Waking up at noon, the first thing Caius saw was his adorable little catgirl.

  Can you imagine it? Opening your eyes to the cutest little face in the world—there was nothing more wonderful than that moment.

  He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

  Sure enough, Kiki stirred and opened her eyes with a soft murmur.

  “Big guy~”

  “Come on, let’s get some food, then go shopping, and afterward, we’ll find that silly mushroom.”

  “Okay, Meow~!”

  They cheerfully headed downstairs and enjoyed a happy lunch together.

  Kiki noticed something different about the Boss Lady today. She seemed… gentler.

  Even when Caius teased her, she just smiled it off instead of rolling her eyes or pretending to grab her trusty frying pan.

  Kiki wasn’t sure why.

  Maybe the big guy was just that charming?

  At least, that’s what she thought.

  After lunch, Caius led Kiki toward the marketplace.

  “What are we going to the market for, meow?” Kiki asked.

  “Clothes. I’ve almost worn out all the ones in my spatial ring. Seems like every few days, another piece gets trashed,” Caius said. “Also need to get a pair of highly elastic underpants. And a dress for that silly mushroom.”

  At that, Caius chuckled to himself.

  He couldn’t wait to see Belle in a dress.

  A plain little mushroom girl in a beautiful dress—she’d look amazing, for sure.

  Of course, she’d only get to wear it for him.

  He could be quite possessive.

  They browsed a few clothing shops together, Caius choosing clothes with little fuss—he just wanted something in a large size that looked decent enough. He’d probably end up crafting a more durable set himself anyway.

  Eventually, they arrived at a well-known boutique called Britney, specializing in high-end fashion.

  The upside: elegant and well-made.

  The downside: expensive.

  “Good day, sir. What are you looking for?” A lovely sales assistant greeted them the moment they walked in, her smile warm and professional.

  This was what made high-end stores stand out—even their staff were easy on the eyes.

  “I’m looking for underpants,” Caius said with a grin.

  The assistant froze for a second.

  Who the hell comes here to buy underpants?

  Then Caius clarified, “To be exact, custom underpants. I want a pair made from Earthwyrm hide.”

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “And I need a light-colored dress for a young girl—something stylish.”

  The assistant quickly gathered herself and nodded. “Of course. This way, please.”

  She was a true professional. She took Caius’s measurements and asked about the preferred style.

  Caius went with boxer briefs.

  Boxers were the best—world’s greatest, in fact.

  With a slightly larger size, he could even wear them as shorts.

  Then came the dress selection. The assistant brought out five dresses in various light shades—white, linen, beige...

  But none satisfied Caius.

  He asked to see more expensive options.

  The assistant’s eyes lit up.

  Jackpot.

  Soon enough, after her careful curation, two stunning dresses were presented.

  One was pure white.

  The other, also white, was adorned with golden and silver threads and dotted with pearls.

  The first radiated purity.

  The second, refined elegance.

  Caius hesitated.

  He imagined Belle’s beautiful face—both would suit her so well… How to choose?

  Just then, the assistant said, “These two were handmade by Master Britney herself. She’s a renowned fashion artisan, and every piece she crafts is one-of-a-kind. You won’t find a duplicate anywhere in the world.”

  “They arrived just today and haven’t even been displayed yet.”

  Ah. A not-so-subtle nudge—buy now, or risk losing them to someone else once they hit the display.

  Caius clenched his teeth.

  He bought both!

  Each was priced at 150,000 gold coins.

  If he hadn’t been the one who earned all that cash by getting beat up the night before, he might’ve suspected price gouging.

  300,000 gold. Gone in a flash.

  Even for a big spender like Caius, it stung.

  But if you don’t sacrifice a little, you don’t get the reward. He paid without hesitation.

  The assistant was ecstatic. Her service was impeccable—she prepared elegant gift boxes and a bouquet to match.

  Caius didn’t leave just yet.

  He’d noticed the little catgirl nibbling on her finger, eyeing the pretty dresses longingly.

  She was a girl too, and girls liked pretty dresses.

  So he spent another 80,000 gold to buy Kiki a cute floral dress that suited her perfectly.

  She was over the moon, instantly transforming into a clinging, face-hugging Meow.

  Fortunately, money didn’t need to be spent on cars or gear now.

  He had no car, and gear—well, he could just make his own. So why not splurge a little?

  The underpants were cheaper by comparison, but still cost 50,000 gold.

  Now Caius had less than 100,000 left in his pouch.

  Walking out of the boutique, he sighed with emotion.

  Turns out, there’s one thing more profitable than making money off women—making money off the men of those women...

  One day, he’d definitely invest in a clothing store of his own.

  The underpants wouldn’t be ready until tomorrow.

  So Caius took Kiki’s hand, activated the Magic Array Plate, and teleported straight to Hydis Academy.

  No sooner had Caius arrived than he spotted a familiar figure, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

  “Caius!” Hilda called out in delight.

  “What a coincidence,” Caius replied, dryly.

  Indeed, what a coincidence—both times he’d come looking for that silly mushroom, Little Swan had gotten there first.

  But not this time. This time, he had to find that silly mushroom.

  “Were you looking for me?” Hilda walked up to him with a beaming smile.

  She looked like she had just come back from somewhere via teleportation. Dressed in casual clothes, she carried a few shopping bags filled with snacks and sweets.

  Caius figured she must’ve been out shopping.

  Girls loved shopping, and Hilda was clearly no exception.

  “No, I came to see Instructor Holan,” Caius said.

  “Oh.” A flicker of disappointment crossed Hilda’s eyes, but she quickly regained her smile.

  “Is it about the Nofalark Forest?”

  “Sort of,” Caius replied vaguely. “More like... something personal.”

  At that, Hilda paused, thinking it over. “Because you can’t use Magic?”

  “You remembered?” Caius chuckled in surprise.

  He hadn’t expected her to remember something he’d only mentioned in passing. But Little Swan had remembered.

  “I have a really good memory,” Hilda said proudly.

  Yeah, I know. Not a particularly cute trait though.

  So Caius grinned mischievously. “And yet, someone with such a good memory always manages to get lost?”

  Hilda: “……”

  Look at that—her cheeks puffed up again~

  “I was going to help you, you know,” Hilda said, turning her face away with mock indignation. “But maybe I won’t now.”

  Caius froze, then immediately put on a serious expression. “Getting lost is great! You get to stumble upon all sorts of unexpected, beautiful places!”

  Hilda couldn’t help but laugh. “Is that really a thing?”

  “Of course it is!” Caius nodded earnestly.

  “Well then, I’ll begrudgingly believe you~” Hilda said with a soft laugh, then pointed ahead. “Are you heading to the library?”

  “Mm-hmm.” Caius nodded again.

  “Let’s go together then. I just bought some snacks to give to Instructor Holan.”

  Caius swallowed discreetly.

  Suddenly... he felt a little nervous.

  But he still nodded. “Alright. Let’s go together.”