrying an unmistakable sharpness beneath her usual composed tone.

“Fufu~ Surely you jest, Rose,” Snow said smoothly, her smile sharp and unreadable. “As the first wife, I believe Riley was planning on giving that to me, don’t you think?”

The moment their gazes locked; invisible sparks ignited between them.

A suffocating tension filled the air.

Just a moment ago, everything had been fine.

The food had arrived on time, freshly prepared and absolutely delicious.

The conversation had flowed naturally—smooth, even—without any of the earlier friction they’d displayed.

But all of that peace was shattered in an instant.

Because of a ring. I accidentally took out of my pocket.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep